The Internet contains many websites that offer earth science games for kids in preschool through 12th grade. Some sites organize games by age levels or school grades while others categorize games by branch of earth science. Interactive games allow kids to explore and learn about the world around them while improving fine motor skills and providing fun. Some sites have games that are focused on a specific topic. Other sites, designed for teachers and parents, offer a variety of fun and activities, covering the many branches of earth science.
NASA has a specially-designed kid's science website that has various earth science games and activities. Younger children learn about condensation, evaporation and precipitation while guiding a little raindrop safely down to earth and eventually out to sea. Quiz games, modeled after the television show "Jeopardy," review facts concerning the atmosphere, geology and oceanography. Youngsters test their physical geography skills by assembling drag and drop puzzle pieces depicting various locations on the planet.
Online earth science games include an opportunity for older students to learn aspects of gas and oil drilling by playing a virtual oil well game. Budding oil tycoons learn about geophysics. Kids see how gas and oil lie beneath the ground by evaluating seismic surveys. After determining the best place to drill a well, kids explore the use of drilling tools to penetrate the earth's core, learning about the processes and pitfalls of obtaining natural resources. Students also acquire and manage the assets required for different aspects of the task.
Websites like Zoodles provide earth science games that include ventures into outer space. Children of various ages learn about the different planets in our solar system, planet rotation, and what factors are used to classify an object as a star or planet. Other games and lessons teach geology. These games encourage young students to explore aspects of paleontology by exploring different sediment layers or discovering ancient cultures and dinosaurs.
Gameaquarium: Science has hundreds of games and activities where children can have fun while learning the different aspects of earth science, including oceanography. Young students create an ocean environment by placing species of sea creatures in an underwater scene. Older children view videos of shark behavior and devise ways of avoiding attacks. The website also includes games about natural disasters, inviting students to save a village from a volcano or build the perfect tornado proof environment.