6 Top News Sites for Kids & Teens

From time to time, an industry or subject inspires us to create a best-of list. In case you’ve missed some of these, you can find them here. Back-to-school will be here before we know it, so we’re dedicating our latest roundup to a few standout news sites for kids and teens to help them boost reading comprehension and follow current events. If you think your site should be considered, give us a holler and tell us why.

The kids news industry is growing. In order to reach younger generations like Gen Z and Gen Alpha, a number of legacy publishers have introduced their own verticals for young readers.

Kayleigh Barber at Digiday explains: “In an industry built on relationships, if you can establish a habit-forming affinity for the brand at a young age, well then, they’ll be hooked for life.”

These are a few standout sites providing a range of news stories for kids.

1. NewsForKids.net

This site provides up-to-date news written with kids in mind. Articles are full of pictures and background information to help the reader understand. It can even help break down and explain complicated topics (like Bitcoin, for example) for adult readers.

The site was founded by a teacher and selects age-appropriate news stories. It uses natural language and short sentences to make sure content is as accessible as possible. It covers world news, sports, art, science, and technology.

Weekly news roundups provide short recaps of some of the major news headlines from the week. And if readers aren’t familiar with a term or topic, the Fast Facts section has quick, straightforward definitions.

Lastly, readers can test their comprehension at the end of many articles by taking a short quiz.

Stories to read right now: News Roundup: Cuba Protests, Soccer Champs, & a Spelling Whiz; and Pacific Northwest Faces Record Hot Weather.

Follow @NewsForKidsNet on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/NewsForKidsNet/status/1412073416006553600

2. DOGO News

DOGO News provides concise, kid-friendly news articles on current events, science, and social studies. It aims to “empower literacy, reading fluency and global awareness.” The engaged audience of kids is very active in the comments sections of articles, giving the site a real community feel.

My favorite feature is that readers can click on words they may not be familiar with to open a lightbox with a definition, synonyms, and more. Many articles also have a video and downloadable workbook with items like critical thinking questions, vocabulary games, and quizzes.

Visitors can search content by grade level, word count, and category. They can also access MLA, APA, and Chicago style citations for articles. And stories can be embedded or shared to Google Classroom, which is a handy feature for parents and teachers.

Stories to read right now: This Prehistoric Rhino Was Taller Than A Giraffe And Four Times Heavier Than An Elephant; and “Rosetta Stone” Eruption On The Sun Provides Insights Into Solar Explosions.

Follow @dogonews on Twitter.

Magawa, an African giant pouched rat trained to sniff out concealed explosive devices, has retired. The rodent, who received British Veterinary Charity PDSA's gold medal for bravery in 2020, was one of Belgian non-profit APOPO's most successful HeroRATs.… https://t.co/XWqRhMlwop

— DOGOnews (@dogonews) July 1, 2021

3. TIME for Kids

This is TIME’s news division for children. Launched in 1995, the vertical reportedly has 93,000 subscribers.

Search articles on TIME for Kids by grade level (K-6) or topic (animals, engineering, government, music, sports, and more). A unique section also provides financial literacy content for grades 4-6. That’s a topic I wish I’d learned about when I was younger!

The YouTube channel also has a mix of interviews and drawing tutorials. And the site is gamified — it gives readers rewards for reading and completing activities.

Stories to read right now: First Pets; Kids Write About the Pandemic; and Dr. Anthony Fauci Talks with TIME for Kids (with video).

Follow @timeforkids on Twitter.

In addition to being a star speller, Zalia Avant-garde is a basketball player with three Guinness World Records for dribbling. https://t.co/Hq9Y37kW6B 🐝 @ScrippsBee #SpellingBee

— TIME for Kids (@timeforkids) July 12, 2021

4. Smithsonian TweenTribune

TweenTribune is technically a resource designed for teachers, but it can also be a great news site for kids to check out on their own. With news articles, quizzes, lesson plans, and videos, it’s a really well-rounded site from a trusted source.

The site explains, “TTribune searches the Internet for grade-appropriate stories from reputable news organizations, such as the Associated Press, and local newspapers and TV stations. TTribune selects interesting stories and tailors them for different reading level audiences.”

You can search articles by grade level (K-12), topic (science, culture, odd news, etc.), and Lexile level (reading difficulty). TweenTribune is also available in Spanish. And don’t forget to check out the active comment sections.

Stories to read right now: The boy who became a World War II veteran at 13 years old; Virtual reality field trips give students advanced adventure; and New graphic novel writes the Wright Brothers’ sister back into history.

Follow @tweentribune on Facebook.

How to take your students on a journey to become an astronomical imager, or astrophotographer. https://t.co/1vtTQvFqlH

— TweenTribune (@TweenTribune) January 27, 2021

5. KidNuz

KidNuz is a daily podcast for kids. It covers current events “in a kid-friendly package, sparks curiosity, and gets them asking critical questions.” The nonpartisan newscast was created by former broadcast journalists who wanted to create something similar for a younger audience.

Most episodes are about 7 minutes long, presenting the day’s big news stories in a nice bite-size package. The site also provides a weekly news quiz and a KidNuz Club. The Club provides members with access to exclusive content, word searches, stickers, and more.

Listen to a few of the recent podcast episodes:

• July 12, 2021: Covers Richard Branson’s trip to the edge of space, the latest Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, and more.
• July 7, 2021: Covers the impact of the delta strain on the latest COVID-19 case numbers, the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa, and more.

Follow @Kid_Nuz on Twitter.

These are some pooped pachyderms! Why an entire nation is monitoring every move on their spontaneous journey on today's podcast at https://t.co/BQQctlNGhK.

Highlights: New Ocean, 10 Babies, Graduate Generosity, Elephants on the Move, Seattle Scores and Mount Recyclemore! pic.twitter.com/PKoHwc16Fd

— KidNuz (@Kid_Nuz) June 11, 2021

6. Teen Kids News

Teen Kids News (TKN) is an award-winning news show for 13-16-year-olds. It airs on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday on more than 200 stations across the country.

A key category for the show and website covers College & Careers. Viewers can find content on scholarships, student loans, and general advice on making the transition to higher education.

Other topics include health, travel, culture, sports, activism, history, and more.

Stories to read right now: Best Photos from Around the World; 19 Things Nobody Tells You About Life After High School Graduation; and Voting Rights: A Short History.

Follow @teenkidsnews on Twitter.

#Dubai , known for having the world's largest skyscraper and largest mall, has done it again by opening the world's deepest dive pool. https://t.co/HrRLbgpfEs

— Teen Kids News (@teenkidsnews) July 10, 2021

Bonus:

If you’re just looking for print publications for kids’ news, here are a few bonus options:

• The Week Junior: This weekly newsmagazine is targeted to kids between the ages of 8 and 14. It includes current events, coding, debates, puzzles, and more.
• New York Times for Kids: This print section of the newspaper is included on the last Sunday of each month. The print-only section is about 12 pages of news stories that “helps your kids understand the world.” You can also check out the Times’ Learning Network. The site breaks down NYT stories for middle and high school teachers and students. It also features activities like writing prompts, quizzes, and contests.

Looking for kids’ news and other story ideas? We can create a PR Newswire newsfeed for you. It’s easy. Sign up at PR Newswire for Journalists today.

Rocky Parker is the Digital Content Lead at PR Newswire. She works with journalists, bloggers, and content creators to create their targeted newsfeeds from PR Newswire for Journalists. Rocky has also counseled on content writing best practices. Check out her previous posts for Beyond Bylines. When she’s not working, Rocky typically can be found cooking, binge-watching a new show, or playing with her puppy, Hudson.