Parents always look for new ways to keep their children engaged and learning. There are so many websites, apps, games, and subscription boxes out there that parents often don’t have time to do the research. So, where do you start? We recently started exploring DIY.org and all of its unique features. It is an online learning platform for kids that focuses on a micro-learning and game-based learning approach. However, it also features live interaction with other kids via zoom 3-4 times daily. You can pick and choose what your kids participate in based on their interests. It is primarily for extracurricular activities.
Exploring the Site
Explore the site to see what projects are available. You can start with a free trial of DIY.org before you pay for a full subscription. However, a year of the program is less than $100.
When you start your free trial, find projects that interest your child and are appropriate for their age and skill level, as well as interests. You can search by these qualifications. Each asynchronous class lists and proper age range.
But be sure to look for free trial options, so you can try it out before committing to a subscription. Sometimes they offer a week, but occasionally you can get an entire month free.
How to Set up That Account So That Kids Can Browse and Choose Their Projects
Setting up a DIY.org account is easy, but there are some important steps to ensure your child’s best experience.
To start, parents must create an account and set up their profile and the project profiles for each of their children. Parents must input their name, email address, and credit card information.
Next, create a separate profile for each of your children and give them access to the projects on DIY.org. With a DIY subscription, you can enroll up to four kids. The kid’s profile does not include their real names. They must pick a username or “Code Name” to go by. They also use this code name on the live zooms, so pick something your child is ok being called by the teachers and other students. Remember, kids have lots of silly names on the platform, so a combination of fun words like sparklyunicorn27 of pigscanfly are all great choices.
Find Your Child’s Interests
After creating an account, the first step is to find your child’s interests. The DIY.org website has a lot of different categories and subcategories so it can be overwhelming at first. There are multiple projects in each category, so you don’t have to worry about finding one specific project that matches exactly what your child wants to do. You can also search by age, skill level, or interest (such as “Paper Crafts”). In the beginning, you have to choose your child’s interests, so she also gets excellent recommendations for projects and challenges.
If your child doesn’t know what she likes yet, there’s another option: using the search bar at the top of their screen! You can type keywords into this bar, like “Bratz dolls” or “superheroes,” and it will bring up all sorts of related projects.
Tackling a Project for the First Time
The site is easy to navigate and offers a variety of lessons for kids of all ages. Parents are notified when their child posts something new, so you can stay on top of what they’re learning. You get an email about each post.
The lessons offer fun activities like puzzles, games, building projects, and more, ranging from 1-15 minutes each (depending on how much time you want). These types of hands-on experiences are key when learning something new!
The live lessons are approximately one hour long and cover gaming, art, music, history, and more.
DIY.org Privacy for Second Graders
DIY.org has a privacy policy that is easy to understand. They explain how they protect your information, how long they keep it, and why they need it in the first place. They also have a cookie policy, terms of service, and terms of use that are easy to read and understand.
Your child does not use their real name but a code name on the platform and zoom so no one can trace them in real life. Plus, the platform is not for adults unless the adult works for DIY. However, since DIY.org was founded in 2012, it has been around for a while. Kids who joined in the beginning may now be adults, and I have seen a few still lingering on the platform.
With DIY.org, though, everything is out in the open. So no one can send private messages to your kids. The moderators see all activity and messages of DIY and other DIYers.
DIY.org Is Easier to Use than Expected, and the Lessons Are Engaging
The site is easy to use and engaging. The lessons are well-organized, the projects are fun and easy to follow, and you will be able to create an account easily for your kids.
There are big-play buttons, and the modules are easy to navigate through.
What Are Other Parents Saying about DIY.org?
Common sense media doesn’t have a lot of parent reviews for the DIY.org platform, and many of them are older because the price has come down significantly. But most reviews indicate that the content is good!
Diy.org Challenges
You can find every topic your eight-year-old might be interested in Minecraft, Roblox, reading, watercolors, dolls, and much more.
The challenges are fun and creative with a lot of variety. With each lesson, you will learn something new! The best part is that there are lessons where kids can choose what they want to do; they don’t have to follow the curriculum if they don’t like to! This makes it easy for kids who enjoy being active while learning or prefer to follow activities to the letter.
Don’t worry about this being overwhelming for your child either because each week has different live topics, so everything doesn’t seem like one long lesson series. Also, because there are so many DIY challenges, there will always be something new coming up soon enough!!
Is DIY The Right Platform for You?
Overall, this platform offers a lot of great value to a family. It has a free trial and is easy to get started with, so if you think your kids would enjoy it, there are no real downsides to taking the plunge. If you want something less extracurricular and more educational, check out our guide to Education.com for elementary-age kids.
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