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 So....you think the only kids fit for the Web are computer whiz high school
student who program and "game" their every waking moments. Well, believe it
or not, there are all kinds of great things waiting for little cyberfolks,
too. The key to using the web with younger kids is finding sites where the text is not the site's most important component. You could think of them as "No reading required" pages. This article will help you find many sites that fit this criteria: where little ones can learn, be creative, and "see the world." For best results, share them with your child.
Art
Here are some specific examples of coloring pages to look for: There are also online paint or drawing programs available. An excellent Starting Point for Computer Art Applications can be found in the Yahooligans Directory . Look in the Section labeled "Art Soup".
Online Galleries Note: An added "literacy booster" is when some of the pages invite kid visitors to write their OWN story for a piece of art posted on the page. Reading and Literature 
Cyber parents never have to fret over running out of picture books, either.
You can find illustrated children's stories on the Web. Some sites feature
on-line versions of previously published books, while others are "made for
the Web" tales.Here are a few places to browse kids books and related material: Kids seem to have an insatiable appetite for licensed characters. Surfing the Web, you can find many of them. (I can't guarantee you won't have to buy just as many toys as ever, though...) Here are some places to find them:
Kids may not completely fathom the idea of "visiting" a place online, but kids (of all ages!) will have a great time looking at these spectacular "live" sites. Live camera Sites are just what they sound like: Places where there is a camera taking pictures of a location, so that new /folks/images are uploaded every few minutes. You can see Seattle, the aquarium at Netscape's home office... the possibilities are pretty diverse. You can find these sites in a variety of ways. This is an excellent "Camera Search Engine". On this page, you can click on a map of the world, and see a list of "web cameras" near that spot. Here are few "live field trips" you can take. With this introduction, you get a sense of the possibilities for "pre-reader" activities online. Remember, spending time with your child at the computer is valuable in itself, and the content your child can encounter, with your help, will most likely be enriching and fun. SO, enjoy!
Lminniger@aol.com author of the Kid Friendly Web Book
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You can find coloring pages for many well known characters (see the "Licensed
Characters" section, below) on the sites devoted to them. You may also
find links from Kids' sites or educational publishers' pages.