Mental Floss: "Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix"

Mental Floss is the name of a magazine and also a fun blog that presents fascinating facts and trivia. The site also features some fun quizzes.

Animal Corner

Animal Corner is a useful educational site about all kinds of different animals. The site is constantly updating and adding new animals.

In addition to information about animals, the site also provides information about animal conservation with a list of endangered and threatened animals of the British Isles, and a list of endangered species worldwide.

UK Moths: Your guide to the moths of Great Britain & Ireland

If you have found an interesting looking moth (in the UK) that you would like to identify or you are just curious about moths, UKMoths is the site for you.

There is a lot of information on the site so if you don't know where to start, visitors to the blog are advised to start with the beginner's top 20 moths.

It's a fascinating (and educational site) with stunning photographs. I never knew moths could be so beautiful.

i love bacteria - Fun science for kids!

ilovebacteria (previously known as ratlab.co.uk) is a fantastic site written by Kat, (her day job is in a microbiology lab) and she states that her site "was created to explain science to people who do not necessarily have a scientific background."

ilovebacteria.com is an outstanding educational site with lots of information about science but presented in a fun way that makes it exciting and easy to understand. In addition to explaining microbes and bacteria, there is a section offering advice about choosing a career in science.

The site offers a fun facts section too that answers all sorts of intriguing mysteries, like "How do they get the stripes in toothpaste?" For kids looking for experiments, there is a section with lots of ideas and information.

There is an ilovebacteria.com blog too.

Junkfood Science

Sandy Szwarc writes Junkfood Science, a blog offering qualified analysis of health issues, and providing information about news on food, weight, health and healthcare.

Sandy is a registered nurse with impressive qualifications and experience , "...a biological science degree and 30 years in neonatal intensive care and emergency triage; medical outreach and health communications; and research.", so her informative blog is a welcome balance to the way health stories are usually presented (distorted) by the media.

It's refreshing to read an honest and educated view about news related to food, diets, and other health issues.

10,000 Birds

If you are a keen birder or you are interested in learning more about birds, the site 10,000 Birds is an excellent resource to read and bookmark for future reference. The name of the blog makes perfect sense since there are approximately 10,000 bird species on earth. It's a very comprehensive site, providing a "source for birding, blogging, conservation, commentary, and so much more."

There are lots of useful features including a glossary, an impressive collection of photos (constantly being added to), reviews of birding books and photography gear, and many articles and interesting blogs. There is even a section featuring nature themed poetry and prose to inspire you and if you still need convincing to join in this fun and educational hobby (and addicting) there is a page of Reasons To Become a Birdwatcher.

The three men - Mike Bergin, Charlie Moores and Corey Finger - who together are responsible for producing 10,000 Birds do a sterling job and their enthusiasm for birds is contagious if you spend even just a little time exploring their amazing site. I highly recommend it. (Mind you, I'm a keen birder already so I would say that!) Seriously, though this is one of the best birding sites on the web. Please go have a look at the site and see for yourself.

WildlifeGardener - attracting wildlife to your garden

WildlifeGardener offers information and ideas to help you encourage wildlife into your (UK) garden.

The site contains over 70 articles, with expert advice about creating a garden to attract birds, mammals, insects & amphibians, as well as advice about how to deal with pests in the garden such as foxes, moles and rabbits.

There's also a useful feature concerning educating kids about wildlife with some ideas for wildlife activities.

Brightest-Kidz: A Resource for Kid Friendly Science, Science Activities and Science Education

Brightest-Kidz is a fun blog aimed at educating children about science by offering lots of fascinating information and activities.

Kids and Cooking: Encouraging Kids in the Kitchen

KidsandCooking offers lots of recipes for healthy family meals at home as well as recipe ideas for school fetes, party food, picnic food and recipes for making your own healthy fast food.

The site also has lots of other features and (over 70) articles such as how to encourage your children to help make dinner, lunchbox ideas, food crafts and teaching children about healthy eating.

In addition, KidsandCooking also offers some fun videos demonstrating how easy it is to cook with children.

TheKidsGarden: Helping Kids Enjoy Creative Gardening

TheKidsGarden is a great resource for parents and schools. The site provides lots of useful articles (over 60) about getting children involved in creative gardening. It also includes ideas for educational (and fun) activities and projects plus fun ways to encourage recycling.

A Way with Words - public radio language show

I love words and learning about the history and origin of words, so I was delighted to discover a site called A Way with Words, which is an hour-long public radio show about language, presented by Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett.

You can hear episodes for free by listening in the browser or downloading an MP3.

There is a forum on the site too.

The Tiny Aviary

The Tiny Aviary is a fascinating blog about birds written by Diana Sudyka, "a Chicago illustrator with a passion for all things feathered and wild." Her blog documents her volunteer work for the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History.

The definitive guide to British tress

British Trees , a site created by Bill Unsworth and donated to the Woodland Trust, provides information about native British trees.

Learn more via the useful guide about each of the 33 British Native Trees.

The Why Files: The Science Behind the News

The Why Files is a fascinating site that helps you learn more about "... the science, math and technology behind the news of the day..." through its educational articles.

You can also see virtual science in action via a popular series of interactive animations.

In addition, there's another interesting feature called "Cool Science Images" which really are cool!

UK Safari - about the wildlife and countryside of Britain

UK Safari is a fun and informative site about the wildlife and countryside of Britain.

The impressive site contains more than 1,000 pages of information and around 3,000 photos!

You can also purchase supplies for wildlife watching from the UK Safari Nature Shop via the website.

The definitive guide to Britain's film and TV history

BFI screenonline is a great resource for affectionados of British film.

The site is an online encyclopaedia of British film and television featuring hundreds of hours of film and television clips. The comprehensive site includes a handy glossary of film and TV terms, and a section devoted to UK film statistics.

The site also features information about directors in British and Irish cinema. As if all that isn't enough, there is a workshop about writing short films.

Free Geography Tools

Free Geography Tools is the name of a blog owned and created by Leszek Pawlowicz.

If you are interested in geography and maps, his impressive site provides the pertinent information and tools:

"Exploring the world of free tools for GIS, GPS, Google Earth, neogeography, and more."

Resources for English as a second language

If you are learning English as a second language - or teaching English - the site, UsingEnglish.com provides many of the resources you need.

The site includes an English grammar glossary, a dictionary of English idioms and expressions, 256 free English language quizzes and many more English language resources to help you study.

The site also offers a forum for discussion, questions, and support.

London Daily Photo - a blog

London Daily Photo is the name of an interesting blog created by a Londoner named Ham, after being inspired by seeing the popular city blog, ParisDailyPhoto.

Ham also has another blog called, My Other Stuff. As well as photos, both blogs contain fascinating information and tidbits about London.

Astronomy A Go Go! - a podcast about the stars

Astronomy a Go Go! is the name of a fun and fascinating astronomy podcast. Listen and learn about the stars and their movements.