🎮 Learning games and sites · 🏫 Classroom tools
Mission US
By THIRTEEN / WNET (public media). Visit Mission US
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Free interactive stories about U.S. history from public media station WNET. Players take the role of a young person in a past era, such as a Boston apprentice in 1770, a girl escaping slavery, a Cheyenne boy, or a Jewish immigrant in 1907, and make choices that shape the story. There is no winning or score. Each mission comes with teacher guides and primary sources. Built for middle school.
Our take: One of the best-evidenced history games for grades 5-9; preview missions before handing them to younger or sensitive kids.
Checked in a browser
A browser check on 2026-10-25: what loads, the ads and trackers we saw, and what a child meets first. Not a hands-on test.
| Child safety: 4 out of 5 | No ads shown; Create Account and Log In sit in the header, and the site asks parents to preview the history content first. |
|---|---|
| Data: 2 out of 5 | Google's ad-serving script (securepubads.g.doubleclick.net) loaded, though no ad slot appeared, along with Google Analytics. |
| Ease: 4 out of 5 | Large Start Mission and Watch Trailer buttons for each game. |
| Cost honesty: 5 out of 5 | Free public-media games; no upgrade prompt. |
What we found
- Contacted 10 outside sites; 1 ad network (doubleclick.net) and Google Analytics/Tag Manager.
- 0 ad frames appeared in 15 seconds; set 4 first-party cookies.
- Page text: 'We recommend that educators and parents/caregivers preview game content'.
- Each mission card has big Start Mission and Watch Trailer buttons.
From the test: Free, ad-free history games from public media with clear start buttons; preview the serious topics with your child.
| Ages it suits | about 10-14 (middle school) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Creating a personal account requires confirming you are over 13. Teachers can make class accounts for younger students through the Dashboard, under a school agreement. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free (Oct 2026). |
| Works on | Web |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI. |
What's good
- Free, ad-free public media
- Unusually strong outside evaluation
- Builds empathy through first-person stories
- Rich teacher materials
Watch for
- Covers hard topics such as slavery, removal of Native peoples and the Dust Bowl; the maker asks adults to preview
- Web only
- Story choices, not a full history course
Data and privacy
The privacy policy says there is no third-party or targeted advertising. Class accounts collect a student's first name, first two letters of the last name, school, grade range and city/state, used only for school-approved educational purposes. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
Several studies by Education Development Center (EDC). A 2011 study of 1,118 middle schoolers found Mission US users outperformed others on U.S. history knowledge; a 2016 quasi-experimental study found a 15% knowledge gain versus under 1% for typical materials; a 2025 three-year efficacy study was funded through federal research.
In the Big Index
- On the list Top 50 free game sites for kids (2026)
- On the list 20 best free learning game sites for kids
- On the list 17 best geography and history games for kids
- On the list 19 best learning games for tweens (10-13)
Alternatives to Mission US
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
99math
99math (Estonia) · ages about 5-14 (grades K-8)
A low-effort, free way for teachers to make fact practice lively; parents of kids who dislike timed competition may want a calmer tool.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
ABCya
ABCya.com LLC (a division of IXL Learning) · ages about 4-12 (pre-K to grade 6+)
Handy for quick grade-level practice in class or at home; skip if you want an ad-free experience without paying.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Adventure Academy
Age of Learning, Inc. · ages grades 3-8 (about 8-13)
Good for kids who love online games and need a nudge toward school subjects; families wanting no social contact should set chat to off or choose a solo app.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Arcademics
Arcademics · ages about 6-14 (grades 1-8)
Fine for quick fact-fluency races at school or home; families who want no ad tracking or who have a child anxious about speed should skip it.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Be Internet Awesome: Interland
Google · ages about 7-12
A good free starting point for online safety with kids 7-12, best paired with family talks since the game alone did not change behavior in testing.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Blob Opera
David Li with Google Arts & Culture · ages about 4 and up
A delightful five-minute music toy for any age; not a music course.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.mission-us.org/
- https://www.mission-us.org/terms-of-service/
- https://www.mission-us.org/privacy-policy/
- https://www.mission-us.org/student-privacy-policy/
- https://www.mission-us.org/about/a-note-to-parents-and-teachers/
- https://www.mission-us.org/about/proven-impact/research-and-outcomes/
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.