Homeschool work often depends on the web, but a research task should not turn into an unrestricted browsing session. Kidsplorer works as a homeschool internet filter inside its own Windows browser, keeping children on an approved-website whitelist while you manage rules from your phone or computer. It controls browsing inside Kidsplorer; other browsers and apps need separate controls.
If more than one child shares the computer, give each their own profile, and approve each website yourself before it appears on their list. Not sure which sites to choose? Use our checklist for how to choose educational websites for kids .
For children ages 6–12, this approach suits lessons built around resources you have already chosen: a maths activity, an online reading programme, a science demonstration, or a library reference. A project that requires finding unfamiliar sources every few minutes needs more adult review. Consider the kind of learning your child will do before choosing between allow-list browsing and content filtering .
Build the list around your homeschool curriculum
Start with the next week’s assignments. Identify where your child will read, practise, watch, and submit work, then review those websites from an adult’s browser. Check the activity itself, any account requirements, and the site’s wider navigation. An educational label does not tell you whether a service also has public comments, advertising, recommendations, or paid upgrades.
Group your planning by subject or task, even if the resources share a domain. A reading subscription, a maths platform, and a library service may each support several lessons, so count the domains needed rather than the number of assignments. Approving a domain can expose more than the single page linked in your lesson plan. The approved-site instructions explain that boundary and how to add rules.
Begin with age-range starter sites
Each new profile starts with 10 recommended sites selected for its age range — a starting point for age-appropriate browsing, not a finished curriculum list. Review the list, remove anything that does not fit your curriculum, and add the learning tools, library services, and approved entertainment your family uses.
The Free plan supports one profile, one device, and 10 curated starter sites, ready to use — enough to run the filter on a single homeschool computer. Family supports up to five profiles and Windows devices with unlimited custom sites, suited to multi-child homeschool households.
Give each child a separate profile
Profiles keep approved sites, schedule, PIN, and requests separate per child, so a younger reader and an older student can use different resources on the same Family account. A child profile needs a display label and age group, not a child email address, so setup stays simple for non-technical parents.
For siblings sharing a homeschool computer, check which profile is active before beginning a lesson. Keep an adult Windows account for administration and use a standard account for the child’s work. Browser profiles organise Kidsplorer’s rules; Windows accounts and application controls handle access to other programs on the computer.
Set allowed browsing times
On Family, a schedule sets several allowed time windows for each weekday, plus one daily limit. Outside those windows, Kidsplorer displays its lock screen. A child who needs another 15 minutes can send a time request for you to review.
See Setting a Browse Schedule for configuration steps, temporary changes, and the exact browser-only boundary.
The schedule controls the Kidsplorer browser. It does not prevent a child from using unrelated Windows applications, so use a standard Windows account and appropriate device controls when needed.
Allowed time windows also do not create a subject timetable: every approved site on the active profile remains available during that period. If a game is on the list, a browsing schedule alone will not reserve it for after lessons. Plan the profile’s resources with that distinction in mind and keep offline activities separate from browser time. If children need different lists for lessons and for leisure, use separate profiles rather than expecting the list to change by time of day.
Check sign-in, lessons, and media before school starts
A curriculum website’s front page may work while its sign-in page or lesson player uses another domain. Before handing over the computer, complete a representative activity in Kidsplorer: sign in, open the assignment, play any required media, and follow the link your child will need. This is a practical check of the lesson, not just the homepage.
If an activity is blocked or incomplete, confirm the active profile and let the online device receive the latest rules. Check which destination is blocked, then review whether it is a necessary part of the lesson. Add only the domains you understand and need. Requirements vary between learning services, so a generic approved-site list cannot establish that a particular curriculum will work.
For a step-by-step planning and testing process, use the Windows 11 approved-site walkthrough .
Review a new domain before adding it
On the Family plan, a child can request an unapproved site and you review the request in the dashboard. Owners who enable site-request emails also receive a secure link to a confirmation page without a dashboard sign-in. An approved domain reaches the online device on its next sync. Free does not support requests; on Free you add or swap sites yourself.
Approved domains can change and can load third-party content. Review the site yourself before approving it — a quick habit that matters as much as the filter itself.
For a practical review checklist grounded in observed first-page features, see our audit of 60 children’s websites .
Return to the list when you change a unit, finish a subscription, or introduce independent research. Remove resources that no longer serve the curriculum and revisit services whose content or navigation has changed. Tell your child how to ask for a new source and when you will review it, so a blocked research link has a clear next step.
Copy a useful profile with a template code
Family users can export a template code for a profile. Another Family account can paste that code to copy the approved-site rules and schedule, which is handy when two homeschool families want a shared starting configuration. The imported profile is an independent copy, so later changes do not automatically propagate between families.
Use this to quickly set up a new child’s profile with similar rules.
Built without screen surveillance
Visited-page addresses are recorded for the parent for up to 30 days. Kidsplorer does not capture screenshots, keystrokes, messages, or location. See the Privacy Policy for details.
Learn more about Kidsplorer
For broader details on approved-site workflows, see how Kidsplorer works . See pricing for Free and Family.
Start with one Windows computer
Build a focused web for your homeschool day
Install Kidsplorer, create your account in the app, and review the age-range starter sites before adding the resources your family uses. Kidsplorer controls browsing inside Kidsplorer; other browsers and apps need separate controls.