KiPedia is Wikipedia, rewritten for kids.Every article on KiPedia comes from Wikipedia and is re-explained by an AI language model (LLM) in four different reading levels: ages 4–6, 7–9, 10–12, and Teen. Kids (and parents) can switch levels at any time, and the article updates instantly.
Why KiPedia exists
My son hit four and the questions started — about dinosaurs, the ocean, how rainbows work, why the moon looks different every night. Wikipedia has the answers, but it's written for adults. KiPedia was built so we could explore his questions together: a correct, sourced text I could pull up in the moment, read aloud, and use as a starting point for wherever the conversation went.
How it works
Type a topic — KiPedia finds the matching Wikipedia article.
Claude (Anthropic's AI) rewrites the article for the chosen reading level, keeping facts accurate.
Older readers get discovery sections (history, open questions), and every article links to related topics.
How articles are written
Each reading level isn't just a vocabulary swap — it's a different editorial voice and structure, written from scratch for a specific reader.
A short spoken narrative — four or five paragraphs written to be read aloud. Concrete and sensory: what something looks, sounds, or feels like. Key scientific terms (like “dormant” or “extinct”) are introduced in context rather than swapped for easier words, because a child who hears the real term once remembers it. Warm and steady in tone, never excitable. No exclamation points.
Short paragraphs, direct sentences. Introduces new vocabulary (added to the word glossary) while preserving the source's technical terms. Uses concrete comparisons to everyday life — but only when they genuinely clarify. Matches the weight of the subject: it doesn't add enthusiasm the topic doesn't call for, and doesn't soften difficult facts.
Longer sections with cause and effect. For complex or contested topics, acknowledges that people disagree and that history has more than one side. Two AI passes: a first draft, then an editorial review checking for accuracy, age-appropriateness, and completeness. Gets a Discovery section (history of the idea; open questions) and a Further Reading list.
Written with the clarity and seriousness of a good encyclopedia — not a textbook, not a listicle. Uses accurate vocabulary without simplifying it. Represents genuine disagreement and ongoing debates rather than collapsing them into a single confident view. For topics involving injustice, oppression, or harm: full weight, no softening. Same two-pass editorial process as 10–12.
One rule across all levels: simplifying must never change what is true. If a fact has nuance that matters, KiPedia finds plain words for that nuance rather than dropping it. A simpler sentence that is wrong is worse than a slightly harder sentence that is right.
Caching and freshness
Once an article is generated it's stored — the ⚡ Cached badge on every article shows when it's coming from the database rather than being regenerated. This keeps pages fast and costs manageable. Articles aren't automatically refreshed when Wikipedia updates; the date shown on each article is when the Wikipedia source was last checked.
Wikipedia & KiPedia
KiPedia wouldn't exist without Wikipedia. Every article starts with a Wikipedia source article — the facts, the structure, and the knowledge all come from the encyclopedia that volunteers have built together for more than twenty years. KiPedia only changes the language, never the substance.
Every simplified article links directly to its Wikipedia source so readers can verify what they've read and explore further. KiPedia is designed to be a gateway to Wikipedia, not a replacement for it.
Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. KiPedia's AI-generated simplifications are derivative works and are likewise made available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
KiPedia is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation.
Made with care
KiPedia is a personal project, not a company. There are no ads, no subscriptions, and no data sold to anyone. It's built by a parent who wanted something better for their kid and figured other families might find it useful too.
The AI simplification is powered by Anthropic Claude. KiPedia is hosted on Render.
Get in touch
Questions, feedback, or just want to say hi? hello@kipedia.app
Found a bug or have a feature idea? All feedback is welcome — this is a living project.
KiPedia is free and ad-free — but costs about $3/day to run. If it's been useful, a coffee goes a long way.