Let’s face it, kids love the Internet. Kids use the net to chat, share jokes and pictures, email, do homework, research, and play games. Keeping them safe while they are using the net is always an issue. Many websites have been created to allow a safe place for kids to play, learn, or connect. In recent years, sites like Webkinz and Club Penguin have developed a loyal following of pint-size visitors. Here is a guide to some of the most popular places for kids on the Internet.
General Internet Safety
In general, before you let your kids start surfing, there should be clear rules as to what is safe on line. Due to their trusting nature and developing reasoning skills, kids can be easy prey for Internet predators. Here are some general guidelines to protect kids when they surf the web:
-Make sure your kids know never to give out personal information in chat areas. That includes name, phone number, address, school or any other identifying nature. This is important to think about when choosing screen names or chat user names. Never include a first or last name in a child’s email address!
-Be aware of what your kids are doing on-line. More and more, Internet service providers are offering monitoring tools to make sure your child is not visiting sites that are not appropriate for kids. Yahoo and AOL both offer effective tracking and protection for children’s email, chat and surfing activity.
-Have the computer in an open area where adults can easily see what is on the monitor. The family room is a good choice.
Club Penguin www.clubpenguin.com
What it Offers: At Club Penguin, each child can have their own penguin that can travel through a virtual town and interact with other penguins. Kids can play games to earn coins to buy clothing or decorations for their penguins, or decorate their own igloo. Paid members can buy more elaborate decorations and clothing, and even adopt a pet puffle, a little fuzzy pet. Themes change regularly, and free clothing items are available as well.
Cost: You can use all the games and chats for free, but membership is required for most of the clothing, to own a pet , or buy igloo decorations. Club penguin prices range from 5.99 for one month, up to 57.95 for a yearly membership.
Advantages: Each chat area has a monitor and kids are encouraged to monitor each other and report inappropriate activity. Members can be banned for inappropriate language used in chat areas, poor penguin conduct, etc. There are multiple games you can play, some with educational value. Games are generally arcade style. The Club Penguin site is easy to navigate and loads fairly quickly. Penguins do not require regular care or feeding to keep them alive. You can leave them for a month, and come back with no penalty.
Disadvantages: There is no restriction as to what you can type in your chat. While club penguin has strict rules for chat room conduct, it is dependent on moderators and self monitoring by members. To buy most of the clothing or decorations, you have to become a paid member.
Webkinz World www.webkinz.com
What it Offers: Webkinz are all the rage right now. How they work: You go to your local gift shop or Hallmark store, buy a Webkinz stuffed animal, and with the code in his tag you can adopt a virtual version of your Webkinz pet. You can give your Webkinz a name, a decorated house, and interact with other webkinz pets. Multiple games are available, in which you earn Kinzcash, which can be used to buy food, toys, and decorations for your pet’s home. Webkinz pets are collectible and each month new Webkinz are introduced, and older ones are retired.
Cost: Webkinz cost between $8-$15 each. Each Webkinz purchase entitles you to a year of playing on the website.
Advantages: Many of the Webkinz games have some educational value. There are multiple games available, including word games, quiz games and arcade style games. Better scores on games earn more Kinzcash. Daily changes in activity schedule feature a “game of the day” which earns more Kinzcash. The
decorations for the pet homes are elaborate and do not require much kinzcash. The new chat feature offers pre-scripted phrases which limit what can be typed to appropriate sentences.
Disadvantages: Webkinz has a pressure element to keep kids coming back often. Several games can only be played once daily, and there is a specific feature that requires you to visit and care for your Webkinz daily for a week to win a prize. Webkinz need to be fed and cared for regularly or they get sick. You cannot dress up Webkinz, only their rooms. The Webkinz site can take some time to load.
Nicktropolis: www.nicktropolis.com
What it Offers: This site is Nickelodeon’s answer to chat and games for kids. A site where you can choose a virtual human version of yourself to travel throughout Nictropolis, play games, chat, and interact with Nickelodeon characters. It offers a funhouse where you can get slimed, go down chutes/tubes, and multiple chat areas. Characters can interact with Spongebob at his pineapple, meet Jimmy Neutron or Danny Phantom, and chat with them. Players can earn points to use to decorate their room by playing games or by grabbing green blobs.
Cost: Free
Advantages: Nictropolis offers a scripted chat and is limited to what can be typed. There are many areas to travel to, and many games to play, some with educational value. The site loads quickly.
Disadvantages: Many features of Nicktropolis are frustrating, including the fact that you have to re-choose your character’s appearance before entering each room. The site is also somewhat difficult to navigate. Also, points are awarded in games not for high scores, but for frequency. Each game earns 25 points, regardless of the score received.
Stardoll.com www.stardoll.com
What it Offers: . Stardoll.com is a site where you can choose a celebrity and dress them up in a wardrobe of clothing, just like paperdolls. There are a few dolls that you can give a makeover to with makeup, haircolor, etc. Stardoll.com allows you to save a few of your creations, create an avatar of yourself, and dress it up. It offers a chat feature, and a journal/ member profile section, like a blog type interface. You can view and comment on others dolls and personal suite, and interact with other members. No games here, this site is all about the fashion.
Cost: Initially stardoll.com is free. The cost happens when you want to dress up your avatar or send gifts to friends/etc. There are basically two ways to get stardollars: one is by the starpoint program, where you earn points for dressing up celebrities or your me doll, or to purchase stardollars, which are 5.49 for 50, 9.99 for 100, 13.99 for 150 or 27.98 for 300. Just to give you an idea of how far your stardollar goes, clothing items go for 4-5 stardollars each. Each new member is allotted some stardollars to start with. Of course, you don’t have to pay at all if you just want to play and dress up celebrities.
Advantages: The personalized me-dolls offer many customizations, and you can design a me-doll that really looks like you, from hairstyles to face shape, body shape, eye color, freckles, etc. This site is perfect for girls that love fashion, and has limitless possibilities for playing dress up. Aside from the starpoints program, there is no pressure to frequent the site, and the “me dolls” require no care. The journal/comments feature is only available for those with parents permission, and the site is moderated. The site loads quickly.
Disadvantages: With the exception of developing social skills, this site really doesn’t offer much educational value. Your me doll starts off with only underwear on, so you must spend your initial stardollars to dress her right away. Depending on how much your child likes to dress up, this site could become costly.
These are just a few of the thousands of websites geared towards kids. Here’s to happy and safe surfing for you and your family!
