Safe online havens for kids
February 22nd, 2008 Posted in Pets Guide At a time when cyber stalking is daily news, it’s no wonder parents
are often confused about which websites they should let their
children visit. But if you want to stay on top of what kids are
doing online without being too intrusive, and be able to make
occasional cool suggestions, read on.
We’ve compiled a list of favourites with the help of pint-size
assistants. Generally, use parent guide pages to help you decide a
site’s suitability, go online with your children to share the
experience and remind them often not to share their passwords (not
even with “best friends”).
Club Penguin
http://www.clubpenguin.com
Websites drop out of vogue quickly but this one is a stayer. A
favourite of children of all ages, this Canadian site is ad-free
because it derives income from subscriptions. This means your child
will need to sign up and you will have to use your credit card to
pay - monthly or yearly - and receive full playing rights (basic
accounts are free) but it means no flashing commercial messages and
some continuity of interest by everyone. Most importantly, it’s
fun, safe and with not a shooting game in sight. Kids love
decorating their own igloo, saving to buy goodies and meeting their
friends at arranged times after school. Disney bought it in August
for a reported $775 million, proof of its popularity.
76
moocow
http://www.76moocow.com
Hundreds of free cartoon-style games classified by genre -
action, puzzle, sport, skill - make it easy for parents to set
rules and for kids to avoid shooting games, if that’s what is
expected of them. It is free to play, visually unpolluted and free
of viruses and downloads, but it carries ads that children will
quickly learn to distinguish. Games are short, so if you see
something you don’t like - like splattered blood - tell them to
move on until they find another favourite. The site’s creator,
Alex, who is a student in Canberra and prefers his last name not to
be published, says he never anticipated its popularity among
children, especially in the US. He says it “just happened”.
Egg2
http://www.egg2.com
Hundreds of games make this site a hit among primary school
children. However, there are both harmless and violent games in the
ad-funded alphabetical list. Take the opportunity to discuss which
ones fall outside your house rules. Teach kids to recognise links
by hovering over images and watching the URL change on the bottom
of the screen: if it starts with egg2, it is still a game; if it
changes, it’s an ad for another site.
Nickelodeon
http://www.nick.com
There is plenty here about the shows and characters featured on
the pay TV channel of the same name but that’s not all. There are
favourite Sponge Bob games and Nicktropolis, a virtual 3D world
where children can decorate their rooms, adopt a pet and chat
online. The site excels in safety features, including a sanitised
dictionary that filters text to exclude names, email, phone
numbers, plus violent and obscene language. If your child has a
login (free) you can set parental controls. Account holders can
customise their homepage and set favourites.
Miniclip
http://www.miniclip.com
Some regard this as the largest games portal on the internet,
full of the games kids love, plus cartoon classics to watch online
including Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes and Sylvester. “Shoot’em Up”
games are labelled as such to make it easier for you and your child
to distinguish, or avoid, them.
Disney
http://www.disney.com.au
Largely a self-promoting vehicle for all things Disney - from
movies to TV shows and character-led games and pastimes, this site
is due for an overhaul this year. For a taste of what’s to come,
see http://www.disney.co.uk. It will provide an additional Xtreme
Digital tab - where users can customise multimedia content. If your
children are keen watchers of the Disney Channel, this site will
drag them away from the TV while introducing other activities and
movie trailers. Ads are marked as such but are mainly for Disney
properties and games they will enjoy. Let’s hope the Australian
site won’t stereotype content by sex, as is the case with the
British and American versions.
Cartoon Network
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com.au
This is another TV-linked property but a favourite with children
from as young as three to young teens. It has blogs, downloads,
discussion boards and TV schedules but what kids really come here
for are games and the ability to insert their name alongside their
high scores. Parents beware of the video channel on this site if
you have set a time limit on TV watching, as full episodes are
available online (requires login), although this may be useful on
trips away with the laptop in tow.
ABC Kids
http://www.abc.net.au/abckids
The Playground section of this site is perfect for younger
children (designed for two- to seven-year-olds), who will find the
colours, voices and sound effects familiar and welcoming. They can
easily navigate the game finder and choose activities online. The
Make and Do section’s Party Packs help you and your children
prepare party decorations and invitations according to their
favourite character. The Rollercoaster page opens up a whole new
world for eight- to 14-year-old children able to navigate more
complex sites and blogs. It’s also available directly at
http://www.abc.net.au/rollercoaster. Here inquisitive youngsters
can enjoy music, science and quiz games designed to challenge their
minds, try experiments, watch TV episodes and follow their
favourite bands on the Triple J-linked Loop page.
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