Kidzworld Provides a Safe Social Network for Kids Ages 9 to 14

Although our oldest is son is still a year and a half away from officially becoming a "tween", he is extremely computer-literate and has been using a laptop since the age of two.  Needless to say, I already have my eyes peeled for a safe social network for kids.  Some may think I am being too proactive, but since he has already asked for a Facebook account, I would have to disagree.  He also enjoys chatting online, but sooner or later, he is going to realize that chatting with his parents is just not going to be enough anymore.  When that time comes, I will most likely register our son on a site like Kidzworld rather than Facebook.

Kidzworld offers tweens and teens free online games, news, trivia, videos, and more about their favorite celebrities, shows, movies, sports, . . . you name it.  This site even has a whole section devoted to school-related topics.  There are also boards for posting about anything from food to jokes and riddles to extreme sports. The Kidzworld Zone tab conveniently gives you a summary of the most recent activities sitewide.

What is wonderful about a social network for kids is that there is some anonymity, so kids are more comfortable to be themselves and speak their minds.  On the same note, you just never know who is really behind each screen name.  This brings us to the topic of chatting, something that concerns parents the most.  Direct chatting or chat rooms allows a child to really put themselves out there.  Although it can be fun, it also makes the child vulnerable to strangers.  Kidzworld protects their users by prohibiting harassment, discrimination, spamming, swearing, rude, gross, or offensive comments, sexually explicit comments, and yelling (i.e. typing in all caps).  Most importantly, there is a reminder on each page warning kids not to give out any personal or identifying information.  The chat room is only open during set hours so that it can be closely moderated.  There is also an "ignore" feature if one member no longer wants to hear from another.

As a parent, I would feel comfortable to allow my son to become a member of Kidzworld when he turns 9.  There seems to be enough rules in place to prevent bullying and other things that can negatively affect a child.  Of course, I would need to pay attention during my son's first few sessions in the chat room until I am satisfied that the moderators are doing their jobs well by keeping the environment free of bullies and predators.

To learn more about the Kidzworld social network, visit Kidzworld.com and Kidzworld on Facebook.

Giveaway & Review: Jumpstart 3D Virtual Online Game [CLOSED]

My 5yr old son is always thrilled when he gets the opportunity to help me review online games and new software. Adventure Land, which was recently added to the JumpStart 3D online world in March 2009, was no exception to this rule.

Adventure Land is an upgrade to the free limited access version of the children's online game by JumpStart that is geared towards gamers ages 5 to 8. The free version is fun for children to visit now and then, but if your child is truly enjoying those educational online games, then I would consider the upgrade for just $7.99 per month.


What I thought about JumpStart online as a parent:

1) I found that the interface of the game is straight forward and my son picked it up quickly.

2) The instructions for the website and throughout each activity require no reading. This allows younger children to play the games unassisted by an adult thereby giving them a sense of independence.

3) I like that the JumpStart website offers helpful resources, such as a parental discussion board. In the age of forums and social networking, this is the most efficient way for JumpStart and parents to communicate openly with each other.

4) The JumpStart blog covers a variety of topics. If you are a busy parent like me, who must pick and choose what I spend my limited amount of spare time reading, this blog would be a good one to subscribe to. It covers many topics, including tips on how to motivate your child to learn.

5) As a registered member, parents can receive progress reports about how their child is doing with the learning games. I try to be next to my son as much as possible while he is online, but sometimes I cannot be. It is nice to be able to see a summary of how well he is progressing with these learning games.

What my 5yr old son thought about this gaming website:

1) He truly enjoys being rewarded with so many different things, such as Jump stars, gold cards, virtual music CDs, virtual books, and decorations for his character's house.

2) My son does not view spending time on this site as learning. He says to me repeatedly, "Look what I earned for just playing games! All I had to do was play games."

3) Amongst all the various places he can visit for fun activities, such as the arcade and the movie house, my son says his favorite place to spend time is the virtual library. That is where he can earn pieces of books. When he earns all the pieces, he is able to read the book and then keep it in his character's inventory.


4) Two of my son's favorite activities is Tracing with Stars (similar to dot-to-dot) and earning music CDs to play in the virtual jukebox.

5) My son also enjoys having his character be able to roam around freely and being able to purchase whatever he desires from the vendor with gold coins he had earned. These are two things that he does not have the chance to do in real life very often.

6) One thing my son did not care for was the Punk Punks. He does not enjoy any game where he feels an element of danger. Luckily, he can choose to avoid the areas where these creatures reside.

If you do not like the idea of a monthly subscription, JumpStart 3D games are available to be purchased as boxed software. We were sent a copy of the Trouble in Town children's software by JumpStart. It had many of the same benefits of the online game, except with content that is exclusive to this particular title and the child is not able to create a custom character.


Look for JumpStart for the Nintendo Wii coming soon!

Thank you to JumpStart for providing us with both review products and a contest prize free of charge.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will win a 3 Months Membership to Jumpstart Online (ARV $24).


Limitations:
This giveaway is open to Worldwide entries. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Take a quick look at the JumpStart World Interactive Map. Then leave a comment telling me which place you or your child would love to visit first. You must do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For an extra entry, follow Jumpstart on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

4) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND to JumpStart.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

5) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

6) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day.

7) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

8) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

9) Add my "Graco Twin Stroller" giveaway button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)

Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Review: Friendly's Restaurants Sprinkle-Vision

My 5yr old son received a pair of 3-D glasses and a gift card so he could go check out the Sprinkle-Vision fun at our local Friendly's Restaurant. What's Sprinkle-Vision? Well, you take your child to Friendly's where he or she can use 3-D glasses to read the special table tent signs to see special codes which they write down to use on IWannaGoToFriendlys.com to unlock fun things for the online game.

Now if your child does not have 3-D glasses or if the restaurant has run out of them, you can still read the codes with the special lens attached to the table sign.

The more codes you find the better. Each one will unlock something fun for your child's avatar in the kids online game. When you first arrive to IWannaGoToFriendlys.com you will have to "Start Mission" by registering your child with a username, password, and the parent's email address. After you activate your child's account, he or she can create an avatar with their choice of face, shirt, pants, and shoes.

Although my 5yr old son enjoyed watching me play the game, it was just a notch above his level. Firstly, there are no recorded instructions, so he would have to be able to read on a 2nd grade level to know how to proceed. Secondly, some of the games had negative consequences, which makes my son too anxious. Thirdly, a lot of the games required better coordination than he has, like being able to switch between 3 or 4 keys quickly or using more than one key at once.

The ultimate goal in playing this game is, through the end of 2009, the more points your child earns correlates directly with how many entries he or she receives into the Friendly's Sweepstakes. The prizes include Free Ice Cream for One Year for 27 kids, a Visit to the Friendly's Ice Cream Factory plus Free Ice Cream for One Year for 3 kids, and then one lucky Grand Prize Winner will get to appear in a Friendly's television commercial, get Free Ice Cream for One Year, a Flip Video Camera, and a $25 iTunes GC.

What Friendly's Restaurants are known for is creating a fun environment. Well, they've managed to succeed in doing that once again with this Sprinkle-Vision campaign. I'm not sure if children would really care about the Sweepstakes prizes, but they definitely would enjoy the online game which, by the way, is not educational, but rather strictly designed for fun and enjoyment. Sprinkle-Vision brings the fun of Friendly's into your home through your computer instead of the usual way . . . through your freezer.

Review: Ribert & Robert's WonderWorld

It has always been a challenge to create good children's television. Some have succeeded and some have not. There are many choices available, so parents can really pick and choose what they would like their children to watch.

WonderWorld TV has succeeded in creating a fun educational children's program that is interactive. The shows are written as if the viewer is one of the characters. All the characters speak directly to the viewer. Even riding on the WonderWorld Express is done from the first person point of view. The lovable character Ribert combined with all the other regular guests on the show make this program a winner according to my 5yr old son. Aside from Ribert, his favorite character is the host of the art segment "Art Starring Cousin Chris." A few other segments that my son finds most enjoyable are "Storytime with Leeny" and "Magic Starring Magic Matt."

In addition to interactive children's television, WonderWorld TV hosts an awards program for children called the Golden Ribby Awards. There are 40 contests divided between various categories and age groups. This is truly a fun activity for parents and children to work on together. Just take a look at the list of WonderWorld TV Contests and click on each one to hear what you need to submit for your entry. Usually it is a short video or a photo that is required with a fun spin to it. Although these awards are meant to promote your child's self-esteem and to create opportunities for quality time spent between parents and their children, there are actually real prizes to be won, including cash, electronics, and gift cards. This talent contest for kids is open to children worldwide.

If you would like to watch WonderWorld TV with your child, you can find free episodes on WonderWorldTV.com . You can also find fun free printables on Ribert.com, which include coloring pages and puzzles.

Celebrate Endangered Species Day With Your Kids!

May 15th, 2009 is National Endangered Species Day! Visit the Kiss My Face Kids website with your children for some fun ways to learn about different endangered animals.


Kiss My Face, who makes natural products for children, such as kids shampoo and foaming hand wash, now offers a fun and educational website. Their Kids Safari website includes free online coloring activities, animal wallpapers, colorful photos, and interesting animal facts. What a fun way for kids to learn about various endangered species!