The main page is kind of cluttered, and the games won't hold the attention of older players who have visited other online virtual worlds, such as
Common Sense Reviewer
- Dana Villamagna
- Wisconsin
- 3 kids: ages 4, 7, 11
About Me
I'm a newspaper reporter-turned-freelance writer and the mom of three fun kids. My most recent projects include blogging about my favorite vegan recipe creations at VillaVegan.com, and developing a vegan cookbook. I graduated from the University of Minnesota undergrad and earned a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. I also completed a fellowship in media leadership, business and ethics at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies. My publication credits include: Mothering magazine, Vegetarian Baby and Child.com, Veg News, Her Sports+Fitness, Mothering.com, The Writer, Writer's Digest, Islands, Vegetarian Times and The Virgin Islands Daily News and more. I'm also a staff writer for the Virgin Islands-based Island News magazine.
What My Kids Love Now
Books: Anything by Patricia Polacco, Mo Willems and Robert Munsch. The Judy Moody series. Magazines: New Moon. Web: igoogle, PBSkids.org, Nickjr.com, Brainpop.com, Commonsensemedia.org Television: Sid the Science Kid, Word Girl, Sesame Street, The Amazing Race. Movies/DVDs: Madagascar 2, Nim's Island, VeggieTales.
House Rules
We don't have cable TV and we don't watch TV at all during the summer, so that limits TV time naturally for our family. We watch shows we like such as NFL games or The Amazing Race together as a family. We look at all new websites together and check Common Sense Media reviews before allowing our kids to hang out on their own. Our older children use Ask Kids, not Google, when they want to search the Internet.
When the Kids Are Asleep…
When they're sleeping, I'm working! Music is my favorite form of media, so I'm a SIRIUS radio fan. I do enjoy the occasional DVD movie rental, and I love documentaries. My most recent favorite is the Planet Earth series. Epic.
My Biggest Challenge Is:
Balancing work with family time. I work from a home office, so the lines between work and home are quite blurry for me and my family.
Titles You’ve Reviewed
Web site: MyUville
I rate this titleiffyand give itStarter virtual world offers good safety measures.
Web site: Smartycard
I rate this titleonand give itHigh scores -- and parents' money -- yield real prizes.
Most kids who love to learn, who love colorful online graphics and who loves games will take quickly to this engaging, well-organized site. The games are almost wholly educational and challenging. ...
Web site: Foo Pets
I rate this titleiffyand give itTeen virtual pet site begs for time -- and money.
The realistic images and engaging game play for these virtual pets is impressive, and it's easy for players -- kids, teens and adults -- to be hooked by cuteness alone. The site, created by a vet, ...
Web site: Tangle
I rate this titleiffyand give itChristian network offers forum for debate, news, and music.
TANGLE does an inspired job creating a Christian online community for youth and young adults. From hip Christian rock downloads and videos, to YouTube-style videos, personal profiles, blogs, ...
Web site: Do Ink
I rate this titleonand give itDo-it-yourself animation site is supportive, safe, and fun.
This top-notch art and animation site was created by a Massachusettes-based startup company that said it likes to focus on "people, art and the new." It definitely achieves that goal wtih ...
Web site: My Death Space
I rate this titlenokidsand give itMacabre, death-obsessed obituaries rehash gory details.
This online obituary site lets readers read and comment on death news about people with online or celebrity identities. If anything, perhaps teens and young adults who visit this site can be warned ...
Web site: Extreme Science
I rate this titleiffyand give itSensational twist on science is fun -- but ads distract.
Extreme Science is packed with solid information for older kids and for science teachers to help spice up scientific learning. There are many extra science-related links and tools on this site that ...
Web site: Digital Vaults
I rate this titleonand give itInteractive tools, great graphics bring U.S. history alive.
DIGITAL VAULTS provides modern-day tools to find old information, which makes researching history and American studies easy and visual -- a teen must in this digital age. Most students will likely go ...
Web site: Bill My Parents
I rate this titleiffyand give itSite institutionalizes "the gimmes" but allows veto power.
There might be a good application of this site, because it keeps the actual credit card number out of the hands of the teen, and monitors the purchases before they are officially charged. In ...
Web site: Webkinz Jr.
I rate this titleonand give itFor preschoolers, an educational Webkinz helps build skills.
No doubt, Webkinz Jr. promotes computer use at a very young age. But there are many educationally appropriate games for the pre-K and K set on this site. And the confidence they build by being able ...
Web site: My Baby Banana
I rate this titleonand give itCharacter creator's promo site only worth one or two visits.
This is a cute site with a cute character created by someone who obviously loves entertaining children. Especially if your child is already familiar with Derryberry's live shows, CDs, or books, it's ...
Web site: Kids Are Heroes
I rate this titleonand give itGrassroots site honoring kid volunteers is sparse but sweet.
It's worth a trip to this site just to read the stories about each hero's volunteer efforts. And if you're a parent or teacher and have a hero-kid to nominate for some positive recognition, this is ...
