Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that Internet safety is of little concern here, since there's no way for members to chat or contact each other. Upon sign-up -- which kids under 12 must have approved by an adult -- each member is given one free online horse; to add more horses, however, members must purchase Bella Sara trading cards ($2.50 a pack; there are links to retailers that sell them). And only by adding horses can members earn horseshoes, the Bella Sara currency that allows them to "buy" items to furnish their online cottages.
Families can talk about the pros and cons of computer play. How much is OK? When is it better to play in the "real" world? The site also serves as a good launching pad into discussing the concept of money and spending. Families can also talk about horses and what it takes to care for one. What kinds of things do you do in order to care for your online horses and keep them happy? How do you think caring for a real horse would be different?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Larisa Wiseman
The virtual world of BELLASARA.COM is a delightful, fantasy-filled place where grade-schoolers and tweens can learn about horses and the joys of owning and caring for them (virtual ones, anyway). The free sign-up gets you one online horse; after that, you need to purchase Bella Sara trading cards (each one has a unique horse with a registration code) in order to add horses to the virtual stable (there are land, air, and sea stables, depending on what kind of card you get). Each horse comes with a positive-reinforcement message that's displayed each time you go to its stable to feed and care for it. With each horse added, you get horseshoes, the Bella Sara currency that allows you to "buy" furnishings, decorations, and more for your cottage. The site also has a horse encyclopedia; fanciful, kid-friendly games and online jigsaw puzzles; horse images to color (online or printed out); plus quizzes, wallpaper, and other fun stuff. Kids can even email a question to Sara, the young daughter of the Bella Sara founder, who owns and trains two horses. The only downside is that if a kid is unable to buy a lot of cards and add horses fairly often, he or she may eventually run out of things to do.
MyePets.com and Webkinz.com are similar sites that require the purchase of a stuffed animal and then allow the owners to interact with the virtual versions of the animals in their online world.
Reviewed: 12/05/2007
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Social BehaviorEach horse comes with a positive-reinforcement message that's displayed each time you go to its stable to feed and care for it. |
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CommercialismYou need to buy and register Bella Sara trading cards ($2.50 a pack) in order to add horses to your online stable and "buy" items for your online cottage. The site also has links to retail stores that carry Bella Sara cards and merchandise, plus the site has its own online store. |
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Educational ValueKids can learn about different kinds of horses and how to care for them. |
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