Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this site is a safe, fun place for elementary-school kids to learn how to "live lightly on the Earth." EekoWorld -- which is short for Environmental Education for Kids Online -- is comprised of so much tangible information about the planet, all presented with voice-over, so pre-readers can learn, too. Kids can create an EekoCreature and use it to explore EkcoWorld or click on one of the various topics (The Environment, Garbage & Recycling, Water & Air, Plants & Animals, and The Future) to see educational animations. Kids can also post their eco-friendly tips and comments in the Eeko Exchange, but no worries: The site looks over every submitted tip before putting it online. There's no advertising on this site.
Families can talk about what they can do to live without impacting the Earth. Why is planting a tree useful for the environment? What kinds of things can you recycle? What goes in a composting bin? How do you throw out paint?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jean Armour Polly and Heidi Kotansky
EekoWorld (Environmental Education for Kids Online) invites you to create your own EekoCreature -- you might choose the head of a shark, the shell of a turtle, the legs of a frog, and more. Once you've designed and named your creature, set it free in a special EekoWorld populated by other players' creatures.
It's not always clear sailing, though -- whether on land or sea, if you click on certain things (a car, windmills, a fire) various ecological mini-quizzes soon appear in the form of questions. If you answer correctly, you'll win points. Points can be used to redesign your creature, and you need to have a certain number of points to unlock special animal parts -- like those of elephants or stingrays. The longer you play, the more complex your EekoWorld will become, as development creeps in and good or bad ecological choices are made.
There's also an EekoHouse -- an online representation of a real house. Before leaving for school, you have 10 minutes to make sure everything is OK. Are the lights out? Should you throw vegetable scraps in the compost or the trash? Do you want a drink from a glass or a foam cup? Questions pop up, and you must choose your answers carefully, as they will affect the "EekoWorld health" and, ultimately, your EekoCreature (if you have saved yours by setting up a free user account).
There's also a look at different types of ecosystems, from forest to tundra, plus engaging information on plants and animals, food chains, recycling, and more. All the information is presented with a voice-over so pre-readers can learn, too! A really cool area is the Eeko Exchange, where kids share tips on how to save water, create less trash, and how to design a really awesome EekoCreature. The site looks over every submitted tip before posting it online, so parents don't need to worry about inappropriate material appearing.
For more eco-friendly Web sites, head on over to EcoKids or WebRangers.
Reviewed: 04/19/2007
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