Common Sense Note
Parents need to know this site is the new, improved Yahooligans -- Yahoo's answer to an online world for kids. Surprisingly, there's little to be concerned about. Ads are relatively tame: in designated areas and with only some pop-ups (although sugary snack ads top the list). Full-length music videos and television shorts are available, with no violence or nudity found. Some movie trailers are dark, such as Spider-Man 3, and could be scary for young kids. The site's fun educational tools include an easy-to-use encyclopedia, animal glossaries, a conversion calculator, as well as the news hub. All of the sections provide an additional list of related online resources that link to an outside Yahoo directory (in the Jokes section, for example, Garfield, Will Farrell, surveys, trivia, and humor are listed in a table) -- so with one click you could be off the site and into cyberspace.
Families can talk about what question they'd post on the "Ask Earl" section. See if kids can find the answer to their question with the resources provided on the site (the encyclopedia, dictionary, or glossaries). If not, post a question for Earl and check back for the answer!
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Dana Cotter
KIDS.YAHOO.COM is Yahoo's answer to kids' content on the Web. Though the ads are consistently promoting sugary snacks, their placement and approach is relatively tame and unobtrusive. Kids can, however, click on the "related links" in each section to leave the site, which can lead them to iffy material.
There are several components of the site worth noting. An array of ECards is available for free -- from Sanrio characters to holiday wishes. Some are animated and only first names and the recipient's email are required to send a card. Kids can also look up jokes by subject in the Jokes area. Ask Earl is a section where kids can get answers to some real questions: "Is the equator a real line?" "Why do they put holes in laundry baskets?" "What can I do to pay better attention in class?"
The study tools in the StudyZone are also something to check out. Kids can type in a term in the dictionary or encyclopedia search box and get a simple response. A conversion calculator and extensive galactic and animal glossaries are also available. And, click on the News tab to scroll through photo slide shows of Entertainment, Top Stories (beware: the photos here may include uncomfortable topics such as war, death and/or destruction), Animal News, Grab Bag, Sports, and Science and Nature categories.
Games might be the main draw of the site for some kids. Fortunately, an extensive library of movie and TV, arcade, sports, card, board, and tile games is available. Unfortunately, most of the games are just average, with the exception of The Last Mimzy games and the Sports Mash Fun game where if you click on three of the same objects in a row, they disappear and the pattern changes. At the time of this review, a game sponsored by a sugary cereal was one of the top featured games.
The Movies library provides trailers and very digestible information on a slew of flicks. The TV section is a bit more limited, only offering clips of a handful of older shows -- such as Little Women and The Secret Garden -- and three former BBC series: The Animals of Farthing Wood (animated stories told from the perspective of the animals), Big Knights (animated series referred to as a children's Monty Python) and Madison's Adventures: Growing Up Wild (entertaining and educational animal videos).
In addition to the TV shows, the Sports section of the site provides clips from pro and college games and interviews, and the Music area has a music library where you can learn about your favorite artist and watch video clips.
Fans of this site, may also enjoy www.pbskids.org/newsflashfive or www.TurboNick.com.
Reviewed: 04/24/2007
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ViolenceSome movie trailers might be dark and scary for young kids. Headline news content may include photos of uncomfortable topics such as war, death, and/or destruction happening in the world. |
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CommercialismAds are in designated areas, but feature iffy things such as sugary snacks. Some ECards and games are sponsored. |
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Educational ValueThe "StudyZone" promotes using online resources to help with homework. |
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