Common Sense Note
Parents need to know you have to shell out $19.99 for a puppet to gain partial access to this safe, fun, educational site that encourages kids ages 7-12 to learn about wild animals and their habitats. If your kid isn't a fluent reader, this site may be frustrating as a lot of reading is required and many uncommon words are included. And be prepared: A separate puppet purchase is required to enter each of the six different habitats.
Families can talk about how seemingly small purchases for access to a site like this can add up to lots of cash. Why is buying something in order to play around on a site such a big trend? Do you think it dissuades folks from visiting a site?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Dana Villamagna
WEBWILDS.COM is the kids' education site of GLOBIO, a nonprofit organization focused on teaching kids ages 7-12 about the environment and wildlife habitat. There are puzzles, stories, video, photos, e-cards, and a link to Glossopedia, which the site contends is the "world's only" safe, online encyclopedia focused on nature and science for kids.
Kids who can read well and are interested in wild animals and faraway places will love this site. The only downside to this site is that you have to buy another puppet for every wild animal habitat your child wants to explore. If your child likes playing with her Webwilds.com lion and wants to enter the koala area, another $19.99 will be required. Then there's the elephant... and the panda... and the penguin... And, of course, there's a link on the site to the online store where they can be purchased, so kids will definitely let their parents know how many more are available to buy. That said, Webwilds.com could be a great science and nature education investment for many kids, especially if they make good use of the Glossopedia feature.
Other animal sites that comes with no entry fee: kids.nationalgeographic.com and PBS' Nature.
Reviewed: 03/26/2008
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Social BehaviorOffers fun ways to discover more about wild animals and their environments, and to learn how to conduct science and nature Internet research within the safe "Glossopedia" area. |
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CommercialismYou have to buy one of the wild animal puppets for $19.99 (not all are currently available) to gain access to that animal's habitat. There are currently six animals, which means you would have to spend more than $100 to gain full access to the site. |
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Educational ValueThe site includes high-quality videos of wild animals in their natural environments, puzzles, stories, zoo directories, and more. Glossopedia, the companion encyclopedia site, is a treasure trove of nature and science info for kids. |
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