Bearville

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Safe virtual world promotes positivity -- and products.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this friendly virtual world was created by the Build-A-Bear Workshop, which sells customizable bears and other stuffed animals online and in stores. Certain site features are restricted to visitors who own a Build-A-Bear toy (which comes with a code) -- this may frustrate kids and prompt them to ask for one. Otherwise, the site is a safe and pleasant place for kids to play online.

  • The site provides a safe, friendly environment for kids to socialize. Sharing and being helpful are encouraged. Veteran users can apply to be "Jr. CyBearGuides," who help new users get acquainted with the virtual world and answer their questions. On the downside, the site places a lot of emphasis on fashion and shopping -- especially for Build-A-Bear products.
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  • To access the site's full array of features, users must own a Build-A-Bear. There are links to the Build-A-Bear product site, as well as ads for other websites. Also, kids can collect virtual money and use it to buy clothing, accessories, etc. within the game.
  • Users 13 and older must provide an email address to register. (Younger users must provide a parent's email address.) User names are generated by the site to ensure anonymity. Chat is scripted or filtered. For users younger than 13, parents have to activate an account and can decide which type of chat their child can use.

Is it any good?

 

Kids who've bought a Build-A-Bear stuffed animal will get the most out of BEARVILLE. The site's centerpiece is a virtual world that allows visitors to bring their furry friends along for games and other activities. Any kid who registers can visit the virtual world, but without a toy, they won't have access to the full range of activities. Still, there's a lot to do on this colorful site. One highlight is the Friendship Forest Photo Safari -- point and click to capture photos of animals as they fly or scurry across the lush landscape, and check out the resulting photo album. In addition to a slew of games, there’s video content, such as the web series “Craftshop,” which teaches kids how to make fun fashions on the cheap. Despite the ever-present prompts to buy Bearville gear, this bustling world does a good job keeping kids engaged -- and safe.

Online interaction: Kids can "friend" other users and trade items. There are two chat options: safe chat, which limits users to a pre-approved list of common phrases, and open filtered chat, which
checks chat against a dictionary of approved words. (Parents can also turn chat off entirely.)


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  • Families can talk about online safety and what's appropriate to share on online.

  • Talk about how much time kids spend online. Parents can review our online worlds tips.

This review was written by Susan Yudt
Parent of 11 and 14 year old
May 22, 2009
 
Cute Website for Kids
I started off playing this with my son when he got his first stuffed animal. I didn't have an animal then and could still play games with him and shop with him in the stores that only require coins that you earn. As he got more comfortable with it, he could do it on his own and has a lot of fun. It helps to be able to read, or else the parent will need to be there with the child all the time. The characters can talk to each other, and now it's VERY safe because they have a menu to choose from. There are characters who have a blue hat who are "Jr. Cybear Guides" and they can help a newbie navigate the site. They keep adding new features to it, such as beach front homes .... It definately is tied in to merchandise - the more you buy at the real store the more you can convert them to speacial bear bills there to buy exclusive items. However, it still is a lot of fun without ANY purchase. That makes this site unique to others like webkins ... A companion site is bearvilleinsider* this will give you tips and secrets.

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Parent of 9 year old
October 14, 2010
 
playing games
im looking forword to playing games!!!!!!!!!!!

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Teen, 17 years old
January 24, 2011
 
Great game-- but if you love it, you might want to buy a furry friend
CONCERNS Violence: There is no violent content in BABV, and violent talk is not possible as BABV only allows certain words. Sex: There is no sexual content in BABV, and sexual talk is not possible as BABV only allows certain words. Language: Swearing is not possible at BABV since BABV only allows certain words. Consumerism: Players must purchase a "furry friend" in real life to get full access to BABV's content. Drinking/Drugs/Smoking: Not an issue. HIGHLIGHTS Educational: Not much educational value. Positive Messages: BABV encourages players to love bears. Safety: BABV is pretty secure. User Content: Players can submit their own content to the Bearville Times.

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Kid, 11 years old
December 21, 2010
 
Buy The Bear!
Everything is perfect except if you dont have stuffed bear and a code you dont get to do as much as people with a teddy.

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Teen, 18 years old
January 5, 2011
 
A Wonderful Influence and Addicting Activity for Children 10 & under
When I was little, I LOVED this website. It is fun, and educates you about teamwork, kindness, honesty, love. Exploring the world used to be a blast, it was my favorite website when I was 7 and 8. This website is PERFECT for children up to 10. But I you don't have a real stuffed pet registered it's no fun at all, be sure to buy one for your kids!

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Kid, 9 years old
January 23, 2011
 

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Parent of 17 year old
November 27, 2010
 

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Parent of 18 year old
May 8, 2011
 
I love it maybe for not kids under 8

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Kid, 9 years old
February 19, 2011
 
meme
not fair not fair i cant get on my old one because i forgot lol cant belive myself lol nothing sieris lol ha ha ha hha ha ha gtg but dont want to go ttyl

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Parent of 7 year old
March 20, 2011
 

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This review was written by Susan Yudt
This review was written by Susan Yudt

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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