Bearville (http://www.bearville.com)

common sense media says

Safe virtual world promotes positivity -- and products.


parents & educators 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.

Educational value: Some of the games test kids' abilities in problem-solving, math, and social studies. There are also creative activities, like painting and making music.
Positive messages: 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.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: 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.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Privacy & safety: 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.

More on Bearville

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • 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.

Is it any good?

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.)


This review was written by Susan Yudt
 
 

Review It

 

Review Bearville





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

What parents & educators say

8

Most useful reviews by all members

Sweet-Pea
kid, 11 years old
 
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.

CJJDSMOM
parent of 11 and 14 year old
 
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.

fantasy_faerie
teen, 17 years old
 
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.

kyrsyka1
kid, 9 years old
 

crazy doggys
parent of 9 year old
 
playing games
im looking forword to playing games!!!!!!!!!!!

WebCriticGirl76
teen, 18 years old
 
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!

Sweettwins
parent of 17 year old
 

miniling
parent of 17 year old
 
I love it maybe for not kids under 8

meme0423
kid, 9 years old
 
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

ASHLEY11639
kid, 9 years old
 
MY BUILDABEAR
I LOVE BUILDING BUILD A BEARS THEY ARE SOO MUCH IM SITTING WITH MINE RIGHT NOW IT IS ROYAL BLUE EYES ARE BLUE AND IT HAS PEACE SIGHNS ON IT THEY ARE ALL DIFFRENT COLARS HER NAME IS ROSIE AND IF YOUPRESS HER HEART IT BEATS 5 TIMES

KatieBee20
kid, 11 years old
 
Great for all ages.
I've been playing it for about three years. It has much more things to do after these few years. I would recommend BABV's safe open chat for children 9+. Just because there's some bigger words children younger then that won't be able to read.

RootbeerGirl
kid, 11 years old
 
Good 4 Little Kids
It's cute. The perfect little kids website. The buildabear plush toys are a little pricy, but, free acounts are possible. I like it.

WriterGirl1233
teen, 14 years old
 
It gets a little boring after you play it for about month but younger kids like it.

Alexa2001
kid, 10 years old
 

mathwizz
kid, 11 years old
 
Good if Used Well
Bearville used to be very good with only a little online dating but now since they changed the name gay people are coming on the site and using it for dating, but if you use it right and avoid them you can have fun, there are mean people who have safe chat and cannot be reported but can still be mean. People pretend to fight on there but there is no blood, there are also big ads, and one time someone said what the fork, and what the hal, since the allow you to say the name Hal. But there are good things too, because you can go to school, and you have to earn Bearbills with a job or a game, but seriously the membership and bears cost too much money!

undergurl
kid, 12 years old
 
Good site i used to play on it for about 3 months or so. You have to buy a build-a-bear to get full acess to the site but to get even more acess you have to buy a V.I.B. (ver important bear) membership with money that doesn't come with a bear.

Rebel3116
kid, 10 years old
 
Its good for anyone that knows how to read and work a virtural world.
I love it! I go on there any time I can get! my mom thinks its fun and safe appropiate for me! I think thats my favorite virtural world!

gir8
kid, 12 years old
 
It's ok, but it got dull
Build-A-Bearville is an ok website. It's pretty safe and i used to like it, but it got a little dull to me.

noakes
kid, 12 years old
 
love

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you visit Bearville?


Already visited it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is 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