 | 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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Club Penguin
Common Sense Media says
Site unveils new chat tool, makes it easier to find friends.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Club Penguin is an enjoyable introduction to virtual worlds, avatars, and online gaming aimed at kids ages 6 to 14. Two new tools -- an updated chat mode and a new friends list -- are intended to make Club Penguin's chat safer and the friend experience more socially meaningful. The chat mode uses a new tool created by linguists and approved by moderators that's sort of like the auto-complete feature for text messaging on cell phones. It allows players to type the first few words they want to say of a sentence; kids then complete the sentence by choosing from pre-approved phrase options (more than 300,000 in all). Words and phrases that aren't recognized go into a queue to be approved or banned by moderators. This greatly limits the potential for players to include banned words that they spell in different ways to get around the old filters. The site has parental controls to allow parents to manage chat settings, screen time, and more. While kids can join for free, play is highly limited compared to paying members.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn how to behave and communicate effectively and respectfully in a safe online community. Club Penguin encourages players to give the online "coins" they earn in games to charity, and teaches about good citizenship. Games require critical thinking skills, such as anticipating what other players will do. Some even help kids acquire basic math computation skills, as well as provide practice in identifying patterns and cracking codes. A potent mix of fun and Internet safety makes this one of the "stickiest" virtual worlds for youngsters.
Skills
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Creativity
- Emotional Development
- Health & Fitness
- Responsibility & Ethicsfollowing codes of conduct, honoring the community, respect for others
- Self-Directionwork to achieve goals
- Tech Skillssocial media
- Thinking & Reasoning
What's it about?
Kids dress and decorate a home for their virtual penguin avatar. They also adopt and care for puffles, communicate with other kids via their penguins, and play games (Card-Jitsu or Mancala) with other penguins. Players also buy stuff with online "coins" that they earn playing games, and participate in other community- and game-based activities. Secret agent missions are some of the more detailed, multi-step activities on the site. Also, a community newspaper and other activites encourage online citizenship and more meaningful online dialogue and play.
Is it any good?
CLUB PENGUIN is a cool way for kids to get their feet wet in the world of social networking and online gaming -- as long as parents use the site's parental controls and as long as kids are taught how to block rule breakers and how to report any bad behavior. On the site, kids enjoy dressing up their penguin, waddling around the many different areas of the virtual world -- all with cool themes -- and playing fun games. Plus, players should be able to find their friends' penguins more easily -- but still remain anonymous -- with the new friends list.
The new chat tool includes only phrases that have been approved by monitors. Some 300,000 of the most used phrases were mined from chat logs to create the approved list; kids can use these words and phrases in so many combinations that it should not feel limiting. The end result is that kids are safer but still have more opportunities for real conversation than with highly scripted chat.
Virtual coins -- which paid members can earn via games or the Puffle Launch app -- are used to buy virtual clothes for penguins or the latest gear for igloos. Unfortunately, there's very little you can spend the coins on if you're not a paid member.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about chat etiquette, Internet safety, and virtual worlds. Read our Club Penguin tips for more advice.
Review our Internet Safety Tips for Elementary School Kids for age-specific advice on safe surfing.
Talk with your child about the computer-time limits you set both in general and on the parental controls for Club Penguin specifically so your kids don't spend too much of their day online.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn how to behave and communicate effectively and respectfully in a safe online community. Club Penguin encourages players to give the online "coins" they earn in games to charity, and teaches about good citizenship. Games require critical thinking skills, such as anticipating what other players will do. Some even help kids acquire basic math computation skills, as well as provide practice in identifying patterns and cracking codes. A potent mix of fun and Internet safety makes this one of the "stickiest" virtual worlds for youngsters.
Subjects
- Arts:
- Hobbies:
- Language & Reading:
- Math: addition
- Science:
- Social Studies:
Skills
- Collaboration:
- Communication:
- Creativity:
- Emotional Development:
- Health & Fitness:
- Responsibility & Ethics: following codes of conduct, honoring the community, respect for others
- Self-Direction: work to achieve goals
- Tech Skills: social media
- Thinking & Reasoning:
How kids will learn
Kids get good practice reading, since the site relies heavily on this skill. They also need to budget their penguin's "coins" in order to buy what they want for their penguin or igloo, or to donate to charity. They learn to anticipate other penguins' actions with games such as Card-Jitsu or Mancala. Secret agent missions and contests require kids to crack codes, solve puzzles, and replicate patterns.
How parents can help
- Build good money habits by talking to your kids about how they spend their online "coins." Do they save and donate, or do they spend them all at once?
- Ask kids what they talk about with other players on the site, and discuss what they've learned about online safety and good citizenship.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Disney ruined an amazing website
I honestly feel so bad for the kids today who have to play the "new" and apparently "improved" club penguin. I got an account on this in 2005, the year it came out. Me and my friends had so much fun on this! It wasn't like a toddler website, but more of a tweenish kind of website. In 2006 I would have rated it 8+. But then, in 2008, disney has to make MORE money of course, and they buy club penguin. Well I stopped going on it in 2008 because of disney! I go back on in 2010, and I see stupid members bullying non-members because they are "poor" so I go and stick up for them, and they start bullying all non-members! So I write an angry note to disney saying that I'm not happy, and they just say they are sorry and stuff. CONCLUSION: Disney is advertising memberships WAY to much! Go on their website, all you see is club penguin ads splattered everywhere! Now, members think they have a right to be rude, and one even called me "bay"! I think we all know what that means! So I hope disney stops memberships, because in 2005-2007, no member was mean! All members care about now is clothing and looks, even though they are penguins! Plus, members go out with each other and pretend kiss on it. I hate club penguin members... and I hope disney is happy.
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AGE
Not that safe for kids.
Club penguin has extremely bad issues with bad language, Teens/Kids/Adults will litterly jump in a conversation and say something violent or inappropiate. There's a money problem also, Kids cannot buy stuff for their igloo or penguin without paying real money, and the prices are moterlly expensive. It's also not educational, while you can buy a so called ''Puffle'' and feed and water it, and it leaves if you don't feed play or water it, There's no more education then just that. Kids find it interesting, but it mostly lacks of things that should be taught.
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Kid, 11 years old
May 2, 2011
AGE
Don't join. Ever.
Okay first off, do not waste money on membership. Your penguin ends up banned whether you do anything or not within a few years or less. Parents; do not take what disney claims your child "did" seriously. They over advertise, people can have sex on there and not be banned, people will bully, scam, and get your personal information. Your child will probably feel pressured to date on there, but the truth is, a ton of old creepers are probably on the other end. Trust me, i played club penguin for a few years, and i got permanently banned on an account i spend 300+ dollars on. Why? Because some guy tries to go out with me, and i tell him "No, I don't date". They call that BULLYING. And they encourage ROLLPLAY, which is fine except the only rollplay there is inappropriate.
My advice, don't even join. A great site I'd recommend is fantage*
Its very safe and theres lots for members, and nonmembers, to do.
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AGE
I Used To Like This
When I was younger I liked Club Penguin. I don't think it's very inappropriate or anything. Occasionally some people might pretend to kiss or something, but that's about it. Overall, it's a safe, cute game. However, I must warn you of something. Teenagers, when they get bored, will sometimes make an account with their friends and go around doing crazy things(i.e. swear, yell at people, bother people, etc.). I know that this is true because I do this on occasion.
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Kid, 12 years old
April 10, 2010
AGE
I love hanging out at club penguin with my friends outside of club penguin and I also love meeting new ones. But I find as I learn more and more things about club penguin that this isn't the best website I could be at, and has nothing to do with the creators of this site it has to with the users. What I mean by this is that there are a great amount of cyber bullying, lying, working around the rules, users influence skipping class, and cheating on this website. By cyber bullying I mean there are many cliques, and it seems that you are not "cool" if you do not wear black and aren't a member. By lying I mean users have made up some kind of adoption center at the pet shop where penguins adopt "bay bees" they are also an issue with cyber bullying, if he or she who want to "adopt" a bay bee doesn't have flashy clothes and doesn't act like they are rich, that "bay bees" will reject in a mean way. Also by working around the rules I mean it seems that penguin "hook up" on club penguin. They use the heart symbol to show affection to each other and say things like "say i if you are a boy and visa versa and they also say "girls meet guys in the coffee shop" visa versa they also say things like "guys meet guys at the coffee shop" and the same thing with girls. I think this is absolutely just disturbing. Next when I say users influence skipping class I mean first somebody starts a "college at their igloo" and when penguins go to that place many users say, "is skipping class" or things like that. Finally there is very many cheating websites and cheat programs one of the most popular cheat programs is penguin storm. Basically it works around everything thats good about club penguin, the educational value, safety, ect. Also there are password snatcher programs. The positives of this website are many ways to express yourself, and a fun place to hangout with friends. I hope this review helped you
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Kid, 11 years old
December 18, 2010
AGE
Some minor problems, but it's overall a great experience.
I really love this site. I think it's really fun to be on. You can be a secret agent, a cook, and even go sledding! My only concerns are the memberships and the language. Without a membership, there really isn't much to do. You can't even buy clothes without a membership. That is what sucks about it. The language is that it turns out that some penguins choose to have boyfriends and girlfriends, pretend to have kids and start a family. I haven't seen a single penguin say a bad word. Overall, it has been a wonderful experience.
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AGE
My review
Cute,fun way to interact with friends. But if someone were to say a swear word or give out info, almost always nobody catches it because so many people use the website. Also can get boring if your not a member
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Kid, 11 years old
December 19, 2010
AGE
Club Penguin. Can be an angel and devil
I think ClubPenguin is very appropiate. They might try to say he**, and say "fell", but that happens VERY occasionally. One thing about it which is very negative is paying membership. If your a non member, you could get pretty crappy stuff. I believe that membership souldn't exist so kids with membership (like me,) won't brag and make fun of people just because their not members. I don't do that. I support non-members anyway I can, and try to eliminate bullying for unpaid penguins. Disney can be iffy, but overall ClubPenguin is a really nice website.
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AGE
Fun, but Boring
It can be fun. But it can get boring. There isn't a lot of stuff to do if your not a member. If your a member you have more of a variety of stuff to do. But of corse, it costs money.
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| Genre: | Virtual Worlds |
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