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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Sensational twist on science is fun -- but ads distract.

On this site kids can:   buy stuff, do research, get homework help, get news, learn about a specific topic, watch videos

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 8–10

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    The article topics are selected with a keen sense of what will get kids excited about science, and they are written well, if a bit text-heavy for what today's tweens and teens expect to be reading on the Internet. More (not ad-related) photos and video would help. This site links to resources like maps, science calculators, and more that give young scientists the tools they need to succeed in science in their studies.

  • Messages:

    This site encourages kids to become interested in science by highlighting the more extraordinary animals and natural phenomena in the world.
 

What to watch out for

  • User-created content:

    The site links liberally to other sites ostensibly for more research, however, you sometimes end up at sites whose content is completely unrelated to the topic at hand. Some of it is user-created and some is commercial. Children will probably find this more confusing than helpful (or harmful).

  • Violence:

    Graphic photos and videos depict some of nature's more frightening moments -- like sharks eating seals.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Way too many ads (and ads that aren't clearly marked as such) for a kid-centered educational site. Ads by Yahoo, ads for the pay-for-use science Web site that this free site's creator works for, ads for products related to the educational articles (sea life jewelery near articles about sea animals), ads for products related to this website as well as other educational products in the site's store via amazon.com.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

How safe is it?

  • Personal privacy:

    Not an issue.

  • Online interaction:

    There's no online interaction on this site, but the site's creator notes that she sometimes responds to requests for more information about other science subjects, and she encourages site visitors to email about more extreme topics such as world records.

  • Parental controls:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Extreme Science

Parents need to know that this site gives kids solid information on the more exciting subjects of earth science, like world record-setting feats of nature and cataclysmic events, as well as sharks, poisonous bugs, and space travel. This site is free, but the pay-for-use site Science Castle.com, which the creator of this site works for, is heavily promoted here. Be aware that the center-stage YouTube video on the site's home page is actually an ad for the Science Castle.com site.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • This site has a lot of ads, many of which are disguised as editorial content. A lot of the ads are for things kids won't be interested in, but consider taking the time to ad-proof your kids.
  • This site focuses on some of the most sensational aspects of the natural world. Sensational stories get people's attention, but sometimes they're not true, or they're exaggerated. If you're doing research for homework, don't believe everything you read online.
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