 | 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. |
HippoWorks
Common Sense Media says
Singing animals, global warming, and spanakopita.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that some of the visuals here might disturb sensitive kids. The Extinction Game is like "Hangman." Players guess letters to complete a word. Winners "save" the cute Siberian tiger, while losers see an increasingly distressed animal turn into a pile of bones, one wrong letter at a time.
What's it about?
Cartoonist Denis Thomopoulos produces an informative animated "cartoonlet" called "It's a Jungle Out There!" His work is featured on many sites, including AOL, Lightspan.com, and Care2.com, among others. Many of the cartoon themes revolve around the state of the environment, particularly global warming. Talking hippos commiserate with birds about the melting snows of Kilimanjaro. You'll find cartoons and games about endangered animals, extinction, even the "Pets of Hurricane Katrina." Other parts of the site feature coloring pages, cartoons about social skills, and even a funny recipe from Suzanne, the Crystal Goddess bird.
Is it any good?
Some of the cartoons seem out of place, such as the one in which two birds appear in silhouette against a full moon. One stretches its wings to put an arm around his lady friend. "I guess the full moon brings out the beast in me," he says. The female bird slaps him silly with her purse, eventually swinging him around and around until he lands in the lake with a splash. "I guess the full moon brings out the beast in me, too!" she says.
Another oddity involves two vultures with Transylvanian "vampire" accents. A stampeding herd of zebras approaches. The male says, "Let's eat here!" The female flies off. The male is trampled. The female returns to her mangled mate and says that he has to stop doing this. He says, "I know, but fast food is so tempting."
What families can talk about
Families can talk about global warming and discuss what's being done to stop it.
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AGE
I laughed and learned!
This is a great site to teach kids about the environment. Funny and educational, but not preachy.
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AGE
Great wildlife website!
As a teacher, I think this website is a great introduction to conservation issues. It entertains as it informs. Please be aware the site does have a "store" page where you can order merchandise.
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| Genre: | Gaming |
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