Common Sense Media Review
By Susan Yudt
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Safe eco site has great message; lacks umph.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
Eco-friendly girls can catch a green wave and sail on over to HULALAGIRLS.COM, a new site from Christy Hui, the creator of martial arts cartoon Xiaolin Showdown. The site stars Hana, Mele, and Skye, three Powerpuff-esque surfer girls who live on a tropical island and think nature is "pineapplicious." Users get an avatar and a profile that they can upgrade/"bling up" by buying or (very slowly) earning seashells.
Is It Any Good?
Unfortunately, there's not much else to do on the site yet. The LotusOdeon section has a few animated clips of the girls, most of FriendsBay is "coming soon," and the games are mostly so-so, with the exception of the cute matching/memory game Dress Up. The best section is probably the GreenWall bulletin boards, which feature silly jokes, neat facts about nature, and tips for preserving the environment. The vibe is friendly, and all comments are reviewed before they're posted. The site has a cool theme and good intentions, but needs more fun features before surfer girls would deem it "rad."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about keeping personal information private online. What is OK to share with strangers? What is best kept offline? Families can also discuss environmental issues and the role of activism. Which changes in our lives are worth making? Can one person's behavior have an impact? How do we motivate others to change? What information from the site motivated you to do something different?
Website Details
- Genre : Virtual Worlds
- Pricing structure : Free
- Last updated : October 25, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate