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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 3, age appropriate for kids over 4; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Meaty edu-tainment site is good, clean tween fun.

On this site kids can:   create an avatar, do activities, learn about digital ethics, play games, watch videos
updated 10.06.09

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    The site teaches tons in the form of fun, challenging activities kids will love doing over and over. There are cooking and magic video demonstrations, art projects, environmental facts, science experiments, chess tips, Sudoku puzzles and clever, beautifully designed interactive games. Curious kids will devour the how-it-works section, which uses cute animations to explain the concepts behind inventions such as the x-ray. For instance, dragging various cartoon animals -- cows, dogs, etc. -- behind a cartoon x-ray screen lets kids see the skeletons.

  • User-created content:

    KidzGallery, the user-created content area of the site, had few posts when we visited but looked like a promising venue for kids' digital creations.

  • Messages:

    A rainbow of cartoon character skin colors, recycling games, and profiles of kids doing good in their communities teaches acceptance of others who might be different and social responsibility.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    The site currently has no ads, although this might soon change for non-paying users. Also under development is KidzCash, virtual money that can be earned by playing games and spent on clothing and feeding "clixatars." 

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

How safe is it?

  • Personal privacy:

    Privacy on the completed site will be good, according to reps. Kids can interact with others on the social network only if parents have approved and paid for membership. The message boards and chat rooms will be moderated and there will be links to report abuse. 

  • Online interaction:

    The social networking features weren't ready when we visited shortly after launch in September 2009.  When completed they will include themed chat rooms, virtual rooms, friending and "clixatars", the KidzClix version of an avatar.

  • Parental controls:

    Parents have to give their emailed permission and pay a monthly fee before kids can build an avatar or use the networking tools.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About KidzClix

Parents need to know that this delightful educational site for kids 8 to 12 was created by staff members at the Center for Gifted, a hands-on enrichment program based in Chicago. It’s safe and clean learning fun, and though not quite finished when we visited in September 2009, already offers enough free games and activities to keep grade schoolers busy for hours. (There's also a handful of nice games for preschoolers.) If the social networking tools still under development are as well executed as the rest of the site so far, and the creators deliver fresh games every two weeks as promised, it will be well worth the monthly subscription. Parents can wait until the site's finished before joining, or give kids full access to games now with the option to cancel at any time.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • KidzClix profiles kids who are making a positive difference in their communities. For instance, a 12-year-old girl gives the money she makes from selling customized flip-flops to local charities. How might kids use their own special talents or interests to make the world a better place?
  • KidzClix gives kids a taste of art, science, math, environment preservation and lots of other disciplines. Which games are the most fun? Discuss the kinds of careers that require these different types of specialized knowledge.
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