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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 5; suggested age 5.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Vast virtual world appeals to wide age range.

On this site kids can:   chat, play in a virtual world
updated 09.14.09

Why We Rated This on for Ages 5 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Some games and activities feature famous historical figures, and players can visit specific pages on the site to learn more about these people and their accomplishments. Other activities introduce basic concepts in science, math and humanities. Users must also plan ahead and budget to purchase expensive items, such as pets or furniture for their virtual homes.

  • Messages:

    Players are encouraged to become part of the Secret Builders community, by befriending others, chatting with people and submitting feedback about different activities and features. People can make suggestions for new features and read other people's ideas on forums. Players are encouraged to notify the moderators about anything they may think is inappropriate. The site also features a game that enables kids to raise money for charity groups.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Moderators screen all submissions for inappropriate language before it is posted. There are two modes for chatting; younger players use the restricted chat feature, which limits people to a list of words and phrases, while older kids can, with their parents' permission, chat freely, though the content is still screened for inappropriate words. Parents have control over players' buddy lists.

  • Consumerism:

    The site encourages people to earn money, called shills, by playing games, and then to spend it on various items.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

How safe is it?

  • Online interaction:

    The developers have taken pains to make the site a safe place for young people, by ensuring that parents can keep tabs on their kids' activities and online friends, offering different chat modes for younger and older players, and by screening user-submitted information for inappropriate content.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About SecretBuilders

Parents need to know that this enormous virtual world offers a huge variety of activities to satisfy its target age range of 5-14. The site has several educational features that introduce important historical characters and basic concepts in math, science, and the humanities.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about combining education and entertainment. Is it possible to make games both fun and educational? Is a game less fun if it also tries to teach something? Do the games on this site seem like school? Do they make learning fun? Do some seem more like lessons than others? How would you make learning into a game?
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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    maria89
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Safety isn't an issue
    • User content is age appropriate

    awsome perfect for any age enjoy

    i love it.my daughter is very in to secretbuilders and she stays on it all day because she thinks its fun.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Adult Reviewer
    norcaldad
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0

    safe, educational and fun! what more could a parent want?

    this site is constantly playing with their filters and improving it. The previous reviewer mentioned the dating talk was passing the filters. not so anymore. I trust my kids on this site more so than club penguin. I have an 11 year old and a 8 year old.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  3. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    MsMakaykay
    Lives in Arizona
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 1.0

    NO!

    This site is REALLY fun! But...When people are walking up to you and saying things such as, "Hey baby" or, "Wanna make love?" or, "Will you marry me?" It's terrible!!! I think that if you want to join this site by all means go ahead but I highly suggest that you first make sure that you can handle it when somebody calls you the 'b' word! This is no joke! This girl said that she was Obama's daughter so this other girl walked over to her and said, "We hate you." "You're a BEEP" She called her the B word!!! She separated it so I reported her. But It's terrible and I wouldn't recommend it for kids under the age of 14.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  4. Adult Reviewer
    karpawalsh@msn.c ...
    Lives in Rhode Island
    I rate this title on for age 5 and give it 1.0

    Inappropriate chatting

    At first I was very pleased with this site. After using it for several days and really enjoying it, another playing sent a message to my daughter saying" hey you and I would be great together !" then another one said " wanna go out with me ? that phrase seems to be very common. Then worse of all someone called her a loser and a jerk. My daughter is no longer allowed to use the site. Karpawalsh

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  5. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    IceRider99
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0

    Fantasic! 2nd best online game I have ever played!!!

    This game is worth checking out. It has plenty of games, contests, and quests! This game is actually mostly about writing. With several refrences to classic books.The average kid might not like it. If you have a writer, though, they probably will! Totally age appropriate. Chat is safe. Nothing to worry about here. In case you're curious, VMK was the best online game I have played.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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