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ZulaWorld (http://www.zulaworld.com)

common sense media says

Virtual world based on popular PBS show makes science fun.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that ZulaWorld is a safe and secure site for grade schoolers based on an award-winning PBS cartoon that teaches science, math, and astronomy. Kids need parents' emailed permission to join and cannot share personal information with others, only made-up "alien" names. Parents can monitor kids' progress via a control panel and receive weekly email reports of accomplishments. Kids have the option of enjoying most of ZulaWorld for free or paying $5.99 a month, $29.99 for six months or $49.99 a year, per member, for full access.

Educational value: Some activities seem to depend more on good hand-eye coordination than a real understanding of a scientific concept, but it doesn't hurt to think about mass and balance while trying to catch moles raining down on a teeter totter. Kids who explore meatier parts of the site can learn a lot. A standout tool is the Multopedia, an interactive dictionary that lets users read, hear and watch definitions of terms such as tectonic plates. 
Positive messages: ZulaWorld uses safe chat to prevent bullying and swearing. Members communicate only with an approved list of other members and are only allowed to choose from a list of preapproved canned words and phrases such as, "Hi everybody."
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: G-rated talk bubbles appear over avatars' heads when kids choose from a list of preapproved phrases such as, "Howdy fellow alien" and "Let's go listen to music."
Consumerism: No ads, not even in the episodes of The Zula Patrol TV show available for viewing.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
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More on ZulaWorld

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the lessons in math and science ZulaWorld teaches and how they apply to everyday life. (Gravity, for instance.) Parents are encouraged to join ZulaWorld themselves and guide and participate in their child’s adventures, a nice idea if the family can afford another subscription.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
ZulaWorld successfully blends teaching with virtual adventures to help kids learn basic math, science, and astronomy principles. It's a big site but has an excellent map and voice-enabled navigation bar. Kids can spend hours exploring ZulaWorld without paying a dime; even the site's best game, an addictive Space Invaders knockoff called Meteor Blast, is free. But to complete all the missions, equip spaceships, and fully interact with other avatars requires a monthly subscription fee. ZulaWorld is worth the price of admission despite needing some tweaks. It needs a better FAQ and more hover popups so new users don't have to guess before clicking. The interactive dictionary should be accessible at all times so kids can look up words whenever they want, not just when they've completed a task. ZulaWorld was out of beta but some parts were still under construction when I visited in June 2009. Overall, though, it gets a big thumbs up for great educational content wrapped in a fun virtual world.
This review was written by Carla Thornton
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

jaqi
parent of 8 year old
6
 
For Inquisitive young minds
This is fantastic for kids who are interested in astronomy and ask lots of questions about the stars, moon, planets and space. Great blend of fun and new ideas. I have a 7 year old who is crazy about this site, and loves to walk his fweebs around zula world and play the various games.
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ferb dj
kid, 9 years old
8
 
cool
its cool.
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helped me decide (1) | had useful details (4) | read my mind (4)

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