Parents' Guide to

Animal Jam

By Dana Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Beware unmonitored chat in Nat Geo virtual world.

Website http://www.animaljam.com
Animal Jam Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this website.

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age 11+

Based on 338 parent reviews

concernedDAD123
concernedDAD123 Parent of 4, 9, 15 and 17-year-old
September 14, 2022
age 18+

Just say no to animal jam

Horrible game, no vetting of parents email so my child continues to hack, cheat and steal from other players for profit.
2 people found this helpful.
akreybsn
akreybsn Parent of 9-year-old
July 15, 2022
age 9+

Scams children

This app had my son logged in, but not “fully” signed in. It allowed him to make purchases then when his iPad rebooted he lost everything. I contacted animal jam to see if they could help, offered to provide receipts, but without a username(which he had as he was playing) they would not reimburse the money he spent. Total rip off, there was no warning that if you purchased something it had the potential to be lost. They should not allow purchases unless you are fully logged in. There was no way for me to tell that would happen. Furthermore to not try to work with a customer who could provide receipts is horrifying. This app prays on children and parents.
2 people found this helpful.
See all 338 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Kids create animal avatars with cute anonymous names made from mashups of suggested words (e.g., "Handsome Wackycat"). They then pick a place to visit, play games, meet other players, or shop. Most games don't require or reinforce knowledge of the natural world. Social activities include chatting, game challenges, visits to buddies' dens, or sending friendly Jam-a-Grams. Winning games earns gems, which can buy accessories, furniture, or a pet. New "animal jammers" be warned; Jamaa is a busy place, and new players may need to ask others for help.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (338):
Kids say (742):

Since this site is a National Geographic product, it's expected to have strong nature photos, videos, and graphics; solid information; and generally be a high-quality production -- and it is. That said, if your child or younger tween isn't a strong reader or doesn't have experience with more simple virtual worlds like Club Penguin or Webkinz, Animal Jam could be a bit confusing at first. And some of the games are more arcade-style, less educational. As in most virtual worlds, players earn points that get them online money ("gems") to buy items for their avatar and avatar's home, or to play certain more complex games. Overall, a safe, higher-value-than-usual virtual world for tweens.

Online interaction: This site has a safe and very structured chat and buddy system. The rules are clear, and it's easy to ignore, block or report players who are not following the rules. As virtual worlds go, some of the online interaction is very basic and not very worthwhile, but there is enough educational content here that hopefully kids can find meaningful topics about which to interact here.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how to play nice and be safe in virtual worlds. Review the guidelines on Animal Jam together, and read Common Sense Media's Online Worlds for Young Kids Tips for more ideas.

  • Discuss Animal Jam's Play Timer feature with your kids to help them begin setting self-limits on their computer time. Check their overall time spent on the site's parental controls account. Read Common Sense Media's advice on Setting Computer Time Limits for your children.

  • Ask your kids what they're learning about animals and the environment from their time on Animal Jam. They might teach you a new animal fact or conservation idea!

Website Details

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