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Parents' Guide to

Kimingo

By Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

School-based social media site just for kids, super-safe.

Website http://www.kimingo.com/
Kimingo Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 1 parent review

blog
blog Adult
December 10, 2014
age 7+

Kids will have fun

Kids will have fun adding their own text, and characters can dance, cheer, and jump. However, without different levels, the ability to use original drawings, or personalized feedback on finished stories, kids might only use this tool once or twice. .
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

Designed as a safe social media site, Kimingo lets kids connect while parents are watching to help diminish the risk of cyberbullying or inappropriate contact with unknown adults. Each user has to meet with a designated Kimingo contact at a registered school for identify verification. Once they're approved, kids can share photos and videos, post status updates, email other users, and "pop," or like, items. School administrators also can send announcements, homework assignments, or other items directly to students' pages.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Kids can do pretty much the same things on KIMINGO that they can do on other social media sites: share photos, post comments, upload videos, and respond to other users' messages and posts. Kimingo, however, is a closed online social network that parents can monitor -- making it safer than sites such as Facebook or Twitter, where kids can easily come into contact with strangers. It'll require some time and effort on adults' part, but giving parents profile-monitoring capabilities should help keep correspondence clean. The site isn't currently implemented in a lot of schools; growth likely will depend on whether or not educational institutions embrace the system. The network can be used for teacher-student correspondence, but it also can simply serve as a social outlet (which may be a deterrent for some schools). However, if a school is looking to add a new tool that'll help kids practice safe communication, Kimingo's structure may prove a perfect fit.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can discuss how you should connect with friends on social media sites. How can you tell if your profile is public -- and what should you do if someone you don't know tries to friend you?

  • Should you ever start chatting with or emailing someone you don't know if that person lives in your area or goes to your school?

  • How should you react if a friend posts an inappropriate comment on your profile?

Website Details

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