Parents' Guide to

Tikatok

By Susan Yudt, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Kids write and share stories safely on super-creative site.

Website http://www.tikatok.com
Tikatok Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Shareallicu
Shareallicu Parent of 3, 4, 5 and 5-year-old
December 10, 2012
age 10+

Awesome Fun, though short lived.

An amazing site that is gone now :( I miss the ability to watch my child's imagination come alive!! I hope they reopen soon! I only knew of TikaTok a few months before it closed and feel it closed way too early!

This title has:

Great messages
Too much consumerism
KidsAndMommy
KidsAndMommy Parent of 2 and 9-year-old
October 10, 2011
age 4+

FINE

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Too much consumerism
See all 6 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Budding authors can find a creative outlet on TIKATOK, an interactive site that lets kids write and illustrate their own online books. Using browser-based tools that mimic simple desktop publishing software, kids input text and images (their own creations or the site's stock art) into a template. Books can be kept private or shared with the Tikatok community, and visitors can buy printed copies of books in hard or softcover. The site also has a social element -- kids can create profiles, find friends, join groups, and even co-author books with fellow users.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Kids who like reading, writing, and design will have a blast creating their own books, whether they buy print copies or not. The site has plenty of tools to help users get started -- or get past a bit of writer's block -- such as the "StorySparks," which offer topic ideas and writing hints. The community features are robust and easy to use, and there's plenty of activity -- kids who share their books are likely to get friendly feedback and suggestions from their peers.

Curious about copyrights? Tikatok owns user-created content but will return the copyright (with some conditions) on request.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the creative process and review our Creating with Digital Media guidelines. Where do you get your ideas for stories? What do you do if you're "stuck" in your story? If kids decide to share their books with the community or comment on other users' creations, parents can talk about giving and taking constructive feedback.

Website Details

  • Genre: Creating
  • Pricing structure: Free
  • Last updated: November 5, 2015

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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