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Parents' Guide to

Tiny Planets

By Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Safe, planet-themed virtual world with free and paid play.

Website http://www.tinyplanets.com/
Tiny Planets 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

bingo123
bingo123 Parent of 12-year-old
May 1, 2009
age 7+

Really pretty and a lot of fun

So I enjoyed this site; it's tried really hard to be original, and has this neat space theme. To be honest the graphics are just awesome, but you do need quite a high spec PC to cope with them. Loads of features and games, you've got to have Flash AND Shockwave because there are some 3d games (I played Cosmic Cleanup - a lot!). There's a lot on here too, loads to explore. Good quizzes too. Some were quite hard...! Gets my thumbs up.
See all 1 parent review

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

TINYPLANETS.COM, which is based on the animated Tiny Planets TV series, is a virtual world designed to let kids age 6-14 play games, watch videos, learn and explore. After creating a cadet avatar, users can click their way around the site's different worlds and activities. The graphics are impressive; cars whiz by as you float through a shopping center, and you can navigate your rocket ship through space. The site also deserves kudos for its clear emphasis on safety: You don't need to submit a lot of personal information to register, and kids can't openly chat with each other.

However, users aren't likely to be too over the moon about this site because a fair amount of the content costs money to access. The games that are free are fun; and some items can be purchased using stars, which are earned by exploring the site. However, many activities -- including most of the clips on the TV planet and the site's interactive books -- cost keys to check out. And unless parents want to whip out their credit card, kids may get frustrated trying to track down the site's free activities.

Online interaction: The ultra-safe chat feature allows users to pick from pre-selected statements only.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about paying for virtual goods. Is a website more fun if you have to pay to do some of the activities? Or is it more fun if there are more things to see and do that are free? Why do websites charge to access certain areas and not others?

  • What are the best ways to have fun in a virtual world, while still staying safe? This website doesn't let kids choose their own username -- why do you think that is? For sites that do let you choose a name, why isn't it a good idea to pick one that's close to your real name? What kind of words aren't safe to use?

Website Details

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

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