Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Finding Suitable Online Games

All parents have heard the warnings about kids playing on the internet. Even simple searches for the most basic things can bring up inappropriate images or websites. How is a parent supposed to handle their child’s requests to play online games if there is so much negative on the web? The answer is far simpler than it may appear.

Finding the Games
Finding good kids’ games among the myriad of online games can be a bit challenging when first blindly starting to search. The most obvious places to look are sites associated with popular children’s television shows or characters. These may or may not be what your kids are looking for, but they are a start. Many of these games might be geared at younger children or not be very complex.

Other free online games might be advertised as being suitable for children, but have elements that make parents cringe. Kids are a huge market online and many websites might target these innocents in hopes of driving a bit of extra traffic to their site – regardless of what the site contains. Of course, in their defense, the term “kid” spans a rather substantial age range. A website might be geared at teenagers, but that isn’t going to help you find something for your third grader.

Sometimes it might be beneficial to think outside of the box in your search. For example, if you have a daughter, or a fashion-forward son, you might not have considered paper dolls to be the sort of online game you are seeking. Entire websites, such as TheDollPalace.com, can offer hours of play creating dolls, making up corresponding stories and sharing those creations with others.

Supervising the Games
While your child may be more internet savvy than you ever dreamed of becoming, it is still important to maintain a presence over his or her shoulder. Bookmark websites you’ve screened and get your child in the habit of asking before trying out new games. Peek at the screen every now and again to see what he or she is really up to.

While it might seem silly or an invasion of their privacy, it is your job as the parent to protect them from harmful images or people online. Free online games can be a great deal of fun for all members of the family, but they can have things that may surprise you, too. Seek out quality sites, such as The Doll Palace, before your child begins asking, or if you’re brave enough, sit down with them and show them why certain sites are off-limits.

Find games that are fun to play together and use the time to interact positively with your child and blow off a little steam yourself. Who knows, you might find you really have a knack for flying online spaceships or choosing the right pair of shoes to make your doll as fashionable as your daughter’s. There is only one way to find out!

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