If you are looking for fun avatar or virtual worlds aimed at children, there are a number of options, and which ones are best for you or your children will depend on how old the child in question is and what they like to do!
One of the most popular virtual worlds aimed at young children is Club Penguin, here. Owned by Disney, users can adopt the persona of a virtual penguin, decorated their homes and interact with friends. It’s free to join but some features are only available to paying members. Mostly aimed at age 6 to around 10, it’s family friendly and you can also get real soft toy Club Penguin penguins if your children get really keen!
Disney also run ToonTown Online, here, aimed at age 7 plus, where players can create cartoon characters then play with them in a virtual world, doing all the crazy stuff that cartoons do - throwing themselves out of cannons, splatting each other with custard pies or having parties with friends. Again, you can play for free, and there are a number of features you can only access if you are a subscriber.
If your child loves animals, why not try Webkinz. Players adopt a stuffed animal avatar as a pet, and can feed, dress, and care for their pet, as well as visiting friends or play simple games. You need to buy a soft toy in a shop, and it will come with a code to activate an online subscription to the Webkinz site. The subscription lasts for a year.
For a slightly more educational, if you like, site try National Geographics’ Animal Jam, aimed at kids who love animals and the outdoors. It’s designed to be a safe environment for younger kids online (it’s aimed at age 5-10), in which they can create an animal, care for it, design and maintain it’s environment and play with their friends. It’s free to play, but members can also pay to join the Animal Jam Club, which gives them access to exclusive items and dens plus sneak peeks at new animals.
As children get older, environments that might appeal more include Dizzywood, which enables players to play games and take part in quests; WhyVille, which incorporates fun maths and physics; or Habbo, previously known as Habbo Hotel.
One of the most popular virtual worlds aimed at young children is Club Penguin, here. Owned by Disney, users can adopt the persona of a virtual penguin, decorated their homes and interact with friends. It’s free to join but some features are only available to paying members. Mostly aimed at age 6 to around 10, it’s family friendly and you can also get real soft toy Club Penguin penguins if your children get really keen!
Disney also run ToonTown Online, here, aimed at age 7 plus, where players can create cartoon characters then play with them in a virtual world, doing all the crazy stuff that cartoons do - throwing themselves out of cannons, splatting each other with custard pies or having parties with friends. Again, you can play for free, and there are a number of features you can only access if you are a subscriber.
If your child loves animals, why not try Webkinz. Players adopt a stuffed animal avatar as a pet, and can feed, dress, and care for their pet, as well as visiting friends or play simple games. You need to buy a soft toy in a shop, and it will come with a code to activate an online subscription to the Webkinz site. The subscription lasts for a year.
For a slightly more educational, if you like, site try National Geographics’ Animal Jam, aimed at kids who love animals and the outdoors. It’s designed to be a safe environment for younger kids online (it’s aimed at age 5-10), in which they can create an animal, care for it, design and maintain it’s environment and play with their friends. It’s free to play, but members can also pay to join the Animal Jam Club, which gives them access to exclusive items and dens plus sneak peeks at new animals.
As children get older, environments that might appeal more include Dizzywood, which enables players to play games and take part in quests; WhyVille, which incorporates fun maths and physics; or Habbo, previously known as Habbo Hotel.
