This tool is particularly good at making you think about what you’re typing because what you are typing is gibberish. The reason, as I see it, is so that you type what you see, not what you think the word is going to be. Kind of like when we write something and forget a word that we said in our head, but didn’t write it down.

You can check your productivity by viewing a chart that compares speed and accuracy. There are three lessons to choose from as well as selecting from five different languages.

If you make an error as you type, you have to correct it before you are allowed to proceed. Each key that you hit in error is highlighted in red so you can see where you need to improve.

Kids can play games, share pictures and videos, too. The ability to share pictures and videos always causes me to raise my eyebrow because I don’t think that should be something young children do. However, with a parent’s supervision combined with the moderated environment, it could work out.

When creating an account, kids are asked to create their own character as that’s how they’ll be seen to others in the world they play in. Kids can also use webcams to show who’s behind the character they play. (Again, parental guidance is recommended.)

While playing, kids are awarded coins to use as currency in Kraze. In addition to discovering new places, kids can also setup their very own virtual room where they can decorate with objects they purchase with the coins they collect.

Kraze is one of many popular virtual worlds that have been so successful for children these days. This looks like a great place for kids to have fun.

Merlin’s Christmas
Someone has been bad this year. They’ve sabotaged Santa’s sleigh and caused all the toys to fall from the sky! But not to worry, for Merlin the elf will save them with your help.

As Merlin goes into a free fall, you drag you mouse in the direction he needs to be to catch the gifts and save Christmas for all the boys and girls.

Christmas Coloring Pages
For the young ones in your house (or maybe the young at heart?), these Christmas pictures are great for coloring and developing artistic skills for children. There’s quite a selection to choose from and all include characters and familiar symbols of the season.

Parents also have control in a number of ways. After the software is installed, you see a padlock icon in the upper right corner of your browser. It’s always locked until you decide to unlock it, which is intended for when mom and dad want to get online. Seeing where your kids have been is also provided by viewing a history log. (I should point out that this feature is included with all web browsers, even without Littleye installed.)

You can also add to the list of safe websites. In case you decide one of the sites is not appropriate, you can choose to have it removed. Parents who wish to help in this manner for the good of other families can join the community and have a direct influence over the sites to include or not.

Littleye is free for the first 30 days. Afterwards, it’s $9.95.month. it’s $4.95 / month or $49/year annual subscription. It’s also compatible with Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox on the Windows and Apple platforms.

Spooky Halloween Stickers — print them out and attach them walls, refrigerators, windows, you name it.

Spooky Graveyard — compare the two pictures and find what’s different about them. (I loved this kind of activity when I was a kid.)

Spooky Memory Game — Your little goblins can test their memory skills with these print-out cards where they have to remember where the matching card is.

Hidden Picture and Coloring Page — another childhood favorite, you spot hidden items in the drawing. And when you’re done, you can color it.

Halloween Fright Site Coloring Page Creator — your little ghosties will have fun not only creating their very own scenery online, but will get a kick to print it off and take it with them for coloring.

[tags]halloween,coloring,fun,family,activities[/tags]

Kids National Geographic is likely to instill such a feeling for kids today. It offers a wide variety of activities that will not only excite young minds, but also having them leave the site a little smarter than when they got there.

When first arriving you’ll find a very cool portal with which you can slide around in to “explore” topics to delve into. When you click one you’ll be taken to more facts and activities about it. For example, did you know that the clown fish lives among the tentacles of an anemone? Even though these tentacles sting, they don’t bother the fish.

In addition to finding out more facts about this particular fish, you can click on other choices for it allowing you to see a map of where the fish resides, send an e-card that includes a photo, and even view video clips of them. Oh, and there’s also a card meant to be printed off and cut out to be included in a collection. Kids love collecting things, so why not something that educates them?

And what kind of a kid site would this be without games? Again, many choices abound: Space Janitor, Zipper’s Treetop Trouble, and Iggy Arbuckle: Race Off and lots more!

Kids National Geographic is definitely worth bookmarking and frequent visits!

[tags]national geographic,kids,games,fun,education[/tags]

This installment has to do with a topic that I’m very sensitive about and feel that every parent should too. That topic is cyberbullying. Very damaging, very real, and it’s something that will only get worse if we don’t stand up against it.

And so, here’s John’s responses:

FWW: I’m sure we’d all agree that cyberbullying is very much a real concern. I’ve read more and more schools are addressing the issue, which for the most part involves setting policies. Should they or could they do more even if such transgressions are made outside the school?

John: Ugh. Cyberbullying is perhaps the most intractable problem we’re currently facing. The schools on their own are at the practical limits of their ability to influence the problem. Sure, more schools could be more vigilant and more aggressive, more structured in their responses, and more tightly coordinated with local law enforcement. But, frankly, that’s not going to solve the problem.

My perspective is that cyberbullying in particular has to be prevented, because it can’t be cured or stopped in mid-stream. And preventing cyberbullying is a matter of community awareness, social responsibility, and social pressure.

Allow me to digress a little: Technology has the consequence of vesting more and more devastating power in the hands of an individual. We’re living that experience in the “adult world” today, whether we reflect on the Unibomber, 9/11 or Columbine High School. Technology empowers the individual. This empowerment isn’t inherently a bad thing, but it does bring a lot of risk. We can’t ignore it. Cyberbullying is in a lot of ways simply an on-line analog of this negative, aggressive, empowered behavior. An individual is empowered to do tremendous damage. How do you stop that? It’s almost an existentialist question. “If you want peace, work for justice (Pope Paul VI).

As a practical matter, we have to educate our kids on the horrible consequences of abusing their peers. It’s not a game.

FWW: Why do you suppose ISPs are slow to respond (if they respond at all) when asked to take down offensive material at the request of cyberbullied victims?

John: I think ISPs are in an untenable position legally and economically. They’re bound to be wrong no matter what they do, and they’re bound to get sued. So they often take the “Mr. Magoo” position of ignoring things for as long as possible, until they are absolutely assured that the action they’re about to take is unassailable. But by then,well, a lot of water is over the dam, and a lot of people are hurt.

Until we have sensible Internet policy, and the associated regulations, the ISPs won’t get the legally-derived protections they need to “act more responsibly”.

FWW: Do you have any suggestions for kids who have fallen victim to cyberbullies or for their parents who suspect this has happened to their child?

John: What I’m about to say may sound extremely provocative, but I think it’s a useful lens through which to view this problem. A victim of cyberbullying is like a victim of rape. Helpless, violated, shamed, exploited, and deeply wounded — what’s the remedy for that? For some people, confronting their abusers (when they can be identified) can be a step toward healing. But cyberbullying (for that matter, any really egregious peer-harassment) leaves a devastating wound, and it builds fear into a kid’s perspective – often permanently. It’s hard to come back out into the world after that kind of abuse, much less face your abuser.

That’s why we have to work as hard as we can to never let cyberbullying take root in our families and our communities.

This concludes the second installment. I’ll be posting the third and final one later this week. Until then, please spend some time to review and perhaps bookmark these resources:

• “I Wish I Could Disappear: A Victim of Cyberbullying
• Hiding Behind the Keyboard
• Stop Cyberbullying Now!
• Real-Life Stories
• Cyberbullying
• McGruff On Cyberbullying

[tags]cyberbullying[/tags]

Space Hopper
This one’s rather interesting and requires a little skill. You play the role of an astronaut who is hopping around from planet to planet. Your object is to collect as many stars as possible. As you stroll around the orbs you can jump onto a passing planet and get caught into its gravity and start collecting the stars on that one. Gotta watch out for the roaming baddies!

UFO Joe
Next on the list is another friendly alien who is flying in his saucer trying to capture cattle in his tractor beam. Using your thrusters, you gently navigate among trees, windmills, and what not and deftly hover above the animals you need to pick up.

As always, I recommend parents look into the games their kids play. I steer clear of games with violence and blood, so rest assured whatever you find here on FWW will be suitable for your consideration.

[tags]online games,ufo[/tags]

Anyway, if you have a child who likes online games and Legos, then they’re in for a treat. The game is simple. You’re an astronaut on Mars, being chased by aliens. You use your mouse (not the arrow keys, strangely enough) to jump over obstacles. To the right you see an indicator for how far behind the alien is on your tail.

Score points by picking up green energy crystals. Fall down and you don’t have much time to recover. That alien doesn’t let up!

[tags]Lego,games[/tags]

I still can’t tell how it works exactly, but it looks very easy to use. You dip your wand into a “bucket” of light, stir it around to choose your color. and let loose on the wall. You can even have your drawing animated.

Discovered by Geekalerts.

[tags]philips,device,electronics,toys[/tags]