Kids Computer Games Recommendations

Zookazoo at first glance seems a LOT like Club Penguin. You can sign up your child for a free membership but they will be limited in what they can do at the site. They can still play games, make a playable creature “Zelf”, and earn points but they will not be able to use their points to buy things to fix up their house. The difference in Zookazoo from Club Penguin is this is a site with a mission for the environment, animals and education. Check out the preview video:

Let’s get the pricing out of the way…. If you explore and decide this is something that would be good for your kids it is $5.95/month, $29.95 for 6 months or $57.95 for 12 months. I think this is pretty much identical to the pricing for Club Penguin. It has the same features as abilities to meet up with your friends and play games on the site, promises future mini adventure type games so your children will be using their brains and the mini games are cute and some of them already are obviously a bit more intellectually stimulating than the Club Penguin Games.

I know this is only the beginning of these social networking/gaming sites for children and most of them hold a price tag to be a “full” member. This definitely will require a “pick and choose” methodology. My parents got both my children memberships to Club Penguin and while I do see some fun to be had there — I am often limiting my son’s time there, and am telling him I am not a big fan and would rather he be doing something else. I will be getting both my kids a 1 month membership to Zookazoo and see if they like it. I have told them it will be one or the other that they are a member of. With their Club Penguin membership expiring soon I am hoping that Zookazoo stays true to their mission statement and is a learning environment for children and that my kids like it enough so that we can let their Club Penguin membership expire and pursue this one instead. I still firmly believe in limiting time on the computer but would be willing to let them play a little more if I felt it was a learning environment instead of just non-thinking time.

Zookazoo currently only has a few games but just launched this month and promises lots more coming. I love the graphics and sound and my 5 and 8 year old really took to it and had fun exploring. The interface is easy and they added each other as buddies a lot easier than they did at Webkinz (although I do LOVE a lot about Webkinz). There is a game where you have to turn appliances off, one where you save the cats from up in the tree, a “Simon” type deejay game where you have to to remember the sequence and repeat it….. the games are fun but also have an educational feel to them. The site feels very safe and requires your parent answering an email confirming membership for the child to enter. There are no running ads on the site which also makes for a safe environment. There are different worlds to explore such as the “city of Hiphopolis” and the “Jungle of Jungaloo” and each has different games that correspond with the environment you are in.

I look forward to seeing Zookazoo expand and hope it picks up where Club Penguin left off. You also have the ability to donate points earned to charities — a wonderful option that my son has already expressed an interest in. Congratulations Zookazoo — you have made an interesting learning environment for children fun and I look forward to seeing what is coming in the future. Best of luck! The people at Zookazoo say this site is for ages 6-12 but that younger ones can enjoy it to — as I see with my 5 year old daughter!