Ty Girlz is one of the few virtual worlds for girls.

The most recognizable product that Ty Inc. has produced is the Beanie Baby. Ty produces a long line of unique plush toys. In 2007, Ty Girlz first appeared as a plush toy, quickly followed by the Ty Girlz website. Both the toy and the website are aimed directly at girls from age 8 to 16. Non-members can check out the website for free; however, this limits most of the activity they can have in the virtual world. Unlike most other virtual worlds, Ty Girlz does not offer monthly or annual memberships. Instead, members must purchase a Ty Girlz doll which has a secret code attached to the tag. The code can then be entered on the website during registration, unlocking full membership benefits. Currently, the price for a Ty Girlz doll is $14.99, though this price can change and may vary.

Features

Ty Girlz is a very pink website, specifically tailored to girls. Ty Girlz the website is actually modeled after Ty Girlz the doll. The website operates for two reasons: to gather the owners into an online virtual world and to further market the dolls. The dolls actually look like dolls – with serene and happy expressions On Ty Girlz, the avatars do not look like dolls – they look like they were modeled after teenagers with little respect for themselves. Once girls purchase a doll, they input the code from the doll into the registration process and fully activate their membership. Members choose an avatar to be their online personality. This avatar can be customized with accessories and a unique look. The avatar gets their own room, the ability to decorate it, a choice of major cities to live in and $500 in virtual Ty Dollars.

Though most of the website exists for girls to talk about the Ty Girlz brand and interact with other girls, there are games to play. These games earn players Ty Dollars, the website’s virtual currency. The more games people play, the more Ty Dollars they can earn. This currency allows players to buy room furnishings, personal accessories, clothing, makeup, games and other commercial items. Chat is the most popular feature on Ty Girlz. Chat Around the World restricts members from typing their own words. They must use pre-selected words and phrases. In the Freestyle chat version, members can type their own phrases, but they are limited to words found only in the Ty Girlz dictionary.

What’s Good

Ty Girlz will appeal only to girls in a wide age bracket who are interested in fashion and social chatting. The graphics are quite good – clean, clear and crisp images. It flows quite well. It’s a bright website with vibrant colors. There is no violence, drinking, drugs or smoking on the website or in the games. Chat filters eliminate foul language. Other than testing simple memory skills, there is no real educational value to Ty Girlz.

What’s Bad

The typical Ty Girlz doll that can be purchased in retail stores has been vamped and sexualized on the Ty Girlz website. Being provocative and sexy does nothing for the intended target audience. If boys were a part of the website, it would be understandable why the Ty Girlz avatars are so overly built and wear such skimpy clothing. But the audience is girls – young girls who need role models, not like the ones that Ty is pushing at them.

The comparison to Barbie is unmistakable. Isn’t there more to a girl’s life than makeup, fashion, beauty and shopping? Certainly, Ty Inc. doesn’t think that this is all that will come of the girls who buy and parade their Ty Girlz – or do they? There are no positive role models or messages contained in Ty Girlz that will empower girls to become nothing more than vacuous shopaholics. Girls can have some fun on this website, but it must not be taken seriously.

Online Safety

Ty Girlz has no control over who joins their website; however, they do have control over what members say. In this regard, Ty Girlz is to be commended for at least trying to put strict safety measures in places to protect girls. The safest mode of chat only allows users to choose pre-selected words and phrases. Even in open chat, only words chosen from their restricted dictionary are allowed and moderators patrol this area. Members are encouraged to report inappropriate behavior and parents are required to give their consent prior to a child using open chat. 

The Summary 

Target Demography:
Though girls in the target will flock to Ty Girlz, the sexualized avatars are inappropriate for young girls and send the wrong message to older girls.

Graphics: A
Technically sound and well-done.

Educational Value: C
Limited to basic math – otherwise, pretty vacuous.

Entertainment Value: C+
Limited games, though those interested in dolls and fashion will be in heaven.

Price:
No monthly or annual membership. Girls must buy a Ty Girlz doll (currently $14.99) which contains a secret code for unlimited use of the website.

Visit Ty Girlz at www.TYGirlz.com.

The above TY Girlz review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.

Pixie Hollow is a virtual world for girls aimed at girls from age 6 to 13. TinkerBellis the guide and mascot of this online game that was developed by Disney. The game is website-based – there is no need to download any files. The only major requirements are that users have Adobe Flash Player, 512MB of RAM and a broadband internet connection.

The design and graphics are done in typical quality Disney fashion – clean, clear, well-defined and with depth. Pixie Hollow is free to join; however, in order for players to experience the full features of the website, a paid membership is required. A monthly membership is $5.95; six months is $29.95; and an annual membership is $57.95. Membership cards can also be bought in person through major toy stores. A full membership allows players to play all the games featured on the website and add accessories to their online life.

Features

Every member who joins Pixie Hollow gets to choose a fairy that will be their virtual personality. In the beginning, members were only able to choose fairies. Currently, there is also a male version of a fairy called a Sparrow Man. A paid membership allows players to shop; obtain a larger virtual home; obtain clothing; play all games on the website (including all quests and adventures); have a pet; and create their own crafts.

Successfully completing certain games earn players Talent Level Points and Badges. Like many other popular virtual worlds, chat is available as an option to all members. There are two versions of chat: Speed Chat where members use pre-selected words and phrases; and Speed Chat Plus where members use a filtered and moderated chat system. If a member types a word that is not in Pixie Hollow’s dictionary, it cannot show up on the screen. Members also have the opportunity to submit original art, poetry and writing. This material must be approved before it is published online.

What’s Good

Pixie Hollow will appeal mainly to girls under 10 years of age who are interested in the world of fantasy and make believe. The graphics are exceptionally clean and clear with depth and detail, much like Disney’s cartoons and films. There is no violence, drinking, drugs or smoking on the website or in the flash games. Pixie Hollow encourages its members to engage in creativity and imagination by submitting original material and losing themselves in a fantasy world of magic and fun.

What’s Bad

Like many other children’s virtual worlds, Pixie Hollow is divided into two different categories: fun and fantasy for younger children; and risqué chat for tweens and teens. Younger members who are attracted to the Disney themes of innocence and fantasy won’t find much in common with those older members who are more into socializing. Pixie Hollow does have chat filters in place, but they have to realize that members will constantly get around these filters and type in words that look and sound inappropriate – even if the filters don’t catch them. It’s great that members can chat to one another, but if it’s not regulated with force, it brings down the credibility of the entire website.

Although the Disney brand is reliable and trustworthy, it’s a bit monotonous to see the Disney name plastered all over the website. Product placement is very important in today’s business world, but in Pixie Hollow it’s overkill. It is to be expected that Disney would promote its other online and commercial entities, but turning members into prepubescent consumers is a big failure. It is interesting to note that Pixie Hollow doesn’t have its own website – it’s an offshoot of the Disney Fairies franchise, enabling members to easily click on anything Disney. That’s quite enough Disney thank you very much.

Online Safety

Even though Pixie Hollow claims that they have strict guidelines for appropriate behavior, they have to understand that certain members will break the rules. Opening up chat so that members can type in suggestive language doesn’t seem like a Disney thing to do. Sure, members will be punished for doing this, but it shouldn’t have been committed in the first place. Pixie Hollow has no control over who joins their website; however, they do have control over what members say. In this regard, Pixie Hollow is not doing a good job and needs to be more vigilant.

The Summary 

Target Demography:
A tale of two websites: one for young members and one for older members.

Graphics: A+
Visually deep, crisp, clean, clear and professional.

Educational Value: C-
Games are harmless fun but certainly not educational.

Entertainment Value: C+
Younger viewers will be enthralled; older viewers will be more interested in mundane chat.

Price:
A monthly membership is $5.95; six months is $29.95; and one year is $57.95. A free membership is available, but it doesn’t allow access to a lot of the features.

Visit Pixie Hollow at www.PixieHollow.com.

The above Pixie Hollow review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.

Pandanda is a virtual world for kids that was launched in 2008. It is currently a live site that is aimed at children from ages 6 to 14. The site was originally tested in beta mode for free until the program worked out its kinks and programming issues. The site is a cute-looking, innocuous children’s website with cuddly non-threatening red panda bears and small forest animals – much like children’s stuffed animals or animated animals on a preschooler’s television show. Members choose a red panda as an avatar and move through the site chatting with other avatars.

There are several membership levels. Children can test drive the website with a free membership; however, this limits the activity they can have in the virtual world. Paid memberships begin at $5.95 per month with discounts for a 6 and 12 month membership. A paid membership allows players to enjoy the full features of the world. The site also has a currency in place for members to get memberships for free called Panda Gold. Members can earn this currency by filling out surveys, watching videos or completing offers. Panda Gold can also be exchanged for the main currency on the site simply called ‘coins’. The website is the base for the game. There is no file downloading to operate the game. The website is only available in English.

Features

New members of Pandanda choose an avatar in the form of a red panda bear to be their online personality. They choose a home for their panda and can alter it to fit their personality. The main focus of the world is for players to earn ‘coins’ to pay for their panda’s life in the virtual world. Players buy their avatars food, clothing, shelter and household items. The coins unlock these features and also unlock opportunities for players to interact with other players. Members can chat about their pandas with other members in a chat room and make friends with other players. The mascot for the website is called Henry. He is the panda bear who acts as the host and the face of Pandanda.

What’s Good

Pandanda is a fairly innocent website that will appeal mainly to boys and girls well below age ten who are interested in friendship with other children. The pandas are designed to appeal to small children and appear as non-threatening. The facial expressions are kind and pleasant. The company who produced the website was successful in designing an innocent-looking atmosphere for children. There are no adult themes in the virtual world or on the website. There is no violence, drinking, smoking, drug use, sex or offensive language.

The main focus of Pandanda that will earn the respect of parents is the children’s ability to grasp and handle financial concepts. The players must be responsible with their coins in order to care for their panda. Purchasing goods can be construed as a negative in reinforcing overspending and commercialism; however, parents can be proactive and teach their children the value of money and how to spend it wisely. This is a lightweight virtual world – bland and harmless.

What’s Bad

The age range that Pandanda is going for seems to be a bit out of touch with the graphics. The design of the characters may be fine for post-kindergarten children, but children over the age of nine will find them juvenile. The website is very static with little movement. It would be a major improvement if the animal’s movements could be better choreographed. Users have found issues with the chat pages being mildly offensive. Inappropriate language can be posted unless it is caught and removed by a moderator.

Beyond being responsible with money, there is very little educational value attached to this virtual world. The average design and cookie-cutter approach to the creation of the virtual world may leave parents scratching their heads as to what exactly they are paying for. This company needs to update the website’s graphics and not try to overreach their demographic.

Online Safety

The website has done a good job of promoting online safety. No personal information is ever displayed online. There are two chat modes: safe chat (the child clicks on a predetermined chat message) and standard filtered chat (the child types in their own message which is moderated). Parents can easily access the company’s safety information. Pandanda encourages parents to monitor their child’s online experience have an open discussion with them about online safety. 

The Summary 

Target Demography:
The website is way off with their intended age target.

Graphics: B+
Boring for older children. More animation could vastly improve the website.

Educational Value: B-
Beyond financial management, there is little education.

Entertainment Value: B
Very slow pace and monotonous.

Price:
$5.95/month. Discounts for a 6 or 12 month membership. Free membership with limited access to advanced features.

Visit Pandanda at www.Pandanda.com.

The above Pandanda review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.

Bella Sara is a virtual world for girls that was launched in 2007 by Hidden City Entertainment. The website is aimed at girls from age 5 to 12 and focuses on the care of virtual magical horses. Bella Sara began as a children’s trading card game inDenmarkin 2005. It was specifically designed for girls and lacks the competition factor that other games have. After the popularity of the trading cards and the website, Bella Sara branched out into books, toys, DVDs, puzzles, apparel, arts and crafts and a back-to- school line.

There are no monthly or annual membership fees. The company generates revenue from the sale of merchandise across many lines of product, which allows them to keep the Bella Sara website free. However, members of Bella Sara are able to access more adventures, games and activities by entering in Secret Codes that are found in select Bella Sara products. Every trading card pack contains a Secret Code that can be redeemed on the website to enhance the member’s experience.

Features

Once children become members of Bella Sara, they choose a horse as an avatar to be their online personality. These avatars live in a fantasy world called North of North where they play games and enjoy adventures with other horses in Bella Sara Adventures. Members are given a home known as a cottage. All members are given one free horse. If they wish to have more than one, members must purchase the trading card packs to find a Secret Code. Trading cards also allow players to accumulate horseshoes – the official Bella Sara currency. Horseshoes allow players to buy everything from cottage furnishings, clothing, pets, food and accessories and necessities for their horses in an online shop called the Bazaar.

Once members have established their own online world, they are able to play non-combative games, solve puzzles and take their horses on adventures. The care of the horses is a major theme and members will discover all that is involved in taking care of a horse. Bella Sara also encourages members to submit original artwork and writing. There are also other design and art-related activities that members can download from the website. Parents should note that Bella Sara is completely free of social networking. Members cannot contact one another.

What’s Good

Bella Sara will appeal mainly to girls from age 5 to 12. The creators of Bella Sara have done a good job at staying within that demographic. Bella Sara is a very innocent, fantasy world and the website deserves credit for keeping things tame and not overreaching their demographic. There are no adult themes in the virtual world or in the games. There is no drinking, smoking, drug use, sex or offensive language. The graphics are well done – clean and clear. This is an obviously light virtual world and the colors match this mood.

The best feature of Bella Sara is what is not there. There is no social networking and members cannot contact each other through messages. By closing the door of contact with other members and not allowing them to post messages, Bella Sara gains immediate credibility. Often, virtual worlds tag a chat feature onto their website to entice a wider range of members to join. Bella Sara keeps it simple and they have it right – there is no reason why girls under 10 should have the ability to chat to one another. Let them have fun without opening up possibilities of inappropriate behavior.

What’s Bad

As with many other children’s virtual worlds, consumerism must be discussed. Although cross-promotion increases a company’s revenue, it can leave some parents feeling pressured to buy products. Bella Sara is no different. From a consumer’s standpoint, the website is simply a promotional tool for all of the other Bella Sara branded products. Parents need to keep a watchful eye on how many of these brands they buy because there are a lot of them.

Online Safety

Parents should feel completely comfortable leaving their children to play on Bella Sara because there is absolutely no way for members to contact one another. Parents should also rest assured that any personal information is never displayed. Children under 12 must have their membership approved by an adult. Although the Bella Sara brand is highly promoted, there is no third-party advertising. Information for parents is clearly marked and explained. 

The Summary 

Target Demography:
Bella Sara wisely sticks to their target and doesn’t overreach it.

Graphics: A
Fonts, colors and avatars are real and appropriate for the age group.

Educational Value: A-
Children learn about horses and how to take care of animals.

Entertainment Value: A-
Innocent fantasy world works well for young children.

Price:
Free. Special advanced features require Secret Codes found in trading cards members have to buy.

Visit Bella Sara at www.BellaSara.com.

The above Bella Sara review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.

StarDoll is a virtual world for girls from age 7 to 17. The concept is based on the paper doll – dolls with interchangeable clothing and hair made out of paper. Stardoll began in 2004 as Paperdoll Heaven. The concept became so popular that the site received funding from investors and was re-launched in 2006 as Stardoll. The website exists in many different languages. The game is website-based – there is no need to download any files. The only major requirement is that users have Adobe Flash Player.

Stardoll is free to join – there are no monthly or annual membership fees for a basic membership. Most of the games on Stardoll are free to play; however, there are some games that require payment. This payment is completed by users with Stardollars – the official virtual world currency. This currency pays for select games, doll accessories and home furnishings. Starcoins can be earned by completing select games. All members get free Stardollars when they join Stardoll. However, to get Stardollars, members must pay for them.

Features

Everyone who joins Stardoll gets their own virtual doll to dress up; a room to decorate; a personal homepage; and 1000 Starcoins. Each member’s avatar can be customized with accessories and a unique look. There is also a section involving celebrity dolls where members can dress them up using their own unique wardrobe. Though the majority of the website is free to access, Stardoll offers an exclusive membership known as Superstar which allows members first access to Starplaza, the virtual shopping store; a larger virtual home; exclusive makeup; their own clothing line; and 200 Stardollars a month. 6 months of Superstar is $41.70; and an annual membership is $71.40.

There are some flash games to play. These games earn players Starcoins which they use to buy room furnishings, personal accessories, clothing, makeup and other commercial items. Chat is another popular feature on Stardoll. A ‘Kid Safe’ membership restricts members less than 13 years of age from writing any content on the website, accessing content or communicating with other members. An open chat allows teenagers to chat with other teens, though filters are supposed to stop inappropriate language.

What’s Good

The most positive aspect of Stardoll is the ability for members to be creative with their designs for their virtual doll and their room. Stardoll will appeal mainly to girls in a wide age bracket who are interested in fashion and social chatting. The graphics are clean and clear, and in some cases almost life-like. There is no violence, drinking, drugs or smoking on the website or in the flash games. Stardoll has made a wise move to not allow children less than 13 have access to chat features.

What’s Bad

Giving members the freedom to dress up their virtual doll in whatever clothing they desire leads to risqué, sexualized designs. Being provocative and sexy does nothing for a girl’s self esteem – if that is what Stardoll is concerned about. Young girls need real role models – not clichéd examples of physically perfect young women. This website can be a lot of fun – if it is not taken seriously. Stardoll only empowers girls to become nothing more than vacuous shopaholics.

Stardoll drips consumerism. The banner ads all over this website are troubling. Stardoll promotes shopping, more shopping and still more shopping. Certainly there is more to a girl than dressing up a doll and going shopping – but if there is, you won’t find anything more than that on Stardoll. Although users less than 13 can’t access open chat or the message boards, perhaps Stardoll should look into eliminating the boards – which are filled with adult-styled content. It’s great that members can chat to one another, but if it’s not regulated with force, it brings down the credibility of the entire website.

Online Safety

The safety of children appears in two very different ways at Stardoll. Children less than 13 are protected from the often inappropriate language, innuendo and adult situations that are posted by other members in chat and message boards. Even though Stardoll claims that they have strict guidelines for appropriate behavior, those who break the rules still get by the censors. This is not a good way to provide online safety for children. Stardoll has no control over who joins their website; however, they do have control over what members say. In this regard, Stardoll is not doing a good job and needs to be more vigilant.

The Summary 

Target Demography:
Sexualized avatars are inappropriate for young girls and creating shopaholics at any age is wrong.

Graphics: B
Visually sound but static and occasionally boring.

Educational Value: F
Blatant consumerism and spending beyond your means is not educational.

Entertainment Value: C
The variety of dress-up activities is the only positive on an otherwise limited website.

Price:
A premium Superstar membership is $41.70 for 6 months; $71.40 for a year; otherwise, membership is free.

Visit Stardoll at www.Stardoll.com.

The above Stardoll review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.

Enchanting and delightful are the first words which come to mind when checking into Build a Bear Ville virtual world for kids. Upon entering the site, you will see that there are no membership fees. This means that your children can play in Build a Bear Ville as often as they wish.

Your child begins his playtime in Build a Bear Ville by creating a character. The appearance of his character depends on his own design choices. He can select hair color, clothing colors and styles, and other features to make his character unique.

Your child’s character moves about the build a bear workshop. The quaint design is reminiscent of an old-fashioned dollhouse or a toy store. He has the option of bringing his bear to life in the workshop, if he wishes to do so.

In Build a Bear Ville, your youngster is invited to the Build a Bear Workshop store. At the store nearest your home, you can purchase “furry friends” bears, and schedule parties for your child. While these are not necessary in order to play in the virtual world, the opportunities to do so are presented to your youngster when he is playing on the site. It is preferable for parents to know about this in advance.

Building a bear, designing a character, and gaining the full advantages of Build a Bear Ville is most appropriate for older children. While it is an enchanting, delightful virtual world for kids, the youngest-aged children would find it too difficult to gain much enjoyment from playing on the site. The creativity and sense of personal expression offered by Build a Bear Ville is quite enjoyable for older kids. Pre-teens, and slightly younger children who have had some degree of computer experience, are likely to enjoy Build a Bear Ville the most.

In addition to the main game, Build a Bear Ville also offers a chat feature. Parents have the option of making this feature inaccessible to their child if they decide to do so.

The Build a Bear Ville virtual world is a nicely-designed site where your older children can have many hours of safe, creative entertainment.

Visit Build a Bear Ville at www.buildabearville.com.

The above Bearville review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.

There are two very positive points about Barbie Girls which will interest most parents.  First, while a premium membership, known as the Barbie Girls V.I.P. membership, does exist, there is plenty for girls to do on this site which does not cost anything.  Premium membership is not required for hours and hours of fun.  Second, there is a feature on Barbie Girls known as the Parents’ Place.  It is a nice way for parents to stay up to date with the site, and also to actively participate in Barbie Girls with their youngsters.  You can have your own account with the Parents’ Place feature.

The graphics and colors of Barbie Girls are designed with young girls in mind.  Pre-teen girls, especially, will find this site to be absolutely enchanting.  They are pretty, bold, and bright, just like your little girl.

Another important feature of Barbie Girls is its focus on safety.  The site was clearly designed with the priority of making Barbie Girls a safe online environment for young girls of all ages.  In addition to encouraging parental involvement, Barbie Girls stresses that the children who participate learn and follow the site’s sensible rules.

Girls who play on this virtual online world for kids are encouraged to ask their friends to join, and also to observe basic safety rules when using the site’s chat feature.  Everything is explained in a clear manner, so that your little girl will understand the rules and be comfortable following them.  It is a virtual online community which any girl will enjoy.

While there are numerous virtual online worlds directed at young girls, Barbie Girls is one of the best.  It provides opportunities for fun, in the safest manner available.  There is nothing negative to be found on this site, and much to enrich your little girl’s free time.  Although premium membership is offered, it not necessary.  If you are looking for a virtual world where you can have a good time with your little girl, or simply one where she can spend hours playing safely, Barbie Girls is one of the best sites to consider.

Visit Barbie Girls at www.barbiegirls.com.

The above Barbie Girls review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.