| Issue #48, March 9, 2007 |
Just For Kids
Dot Coms Just For You!
by Kelly Merritt
Are you getting sick of being stuck indoors? Is television starting to get a little boring? You are in luck! The Internet has evolved and kids can get in on the fun now, too! Many of your favorite toy brands now have “dot coms” designed just for you, and toy manufacturers are going wild creating toys that involve logging onto the ‘net.
Girls, do enjoy playing with Bratz dolls? Try visiting www.bratz.com. The website is user-friendly – with it’s large type and bright colors, you should not have any problems navigating through it. On the Bratz website, you can search through the hottest new products, preview the Bratz movie, log in to your own special, “secret” area and play tons of games. If you create a free member account you can earn points by playing the games and earn cool downloads, like screensavers or desktop backgrounds. The games are for children of all ages. There are Baby Bratz games for younger girls and fashion designing, makeovers, and quizzes for “tweens.” Do you have trouble getting out the door in the morning to catch your bus? The Bratz need your help finding their clothes in their messy rooms. Do you think you can help Cloe, Sasha, Yasmin, and Jade Get Ready in time to catch their bus?
Wish you had more Fashion Fever furniture or clothes for your Barbies? Log on to www.barbie.com, and click on Fashion Fever. Have fun in the Fashion Fever Dream Closet helping Barbie and her friends try on today’s hippest new fashions. Then try your hand at creating your own fashions and designing a room with the latest Fashion Fever furniture for your Barbies to enjoy. Giving Barbie a makeover has never been so much fun. At Barbie.com’s Superstar Makeovers, you can give Barbie a whole new look – change her hair color, length, style, skin color, eye color, lip color, and give her accessories. Can’t wait to see what’s next for Barbie? The latest Barbie news and previews are all on her site.
For the little men out there, www.tonka.com is the source for games, puzzles, and coloring fun. There are matching games where you can match your favorite Tonka trucks to the signs your trucks come across on the road. When it comes to coloring, you have your pick – color on the computer using your mouse and print out your finished masterpiece, or print out any picture of your choice to color with crayons.
Thomas the Tank Engine is waiting for you at www.thomasandfriends.com. This site was designed with you in mind. Click on Thomas or one of his friends and they will take you on a journey to a world of games and activities. Do you think you are fast? Try the Sodor Race where you can choose to be Thomas, Percy, Bertie, or Duck and race three other engines. Or take a Railway Journey where it is up to you to figure out the destination of your friends by untangling the twisted railways. Is your memory up to par? Test your skills in Thomas’ memory match game.
New toys with internet-compatible features have been hitting the market recently, too. Webkinz are adorable plush pets that come with a secret code. Enter your code at , where you can care for the virtual version of your pet, answer trivia questions, earn KinzCash and play fun games. This site is easy to use – even youngsters who are unable to read can visit www.webkinz.com because lovable characters walk them through each step of taking care of their new pets.
I hope you enjoy the time you spend at your “dot coms,” whether you are making Barbie look glamorous, showing Thomas the way to his station, or taking care of your new interactive pet. Before you know it you will be navigating the Internet and your computer better than your parents and showing them how to use it. Your future is limitless and the Internet is just the beginning. Computers are the new way of life and you are lucky to be experiencing the technology firsthand.
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