online villages for kids(avatars etc)

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-20-2003
online villages for kids(avatars etc)
9
Sun, 02-04-2007 - 8:23pm
Hi! I have a question for you. I hope I can explain this correctly: A friend of my son's introduced him to a little village type place where you can pick out your person, dress him, and then go around finding gold to buy things and talk to people. The person you pick is called an avatar. The one he went to was guaia or something like that. My son is going on 13 and would like to do this- but I didn't know if there were ones that were safer than others to be on.
I usually stay in the room where my son is and sometimes watch what he is typing. But I didn't know what other choices there were for a boy his age. Does anyone know any others or have had their child play on them?
I appreciate any help you can give me.
Thanks
Kamalala
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 02-05-2007 - 10:18am

My kids play Runescape online. It sounds like the same game. My rules are pretty much..don't give out any information about who you are or where you live, what school you go to, what activities you do...and DON'T give out Instant Messenger ID's to anyone you haven't met face to face. First names are okay, interest in racing cars okay...things like that!

Denise

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 02-05-2007 - 10:24am

That's pretty much the same rules I have on Neopets. She is in a guild and creates layouts. Its mostly other girls from about 10 - 17 and they talk about fashion, ALOT. LOL She doesn't use her real name (she has this obsession with being called Chantie) but they do talk about where they live, not specifics, but cities. Its very much like ivillage. I'm sure there are creeps on Neopets, just as there are creeps on ivillage, but I keep an eye on the guild (message board) and have never seen anything inappropriate. They e-mail each other through the site (have their own e-mail system) but mostly its just to play games and fool around. She's learned a ton about graphrics and HTML since she's been on there.


I'd say let him try it with the rule that if you see something inappropriate he loses the privilege. Worth a try.

Photobucket  

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-01-2007
Mon, 02-05-2007 - 2:33pm

That game sounds like Puzzle Pirates. My kids play RunEscape and Puzzle Pirates.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2005
Mon, 02-05-2007 - 7:34pm

My son has one. It's a part of his yahoo email.

stacy

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-20-2003
Sat, 02-10-2007 - 8:10am
Thanks- he hasn't played it yet. I think that he feels its more of a girl thing too.
Kamalala
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-20-2003
Sat, 02-10-2007 - 8:13am
How does that work?
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-20-2003
Sat, 02-10-2007 - 8:14am
I checked out the puzzle pirates and it looks good- he is trying out runescape right now. He is on the tutorial- is there any chatting involved or just quests and things like that?
Kamalala
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-17-2005
Sat, 02-10-2007 - 4:08pm

I think there is chatting if it is turned on(?). My son plays but only chats with his "friends" that are on a list. Now that I think about it I think you can set it to no chat, chat only with friends, and chat with anyone.

Karin

Photobucket

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-01-2007
Sun, 02-11-2007 - 11:00am

Yes - there is a chat feature on the lower quarter of the screen.