As many parents know, adopting a virtual pet and caring for it is a mainstay of kids' virtual worlds. Well, in the brand-new Web version of the animated TV series Tiny Planets, kids adopt and care for a planet (as well as pilot spaceships and play mini-games). That's at MyTinyPlanets.com, just one of the seven Web sites that make up the Tiny Planets presence on the Web. Others are … [Read more...] about From TV to Web: Tiny Planets
virtual worlds
Teaching kids to be green: Arbopals launches
At this brand-new Toronto-based kids' virtual world, all activities are tree-based. With young users' help, Arbopals plans on "being able to plant millions of trees internationally in the coming months and years." As kids aged 5-10 play, "tree-plantings are funded in 21 countries, the site's launch release says. "And in recognition of the recent earthquake in Haiti, users can go on a special … [Read more...] about Teaching kids to be green: Arbopals launches
Avatars & virtual penguins vs. real-life dolls
Sales of Barbie, Liv, Moxie Girlz, and other dolls have declined 20% in the US since 2005, and kids as young as 8 and 9 are passing them up for the live "doll play" – or avatar play – of virtual worlds, the Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported, citing NPD Group figures. It tells of 8-year-old Paige, who says she finds playing with dolls boring after a while, and of a Manhattan dollmaker, who … [Read more...] about Avatars & virtual penguins vs. real-life dolls
Teacher of the Year teaches with Facebook
I hope the news – of President Obama honoring 2010 Teacher of the Year Sarah Brown Wessling at the White House – strengthens support for the amazing tech educators I know and love. "In reciting Wessling's qualifications for the award," the Boston Globe reports, "Obama said her students 'don't just write five-paragraph essays, but they write songs, public service announcements, film, storyboards, … [Read more...] about Teacher of the Year teaches with Facebook
Virtual goods growth market
Players of the social game Farmville sent 500 million Valentines over 48 hours this past weekend, the Gigaom blog reported. The valentines were free, but players pay for a lot of other virtual goods. Engage Digital Media recently released 2009 figures for "virtual goods-related investments," showing that "more than $1.38 billion was invested in 87 virtual goods-related companies," triple 2008's … [Read more...] about Virtual goods growth market