For Kids

Hey Kids I've got some AWESOME websites for you to check out
at the end of this page (be sure to first ask Mom or Dad!) that I think you'll
really like! But first, I need you to read the information directly below.
It's REALLY important that you read this because surfing the net is a lot
of fun but it can also be VERY dangerous!

I'm sure you've heard of stranger danger before , right? Well out
here in Cyberland, you can bump into Stranger Danger a lot easier
than in real life! I'm sure your Mom, Dad, Grandparents, and
even teachers have told you many times to "never talk to
strangers" , right? Well the same rule applies here in Cyberland, except
you have to be double careful because you can't always
'see' a cyber stranger danger. Scary huh? While you can't see cyber stranger
danger coming, you can arm yourself with knowledge
and learn how to avoid these strangers all together. It's kind of
like having your own 'super power' just like a super hero! If
being a super hero is too 'babyish' for you, then having this knowledge will
make you totally cool!

Below, I am going to give you that 'super power' (or Coolness)
by providing some information and tips on how to protect
yourself while you are online, but be sure to read all of it! If you have any
questions, you can always ask your Mom, Dad, or
even a teacher. I promise, they won't bite! They will give you the right
answers because your friends may not always have the right answers.

I know, I know. You've heard it a million times. "The Internet is not a safe place." "There's
bad people on the Internet." "People could be out to get you." But you've never met any,
right? Here's the thing. You might have, and not known it! People pretend to be someone
else online sometimes. Sure, you're you, but that girl or boy who you're talking to might
actually be someone completely different! You could give out the smallest bits of information--what school you go to, what sports you play--and by that alone, someone could actually track you down! Your parents and teachers weren't lying to you-the internet
can be a very dangerous place for children like you.

Sure, it may seem silly to not trust anyone online. You're probably just talking to your
friends from school, right? It can even be fun to meet new people online to talk to. You
should still
make sure you're safe. You would never go to a stranger's car--and even though it seems
safer online, sometimes it's not. I'll give you an example, okay? After all, it can be hard to imagine someone figuring out who you are and where you live just from an online chat, especially if you don't give out your address or phone number (which you should never
ever do!).

Say your screen name is "soccer_girl" or "soccer_boy." You "chatting" with someone who
asks if you play soccer for your school--and then asks what school you play for, because
they know players on a couple of teams. Innocent question, right? Well, it could be--or it
might not! If you do play soccer for your school, and you give them your school name (or
even what area you live in), they could go to your school, wait for soccer practice, and find
you! You might not think it's very likely--but it happens a lot! You've heard on the news about missing kids, right? Well, sometimes those kids run into people who they gave information
to online in real life, and bad things can happen as a result. Sure, they don't happen every
time, but it's not worth taking that chance! You've heard on the news about missing kids,
right? Amber Alerts? Sometimes the kids that are missing have been taken by people they were talking to online. Scary, but true.

So what can you do? A lot! The very first thing you should always do, is make sure the
site you are going to is ok'd by your parents. If you are surfing and find a site, call your
parents to just check it out real quick. If you enter a kid safe site you can talk to people
about hobbies, or sports, or your pets, or your dream job when you grow up! You can talk
about schoolwork or papers you're writing. Be aware! NEVER ever give out your
phone number, your address, your real name, or your school. Sure, it may seem
silly now, but kids have had really bad things happen to them before, and no one wants
anything to happen to you. Even if someone says that they can be trusted, or maybe they
give their information to you, it's important that you don't do the same thing--at least not
before talking to your parents. If you've talked to someone for a long time and given out information, you should let your parents know so that they can talk to the person too--even
if it's a kid like you!

Maybe you say that it couldn't happen to you--that you know the person, that you've been
talking to them forever, and that this is all just stupid. What if it's been someone pretending
all along? That 15 year old boy you've been talking about sports with could actually be a
50 year old man or woman! You just have to remember to be safe, and if anything
strange happens, or anyone tries to get your information or give you theirs, tell your
parents. You won't get in trouble that way--but you could if you didn't tell anyone and something happened.

Don't forget:. If you've just started going to a new site, have your parents look at it and
make sure that it's safe for you. Your parents should always know at least what sites you're
on, even if they don't know specifics of what you do. You can also get protection software
that will keep bad sites from popping up--inappropriate things that you don't want to see
won't show up that way, and your parents will be able to tell why they even tried to show
up. Plus, it'll keep people from sending you stuff you don't want.

If you're worried about a "chat" or situation, talk to your parents, a teacher, or some other grownup you can trust about it. They'll be glad you did. If you don't feel comfortable talking
to your parents about the situation, contact a moderator for the site that you're a part of,
and tell them what's going on. Either way, let someone know. Whether it's a teacher, a
coach, an aunt or uncle, it's very important that you tell a grownup that something bad
happened. This will help protect you from Cyber Stranger Danger.

OK! Now it's time for some links to some awesome sites! These sites
are kid approved but you still need to ask Mom and Dad if it's okay with
them. I'm sure it will be okay with them, but you'll get a good start practicing
your new super powers (or your new stat of super cool) by asking first.
Click on the title of the site to take you there, have fun and be safe!

First, visit Webmomz very own board for kids! It's called Webkidz.
Webkidz is a site dedicated just for kids. We have an arcade with about 100 games, a forum to
communicate with other members about different topics, you can change the looks of the site by
changing skins, play hangman, have your own userpage that only Webkidz members can access,
a built in radio and more! To access all the forums and use the features, you'll have to register
with a screen name. Please do not use your real name. Come join us, steal a trophy!

Millsberry.com If you look over the hill, you'll see the far edge of a small city called Millsberry.
It used to be a small town, but recently, Millsberry has grown beyond its borders. Walk down the hill
and you step into the outer neighborhoods. Just a little further, and you walk into the center of Town.

You'll get your own customizable home, access to the shopping district, and get to play a bunch
of great games! It's completely free and only takes a second.

At Millsberry, there are TONS of things to do! Whether you want to spend your time decorating your
home, cleaning up Peabody Park, or hanging out at Millsberry Academy -- it's all up to you! You're in
complete control!

Be sure to save those Millsbucks, though! There are loads of items to buy, including food, books,
and clothes that your character can wear, but you'll need Millsbucks to get 'em! You even get your
own bank account!

NEOPETS Neopets^Ž is the greatest Virtual Pet Site on the Internet. With your help, we have built a community of over 70 million virtual pet owners across the world! Neopets has many things to offer
including over 160 games, trading, auctions, greetings, messaging, and much much more. Best of all,
it's completely FREE!

KIDSCOM KidsCom has kids games, moderated chat rooms for kids, video game cheats and
other child activities. Our kids' games focus on fun, learning and Internet safety. Check back for new
games for kids, chat for kids, prizes and tons of fun!

FUNBRAIN Games for kids from K-12th grade! Math, arcades, contests, word games, and more!
There's something for all kids at funbrain!

Kids Freeware A website that has all kinds of freebies just for kids! Games, safety, and even a
section for Mom and Dad!

Crayola This a cool site where you can send e-cards, make printable cards and invitations, do
crafts and much more! There's even a section to show you where you can buy Crayola products!

Simon's Magic You'll be amazed how Simon can read your mind! Pick a card and Simon will
reveal the card you have picked! (the only bad thing about this site is there are a lot of pop-ups! Be
sure to use IE6 or use a pop-up blocker)

Whitehouse This is the official Whitehouse site for kids! Learn about our President, his pets,
play games, take quizzes, watch some videos, and even take a math challenge! They've even got
a cool kids poll! This site is way cool!

MaMa Media At this site, you can be a rock star, a famous football player, or even make
your own invention! There's all kinds of cool stuff to do on this site.

Disney This site has all your favorite Disney characters and shows! Loads of stuff to do and see!

Wired Kids A kid safe site with stuff for kids, parents, teachers, and police! Wired kids provides
other kid safe sites throughout the internet.

4 Kids.org Another site that provides safety tips, games, links to other kid safe sites, and you
can even send e-cards!

Safe Sites This sites provides a HUGE list of kid friendly sites! There's a link to just about anything
you could ever want!

Attention all kids! If you know of a good site, email me the link! I'll check
it out to be sure it's kid safe and post it on this page if it is! Send an email
with the link to the site by clicking on the pelican below. Don't forget, ask
your parents first!