Qualities of Great Websites for Children

Today’s guest poster is Leticia from Tech Savvy Mama, Tech Savvy Mama is a site that helps parents find quality technology products for their children and today Leticia shares her tips on what to look for in good websites for children.

I love the internet. I spend a lot of time online….Probably way too much! Before I check myself in to a 12 step program for internet addiction, it is my job to be online. I’m an elementary school Technology Magnet Coordinator by day and Tech Savvy Mama by night. I love the accessibility of everything via the internet. You can find a wealth of information with a few keystrokes and a couple clicks but not all the stuff out there is great. Actually, very little of it even qualifies as good. And when we are trying to find great sites for children to use, it can be even more difficult.

Since my work worlds revolve around technology, I am always being asked about my favorite sites for kids and how I know the good form the bad. On Tech Savvy Mama I have a Website of the Week feature and friends always want to what criteria do I use in selecting websites for my Website of the Week. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when finding great sites for your kids:

Navigation- When evaluating websites, I look for sites that are easy to navigate. This means that the initial page has a user friendly layout. The first page fits on the computer screen and no scrolling is needed to view the entire content. The page is designed so that links to other pages are easy to find. The site doesn’t need to be complicated with moving images, lots of graphics or tons of text. Simple is better.

Age appropriate content- A site must have age appropriate content. For a preschooler who is just beginning to read, there shouldn’t be an overwhelming amount of text that they will need to read in order to navigate the site. Activities and games should be just right for the child and not too difficult.

Minimal ads- There should be few or no ads on sites for children. With an abundance of ads, young children are often enticed by the images such as fast food restaurants logos, favorite television characters, and toys. Children click on the familiar out of curiosity that will lead them away from their game and on to another site. When this occurs, it is nearly impossible for a young child to navigate back to the original website. Not only is the child lost in cyberspace but often ad content can be questionable for preschool age children. In a frenzy of clicking to try to return to the original website, it only takes a few more clicks for a child to accidentally get to inappropriate web content. This isn’t such a concern for older kids because they are able to discern ads from site content whereas little ones can’t.

Spend some time clicking around- Always review websites before letting younger children use them. Make sure the content is appropriate and the site is age appropriate. Also, make sure the site actually exists. Sometimes URLs can be taken over by other sites of questionable content. It is better to be nosy than not in the know about what your kids may be doing online.

For more technology tips, great websites, and technology-related giveaways, visit Leticia at Tech Savvy Mama. Leticia is also the City Editor for Being Savvy Washington DC where she puts an educational twist on fun activities for 2-6 year olds in the DC Metro area and contributes to DC Metro Moms.