Chill Out

By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 7/1/1998

It's July, school's out, and young library visitors are looking for interesting and interactive things to do on the Net. Here are the sites to seek out when they -- and you -- just want to have fun.

The Best of the Best

The top site out there for surfers ages 8 to 17 is www.Bonus.Com the Supersite for Kids, sponsored by Appaloosa Interactive, a software development company. Visitors can click on one of the four main links -- "Imagine," "Explore," "Color," or "Play" -- to begin to make their way through the more than 1,500 games and activities. It will take even the most skilled surfer the rest of the summer to discover all there is to do. Be sure to check out the "Parents & Teachers Tour." Here you'll find links to activities categorized by skill and age level, as well as links to educational games. Keep headphones handy for the pages with sound. (Unless otherwise noted, all interactive games listed here require that your library have a Java-capable browser, such as Netscape 3.02+ or Internet Explorer 3+, and a high-speed Net connection. Also keep in mind that many commercial sites have age-appropriate ads and/or the ability to place book orders.)

The Rest of the Best

Created by Web site developer Patricia Jaromin as a personal project, Alex's Box of Crayons is the highest-quality interactive coloring site on the Net. Children ages 6 to 14 can click on Alex's bookshelf, choose a coloring book, select a picture, color it online, and then print, save, or e-mail it to a friend.

Surfers can also have fun with the Berenstain Bears Activities for Learning and Fun, sponsored by authors Jan and Stan Berenstain for 4- to 14-year-olds. Try the interactive trivia quiz and the interactive story (both with sound), and the print-and-cut dress-up dolls with loads of clothes.

Jan Brett's Activities Pages is hosted by author Jan Brett. Children ages four to seven will enjoy visiting the "Projects" section to find color-and-cut Hedgie costumes and print-and-color stationery. Here they can locate a recipe for hedgehog cookies or learn how to make a sailor's bracelet. If your library's Internet workstation has a color printer, be sure to print the masks from Brett's books. This site does not require a high-speed Net connection or Java.At The Prince and I, visitors can search the magic kingdom for the prince and a hidden treasure, with opportunities to play a lot of games along the way. This beautifully illustrated site was created by the National Film Board of Canada and is designed for K-6 students.

Click and Learn

For an educational experience that's more fun than summer school, send 8- to 14-year-olds to The Headbone Zone, hosted by Headbone Interactive, makers of children's CD-ROMs and software. At "The Headbone Derby," fourth to eighth graders can choose from an ever-changing series of Internet learning adventures. Read Izzie and Augie stories, play "Scratchers"-an interactive wordscramble game-or learn how to save money at "Rags to Riches." (A few games require the ShockWave plug-in.)

FunBrain.Com, by PM Publishing for ages 8 to 17, contains interactive games such as "Math Baseball," where a "player" who solves a math problem can earn anything from a single to a home run, depending on the difficulty of the problem. (Players beware-a wrong answer earns an "out.")

Help for the Harried

For parents and librarians tired of hearing "there's nothing to do," head to Summer Fun, created by Wendy Hogan, who describes herself as a family-oriented Web designer. Check out the "outdoor fun" and gardening ideas for those nice days, and the "indoor fun," "food fun," and "kids' recipes" ideas for rainy days. If you've used up all the great ideas for '98, be sure to click on the link to last year's activities.

Web Addresses

www.Bonus.Com the Supersite for Kids
www.Bonus.Com the Supersite for Kids

Alex's Box of Crayons
www.kidalex.com/home.html

Berenstain Bears Activities for Learning & Fun
www.berenstainbears.com/learnfun.html

Jan Brett's Activities Pages
www.janbrett.com/activities_pages.htm

The Prince and I
www.nfb.ca/Kids/

The Headbone Zone
www.headbone.com

FunBrain.Com
www.funbrain.com

Summer Fun
www.netfix.com/poptart/summer.htm

For previous "Surf For" links, visit SLJ Online at www.slj.com/links.html