Tuesday, 14 June 2011 at 00:25

Summer’s just a few days away, and for parents that means loading their kids up with as many activities as possible to keep them active and out of trouble. For many this also means paying extra special attention to how their kids might be spending their time online. That’s why we pulled together a list of the best sites and software that can help ensure your kids’ computer time is safe, wholesome and fun.

First and foremost, you can’t protect your kids if you don’t know what you’re protecting them against. Larry Magid’s SafeKids.com is the best place to start. A well-known tech journalist, Larry is also a dad who has devoted his life to protecting kids online since he wrote the first handbook for Internet safety (Child Safety on the Information Highway) in 1994.

Before you turn on the TV or take your kids to the movies, check out Common Sense Media.  Striving for “sanity—not censorship,” the site helps parents determine what certain movies, games, websites, music and more might be impressing upon their impressionable young ones before they’re already exposed. The site also posts helpful suggestions for parents struggling with how much TV is too much TV and other common family issues.

Education.com is another helpful resource teeming with information for parents with kids of all ages—from infant to high school. The site includes a forum where parents can field answers to such sticky questions as “What if my son’s teammates don’t like him?” and “How can I tell my sister her son is a brat?”

For the kids themselves, Togetherville is a social online community that lets parents create safe, gated online neighborhoods where their kids can play with real-life friends and family they already know and trust. There are no anonymous interactions here. And not only is the site free, it’s also ad free.

The Internet is a place where kids will eventually learn how to responsibly connect with others, but it’s also a place to explore and learn. The problem with today’s most popular search engines is they can surprise the user with shocking images and other content that are unexpectedly associated with the search string. AskJeeves for Kids is a search engine designed exclusively for children. It’s a free, safe, and fun way for kids to research science, math and other school topics in a controlled and age-appropriate search environment.

While kids should be taught how to make responsible choices on their own, proper guidance requires a little over-the-shoulder parenting along the way. AVG’s Family Safety helps parents filter out questionable content and set time limits on computer usage. When trouble is just a click away, AVG helps parents protect their kids by ensuring their Internet experiences are positive ones.

We hope these sites prove helpful, and we promise to post more this summer, so stay tuned!

Source: AVG Blogs | AVG Free Edition