To ease your conscience a little when the kids are parked in front of the PC or games station, you can now encourage them to play a new 3D interactive virtual environmental world. The web based Planet Blue game has been released just in time for the long summer holidays which for parents who struggle to find things to occupy their inquisitive minds it will be a boon. The web based Planet Blue game allows young people to play an exciting game whilst learning about crucial environmental issues that will affect their lives as they grow older.
The Planet Blue website is aimed at the 4 to 14 age group, and provides a safe environment for them to explore, play and learn about the environment we live in, and the issues that affect all the inhabitants of the world from the smallest to the biggest. Planet Blue allows children to travel a virtual world enjoying various eco-systems, playing all the exciting games such as a recycling game and a memory game as well as learning and socialising. Players earn merit badges along the way as an incentive to complete the tasks and these merit badges provide players with that little bit of kudos with the other players when they have earned them.
The safety of the children playing is paramount and so there are strict restrictions on subjects that the children can chat about and certainly there is no possibility of exchanging sensitive personal information with other players. Planet Blue’s message is an important one that to save the planet is vital. It is done in such a way that the children are not made to feel they are being preached to. Planet Blue players (called savers) can create a personal avatar, can chat and add friends, providing an ideal first step into the more adult world of social networking but in a safe, and non-threatening way.
Because the site is an American creation it is more than a little cheesy, and although the target audience is 4 to 14 it is probably not going to do much for the older kids in the age range. The sophisticated gaming tastes of the teenager are not likely to enjoy the la-la-la sing song tune in the trailer or the cutesy kids introducing the Planet Blue game. However if your kids love Club Penguin then this site is going to appeal to them, though we would recommend only paying out the 3 months trial price of $4.95 which is about £3.00 before parting with the $22.95 (£14.00 approx) for a six month membership or $38.95 (23.67) for a full year.
