A new Australian-themed virtual world for 8-12-year-olds.
Brisbane based mother of two, Karen Orford, has put her house and $300,000 on the line to create an age-appropriate virtual world for 8-12-year-olds.
After seeing her own children become involved in virtual worlds aimed at children, Karen started to hatch an idea for an Australian-themed virtual world for kids that she hoped would entertain and educate.
?Australia has such diverse landscapes and unique animals that I believed a virtual world involving all these essential Australian characteristics would really appeal to children here and overseas?, says founder and Mum Karen on the launch of her website.
Once children have entered ekidnaworld there are ten unique Australian animal characters to choose from as their avatar. The children can move with their character through the many regions of ekidnaworld, these include; The Rainforest, The Beach, a Tropical Island, The Swamp, The City, The Snowy Mountains, The Bush and of course the famous Australian Outback.
Aside from being quintessentially Australian ekidnaworld is the first kid?s virtual world that enables parents to choose with whom their children chat with using a special safety feature known as 'Mate Safety'.
"The response from Aussie mums and dads and parents around the world has been enormous - clearly online safety is something that many parents worry about. When using Mate Safety the kids are only able to chat with someone who has been approved by a parent or guardian. If the child is unable to establish to the parent?s satisfaction the identity of the proposed friend then they simply don?t give their approval.
?As every parent knows, myself in particular, with 8-12-year-olds there is an enormous gap between their computer skills and their social and emotional development and ekidnaworld has addressed that,? says Karen. ?It?s the reason I created the site.?
?Ekidnaworld has been a labour of love. Long nights, long after all the family is in bed and all the usual duties of being a mum are done. It has been a tough time, getting the balance right between work and family.?
Ekidnaworld is free to join, with subscription options starting at $7.95 per month. A subscription allows members to purchase a shack or home from a tree house, a city flat, an outback hut, a beach bungalow or a snowy mountain cabin.
Check out Ekidnaworld here. Discuss this virtual world in our Internet & Technology forum.
