Friday, December 17, 2010

Tiny Planets-TOS Review

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As a member of the Old Schoolhouse Review crew, I was asked to review the online site Tiny Planets.  Let me just start by saying that my kids are old had at online communities, they are in love with anything computer and have very solid opinions about what they like.

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We went to the Tiny Planets web site and signed up the kids and I into new accounts.  They enjoyed picking their cadet names, although it could have been explained better, the sign up was a little confusing.  We began to wander around the sight but were quickly frustrated, my kids are pre-readers; so the need to read a lot frustrated and irritated them.  They did enjoy the Tiny Planets TV episode that they received free, but after that they needed keys to access them.  Not my favorite part, I would rather pay some sort of monthy subscription and have access to everything than to nickel and dime the key purchases.  Maybe something they should think about.  Both of my kids said it was fun, but they would rather play their other online games.  Not a ringing endorsement, unfortunately.

From the website:
Tiny Planets provides award-winning educational entertainment set in space exploration and discovery, inspiring creativity and critical thinking in youth ages 4 to 12.

Tiny Planets features the cosmic adventures of Bing and Bong, two whimsical aliens who travel the Universe of Tiny Planets together on their gadget-loaded plush sofa. With Bing and Bong, children are encouraged to think for themselves, assume social responsibility, take care of our planet and learn about the mysteries of space.

Pros:  It is a safe online community.
          Ad free.
          No online chat, except for preselected phrases.
          No personal information used online.
          Engaging characters and solid content.

Cons:  My kids didn't really seem to enjoy it.
           A lot of reading for the pre-reading set or their parents.
           Confusing sign-up.
           Needing keys to do a lot of content.
Keys are available at the following prices.

10 keys    $1.95   (about 20 cents per key)

25 keys    $3.95   (about 16 cents per key)

85 keys    $9.95   (about 12 cents per key)

250 keys  $25.95  (about 10 cents per key)

600 keys  $49.95  (about 8 cents per key)

The 600 keys is obviously the best buy.  It takes about 10 keys to purchase a book or TV episode.  The upside is that whatever your children buys stays theirs.  You don't have to keep repurchasing that favorite TV episode, they can watch it repeatedly.

I realize this wasn't the most glowing review, but I think that many would enjoy this website.  My kids are not really interested in Science and space right now, but if your child has the fever to study science; this site is for you.  It really has engaging characters and fun content, content that is sound educationally speaking.

Head on over here to see what others thought about Tiny Planets.


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 {This product and the keys to access the product were provided to me free of charge as a member the Old Schoolhouse Review Crew.  I received no other compensation for my review and was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own and those of my children.}

2 comments:

Cheryl Henderson-Khalid said...

Thank you Christi for doing such a great job on your review of Tiny Planets. I'm happy to let you know that we now have a monthly membership program (just as you suggested). We've also totally revamped the navigation system so that little ones can have more independence when they play in our universe. The unveiling is this March and I'd love to hear what you think of our improvements (and make some more suggestions -- they really help us!

Cheryl
Community Manager
My Tiny Planets Limited

Unknown said...

Hi. Just wanted to thank you again for reviewing the site. I wanted to let you know that on April 4th the new and improved site was launched. I'd love to hear any thoughts you might have, especially since some of the changes were made because of the Crew's suggestions. You can check us out at www.tinyplanets.com. You can reach me at cheryl@mytinyplanets.com.

Thanks!
Cheryl