Online Fun other than Games

The kids love playing computer games, but sometimes I actively encourage them to do other things when they are at their computers. Kids can do many creative things using a computer. The summer is when they can explore a billion interesting things that can be found on the Internet. Especially in the hot afternoons.

Kids playing dress-up at a children's fair by Lyn Lomasi 

If you aren't getting any ideas, here are four that I can list:

1. Choose an age appropriate play for the kids. Get the kids and their your friends to play different parts. Help them record the play reading. Make a nice recording of it of it and share it with your families.

2. Ask the kids to go around the house or garden or the block to get some nice images. Then introduce them to a nice collage making software. Ask them to make a summery collage and share it with family and friends.

3. Introduce the kids to homemade toy making. Look for online tutorials for toy making. Try this photo album or this spinning button, for starters. Once all of you are addicted to making toys at home, search for more instructions and get busy.

4. Look at people in their traditional attire. Ask the kids to pick a character they would like to dress up as, with clothes they can find at home. Playing dress up can be great fun!

Have you got any bright ideas? Share it with us!

Virtual Pet Games like Neopets

I must admit, the title of this post is rather misleading. After all, there really isn’t any virtual pet game out there quite like Neopets. The sheer enormity of the site and the nearly limitless options of what you can do when you’re on there is what most users agree make Neopets as popular as it is. I’m yet to find a virtual pet game that can compete with Neopets in size and complexity. However, many old-time users of Neopets have found the website becoming too impersonal and commercialized in the recent past, and are looking for other websites where they can experience some of the original Neopets charm. Embarking on the same quest (Neopets reference intended), here’s what I’ve come up with so far.

“Poogle Side” by Mary-Lynn is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Subeta – A lot of Subeta members are people who have been or still are Neopets users. The consensus is that this is the closest it gets to Neopets. You can adopt a virtual pet choosing from about sixty species, both imaginary and real. The site has plots, quests, mini-games, collectibles, and of course plenty of ways to customize your pet. You can also have a human avatar on Subeta. Site events, regular updates and an active, supportive community make Subeta a popular virtual pet game.  A few of the main differences between Neopets and Subeta revolve around the fact that Neopets is targeted at young kids and Subeta at older users. Therefore the content on Neopets is monitored to keep it appropriate for its younger users. Older users may find the relative freedom on Subeta refreshing. A lot of the plotlines and store items too involve more mature content. Another important difference is the fact that Subeta’s artistic users can sell their artwork on the website for Subeta points or real currency. On the flip side, users may find that the world of Subeta is not as extensive or fleshed out as that of Neopia. The site has fewer mini-games, and they aren’t as flash-y (pun intended) as those on Neopets. Also, some users find it annoying that fighting is an integral part of playing on Subeta, as several plots do not advance if you don’t battle in the Coliseum.

Icepets – Icepets is another virtual pet game that’s doing a good job, but it’s far smaller than Neopets or Subeta. Here users play games, embark on quests, and choose from various fun activities around the site. There are fourteen pet species to choose from here, and one of the main attractions is dressing up the pet and customizing it. Users on Icepets get to change the species of their pets at will, and can save each of their pets’ looks so that they can switch between them whenever they like. As with Subeta, older users appreciate the fact that they can talk freely on the forum without worrying about whether the content is appropriate for younger audiences. The smaller community means that people get heard on the forums, and engage in more personal relationships with each other, which is something that a lot of users appreciate.

Powerpets – Powerpets is a virtual pet game with a difference – it is all about teaching users to be kind and considerate towards animals of all types. The pets on Powerpets are all based on real animals, and you have over sixty species to choose from. Other interesting features include the fact that the map is based on locations in the real world (but places are inhabited by animals) and that the website’s encyclopedia imparts educational information about the pet species available in the game. Like Neopets, the game has plots, quests, mini-games and its very own economy, influenced by the actions of its users. You can also customize your pets by changing their looks. Users get to create human avatars as well. For those who would like to share their creativity with others, Powerpets lets users write stories about their pets and publish them as virtual books for other users to read. The site also holds donations and uses the money raised to fund campaigns geared towards animals.

For some Neopets users, no other website can ever take the place of the virtual pet game that started it all. But for those who are ready to try out other games, they may find a new virtual pet game that is as good or even better (gasp!) than Neopets.