Skip to main content

Do you want to play a game?

I'm taking a break from my blog-a-day pattern...rather, giving you a bonus blog (I know you're all a-flutter). I want to introduce you to an online educational video game site called Poptropica. It was invented by the brilliant minds at the company I work for, Pearson. Folks in my part of the company first heard about it last week when CEO Marjorie Scardino came for a visit and made a presentation about the state of the company (we're doing well, despite the pathetic economy!).

I plunked around on it this afternoon and have decided it must be more mind stimulating than PlayhouseDisney.com, so I think I'll let Henry have a whirl.

Players get to create an avatar to represent themselves, based on their age and gender. I was an odd, froggy-looking redhead. Can't remember her name. She looked like some creature from A Bug's Life. Also, the players' ages can only go up to 15, so she has a bored teenage girl expression on her face and occasionally looks as though she might be rolling her eyes. I might be imagining that, though.

As the FAQ explains: Poptropica is a free, subscriptionless, virtual online world in which kids can travel, play games, customize their character, compete in head-to-head competition, and communicate safely with each other.
I'd invite you (and or your young'uns) to take a look, try it, take it out for a spin. You can make your character jump and roll and move from place to place, world to world, reading and planning, gathering clues, solving mysteries.

Let me know what you think. Especially if you dig it enough to buy the shameless promotional materials the site is hawking. It's not legitimate unless you can buy a T-shirt featuring it, I guess.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is it OK to own a Canadian?

In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, written by a U.S. resident, and posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative: Dear Dr. Laura: Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them. 1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexic...
4 comments
Read more

In memoriam...

I remember the first time I heard the name "Les Anderson." A bunch of Wichita State University communication majors were sitting around on campus, talking about classes they planned to take. Several people warned me: watch out for Les Anderson. He was tough. He had a murderous grading scale. It was nearly impossible to get an A. They weren't kidding. But he wasn't tough just to be a tyrant. From his teaching sprang a fleet of incredible, successful journalists, writers, editors, broadcasters, public relations experts, advertisers, non-profit professionals...I could go on and on. Most importantly, he created a legion of people who wanted to make a difference in the world. The greatest gift Les gave to them all? He believed in them, cared about them for their own personal stories as well as the stories they told for class assignments or in the pages of his hometown newspaper. Les was my teacher. My boss. My mentor. My conscience. My champion. My friend. When I started c...
5 comments
Read more

Holy Separated-At-Birth, Batman!

Gary Oldman...meet Uncle Knit-Knots from Imagination Movers.
Post a Comment
Read more