Other Dinosaur themed games for children

Hmmm, seems that there are other dinosaur themed games for children like Dinosawus...with the release of the new Ice Age movie, there is a video game tie-in called Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

The trailer (at the above link) doesn't look as good Dinosawus though... :)

Long Necks

Some of the largest dinosaurs had very long necks and tails. They were known as "sauropods". The brontosaurus / diplodocus are classic examples. There is even a character in the dinosawus online world called Bruno who is like this.

The popular theory is that they had such long necks so they could eat from the tops of trees.

However, a new study shows that their necks were too long to pump blood all the way up to their tiny brains. This means they must have walked around with their heads down and ate grass like cows.

It seems that people have been wrong all this time!

Young Dinos

A fossil find in the Gobi Desert has led scientists to conclude that teenage dinos hung out together - and got into trouble....not too disimilar to human teens!

The Dinosawus online world also gives young people a place to hang out - but in a safe and secure environment.

More Touching Dinosaurs

Of course no one really knows what dinosaurs looked like or felt like, but there is an exhibition coming to the Auckland Museum which is called the "Dinosaur Petting Zoo".

It's an opportunity touch and feed dinosaurs. How exciting!

Fat Dinosaurs

Recent research by scientists show that dinosaurs may have been quite fat.

So it's possible that Annasawus' cartoon depictions for the Dinosawus online world! :)

Touching Dinosaurs

Although most dinosaurs mysteriously died out millions of years ago, there are some things that lived back then - and are still around today!

One of these is the New Zealand Tuatara.

A few years ago I actually had the good fortune to see a tuatara up close and to actually touch it! So what does a dinosaur feel like? Well, to be honest I don't really remember :) I think it was slightly cool and leathery - a bit like an old leather jacket.

Of course, for those who don't have access to Tuataras, the new Dinosawus game is the best way to for kids to play with dinosaurs...

Online Worlds aren't all bad

Very often, the perception is that video games and online worlds like dinosawus are bad for children. The reasons given are usually along the lines of:

• they're anti-social because the player is sitting at the computer by themselves
• they don't get exercise
• the games are violent

As discussed in my previous post, dinosawus has taken steps to ensure that the game is wholesome for young children, that they'll be learning, and that they're encouraged to take breaks and exercise.

And now, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Constance Steinkuehler, has found that online games can create better citizens.

Her key findings were:

• Online worlds expose players to a diverse range of players from all over the world
• Players learn crucuial collaboration skills and use scientific problem-solving skills
• Discussions on message boards contained a higher percentage of constructive discussion
• "65 percent of the discussion was ;evaluative' vs. 30 percent 'absolutist' and 5 percent 'relative' " - this contrasts to studies that have "found that the U.S. population is only 15 percent evaluative, 50 percent absolutist and 35 percent relativist"

So it seems that online games do have redeeming qualities!

Of course, as with everything, the key is moderation - play with the dinosaurs for a while and then go outside and do something else.

Safety in Online Worlds

One of the things that we take very seriously when creating our online world is the saftey of the users. And, no, I'm not talking about avoiding getting eaten by another dinosaur!

There's a lot hype out there about cyber-bullying and how to ensure that kids don't come across bad people or bad sites when online.

There are a number of steps that we're taking to ensure that Dinosawus is safe for its users:

• There will be no chatting between users. Any communication will be strictly mediated and restricted to preset phrases like "Hello" and "How are you?"
• Sign up and registration is done using an SSL-encrypted website so your personal data is safe
• The environments are strictly controlled so users can't accidentally roam outside of the Dinosawus prehistoric world
• There will be a countdown timer so that after a period of time (say, 15 minutes) the player's character will lead them in some exercises before they're allowed to keep playing
• After a period of time (say, 30 minutes) the player's dinosaur will be too tired and they will need to have a break until the next day
• There will be a school where players can learn more about dinosaurs and the exciting world they inhabited

There are other steps that parents can take as well:

• Keep the computer in a family place like the lounge or the dining room. That way Mum and Dad can keep a casual eye on what's happening
• Discuss what's happening in the child's activities and share in the experience. Play the game together.
• Set rules around computer use (e.g. only 30 minutes a night and only after all the chores have been done)
• Some young ones may have co-ordinating their mouse clicks. If you use Internet Explorer you can push the F11 key to make it fill up the whole screen. This means they less likely to inadvertantly click something they shouldn't. (Push F11 again to go back to normal mode)

If anyone else has good ideas on how we or parents can make things safe for young explorers, feel free to add some comments...