Seymour Simon

Review

Common Sense Media says

Author's site, blog promote love of science and nature.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this science website is mostly a blog and advertising website for the renowned children's science author, Seymour Simon. In addition to a lot of information about his books, there are contests, a science dictionary, one game, and some jokes and riddles for kids. Everything else here tracks more toward adults such as teachers who are looking for classroom information or seeking Mr. Simon for speaking engagements. There are no clearly posted submission guidelines for kids who want to upload photos or videos for use on the site (the rules are buried in the Terms and Conditions), so you may want to discuss with your child what sort of images would be appropriate to send to a science site.

  • Positive messages4
    Science is fun and interesting, and kids can get involved in many ways, including learning about and helping animals.
  • Violence1
    Some of the stories on the blog may talk about an animal being injured. Some nature photos and information about animals like sharks may be scary to younger kids.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism3
    There's a large rotating ad at the center of this site's main page advertising various Seymour Simon books. Other portions of the site list his other books, but you cannot buy books directly from this site. There are links that connect readers to the publishers' sites, where the books can be purchased.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety3
    To register, kids need to provide gender, date of birth, state, zip code, and a username/password. The site says it complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, and reminds kids not to post their last name on blog comments if they are under 13. On at least one announcement about a contest, however, the site lists the first name, state, and elementary school that the winner attends. Parents are sent a confirmation email when their child registers with the site. Temporary access is given, but permanent access is granted only if the parent responds to the email confirmation.
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Is it any good?

 

For kids who are into science --  especially wildlife and outer space -- the
blog on the Seymour Simon site will likely be a fun place to stop by many times a
week to find out what's new, as well as post their own comments about the stories. There are some wildlife videos on the blog, as well as stories about kids helping animals, nature stories, and science or nature events that are happening that day, such as planetary sightings. The blog is regularly updated, but the contest information is not, so watch the dates on those. The one game is not educational, just for entertainment, and won't impress most computer-savvy kids. The alphabetical science dictionary (an online version of one of Mr. Simon's books) has a tremendous amount of science-related words, from "Abacus" to "Zenith."

Online interaction: Fans of Mr. Simon's books feel like they're interacting with the
author, thanks to the website's blog -- which allows kids to post
comments -- as well as the ability to upload photos and videos and to
participate in contests.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how this site encourages kids to buy Mr. Simon's books, even though he's not selling them directly here. Read Common Sense Media's Parent Advice: Selling to Kids Tips.

  • Discuss what sort of photos and videos your child may want to send into this site, and what would not be appropriate to send. 
This review was written by Dana Villamagna

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This review was written by Dana Villamagna
Genre:Educational
This review was written by Dana Villamagna

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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