Certification programs, such as the kidSAFE Seal, help to soothe parental apprehension. The kidSAFE Seal Program is a “seal of approval“ program that independently reviews and certifies the safety practices of children-friendly technologies and websites, including kid-targeted game sites, educational sites, virtual worlds, social networks, mobile apps, tablet devices, and other similar online and interactive e-products. After thorough reviews, products that meet their safety standards are added to a distinguished list of kidSAFE-certified products.
We are pleased to announce that our first children’s eBook, EggMania: Where’s the Egg in Exactly?, has been awarded this distinguished and coveted digital safety seal.
This is gratifying because we carefully planned EggMania to be educationally enriching to children, brain vitamins so to speak that were also fun to swallow. Today’s digital kids learn readily through play on mobile devices. An integral part of our strategy for kids’ learning was to include an interactive entertainment feature that complemented gaming while offering immense educational value.
We were extremely vigilant to keep all content, illustrations, and interactivity features appropriate for children. An example is the way we provided pop-up definitions of the advanced vocabulary words without any outside links. The Apple iBook platform allows for any word to be tapped for definition and for more reference material to be accessed, which would involve going online. With EggMania, parents and teachers can disable this function, and kids can still retrieve definitions in a safe way by tapping on underlined words. And I must add, they can have fun accessing them as a giant eggshell pops up, a hatched open one, and the definitions flow out from it. Kids love this unique and creative way to showcase definitions. It also provides a colorful visual, which acts to more deeply imprint in their minds these vocabulary words and their meanings.
While there is a lot of talk today about the pros and cons of screen time for kids, the bigger point is about the quality of WHAT they are watching, reading, and interacting with. Prudent parents balance their children’s screen time with other activities, with time to just be, and with time for outdoor exploration and play. Yet, most parents today do allow digital devices, and smartly so. Growing up in the digital age, today’s kids must be technology savvy to get ahead.
There are thousands of eBooks, games, and apps available. Choose wisely. Think “Quality” over “Quantity.” Look for the kidSAFE Seal to ensure a kid-appropriate, kid-safe environment.
Sherry Maysonave