Secret Builders (www.secretbuilders.com)
© 2008 Renaissance 2.0 Media
With an official launch date of Dec. 4, 2008, this online community for children aged five to 14 years has been in beta for a long time. Cross Club Penguin with the Museum of Natural History and you get the idea. The children "live among the themes, concepts and characters from Literature, Arts, Sciences, and Humanities." We signed up for an account and found a good number of chatting visitors, with some solid educational games, like hangman, picture painting and trivia about famous artists. Children can submit work to be published (writings, art, video) in their own online store. We're not sure how the site makes money, although we noticed partnerships with non-profits such as the Monterey Aquarium. Visit www.secretbuilders.com and give it a try. This one is worth a second look because of its educational ambitions.
Internet (uses Flash 9)
Teaches: the humanities, art appreciation, reading appreciation