{Review} – Kabongo Virtual World for 4-7 Year Olds

Princess was pretty excited when I told her that I had a review just for her! Considering I am a bit attached to my tech devices, my kids also start out pretty young on computers as well. Even Monkey runs for the computer any time she sees one left on and abandoned. Nevertheless, Princess is right at that “in-between” stage where she is learning to read and it seems games are either too young or too old for her. She was thrilled to log onto to GoGo Kabongo.

GoGo Kabongo is an online virtual world of “brain-boosting games” that further develop reading skills and critical thinking  in children from ages 4 to 7 years. The bright, engaging characters draw the attention of the young readers as they begin their online adventure by creating an avatar. This was probably the most exciting part for Princess… a virtual dress-up game of sorts!

After creating a fun avatar to wander through the various areas of the virtual world, the child is free to travel through three different habitats. The first habitat, Laughter Lake, is free and additional habitats {Twister Top and Galaxy Gardens} are available for just $4.95 with no subscription fees. Touring through the online world they can play challenging games, solve mini-quests, make a comic book, build and ride in their own skate park, and meet other friendly characters. As they play games teaching reading comprehension and critical thinking, they are able to earn rewards such as stickers for their comic book or pieces for their skate park. What child does not like to earn rewards?

I must say that the site is pretty well done.  The online progress reports for each child are awesome! You can track not only which game each child has played, but you can watch as they progress through the habitats developing new skills as they go along. Via Kabongo.com, the site was “designed by cognitive psychologists and learning experts, Kabongo’s games inspire confidence by adapting to each child’s skill level, and interactive rewards keep kids playing and learning independently.” Princess just enjoyed playing the games and was unaware of the fact that she was actually developing critical thinking and reasoning skills relevant to early reading development. Plus, it was a game that I felt safe leaving her playing, alone, at the computer.

Check out Kabongo.com where you can find printable coloring pages and mazes, as well as several activities to further extend the learning in an offline manner. You can also find Kabongo on both Facebook and Twitter. What do you think of the site? Do your little readers enjoy it as much as Princess does?

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Kabongo.com and Reliable Bloggers. I was given a complimentary product to review as well as a small compensation for my honest review.