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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Award-laden learning hub gets a C for consumerism.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 12 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Overall this is an excellent learning tool for curious kids with lots of nuts-and-bolts questions.

  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Educational entries about the history of particular weapons and how they work; searches may result in links to ammunitions dealers in the "Featured Sponsored Results" section.

  • Sex:

    Many articles on human reproduction, but they never go beyond what's taught in most public schools. Diagrams are anatomical, and animations are either anatomical or kid-friendly cartoons. Includes a resource for parents explaining sex to kids entitled "Makin' Babies," with topics from conception to childbirth. There's a less detailed version for younger kids.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    The site's consumer focus, while quite prevalent, is not force-fed. Along with links to commercial sites and many ads, an article page may also include links to the HowStuffWorks Consumer Guide, a partner site that offers product and price comparisons, reviews, and other articles.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Entries about illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco are informative, not glorified. Some even link to sites that promote a drug-free lifestyle.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About HowStuffWorks

Parents need to know that this award-winning education site isn't for young kids although it does cover many topics appropriate for them. Topics that aren't so appropriate -- drugs, alcohol, sex, and weapons -- are handled in a scientific or historical way. The site does an amazing job doling out information; unfortunately, it's also good at bombarding you with ads and products for sale. Note: If you search for a subject, you'll get sponsored results and Google's results, which can be totally unrelated and/or inappropriate. You'll be warned if you've entered anything "adult," so browse through the site by your kid's side.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how to find reliable information on the Internet. What are safe sites to browse? How can you tell which sites are trustworthy? Families can also discuss the differences between an informative article on a computer game and a commercial site like McDonald's game site.
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    zhp7654
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0

    It can teach

    I searched for Punnett Squares and it can teach you really well. You can try it with how plushes were made or electronics and more.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Adult Reviewer
    kitode
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  3. Adult Reviewer
    alterrevo
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 4.0

    a good choice for the curious kid (or kid at heart)

    Although some content is technical, knowledge-hungry kids will find this site worth the read. Ads are present, but are kid friendly and by far the least interesting part of the web page. Also, i like this site for children because it encourages reading for personal pleasure and imaginativeness/curiosity: two things that are not always easy to instill in some children. Also, the content is aimed at all age groups, kids to seniors. Because of this, the language (minus technical terms) is easy to read and understand, and adults can find interesting topics, too. From, "how bed bugs work" to, "how credit scores work," any curious, literate person can enjoy howstuffworks.com.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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