• Is it age appropriate?

  About our ratings

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  Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8.

• Is it any good?

  4.0

• Common Sense says

  Hugely popular site fun and safe but a time-eater.

Why We Rated This for Ages 8 and Up

The good stuff

• Educational value:

  Not an issue.
• User-created content:

  Kids really enjoy dressing up their penguin and outfitting their igloos.
• Messages:

  Club Penguin's overall message is that there's a safe, positive, fun place to hangout online with your friends afterschool. Through its puffle and igloo design tools and missions, the site promotes friendly competition and fosters an upbeat atmosphere. Kids can ask other penguins to "meet them" at a certain game, which encourages positive interactions, although younger kids could get their feelings hurt if their friendship request is ignored or rebuffed.

  But there's also another message flying under the radar of most parents and it's not positive: Club Penguin cheats. Club Penguin itself doesn't promote cheats, but they are common knowledge among Club Penguin members. The Internet is brimming with cheat codes and Club Penguin secrets that let kids complete missions by, essentially, cheating. No, it's not good to cheat, either off-line or on, so have a talk with your kid if they are looking for cheat codes.

What to watch out for

• Violence:

  Penguins can throw snowballs at each other.
• Sex:

  Not an issue.
• Language:

  Users get banned for 24 hours if they use a swear word.
• Consumerism:

  Like many other games, kids earn virtual money to buy things for their igloo and puffle (Club Penguin's name for your penguin avatar). There's also a Club Penguin Shop that sells non-virtual goods like Club Penguin toys, shirts, hats, and keychains, but there's no pressure to buy. Kids are definitely motivated to upgrade to a paid membership to have access to additional clothes and furnishings.
• Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

  Not an issue.

How safe is it?

• Personal privacy:

  The site's rules tell kids not to ask for or give away personal information -- including whether you're a girl or a boy. The moderators usually catch it if kids don't comply.
• Online interaction:

  The online interactions are generally positive and well-moderated, but kids do find ways around the moderators. You can choose either prescripted chat or filtered open chat. Kids can click on an "M" icon to report a "bad" penguin. In general, the site seems to be used as it was intended: a place for kids to meet up with their friends online and play games with each other. Still, there is iffy behavior, including trading Club Penguin cheat codes and secrets, that flies under the radar.
• Parental controls:

  The thorough parents section helps adults navigate the site's features, and parents can view their kid's account and change settings.

What Parents Need to Know

About Club Penguin

Families Can Talk About