Articles and Reviews:
Parents Magazine, June 2010
In their "Goody Bag" feature, Parents Magazine profiled Wonder Rotunda as a"Must See, Must Do, Must Have" virtual playground for kids. The magazine described us as an "awesome kid-only, parent friendly (there are controls!) online world."
Wonder Rotunda--Selected by Common Sense Media--
"One of the Best Websites of the Decade (2000-2009) Top Ten For Kids 6-10"
"Of all the media out there for kids, the Web has changed the most in the last 10 years. Our Best of the Decade list will help you steer your elementary school kids toward the top kid sites of the last 10 years. This list was hand-picked by our editors for cool games, kids' activities, favorite characters, overall impact, and more." http://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-lists/best-websites-decade-2000-2009-top-10-kids-6-10
Common Sense Media (September 14, 2009)
"About as close to perfection as an online experience for preteens can be, Wonder Rotunda is safe, fun and highly educational."
(5 stars out of a possible 5)
"The site encourages kids to explore their world and educate themselves so they can become successful, caring adults. Through the dozen-plus adventures kids learn that life is a feast of interesting opportunities, from starring in movies to supporting worthwhile causes to helping run our country’s government as elected officials."
"The site is completely ad free. Kids do earn Wonder Dollars, which can be spent on snacks, souvenirs and postcards, just like in a real theme park. However, kids don't have to blow all their money on junk food and stuffed animals. For instance, buying a healthy snack from one of the 12 food stands, such as yogurt or carrot sticks instead of cheese fries or cinnamon buns, gives avatars more energy for exploring the park. Also, kids can hire blimps to fly over the park raising awareness of their favorite causes, such as saving marine mammals."
"Kids can learn lots by paying close attention to Mr. Wonder, an affable animated tour guide who explains what things are and how they work in each of the 15 park adventures. Each of the activities... is supplemented by additional reading material kids can delve into for more details. Completing an adventure unlocks an associated quiz where kids can test their newly acquired knowledge. At any point kids can pause the action and consult a glossary for unfamiliar terms."
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/wonder-rotunda
The Washington Post---A Virtual Theme Park for Kids Explores Life's Wonders
By Mike Musgrove - September 27, 2009
"I
think this is educational," observes my 8-year-old stepson, about half
an hour after logging on to Wonder Rotunda, a Web site aimed at kids
that was recently launched by a Washington area dad. I wonder briefly if the jig is up, but he continues to explore the
virtual theme park, intrigued by the prospect of winning and spending
the game's "wonder dollars" to buy virtual food and loot with which to
decorate his virtual treehouse.
"I'm not sure whether he'll be playing next week -- who ever knows
these things? -- but for now he's intrigued enough to sit still through
discussions about how the human digestive system works and which
presidents appear on U.S. currency. http://www.washingtonpost.com/
The New York Times (September 2, 2009)
Frugal Traveler--Seeing the World on a Budget (by Matt Gross)
The other day, my daughter, Sasha, was exploring the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast of Australia. She’d flown there by seaplane and was scuba diving 30 feet down when — whoosh! — a giant Maori wrasse, a thick, bluish-yellow fish that looks as if it’s made of Plasticene and is twice her size, zipped by. Next, after startling a stingray, she swam around with a bottlenose dolphin, before heading back up to the surface and on to the Serengeti for a hot-air-balloon safari. O.K., this is not entirely true. At 9 months, Sasha can barely stand, let alone scuba dive, and if anyone in this family is going to Australia, it’s probably me. But it is at least virtually true — that is, it took place entirely in cyberspace, through a new educational Web site called WonderRotunda.com, which offers children ages 7 to 12 the opportunity to explore the world (or a cartoon facsimile of it) without leaving the computer desk. At $45 for a yearlong pass to this interactive theme park, it’s a whole lot cheaper than buying plane tickets, booking hotel rooms, going out to restaurants and all the chaos and unpredictability of, you know, actual travel.
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/virtual-vacations/
Pixels and Policy: New Virtual World Educates Kids without Ads, 9/26/09
"It seems any virtual world dedicated to the interests of kids is awash in advertising from companies desperate to snare new customers in the impressionable youth population."
"As more families turn to virtual worlds as creative and educational outlets for their kids, the prevalence of advertising is becoming a concern. This is where Wonder Rotunda really makes a break for innovative territory. As a review from CommonSenseMedia.org confirms the site is completely ad-free, creating an immersive educational experience, without hawking products to pint-size future consumers."
"This makes a strong case for the educational integrity of the Wonder Rotunda project,
and at $45, it costs less for an entire year of membership than a month
of some supplementary education programs. That credibility will boost
Wonder Rotunda in a field crowded with educational worlds but lacking
in quality content. We will be following Wonder Rotunda as it
breaks across the Metaverse with the promise of providing an
interactive and engaging educational source for young, internet-savvy
avatars-to-be." http://www.pixelsandpolicy.com/pixels_and_policy/2009/09/new-virtual-world-educates-kids-without-ads.html
AOL Play Savvy (September 09)
"As kids become more Internet savvy, parents continually worry about IM predators, social networks and the overwhelming influence of ads. Thankfully, the creator of Wonder Rotunda decided to skip all the things that parents feared most and created a fun and information adventure site that's inspired by the thing that inspired him as a child, the 1964-65 New York World's Fair."
http://www.playsavvy.com/articles/features/discovering-the-wonder-rotunda/
Single Minded Woman (September 09)
"Not only is this site a blast for kids but it’s educational too. {Our} test drivers were between the ages of 7 and 10 and spent several hours exploring rain forests, the human body, the U.S. governement and even music.
As a mom, I appreciated the fact that there were no commercials or
products to buy and that the kids were actually learning something
rather than just playing a game. By the way, sometimes the best things
in life are not free. There is a minimal admission price that is good
all year long. We think it’s worth the investment and give this product
two thumbs up! "http://www.singlemindedwoman.com/
Scholastic Administrator Magazine:
"So many of the online educational places I visit are dominated by annoying ads or are a front for getting you to participate in a social networking community or are trying to sell you one thing or another. Wonder Rotunda is like a breath of fresh air with hundreds of educational opportunities, but no commercial come-ons."
http://blogs.scholastic.com/techtools/2009/08/virtual-worlds-fair-of-education.html)
Travel and Leisure Magazine (by Joshua Pramis)
"Can’t afford to take your kids on an African safari? Or maybe you're just looking for a fun way for them to learn about different parts of the world so they have a greater appreciation when you do book that trip. Well, last week I was introduced to a new website that solves either problem: Wonder Rotunda.
As you travel, you’re given lessons—learning, say, about the formation of the moon or what makes an animal a marsupial. There are a ton of other features on the site—take a tour! Who knows? Maybe it will inspire your child to become a globetrotter, or even a future A-List travel agent?"
http://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/carry-on/2009/8/28/new-website-teaches-kids-about-travel)
WAMU 88.5 Kojo Nnambi Show (an NPR station)
"Every parent wonders the same thing: Why aren't there more educational computer games that appeal to kids just as much as the violent ones? We'll meet two entrepreneurial parents who took up that challenge and created new games that aim to make computer time an engaging learning experience for school-age kids." Guest: Eric Garfinkel, Creator, The Wonder Rotunda. See the link below to listen to the interview.
Fox 5 Television (DC):
"It's an educational internet game that could add some adventure to your child's life. As Fox 5s Beth Parker tells us, its a refreshing change from what kids normally see on-line." See the first link below to view the story. (http://www.wonderrotunda.com/blog/Fox_News_TV_Spot_on_the_Wonder_Rotunda) (http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/entertainment/081909_va_man_creates_online_fair_for_kids)