Parents today need to be careful when allowing their children to play online games. Although there are some websites that have kid-friendly games, there are also those that have games that are very unsafe for children. Games online that have the capability for chat rooms and message boards should never be used by children. There is no way for a parent to know who is actually talking to your child over a computer. Online games like Club Penguin, however, have settings that you can adjust so that you can make it text-free and chat-free. This makes the game safer for children to play. Parents need to also be aware of what the games are teaching their children. Some online games can be extremely violent, showing images of killing, car crashes, military scenes, or gang activity. Online games can also be too adult in content, such as showing characters wearing inappropriate clothing or adult interactions between the characters. Children are already so bombarded with horrifying scenes on television, so why subject them to even more when they are on the computer. Instead of allowing your child to play games online, try giving them games on a CD Rom, one that you have already screened and deemed appropriate for your child. Even better than that, instead of playing a computer game have them play outdoors instead! Plant something in the garden with them. feeling the earth under their fingers will teach them much more about the real world than any computer generated character could. Although computer games can be fun and enjoyable for kids, they aren't always the best choice. If you do decide to allow your children to play computer games, make sure they are text-free. Also, play them yourself ahead of time to make sure that there are not any inappropriate scenes or actions in the game.