My Tiny Planet

Do your kids dream of outer space, flying in a spaceship, building their own planet, and solving missions? Then you may want to try My Tiny Planets. My kids have been playing and they love it.

My Tiny Planets website describes itself as a new online community and virtual world based on science and space exploration that combines social elements and gaming to create an engaging space exploration experience.

On My Tiny Planets the cadets receive a space name, pick a spaceship and build their own planet while solving missions with Bing and Bong. While the cadets are playing games they earn stars which they can use to buy items for their ship and planet. The main game is free but you may also purchase keys to unlock more features for your spaceship & planet or to watch videos and read books. The Tiny Planets Fun, Books, TV, Learning, and Labs sections offer puzzles, coloring sheets, worksheets to print, read books, watch videos, and test the new games and let them know what you think.

My kids were excited to receive their cadet names: Loony Wanderer, Secret Kitten, and Steam Crush. Once they realized they could see and talk to each other they called and invited some of their friends to get online and play also. That way they could play together without being together. Loony Wanderer, age 9 and Secret Kitten, age 8  really liked playing the mini games and flying around looking for other cadets to invite to be their friends. Steam Crush, age 6, said her favorite part of My Tiny Planets are the videos.

First you set up a parent account where you can see all of your cadet accounts in one place. You may also purchase keys from here:

• 10 keys for $1.95
• 25 keys for $3.95
• 85 keys for $9.95
• 250 keys for $25.95
• 600 keys for $49.95 

Then each kid will set up their own cadet account and they are given a space name. If you do not like the name given you can choose another one. During the game you can meet up with other cadets and see their space names. The cadets can talk to each other only by choosing a phrase from the bubble above them. There is no actual online talking. You can invite others to follow you to your planet, go shopping together or other chit chatty phrases. The books and the videos take the cadets on learning adventures with Bing and Bong. One book that Loony Wanderer read took Bing and Bong to the Planet of Stuff via their spaceship couch, once they were there they learn about halves and how each half of an item can be put together to make a whole. Secret Kitten watched Bing and Bong learn how to read a recipe while making a cake. In one video Steam Crush watched, Bing and Bong went to a different planet and Bing was carried away by a kite and Bong had to save him. Some of the other books and videos talk about mixing colors, tools, and patience.

I feel this game is fun for everyone, but the topics of the worksheets, books and videos are very elementary in their content.

Several other TOS Crew members reviewed this game, you can hop over TOS Crew Blog and see what they thought about it.

As a member of the TOS Crew we were given our free accounts to My Tiny Planets along with access to all the paid items.