Handipoints.com - Tool for Parents, Web Game for Kids

Virtual games for kids, like Webkinz and Club Penguin, have shown that even the youngest Internet users have the potential to make a site a hit. Handipoints.com brings children a similar fun online world, but this one is free and also aims to win parents’ favor by teaching responsibility and rewarding good behavior in the “real world.” When a child completes a real world activity like making their bed, setting the table, finishing their homework, or even eating a healthy snack, they earn points – either virtual bonus points, which can be used to buy virtual goods for their online character (‘CoolCat,’ who lives in HandiLand), or “handipoints,” to be redeemed with mom and dad for items or privileges in real life. Parents decide how many and which type of points to reward for each completed task, and they set the chore list in the first place, therefore deciding which behaviors they want to encourage. Aside from rewards, kids have an incentive to keep playing because Handiland is a well-developed, interactive virtual world where they can explore, play games, watch movies, and even interact with other players (by selecting statements from a list - to avoid inappropriate behavior).

“Handipoints is a virtual community for families where children’s everyday ‘real world’ chores earn them big prizes and new adventures in a safe online environment that is controlled and monitored by parents. Unlike other children’s Web sites, Handipoints marries offline tasks, such as cleaning their room and brushing their teeth, with online entertainment and games to teach children the value of their work and foster good behavior. While they’re having fun, children learn about saving money and building responsible habits - and parents get a helping hand with positive reinforcement that is educational at the same time.”

Given the popularity of Webkinz and Club Penguin, this site has a lot of potential. It combines a fun virtual world for children with tools to teach responsibility, which should make it a favorite with the parents who actually decide which sites to introduce their young ones to. Parents maintain lots of control over what behaviors to encourage in their children, and how to reward them. The site is free to use and parents who don’t want to spend money can choose to only use only virtual rewards.

Up to what age will kids still find Handipoints to be a fun site worth spending their time on? How does this site plan to make a profit?