CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: ASSORTMENT OF INTERNET SITES TAKES AIM AT WEB CRAWLERS AND THEIR PARENTS (COLUMN 30)

CYBERTIP: We're compiling a comprehensive list of our favorite Internet sites for the Resource Room section of SEMissourian.com site. Please e-mail your suggestions to click@semissourian.com

The weather in Southeast Missouri is threatening to improve, but the water on the Internet remains fine for surfing.

For children stuck inside during March and April showers or those who just seem glued to their computers, here are a few new sites to check out.

Peggy: Sometimes people ask us what age children should be to head out into the surf. Parents know best, but as soon as a child has the motor skills to point, click and double click the mouse, that child might be ready to hit the World Wide Web. And the internet has a selection of sites aimed at web crawlers.

Joni: For the youngest kids, check out Richard Scarry's site at

http://www.scarry.com

Peggy: It features web games and activities for kids featuring the lovable cast of busy characters from Richard Scarry. His books and the web site are designed for web toddlers, ages 3 to 7. The web site lets you play an online alphabet game and a story writer.

Joni: The site is really an ad for a Richard Scarry interactive CD, and you can find information about buying one. But what's online is fun if you don't want to invest right now. The Story Writer gives you the outline of a story about Hilda Hippo heading out for a camping trip. You fill in the blanks with pull-down windows to finish the story.

Peggy: The Alphabet Strip lets youngsters pick which picture starts with the target letter. Guess correctly, and you get to continue. The youngest children will need an adult to read directions and help navigate. But whenever children are on the Internet, it's a good idea for an adult to surf with them. Besides these sites are fun for "big kids" too.

Joni: Looking to add a little music to your life. Try Looney Tunes Karoake page.

http://www.kids.warnerbros.com/karoake/

Favorite cartoon songs by crooners like Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird and Elmer Fudd are found on this page. You can read the lyrics or sing along with the songs. You need Real Audio to hear the songs.

Peggy: Warner Brothers also lets you send online post cards featuring your favorite cartoon characters, or you can take the Animating 101 class. I like their explanation. "It all begins with the writers." It's so true.

Joni: Keep exploring this site. You'll find Shockwave games like Looney Tunes Doodlemania and the Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner puzzle. It's fun for Looney Tune fans of all ages. And if you look hard enough, you'll find a link to DC Comics.

Peggy: But that's a site for another day. We're headed to longtime book publishers Simon and Schuster's new interactive division. The website, of course, is a showcase for their published products. But they have put some of the fun online for all of us to enjoy.

http://www.teachkids.com

Joni: "How Many Bugs in a Box," a favorite book title, is featured in this site's online counting game. Pick a numeral and the corresponding number of animated bugs appears. Thankfully, the game goes from one to nine. We don't need an infestation of computer bugs.

Peggy: The coloring game features the creepy crawlers too. You get a palette of colors. Click on the bug and the computer colors the space. Patience is needed because the page reloads every time you change colors.

Joni: When you tire of little tidbits of games and fun, check out the Bonus.com supersite, a huge theme park filled with more than 500 activities for kids and their families, including games, coloring books, puzzles and animals.

http://www.bonus.com

Peggy: As an added measure of protection, Bonus give you a "webscooter" and a chance to see the best, kid-friendly parts of the World Wide Web without leaving the Bonus environment.

Joni: Bonus.com is a protected environment for kids. Inside the Bonus universe, you can choose play, color, explore, dissect or imagine. Let's play.

Peggy: Let's play the animal guessing game. The computer is trying to guess my favorite animal. It didn't take long for the computer to narrow down that my favorite animal is big and has a trunk. It asks good reporting questions.

Joni: Many other games, puzzles, mazes, tic tac toe, Chinese checkers, tile puzzles, are available and don't require any special plug-ins. More adventurous gamers can try some Java-enhanced games, including Air Assault, Battlefield, Jet Slalom, Space Archery. If there are really 500 activities, that would keep kids busy for awhile.

Peggy: Thank goodness for unlimited access. It's a bit slow to load because each page has lots of color. Kids and adults will have to practice patience. But the results are worth the wait. Have fun with cartoons for kids with jokes about animals and school, gross and silly songs,

Joni: What's your favorite site? E-mail us at clicksemissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

~Joni Adams is managing editor and Peggy Scott is graphics editor at the Southeast Missourian.