Whyville requires registration

Having your email address will allow us to send you your password directly if you happen to forget it. You may skip this for now, but teacher verification is necessary to register students as part of your Whyville class.

We will never release any type of personal information to any outside organization, commercial or not! Account Information Username: characters. Check Username.

Re-type your Password:. Optional Information Your Email Address:. Teacher Verification Information You may skip this for now, but teacher verification is necessary to register students as part of your Whyville class. If you are joining Whyville as a program participant, select it here:. Spin the skater as fast as you can without toppling her over like a sack of potatoes. Fancy the finer things in life? Create sets of fine art in our Getty Art Sets game. Is that a painting by Cezanne? I believe it is!

Microbe War is based on the classic card game, War, except you're warring over microbes. Find a friend to war against or take on Sonya the marine biologist. Plenty of Beach on Whyville, and no problems finding parking! Grab a towel and some sunscreen, then kick back and chat with other sunbathers from all over the world.

The Waterfall has some of the lushest greenery on Whyville. Take a dip in the pond, but watch out for sharks! Just kidding. Need a quiet moment? Visit the serene and snowy Woods. In Whyville, it's fondly known as "Woods, The". We challenge you to find out why! Along with being Whyville's historic first destination, Whyville Square is a great place to start your journey, as it's home to several important destinations.

Our Bazaar isn't that bizarre unless you count the guy spinning the giant eyeball. Stop by here if you want to pick up some face parts, projectiles, furniture, or bricks. Bring your bathing suit and take a dip, or just relax in a swing at the Pool Party. You may want to keep an eye out for the shark that occasionally visits the pool The Playground is a nice place to meet up with your friends. It's usually not TOO busy, and has some space in which to just hang out.

Whyville West is another of our first locations. Oh yeah - watch out for aliens! Whyville's many locales aren't limited to land.

Dive under the water and explore the North Reef. Keep your eyes open and you might see a giant lobster or even a manta ray!

The Airfield is the place to go for "all things air". Hop on over to PlaneWorks to design and build jets. Or test your skills captaining a balloon. There's always the Warp Wagon; but that's for another time. Visit the Style Studio to get a complete makeover, earn clams by becoming a Stylist, or just hang out with friends and check out the latest Whyville looks and trends.

The Whyville Times is Whyville's very own newspaper with articles written by our citizens. Feeling creative? Channel the journalist inside you and submit to the Times! Head over to the Trading Post to trade or sell your goods with other Whyvillians. You can find rare valuables here that you won't find anywhere else in Whyville. Got something on your mind?

The Forums is the place to post your opinions and have discussions with other Whyvillians, from Whyville topics to real life issues. City Hall is the seat of Whyville's government. Not sure where to begin? Need someone to show you the ropes? Find the guidance you seek at the Help Center manned by helpful Whyville veterans. Wanna deck out your mug? Akbar's Face Mall has thousands of face parts to choose from that will help you go from a fashion disaster to fashion chic.

Rock the vote! Daily life got you down? Visit the Wellness Center for tips and info on how to get the emotional you back on track. For example, in one game, kids examine the genetic makeup of embryos inside dragon eggs to determine what kinds of characteristics that baby dragon will have e. Wings or no wings? Game quality and relevance vary greatly, so teachers should search through and test out games to find the good ones. Teachers could also focus on the citizenship aspect.

Have kids explore possible careers, "work" to earn clams, manage their earnings, set up a household, care for pets, engage in government, and more.

Kids can experiment with playing different roles and report on their experiences. What was it like to be in charge? How did financial decisions last week affect what they were able to do today?

How does the heavy advertising affect what they do with the clams they earn? Teachers will want to steer clear of the chat features, and they should certainly make sure that kids can't make any real purchases. Whyville is a virtual world where kids play games, hang out, and interact with each other. Kids provide their birth month and year, and a parent's email address, and then create an avatar, username, and password to begin.

There's a lot to explore in Whyville: Most games are science-related, though some have art or career education themes. Some games require multiple players, whereas others can be played solo.

Kids earn "clams," Whyville's currency, to buy more features for their avatars, build houses, buy cars, and more. Kids can also purchase clams, or pearls, with real money. There's an event calendar, a Whyville government, and much, much more. Overall, Whyville is a fun place to be, where kids can immerse themselves in an intricate and complicated fantasy world. There's a lot to do here but there's little guidance, which makes it potentially overwhelming, confusing, and quite easy to get lost.

T here are interesting opportunities to interact in virtual government, manage bank accounts, care for pets, and many more opportunities to practice responsible citizenship. There are three main aspects to consider about the Whyville experience: games, social features, and citizenship —- all of which are a mixed bag.

Many games are designed by respected organizations and uniquely explore science topics. However, many games are also complicated and poorly explained, so kids may get frustrated. There are some good guidelines to keep social interactions and chats safe and welcoming, but user feedback indicates that these measures don't always work.