Designed for ages 6 to 14, Club Penguin is a virtual world where kids can play games, earn virtual currency, customize their world, and interact with each other in a kid-friendly environment.

Club Penguin Overview

Kids roam the cartoon world of Penguin Island in the form of colorful penguin avatars, playing games to earn virtual coins which are used to “buy” new clothes, furniture, and other extras to decorate and customize their avatars, their igloos, and furry little pets called “Puffles.”

Older studies reported that the age of the average online gamer was somewhere in the 40s. But now, the age of the average gamer is 32. What does this mean? It means that tweens are entering the mix – and they’re most likely yours.

The overwhelming majority of tweens are online, navigating their ways through virtual worlds. 91% of boys and 93% of girls ages 8 to 11 report playing online games, up dramatically from just five years ago.

Does your 2010 holiday list include a child, tween, or teen gamer? Statistics say that 90% of parents don’t check a video game’s rating before buying it for their child.

Whether your kid is 6 or 16, it’s important to know what type of content is in the game he’ll be playing. While video game ratings, like movie ratings, are far from perfect, they can help parents decide whether certain content is appropriate for their child or not.

2010 Holiday Games Rated E (for everyone ages 6+)

Games rated E are appropriate for most kids over 6. They may contain mild violence and mischief. Some hot holiday games for 2010 are:

• Gran Turismo 5

• Epic Mickey