Kids and gadgets go hand-in-hand, like they’re meant for each other, they can figure things out much faster than an adult like how to finish a level in a game or how to actually play a game.  It’s quite fascinating but it’s also concerning.  Since they know how to operate our gadgets, who knows what they might find on the web?

Often, we just give the little ones our gadgets to keep them entertained or quiet so we can have a little bit of piece, and most of the times, we don’t actually supervise what they are doing or if the apps or sites they are accessing are kid-friendly.  These little things we often overlook can become a major game-changer for our kids.  And even if we child-proof our gadgets, meaning downloading “kid-friendly” apps, we’re not really sure how kid friendly they are.  Good thing there are still companies dedicated in creating kid-worthy entertainment.

PixyKids

PixyKids, an interactive and immersive social media platform where kids 6-12 can create, share, learn, and have fun through their personalized digital space, announced that they have secured a financing of $3 million including a $2 million investment by ATA Ventures and $1 million from other angel investors.  PixyKids intends to empower kids with the opportunity to share moments, experiences, and projects they want to show off, ultimately creating a unique digital presence and portfolio that is curated exclusively by them, supported by parents, and is safe and compliant with COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

“Parents are looking for sites they can feel good about, that help their kids develop socially, offer positive reinforcement, and are creatively enriching. Today’s kids are aspirational, tech-savvy, and have self-expression in their DNA. Both kids and parents are demanding a digital platform where they can share their everyday personal experiences, express themselves creatively, and build the lasting bonds that are so critical in these formative years,” said Rajul Kadakia, CEO and Co-Founder of PixyKids. “We are very excited to be developing a social platform featuring fresh and relevant interactivity for both kids and their families in a single environment that parents can trust. And, I’m equally thrilled to welcome Michael Adair, Neil Markey, and Kristen Alexander to our executive team and introduce our founding Advisory Board members, who together will bring their collaborative expertise as we build the PixyKids feature sets and user base.”

Callaway Digital Arts

Callaway Digital Arts, a company known for creating interactive mobile apps for children, worked with  Sesame Workshop and delivered apps such as the award winning “The Monster at the End of This Book…starring Grover!” and the sequel “Another Monster at the End of This Book…Starring Grover & Elmo!” but the two are know creating a reimagining of the classic Sesame Street book The Great Cookie Thief for the iPad, iPhone, and iPad Touch.

“We are privileged to deepen our collaboration with the most loved and revered children’s educational provider, Sesame Street,” said Callaway Digital Arts CEO Rex Ishibashi.  “With The Great Cookie Thief and more, we’ll continue to bring stories featuring cherished Sesame Street characters to the most advanced touch devices—iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.”

PBS Kids

At the South by Southwest Interactive event, PBS released two new titles:   All Aboard the Dinosaur Train!, which teaches math and spacial awareness, for iPad and Dinosaur Train Camera Catch!, which builds pattern recognition skills as well as hand-eye coordination, for iPhone.

Most of PBS’ apps are free, the two new apps cost $1.99 but PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) are making them free for Head Start centers, local PBS stations, and other organizations in low-income communities.

uKnowKids.com

If you want to closely monitor the safety of your kids while surfing the web, uKnowKids.com is the best tool for you.  uKnowKids.com is a tool that monitors your child’s social network, mobile phone activity, and GPS location. uKnowKids.com (various pricing, starting at free) delivers a useful overview of your child’s online behavior, while also alerting you to problematic activity.

uKnowKids.com is available in four versions: Essential (free), Essential + (free for now), Premier ($9.95 per month), and Premier+ (one-time fee of $49.95, plus $9.95 per month).