Kidshealth

Kidshealth is a bright, happening, engaging site where all the stops have been pulled out to provide just the right balance of information and fun for children and parents alike. The Homepage is awash with bright colours and funky graphics, and is divided simply into three sections: Parents, Kids and Teens.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Parents claims to contain '1000s of features' and this is no idle boast, for the section is crammed with a wealth of features on every conceivable topic. Permenantly featured articles (on emotions and behaviour, pregnacy, and so on) are interspersed with seasonal features (on the eve of Halloween, an article on Halloween Safety featured prominently). Click on a particular theme listed in the contents table, and this will then subdivide into the various strata of that theme; Positive Parenting, for example, subdivides into Family Life, Learning & Education, Resources for Parents and Talking to Kids, with several articles under each heading.

Kids There are lots of engaging, flashing images here to catch the eye and draw you in (a literally throbbing Brain illustrates a feature entitled 'Daily Brain Buzz', for instance), and again the emphasis is on info with fun. As in the parents section, when you choose a particular category you will be presented with more specific options within that category. Check out 'Word!' , a glosary of medical terms so complete, that you'll even find 'papillae' (tiny bumps on the back of the tongue that contain your taste buds, in case you didn't know!).

Teens is a frank and uncompromising guide to teenage health and development, direct but not crude (one feature is entitled 'Is it normal to get erections?). The section on Drugs & Alcohol is also well-handled. Street names are used for drugs where relevant, and the effects and risks of drug-taking are detailed in a way that manages to avoid being preachy or patronising.