Website Review: Sagwa
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that there is no advertising on this
site.
Families can talk about Sagwa's experiences with those around her and compare their own family customs with those presented on the site.
Common Sense Media Review
Sagwa,
the Chinese Siamese Cat is an animated series on PBS. The
companion website offers games and stories that extend the
concepts introduced on the show.
If you've never seen the TV series, don't worry. The site presents an introduction to the characters: middle kitten Sagwa, her siblings, extended family, and even the silly humans with which they all live.
The "Games" area features lots of interaction and fun. You can "Explore the Palace" and learn about dragon boats, special Chinese foods, toys, and pastimes. "Pictures as Words" introduces kids to Chinese pictograms, symbols that stand for a word or idea. How will you do with matching pictograms to their meanings?
Other activities teach you in which year of the Chinese zodiac you were born and how to count in Chinese.
More challenging are the tangram shape games and the eight-game marathon called "Countdown to the New Year." You'll have to start with cleaning the house (that last dust bunny is hard to find; check the cabinet!) and finish with the impressive and colorful lion dances. It's an educational and fun romp, but it will take awhile to finish, so plan accordingly.
There are also printable coloring pages as well as online coloring, plus printable "flip books" that let kids try out simple animations at home. There are instructions on how to draw many of the characters, too.
Parents can visit the "Caregivers" section for suggested reading lists and additional hints on using the site with their kids.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
