What it does

Pandas are the adorable protagonists of Panfu, a new virtual world for young children. These black and white creatures, hardly the dowdy, kung fu kicking sort popularized recently at the box office, guide young ones through educational games and socializing activities. Kids first must create their own panda avatars, picking a color (these panda bears aren’t limited to black and white), and a panda name. After inputting a couple of personal details, kids can then go on to select their panda world, and add cool accoutrements to their pandas, such as clothing and accessories. Every Panda has their own treehouse; clicking on a panda will open up his or her player card (here users can also browse through the objects they own. One of Panfu’s main focuses is on early language learning. English speaking users will find a certain amount of content in Spanish (the site is also available in other languages, including Polish, Spanish and German). There’s also a Spanish speaking Panda named Penelope who encourages children to speak without fear in Spanish. Within their worlds, Pandas can freely explore buildings and outdoor areas (click on any place to get your Panda in, or use the navigational map). Games are hidden throughout Panfu’s islands.

In their own words

‘Panfu is a friendly, virtual world, in which children can play online games, have fun, learn Spanish easily and make new friends.”

Why it might be a killer

Panfu offers children a friendly and educational virtual world. The panda avatars are quite adorable and engaging. The site’s focus on language acquisition will make this game a favorite with parents, while the games and the panda’s will have children completely charmed.

Some questions

Can users change the language they want to learn—for instance, can English learners opt to learn Polish rather than Spanish? Are there grammar and vocab games? Can users acquire goods using virtual or real cash?

Updates