Alfy Park http://www.alfy.com

Reference

A portal is a place to get started on an Internet excursion.  There is an inherent difficulty in this for all ages as they are typically written and designed by adults using words like "inherent", "difficulty", or "typically".

Imagine an Internet starting point that is all graphic based.  Navigation is accomplished by click on the appropriate icon or area of the screen.  Or, it's possible that instructions are spoken to you based upon where your cursor is on the screen.

Alfy Park is such a place.  The site was designed for students in grades K-2, but it isn't solely restricted to those students.  There are areas for parents and teachers (complete with lesson plans, and Internet activities) designed to allow the student to get the most from the time spent online.  From a grown-up's perspective, it's also a great deal of fun!

Of concern when dealing with Internet is the amount of advertising that students are exposed to.  This site does take a responsible approach.  An advertisement does appear on the screen but it is clearly marked as such.

You will need a copy of Macromedia Shockwave and a sound card to enjoy this site but you've probably already installed it to play with your Virtual Fishtank.