My son (5) loves this site. I think it's great too. In any case, if you are concerned, you can always choose not to allow your child to see or write their own messages - pick one of the closed forums when you log on, there's a symbol beside each one. We've spent a lot of time on it, and I've never seen anything untoward, it's well moderated. It's excellent for helping your child learn to read - for example there's a newspaper with all the latest news/games/jokes. Your child can become a secret agent, which requires your child to read what the penguin spymaster says to complete the mission. You can play for free, earning virtual money to buy things by playing the games. There are benefits to becoming a member with a subscription, but it's not necessary.