The Internet can be a parent's best friend, or their worst nightmare. Kids love going online to play games, socialize, and have fun exploring new websites. This can create plenty of trouble and concern for parents who worry about the online safety and privacy of their children. Luckily, there are several great kid-friendly web browsers that parents can download to ensure internet safety without hampering the fun. Here are five kid-friendly browsers worth looking into.

KidZui.com (ages 3 to 12)

Features:

• Parental controls
• ZuiTube, which features kid-friendly YouTube videos
• ZuiGames, age-appropriate games
• Safe internet browsing of over 2 million sites approved by KidZui staff

System requirements:

• Intel Pentium III 500MHz or faster processor
• Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or later ) or Windows Vista
• Internet Explorer 6.0 or later
• Adobe Flash Player 9
• 512 MB of RAM or more

Cost: Free download

Zoodles.com (ages 3 to 13)

Features:

• Age appropriate games
• Ad blocking
• Violence filtering
• Parental controls
• Play timer
• Kid browser

System requirements:

• Windows PC
• Macs

Cost: Pricing model varies. The download and basic internet use is free, while membership options are $7.95 per month, $39.95 for 6 months, and $59.95 for a year. Features vary upon membership.

Kid-surf.com (ages 3 to 8)

Features:

• Parents choose the sites kids may visit
• Offers site suggestions for parents to choose from
• Usage timer
• Pop-ups blocked

System requirements:

• Internet Explorer

Cost: Free download with a 10 day trial, then $5.99 to buy.

Kidoz.net (ages 2 to 8)

Features:

• Kido'z browser that allows parents to block ads and content
• Kid-friendly YouTube videos
• Games
• Kid-friendly email

System requirements:

• Windows
• Mac OS X
• Linux

Cost: Free download and trial period. Once the free trial ends, continued usage is available but with limited functionality. Parents may purchase membership options but the website doesn't provide pricing information. 

BuddyBrowser.com (ages 4 to 14)

Features:

• Blocks inappropriate content
• Usage time limits
• Safe social networking
• Kid-friendly YouTube and educational videos
• Parental controls

System requirements:

• Windows
• Internet Explorer 5+
• Intel Pentium 500 MHz or faster

Cost: updated: Buddy Browser is now $39.95 for a one-year license.

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