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Real parents know this: You can limit television all you like, but you can't keep your children from the pull of popular characters. From elementary school-aged Arthur to Sesame Street's Elmo, there's someone for everyone from toddlers to teens to want to see more of.



Thanks to well-developed Internet sites, young fans can enjoy their favorite characters by playing games with them, not just watching them.

By Pamela Stock

Real parents know this: You can limit television all you like, but you can't keep your children from the pull of popular characters. From elementary school-aged Arthur to Sesame Street's Elmo, there's someone for everyone from toddlers to teens to want to see more of.

Thanks to well-developed Internet sites, young fans can enjoy their favorite characters by playing games with them, not just watching them. When you visit a site together, parents can teach skills, like using a mouse, and kids can explain just exactly what makes Dora the Explorer so cool. What's more, several sites have areas just for grown-ups, complete with recipes, movie ratings, parenting safety tips, party activities, and more. "I went to Nickjr.com and followed the recipe for the SpongeBob Cake for my son's sixth birthday," reports one California mom. "It was easy and totally cool. No one could believe I really made it."

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