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We all want our kids to be computer savvy, but it doesn’t make sense to turn 2-year-old Timmy loose on the family computer. Murphy’s Law guarantees that by randomly pounding the keyboard he’ll manage to delete your files, disable Windows entirely, or end up on a shocking porn site. Hoopah Kidview Explorer 6 keeps the kids (2 to 10 years old) out of your files while entertaining them with child-safe sites. The app even includes a kid-friendly whitelist e-mail system.

On installation Hoopah prompts you to add an entry for each child, specifying his or her name, birth month, and a picture. The program-supplied pictures are somewhat odd and the selection process awkward, but fortunately you can choose one of your own pictures. Based on the child’s age Hoopah configures appropriate settings; you change them later, if you wish. The Hoopah environment relies on Flash, Shockwave, and QuickTime, so the installer automates the process of installing these, if they’re not present. That’s it—you’re ready to let the kids loose.

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