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As anxious parents we are all too aware of the dangers posed to our children on-line. From concerns of sharing personal information to accidental splashes of unsavoury images while our children research material for their homework. How can we ensure our children are safe on-line?

The answer dawned on me when I took my daughter to nursery last week. Staff had just installed a dedicated "Kids Browser" to their child-friendly computer and were testing the effectiveness (and fun-value) with the kids. I thought this was just amazing: the browser prevents unsavoury sites from being accessed at all, instead offering a colourful cheerful approach which encourages safe, responsible learning.

Now this particular software is reserved for nurseries and educational establishments (therefore it's quite costly), but I was intrigued and after a little research discovered several wonderful free browsers for kids which I would recommend to other parents too.

These browsers are probably better suited to young children (my 9 and 12 year olds think these are way too "babyish"!), but offer a safe environment for your little ones' first encounters with the internet.

In no particular order, here are my top 5 (free) Internet browsers for kids:

1. Kidoz

This bright and colourful browser offers a completely safe environment for children and prevents access to any unapproved content.


Younger children can simply "point and click" to access their favourite content, while the "Parental Control" section enables parents to monitor and control the content available to their children.

Content is restricted only to approved sites (these are moderated by humans and updated daily) or by manually adding your seal of approval in the Parental Control area.

Kido'z operates using Adobe Air and ensures browsing is both fast and reliable. You may need a fairly recent computer to use this browser effectively (Pentium 4 and above is recommended), though this is an otherwise beautifully designed browser which you and the children will enjoy equally.

Visit the KIDOZ site for more information and to download

2. Kidzui

This browser offers more features and seems appropriate for a slightly older audience. Using a tabbed menu at the top of the screen, children can quickly navigate between the Web, Videos and Photos and have a vast range of visual prompts to be clicked which help them find the content they want to view.



One huge advantage of this platform is the parental controls. You can change settings for Kidzui to prevent the browser being closed without entering the parental password which helps protect your desktop and other files being accessed or accidentally deleted.

Kids can design their personal Zui avatar; make "parent approved" friends online and chat in a safe environment.

There is also a premium version of Kidzui which offers such features as unlocking more clothes for avatars, a homework helper and favourites folder.

Learn more and download Kidzui

3. KidRocket

KidRocket is a simple hybrid browser and activity centre for the kids. Featuring a desktop lock (to prevent access to your important files) and optional email service (where you control whom emails are sent from and to your kids), it's quite useful and makes browsing fun.


Rather than being "installed" like a regular program, KidRocket is a standalone program which is launched through a desktop icon to prevent conflict with your regular (grown-up) web browser.

Access to websites is limited only to those which have been approved by KidRocket, such as CBeebies, Crayola and Disney. Simple "art" and "maths" programs add offline interest for curious kids, while you can control how the program functions using the "admin" section.

Learn more about KidRocket and download

4. Pikluk

This browser is completely controlled by the parent dashboard where you choose which sites your child is allowed to access, and with whom they can correspond by email.


No URLs are displayed, and access is restricted to any sites which you have not deemed as "safe". Your desktop is also safe from prying eyes and accidental deletion as Pikluk cannot be closed without parental consent.

Learn more and download Pikluk

5. Buddy Browser

Buddy Browser is a very interesting application. Functionally it's close to "Mum and Dad's" browser in terms of appearance and functionality, though rather more colourful and child-orientated.


Navigation is made easy using descriptive buttons at the top of the browser, with individual sites linked in the sidebar. School-age children can easily access sites to help with homework, while a dedicated "Toddlers" section offers games and education suitable for pre-school ages.

Kids can chat safely using a messaging service which parents control to ensure they are totally aware of who their kids talk to online, while "favorites" can be added in just a couple of clicks (a feature sadly missing in other free kids browsers I've seen).

Learn more and download Buddy Browser

What do you think?

Have you encountered any other free kids browsers which you'd like to recommend? Which of these browsers do you prefer to install for your own children?

Please share your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment below.

Image credit: Computers and kids by Tanya Ryno (top right).

Being quite the magazine maven, I shudder at the cost on the covers (and dread to think how much money I could spend on magazines alone each month!). So I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that the Telegraph is offering many of our favorite magazines in digital format which we can download and read for free!

The Telegraph's offer enables us to download three single copies of different magazines in digital format from the following list:

• Esquire
• House Beautiful
• Men's Health
• Runner's World
• Zest
• Coast
• Cosmopolitan Bride
• Country Living
• You and Your Wedding
• Company
• Baby and Pregnancy
• Good Housekeeping
• Prima
• She
• Cosmopolitan
• Bazaar

The digital format of these magazines is essentially the same as what you'd buy at the newsagents, except that it's free and includes no junk leaflets. You won't be able to claim any of the freebies offered on the cover though!

How to get your free digital magazines

Simply go to MagazinesOnDemand and add up to three magazines to your basket by selecting "Single issue". Then checkout and complete the quick registration (no payment details will be required). At the checkout, enter the promo code 3FREEMAG to ensure your magazines are delivered for free.
You'll need to download some special software to be able to read your magazines (named "Delivery"). You can find a link to the download on the checkout confirmation page once you've placed the order for your free magazines.

Once you've downloaded the free mags (and software) you can read these whenever you like, or even forward these on to a friend. Printing is also an option, but you could spend more on paper and ink than the cover price of the magazine!

I've just saved £9.90 by downloading She, Good Housekeeping and House Beautiful for free! If you're looking for a free treat for yourself (or even your partner), I would honestly recommend these free magazine downloads.

This offer does end on May 31st 2009, so be sure to grab your magazines before then. Also, the promotional code can only be used once per account (but of course, you could band together with friends and swap your downloads around...).

Four free copies of "The Lady" magazine are also up for grabs

Another "free magazine" offer from The Telegraph is four paper copies of The Lady magazine, delivered to your door.

Already an icon, The Lady is famous for its super-useful classified section and eclectic, fascinating features. After 124 monochrome years, the magazine now features a full colour re-design to compliment the new look. Celebrate her unveiling with an exclusive offer only available to Telegraph readers – claim your four free issues today. 

I have never read "The Lady" but have applied for this free offer to see what all the fuss is about. To claim your four free issues, simply visit this page on the The Lady website and fill in the form (no payment details requested).

The Lady is published weekly, so you'll receive four copies over the course of a month, saving £6 in total on the cover price.

Via MoneySavingExpert.com

Know of any more free magazine offers?

If you know of any other free magazine offers which would interest Glamumous readers, feel free to leave a link in the comments below or shoot me an email and I'll update this post.

Thesedays we are awed by the sheer number of books available to us, and it'sdifficult to choose something relevant to our needs. As parents, we arelimited in the time we can spend reading, and as frugal families wecannot afford to spend on books we may later find irrelevant. So eachWednesday, I aim to review a book on a range of subjects from parentingguides to home-making, fashion/beauty and cookbooks which are most relevant for fabulous, frugal mums!

I'm a vigorous reader: my shelves are filled with books I have read, enjoyed and refuse to ever part with. Within this library is a particular shelf I refer to often: my "mummy" books, fabulous reads on various subjects which I believe every yummy mum should read at least once - and probably refer to her friends!

For those who prefer not to buy books outright, why not reserve in your local library or see if there are copies available to swap for free on ReadItSwapIt.co.uk?

Without further ado, here are my top 10 fabulous books for mummies (organized by category, and in no particular order):

Best for... Surviving Parenthood

The Fabulous Mum's Handbook by Grace Saunders

This is one of the more recent "parenting guides" I've read, and has certainly been highly enjoyable. It's really aimed at new mums (or those who are expecting a baby) and offers advice on everything from what your baby really needs to styling your ever adjusting figure.

Several celebrities offer their expert advice on various subjects, from Tanya Byron (from The House of Tiny Tearaways) on getting sleep, to Amanda Smith (former director of style for Elle Decoration) on having a wonderful, stylish and child-friendly home.

What I love most is that each section offers advice tailored to the needs of all mothers, along with "top tips" at the end of each chapter.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

A Spoonful of Sugar by Liz Frazer 

I've currently borrowed a copy of this from the library and have now ordered a copy of my own because I don't want to give this one back!

Now as mothers, I'm sure many of us have turned to our own parents for advice. In this book, Liz Frazer takes it a step further to ask her grandmother for her pearls of wisdom and applies this to modern day mothers. With all our concerns over 21st century dangers, 24 hour TV and fast food, we may have forgotten that the happiest of family lives comes from making things simple. Much of what you will read here is common sense, but it's always good to be reminded of old-fashioned ways!

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Baby-proofing your marriage by Stacie Cockrel et al

A lighthearted look at the impact a baby can have on relationships, this was written by three feisty mothers who seem to have survived the worst of it all!

Including lighthearted anecdotes (and passages which will make you laugh out loud!), Baby-proofing Your Marriage offers friendly advice based on experience: from sex (or the lack of) to in-laws, division of housework and everything between.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Best for... Feeding the Family

How to feed your whole family a healthy balanced diet with very little money... by Gill Holcombe

This book is a lifesaver in terms of cheap healthy recipes which the whole family can enjoy! Gill Holcombe offers us a guide to help us cook for our families from scratch with easy to follow recipes from her delicious "All in one Apple Cake" to "Salmon Pasta Bake" and the super quick "Instant Corned Beef Hash".

If you need a book which can advice you how to cut down on your family food bills or even learn the basics of home cooking, this is certainly something of interest to you.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely

The title of this book truly does justice to the content: Saving Dinner offers time and money saving recipes and menu plans to help bring your whole family back to the dinner table.

I first came across this through the FlyLady site when Leanne offered her advice about menu-planning. Her recipes use frugal, seasonal ingredients and take very little time to create. Best of all, you can visit the website to print off your shopping list so you don't have to write them all down or take your book to the supermarket!

Being an American title, some of the ingredients may be bewildering to us Brits; just look up anything you are unsure about (don't forget, "zuccinis" are "courgettes" to us!) and you'll find this a useful addition to your cookery shelf.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Best for... Keeping House

Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley - AKA FlyLady

I can describe this book as nothing more than a Godsend! For mummies whose homes seem to have transformed into bombsites die to the lack of time, energy and motivation, this title will help you get your home (and your life) back in order with seemingly no effort.

Based on the wisdom of FlyLady.net, Sink Reflections offers us an insight into Marla's previously unkempt home and how she learned to transform her house into a haven using "babysteps" to achieve great things over time. From learning how to organize yourself to daily 15 minute plans of achievement, this book will be something you can refer to over and over.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

House Rules by Clare Coulson

Forget trying to be a "perfect housewife": for me, this book would be better termed "The Bible" of housekeeping! From the best way to iron a shirt to foolproof cooking techniques, this covers everything you could possibly want to know about keeoing a haven and not just a home.

Admittedly, the directory section is not wholly appropriate for me (most addresses are based in London, or are very expensive outlets), but the "how to" sections offer clear and concise advice on everything you could possibly need to know about keeping house. This takes pride of place on my bookshelves, and is a title I pick up whenever I have a question about our home.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Best for... Entertaining the kids

I'm Bored by Suzy Barratt, Polly Beard and Sam Holland

This ingenious book offers imaginative ideas for keeping the kids entertained whether you're stuck at home on a rainy day or caught up in a traffic jam.

These ideas do not ask you to buy any expensive equipment; most simply require a little imagination and what you already have at hand. It's beautifully illustrated too, which encourages younger children to look at the pictures and decide what they'd like to play.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Best for... Frugal Living

The Thrift Book by India Knight

Written by a self-confessed "child of the more-is-more 1980s", this book offers insights into how we can reduce our expenditure without expense to our lifestyles.

I've always been a thrifty mummy at heart, but found many new ways of saving in this book (especially the website directories and "community" section). Some of India's insights are amusing, and it's hard to imagine she honestly has tried everything she recommends, but overall this is very enjoyable.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Thrifty Ways for Modern Days by Martin Lewis

Based on the "Old-Style" forum of MoneySavingExpert.com, this guide offers tried and tested frugal tips to help you save money in almost every aspect of your home. Include tips for growing your own vegetables, eco-cleaning and cheap (yet wonderful) family foods, there's something in here to suit everyone and help save a pretty penny in the process.

Martin Lewis is famed for his expertise on saving money, and has graciously contributed all proceeds of this book to charity since the wisdom is collected from avid members of his infamous site. If you're a fan of MoneySavingExpert.com or even just need a little nudge to save more money around the house, this really is a book you should read at least once!

Buy from Amazom | Find on ReadItSwapIt

What would you add to this list?

These books are my personal favorites: the ones which I have read, and can honestly recommend as useful  reading for mummies!

Do you have any favorites which are not on this list? Please let us know what your favorite books are and why you enjoy them so much by leaving your comments below.