Top 8 Safe Search Engines for Kids

In today's digital age, kids, much like adults, actively seek information online through search engines. Besides Google, there are over one million search engines worldwide designed for kids, and the intriguing part is that this number keeps increasing daily. Nevertheless, the rapid proliferation of these search engines necessitates parental monitoring.

If you're a parent seeking a safe online environment for your children, we have good news! We've scoured the Internet and identified some safe search engines for kids that parents should know. Not only that! We will also examine what makes them unique and suitable for your little ones.

Part 1. What Does Kids Safe Search Engine Provide

Kid safe search engines differ from regular ones by giving special consideration to kids. These special considerations include:

Kid-Friendly Interface

Children may find it challenging to find their way around the web pages. A search engine designed for kids provides an easy-to-use interface for children. One way to do that is to ensure their attractions are presented in clickable forms. That means they can navigate different interests within the search.

As the mainstream search engines like Google, Bing, and Safari do not meet this condition, we don't consider these for you in the following picks.

Age-Appropriate Content

A secure search engine for kids has filter systems that restrict content designed for adults from appearing in its search results. It also prioritizes websites that do not have adult themes in their search results.

Safe Online Environment

The Internet is a meeting point for diverse people, and you want to be careful your kids do not interact with the wrong kinds. A perfect search engine for kids upholds strong privacy laws to safeguard your kids from online predators, blocks phishing, avoids cookies, and more. Meanwhile, it also regulates and prevents advertisements from popping up so kids do not accidentally interact with content above their age.

Peace of Mind for Parents

As a parent, you may want to know your children are safe online, and search engines for kids provide this assurance. You can be at ease knowing that adult content would be restricted from results made available to your kids.

Part 2. Top 8 Safe Search Engines for Kids

After knowing what kid-safe search engines are and what they provide, you might be wondering: which search engines are safe for kids among the numerous options available today? Don't worry! We've curated the top 8 search engines that will not only prevent your kids from inappropriate content but also provide a safe and secure online environment.

1KidzSearch

Kidzsearch is an American child-safe visual search engine that uses Google's safe search technology, complemented by additional filters that screen sites page by page using search terms. Being designed for children, any search term deemed inappropriate is excluded. This kid-friendly search engine comes with various fun tabs and has an impressive academic inclination, which helps your children learn something useful.

Best for ages 7-14

2Kiddle

Launched in 2014, Kiddle is another child secure search engine powered by Google Programmable Search Engine and uses its safe search in addition to term filters. Recently, the search engine has been available for Spanish speakers. The search engine has a layout much like Google's but has no affiliation with the brand. It consists of a simple search bar and a few clickables with some lovely elements, which are attractive for kids.

Best for ages 6-12

3Swiggle

Swiggle uses the latest search technologies, which gives safer access to the latest online content. With 500K child users, this kid safe search engine gives happy searching and provides results that are filtered by Google SafeSearch. Meanwhile, it brings educational resources before other results.

Best for ages 7-11

4WackySafe

Wackysafe is among the most intelligent, safe search engines for kids, as it reads context before blocking a search. The user interface is similar to Google's but uses a child-friendly combination. The search results emphasize kid-related websites and webpages from across the entire web. Navigating through the WacySafe site, it claims that it keeps kids from bad or malicious sites with its 100% safe measures.

Best for all age groups

5KidRex

Powered by Google's Programmable Search Engine, KidRex has a unique theme that would appeal to children like the picture shown below. And your children might be obsessed with its crayon theme, which is even able to stimulate their imagination. Same as KidzSearch and Kiddle, KidRex also uses Google's safe search, and its administrators update the databases of sensitive keywords and phrases regularly.

Best for ages 4-10

6Kidtopia

A product of intensive work from retired librarians and classroom teachers Dr. Michael Bell and Carole Bell, Kidtopia is a reputable, safe search engine for kids. If your kids are in preschool or elementary school, Kidtopia is a go-to search engine that is designed for kids to research elementary school topics and access websites recommended by school teachers.

Best for ages 3-7

7KidInfo

Considered by many as a one-stop learning, KidInfo centers on providing academic help to users. This secure engine for kids functions by providing links to external sites and provides some downloadables. It is important to note that there is no built-in search function within this engine, so your kids won't be exposed to harmful search results and sites.

Best for K-12 students

8FactMonster

As a safe search engines for kids, FactMonster caters to the academic needs of children. Created by the Learning Network and launched in 2000, their objective was to create a search engine to support children's academic work by providing safe references and help with homework. Although there are ads popping up on the screen, they are academic websites helping your children understand subjects with cartoons or games. But pay attention that these cartoons or games are paid.

Best for ages 9-14

Part 3. Which Is the Best One to Choose

Verdict:

Among the eight search engines reviewed, KidzSearch stands as our most preferred search engine. It not only balances all kids' requirements, such as learning, socializing, games, and fun, but also puts all its results and websites under its supervision. The strictness filtering is also strict, so you do not worry.

Of course, if you focus on providing your child with academic help, Kidtopia and KidInfo to the resecure! But pay attention that KidInfo doesn't support search. If you just need to pick an engine that only filters inappropriate content, all of them support.

And here is a comparison table for reference, given that you may want to explore each of them:

Part 4. What If Kids Don't Use Safe Search Engines

This time, let's look at the top challenges your children may face if they fail to use them.

To safeguard your child from these online vices, utilize safe search engines designed for kids. These engines play a vital role in ensuring the safety of your children in both their online and offline experiences.

Part 5. Other Ways to Ensure Your Kids Online Safety

While we advise the use of safe search engines for kids, there are other ways you can secure your kids while online. These are as follows:

Establish Online Guidance

Letting your children understand the importance of privacy and how to identify potential predators is vital. You can talk to your kids about online safety and even draw out a pledge like Kidzsearch for them to read before going online.

Use the Parental Control App

If you are too busy to supervise your kids when they go online, a parental control application called AirDroid Parental Control will be your helpful assistant to help you out. This full-featured parental control tool gives you insight into how your kids are using their devices and provides real-time alerts when your kids are facing potential risks online and offline.

Social Content Detection: Detects harmful content on social media and sends alerts when your kids are potentially facing dangers and cyberbullying.

Managed Browser: Creates an age-appropriate browsing environment for your kids by filtering inappropriate content and blocking damaging websites (This function is not released yet).

How about mirroring your kids' phone, receiving their notifications, remotely checking on them and their surroundings with their camera, and even hearing their voice in real-time? All these features of AirDroid Parent Control keep you informed and involved in your kids' online activities. Just install it first and learn more about how it can help keep your kids safe online.

Check the History

Presently, every application and browser has a history of websites and videos visited or watched by the user. You should know where to find it and go through it occasionally to ensure your kids are not endangered or involved in harmful activities.

Model Safe Online Behavior

Be an example to your kids by showing them practical ways to stay safe online, even when using a safe search engine for kids. For instance, let them know the importance of a strong password to make it difficult for hackers to control their accounts. Show them how to use the Internet responsibly without clicking unknown links.

Final Words

Employing a safe search engine for kids is of utmost importance, which not only prevents your children from accessing inappropriate content but also contributes to their overall well-being. We've compiled a list of the top eight search engines for your consideration so you can choose the one that best suits your child's needs.

While we strongly recommend using safe search engines, consider complementing these efforts with our AirDroid Parental Control. This tool provides comprehensive control over your child's online activities and enhances a more secure online experience.

FAQs about Safe Search Engines for Kids

How Safe Is DuckDuckGo Search Engine?

Elsa

DuckDuckGo Search Engine is very safe for privacy protection. According to TechTarget, the company doesn't store users' IP addresses, track users, or even search histories. But it's not a safe search engine for kids, as there is still inappropriate content.

Is Bing a Safe Search Engine for Kids?

Elsa

Yes. Bing has a safe search setting that ranges from strict, moderate, and off. If your kids are using Bing, you can change this setting as strict in the settings menu, which will not display adult content from search results.

Is Safari a Search Engine Safe for Kids?

Elsa

Yes. But to make Safari safe for kids, you'd better set up something with Screen Time, which helps you efficiently block adult sites or some specific sites you do not permit.

Is Google a Safe Search Engine for Kids?

Elsa

Yes. Google has influenced several other search engines' safety with its Google Safe Search. Many private kids safe search engines run it and only update the database of words to flag during searches.