Now that the school year is underway, are you looking for a family computer for your kids? What do you really need and how much should you spend? Desktop or laptop? Mac or PC? This month, we look at the best options for getting the family technology up and running...

School shoes? Check. Lunch box? Check. CD-Roms? Check. If you're looking for some educational programs that will support your child in the new school year, we've rounded up five of the best this month.

You may be looking for extra tuition in difficult subjects, like reading or math. Or you might want to develop their keen interest in languages or graphics. There are computer programs for all types of learning, but are they always worth the investment?

Have your children been pestering you to pay for a website membership? Is it really worth the monthly fee, and what are the best websites to keep holiday boredom at bay?

This month, we've put some of the most popular kids websites to the test.

What fits into a Christmas stocking, is both fun and educational, and might just take the edge off school holiday boredom?

This month, we review five popular software games for all interests and age groups. From Star Wars to The Fairies, the key is to find something that will challenge and interest your child while they learn and develop their skills.

As friendships move out of the playground and onto the internet, Sara Howard examines the latest thinking and offers some ground rules for children's use of social networking sites.

Hands up, who uses Facebook? It seems most people fall into the love it or hate it camp, and I'll confess I'm definitely in the former.

But when should our kids start using social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, or even those designed for children? Now that my eldest has suddenly become addicted to Club Penguin, and made 'friends' with Pretty7829, should I be setting rules about it?

It was a timely decision. The current obsession in our house is GoGo's Crazy Bones (they're like jacks if you haven't caught up with us yet) and so my seven year old and I decided to look online for some GoGo games.

Nanoseconds after typing in 'GoGos games', up pop 2,950,000 results. He happily clicks on the first one - only to find a page dedicated to go-go girl dancers. Uh oh. Not exactly what we expected...