Can you remember the first website you ever went to? My family hooked up WiFi in our house when I was eight years old, and after that I was obsessed. Every night I would go home and play tons of games on the computer. I recall one time on vacation I snuck downstairs into the computer room in the hotel to play the Kim Possible video game. Phones are the apparatuses of generations today, but when I was a kid, many children relied on their 50 pound computer and insanely slow WiFi to bring them entertainment. Here are some of the most nostalgic gaming websites that kids born in the 2000s used.  

1. Webkinz: This gem was very popular in the early 2000s, when kids had to go to the store and buy stuffed animals. They could then proceed to use their code and go online to play as their new furry friend. It was not uncommon for children to spend hours buying their pets clothing, mining with Arte at the Curio Shop, buying furniture for their pet’s house, learning at the Kinzville Academy, or simply going to the Tournament Arena to play against other members. This hoppin’ website was a staple in numerous households over the years, and its complex yet simplistic nature is unparalleled by any other game on the internet. 
2. Poptropica: With over 40 islands to explore and finish, how could children not love this game? Each kid I knew could complete at least one island on this website purely from memory (mine was Superhero Island). It was unique because it made children think and play games at the same time. Whether you had to fight an evil villain, travel through time to meet Ben Franklin, or get a coconut to kill a shark, this game always kept you on your toes. 
3. Girls Go Games: This game may be divided along gender lines, but I know as a kid I could never stop playing games on this website. Between hair styling, clothing matching, and racing, this website had almost everything I looked for in video games. Their pink theme did not deter me in the slightest, and I perused their selections almost daily, looking for a new game. 
4. Club Penguin: Unfortunately, the old website has shut down, but there are newer renditions that can recreate some of the original excitement. There was always something going on in Club Penguin. With all the karate and club hangouts, Club Penguin was a daily happenstance. Watching our puffles grow and interacting with other members kept us coming back for more. You could always “Rock the Iceburg” or play games like ice fishing, cart surfing, or have a sled race!
5. Miniclip : This website housed some of the greatest games ever created. Fancy Pants was one of the most challenging games of my youth, yet I’d still play it today and be fully invested into its amazing graphics, complete story-line, and action packed play through. Worthy foes and colorful pants made this game one of the best on the website. Many more were just as addicting, but Fancy Pants was the primary reason I always visited that website. 
6. Cool Math Games: Of course, how could I possibly leave out one of the most celebrated websites in the history of our youth? Teachers, parents, and others would get conned into letting us play on this website because of the word “math” in its title. Meeblings, Run, Bloons Tower Defense, Coffee Shop, Fireboy and Watergirl, and many others reigned over our free time and recesses on the computers. Some people still play it today, and I can understand why.  

Sometimes we need to reminisce back on the simpler times in life, where our only frustrations were that we didn’t have enough money for a virtual shirt, or that our avatar fell in the same hole for the 50th time in a row. We can sometimes take for granted how fun it is to have a youthful mindset. Maybe we could learn a lesson from children’s lighthearted demeanors and remember to enjoy the small things in life. 

Click the titles to find links to each of the websites.