You've got your computer and your Internet connection. You're ready to roll. But to where?

The Internet has a ton of cool sites for kids and teens: You can play games, ask astronauts space-related questions, find pen pals around the world, even come up with ways to help your community - all by hooking up to the Net.

So, let's take a cyber tour of some of the sites created for kids in middle and high school. Grab your mouse and let's surf! First stop is at Bonus.Com, The Super Site for Kids (www.bonus.com). The site offers more than 500 activities, good for adults to play with their preschoolers or for teens to check out on their own. You can build a dinosaur from a pile of bones, watch skin grow over the skeleton and then see it come to life. Or witness a volcanic eruption.

If you're into outer space, there are several sites that will send you into orbit. Look for Space Exploration Online by the National Space Society (AOL keyword: Space). Here you can learn a bunch about space travel. And if you have any questions, click on the "Ask An Astronaut" button.

A good space spot for simulation games is Space Fleet Online (AOL keyword: Space Fleet). You join a starship fleet as a cadet in training to learn the ropes. You can even be part of the Teen Fleet.

Some sites are more for girls than boys. Go to Girl Tech (www.girltech.com) for a slew of fun buttons, including Chick Chat, Girl's World and Game Cafe. One of the site's unique features: You can send a foreign-speaking friend a letter in her or his own language. A

nother hot spot for girls is Seventeen Online (AOL keyword: 17). It's a lot like the magazine but way more interactive, with plenty of chats, message boards, contests and shopping.

Anyone into video games will probably like Game Pro's site (www.gamepro.com or AOL keyword: Game Pro). You can enter chat rooms to discuss moves, cheat codes and more. Don't miss the Vault, which contains free game demos, picture codes and sounds. The message board is filled with games for sale, tips and more codes.

For a little clowning around, check out the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus site (AOL keyword: Ringling). You can learn about clown college, check out your clownscopes (horoscopes) and see pictures of a new baby elephant that recently joined the circus.

Wanna learn more about your fave celebs, like Tia and Tamara Mowry, Aaron Jackson or Jonathan Taylor Thomas? Check out Celebrity Sightings (www.celebritysightings.com). Get a basic membership at no charge. Or, you can buy the premium membership ($12 a year), which allows you to participate in chats with celebrities and send them e-mail. A word of caution: Don't agree to buy anything over the Internet without your parents' permission.

Plenty of sites are based on TV. Check out PBS Online (www.pbs.org). It has more than just Big Bird and Mister Roger's Neighborhood. You can join a climbing team headed for Mt. Everest's summit, check out adventures from the Book of Virtues, get a look inside the White House and ask questions about animals and Kratt's Creatures by connecting with Chris & Martin Kratt. You can also send your online buddies electronic postcards featuring different characters.

Other stations that feature cool websites include FoxKids (www.foxkids.com) and Warner Bros. Animation (www.kidswb.com).

Nickelodeon goes above and beyond with its site (AOL keyword: Nick). The World Wide Web site (www.nick.com) is coming soon, according to its homepage. Meet Nicktoons animators, play trivia games, check out the live tour dates schedule. Click on the "Sports Theater with Shaq," the "Secret World of Alex Mack," "Kablam!," "All That" and "Ren & Stimpy," just to name a few.

Nick also has a chat area, the Blabbatorium, and live events, like its chats with Rosie O'Donnell or Rocko's Modern Life creator Joe Murray.

Looking for hot new toys, toy show dates, toy news and toy fads, like the Beanie Babies (which have their own site - www.ty.com)? Check out Pangea's site (www.pangeatoynet.com).

For a whole new look at comics, check out DC Comics for Kids (www.dccomics.com).

AOL includes several Christian sites for kids and teens, including Breakaway (keyword: Breakaway) for boys and the Clubhouse (keyword: Clubhouse) for kids 8-12.

On America OnLine, type in the keyword "Kids Only" and you'll find yourself in a world created just for you and your friends. You can check out sports; ZuZu, a kids' newspaper; chat rooms; interactive stories and more.

While you're surfing the Net, remember to look for the button that leads you to "related" stuff. Click it and you'll find even more of what you're looking for.

Got a fave site you'd like to share with us? Please e-mail RoseBoccio(AT)aol.com with the site you like, your name and a phone number where you can be reached and we may use it for a followup story.