I wanted a simple and safe search engine for my son. Existing solutions were either too heavy or not really designed for kids.

So I created KidSearch, a small open-source search engine that:

• uses Google CSE for results: it allows me to curate the website list used myself,

• adds knowledge panels powered by Vikidia (the encyclopedia for children),

• is fully static (HTML/JS/CSS only, easy to deploy via GitHub Pages),

• caches results locally to reduce API calls,

• is designed to be clear and usable by kids.

Repo: https://github.com/laurentftech/kidsearch

I originally built it for my son, but I’m sharing it in case other geek parents or school techs want a simple and safe search tool for kids.

I was using a friend's server to experiment with various open source web apps. It was very nice. Free hosting!

Then he installed some kind of filter for his kid that broke everything.

It would be nice to have solutions that protect kids from really harmful stuff, but YMMV on what's harmful. Lies, CT's and hate speech are harmful IMO.

I'll give this a look. I have always wanted tech to be a wise companion rather than your "friend" who offers cigarettes and drugs. Well, that flew out the window a very long time ago.