'Press Packers' file stories when they meet stars

Site editor, Tim Levell, says this allows great flexibility to cover the subjects children are really interested in.

"From the new Harry Potter movie to news about sports stars or the latest crazes, we aim to reflect a child's world, not tell them what adults want them to know."

Explaining world issues

But he says the site won't shy away from doing the big stories. There are guides and fact files aimed at explaining complex world issues simply.

Journalists record every story in audio

"We found that children don't read a huge amount on the web," continues Levell.

"We aim to break up text as much as possible so that it's easy to click around and absorb information."

User interaction is also a big feature of the site.

There are quizzes, votes, news-related games and competitions, as well as message boards and comments pages.

Mike Smartt, editor-in-chief of BBC News Online, says it's a significant addition to the BBC's online presence.

Interactivity is key to the site

"We've proved we can deliver quality news to an audience of millions around the world. We now want children to benefit from the same kind of service."

A design and technical team based at BBC News Online spent nearly a year building the site, and it was tested with children at every stage of the process.

An education facility, providing resources to help teachers use the site in literacy and citizenship lessons, will be launched shortly.

The site's url is http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround.