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What do Tarzan and the Muppets have in common? Answer: They're both starring in two big summer kid flicks that are set to open within the next six weeks. And thanks to animation, they're also cute, cuddly, and kid-friendly. Before plunking down $7 for the movie -- not to mention even more for the marketing tie-ins -- browse the Web and spend some play dates with your cartoon friends as well as some old animated favorites.

Tarzan

Disney's latest animated adventure, Tarzan, swings into theaters on June 18, but little ones can

get a sneak peek at Edgar Rice Burroughs' king of the jungle at several sites. The film's trailer can be downloaded at Disney's official Tarzan site or at Fansite's Tarzan site. At the latter, kids will find other wild downloads including the movie's posters and a colorful desktop wallpaper of our muscle-bound hero. Disney's Tarzan activity page is still under construction, but there is a Tarzan coloring book that kids can check out.

Muppets From Space

If your kids have had enough of that "other" space movie that invaded theaters a few weeks ago, they may be ready for Muppets From Space, which blasts off on July 14. The official site for Muppets From Space contains a basic plot summary of the movie and the obligatory trailer. For more down-to-Earth Muppet mayhem, moppets will have a field day at Muppets.com, which has enough fun and games to keep them busy for hours. In Eat the Pizza, kids can help that ratso Rizzo eat as much pizza as possible in 30 seconds. The Muppetizer is a sort of translation device for kids -- they enter a phrase and then a different Muppet character will translate the phrase. But the best games involved our favorite porker, the lovely Miss Piggy. In Dress Miss Piggy, youngsters can don the ultimate ham in everything from a pinafore to a wedding dress, and in Paint the Pig, they can add splashes of color to that porcine masterpiece, The Piggy Lisa.

Toy Story 2

As far as we're concerned, the most widely anticipated movie of the year is Toy Story 2, set for Thanksgiving release. If your kids also can't wait for the movie, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Slinky Dog, and all the other toys can be found at The Toy Story Toy Box and, as always, they're ready to play. There are printable coloring books, puzzles, both Shockwave and non-Shockwave versions of Toy Story Concentration match, and a neat maze where kids can help Woody rescue Buzz.

How convenient that the kid flicks that the little ones flocked to see during the last holiday season -- The Rugrats Movie and A Bug's Life -- are available on video just in time for summer vacation. After the kids finish watching the videos the first eight or nine times, they may want to hang around with their favorite characters from both films.

Rugrats Movie

Tommy, Chuckie, and the rest of the Rugrats can all be found, where else but at Nickelodeon's Rugrats Movie site, which is chock-full of downloadable games. You can first weave your way through the maze in Spike's Rugrats Roundup, then join the gang for the Roaring Reptar Wagon Race or help Shirley-lock Homes (a.k.a. bratty Angelica) solve The Case of the Missing Cookies. Those lucky kids with a Shockwave Flash3 plug-in can see what happens to bouncy Baby Dil when he has too much warm milk (it's OK, he only hiccups).

A Bug's Life

If your kids were as buggy over A Bug's Life as we were, they'll have a great time with the many fun Web games and downloads related to everyone's favorite insect pic. Disney.com Games has neat outtakes from the movie as well as video clips, screensavers, and more. Once the kids are done with those, they can test their skills with the Fly Vision Game, Flik's Digital Adventure, and the Burn 'M Again Game.

Babe: Pig in the City

Although he's not animated, kids -- and adults -- go hog wild for Babe, the sweet pig who starred in the Oscar-winning 1995 film of the same name and the less successful sequel Babe: Pig in the City. While Babe's playpen is less sophisticated than those for the other films, kids will probably enjoy printing out the games, coloring books, puzzles, and mazes at Babe's Fun and Games Page.

More Disney Films

Finally, for a mix of great game ideas for both online and offline, Disney Interactive Web Fun has such diversions as the Shockwave-enhanced Swampberry Sling, with Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King; a bouncehouse with Winnie the Pooh and his friends; creating scrolls with Mulan, and instructions on designing your own Bug Board game (adult supervision is recommended).

With so many friends to play with online, your kids shouldn't be bored this summer.