When you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, the answers are pretty typical. Some say fireman, others policeman. Sometimes they'll say they want to be an astronaut or maybe a veterinarian. But no 10-year-old ever says he or she want to work for the CIA.

But the Central Intelligence Agency is trying to change that with a Web site tailored specifically to kids.

The site began, said Tom Crispell, a spokesperson for the CIA, in 1998 when President Bill Clinton challenged every government agency to create a Web site that explained its function to America's youth. Since then, he said, children grades kindergarten through 12th, have come to the site to find out more about foreign countries, do research for school projects and possibly even investigate a career at the agency.

"It is meant to be a vehicle to explain who we are and what we do in a way that's entertaining and fun," Crispell said.

Education seems to be key for the site and the world fact book is its most popular section. Crispell called the fact book "one-stop shopping for information about countries throughout the world." It details facts — none of which are classified of course — garnered by the agency that include everything from how many Internet service providers Thailand has to whether Andorra has an airport with a paved runway.

There are also pages dedicated to legendary spies, including a woman, known only as 355. She spied, even while pregnant, on the British who were headquartered in New York City during the Revolutionary War. But she was eventually captured, possibly because of information provided by Benedict Arnold, and died in childbirth. She never revealed her true name to save her comrades still in the field.

For kids who want to learn more about the CIA itself, there is a section dedicated to telling them the types of information gathered, what it takes to work for the agency and how espionage works in language they can understand.

Of course, there is also fun stuff too.

No CIA site would be complete without cool spy gadgets and the virtual CIA museum has pictures of things used by spies in the past and present. Exhibits include a hollow silver dollar used to transport messages, a micro dot camera that can reduce pictures to the size of a pinhead and pamphlets used during the Persian Gulf War reading "This location is subject to bombing" and "Leave your equipment, save yourselves," in Kurdish.

CIA's Canine Corps also get their very own part of the site. Kids can download and print their favorite dog's badge, see pictures from their training camp or watch them do tricks.

Games like, "Try a Disguise," give kids a more hands on experience. In it users outfit a cartoon CIA agent in clothes that would be appropriate to a particular mission. For example, if the agent is posing as a doctor, kids must drag a stethoscope and white coat using a mouse to dress him.

There is also a geography quiz, world puzzles using spy lingo and code breaking games.

Crispell said so far the site's been a success.

"We've had very positive feedback," he said. "because we made a real effort to make it (the site) as user friendly as possible and to give kids an idea of what it's like to be in the CIA."

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