Amazon.com Product Description

In Caillou: Magic Playhouse, kids help Caillou and friends discover hidden treasure in a fun-filled adventure! The play begins with Caillou's babysitter, as she creates a scavenger hunt in the house. Children choose from four exciting themes and then set out on an adventure through the house with Caillou, his cat, Gilbert, his sister, Rosie, and all his friends.

Kids search the house room by room, clicking on items to find the hidden treasure. As they succeed, kids can watch their treasure collection grow. Along the way, they'll find eight laugh-out-loud activities and challenging puzzles. And, for a change of pace, kids can print fun projects to take with them or even make snacks with Caillou.

Designed to build children's preschool and kindergarten skills, Caillou: Magic Playhouse matches a unique set of learning activities with each of the title's four themes. Throughout gameplay, children are encouraged to develop their early spelling and phonics abilities, along with counting, pattern recognition, and computer mouse skills. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Cailliou On Computer
Cailliou Magic Playhouse has its ups and downs.For starters, it has the features and cuteness of the cartoon on PBSkids but not reaching the point that other preschool games reach that keep them playing for hours.Ciallou has the game strategies that your young one needs but they outgrow it and get bored of it faster than your average preschool game.All in all,if you want a game on the preschool level,the Fisher Price (Petshop or Rescue Heros for example)are a better educational and imaginative choice.It meets the requirements kids need and kids even above their age range appriciate the games as well as within the range of 3-6 for the range printed on the box's sake.

Only for children under 3
Caillou Magic Playhouse is very disappointing. The pictures are cute but the games are not challenging. This item says that it is for a 2-6 year old but all except one of the activities is for a child of 2 or younger. My daughter is 3 checked out all the games and except for a run of the mill advanced reading and math game could do all of the games on their hardest settings the first time. She immediately declared this game boring after the first and only time she played with it. Games like Freddie Fish, Madeline and many others she is still playing with after many months because they have challenges, which grow with the child's ability. For example the matching game in Caillou only goes up to 10 pictures which is 5 pairs. A good game, which is challenging would have more pairs as an option. Don't buy this game.

fun (and stable) software for little Caillou fans
Mommy and Daddy are ging out for the evening and Julie is babysitting Caillou and Rosie. Your little one will enjoy wandering through the rooms of Caillou's house, finding clickable objects, 6 treasure hunt objects and 8 activities. Before playing, you select a "theme" -- Sports, Music, Sun & Sand or Nature, which only minimally affects game play, such as the drawings found in the Crafts area.

The games, most of which have three difficulty levels, are: (1) Crafts. You can make pictures or puppets, and choose coloring pages or connect-the-dots, and then print them out. (2) Music. Julie taps a tune on a xylophone and your child repeats it. Difficulty levels vary the number of notes (1, 3 or 5). (3) Cloud Shapes. As the three watch clouds float by, click on those that have a distinctive shape. Difficulty levels vary the number of clouds and whether or not the shapes are partially hidden. (4) Matching. Eight dresser drawers are shown. Match pairs by opening the drawers. Difficulty varies from solid color socks to simple versus more complex patterns. (5) Sing and Dance. Your child can choose from among several songs, then place a dancing Caillou image along the bars of music. When you press 'Play', Caillou dances along to the song. (6) Building Blocks. Use given shapes to construct a toy, then identify the object. Difficulty varies how the object is identified -- by clicking on a picture, overlapping letters of the given name or constructing the name from a jumble of letters. (7) Silly Stories. Determine a story by choosing a character, a place and two objects, then click the 'Play' button to have the story read aloud. Words are highlighted as the story is read. (8) Fly By Butterflies. Catch butterflies in a net by clicking on them. Difficulty level determines whether the butterflies are solid or have a simple or more complex pattern.

I like that the game begins with the familiar song and introduction from the television series, that it is very stable and seamlessly incorporates animated and puppet sequences into gameplay. I also like that these scenes can be interrupted with a mouse click. Instruction screens precede each activity and are clear, though too lengthy for little kids to take in. From any screen you can access help or instructions, or easily back out of an activity, and it's easy to change difficulty levels.

Little ones will probably learn mouse and navigation skills more than they will learn math or reading from this game, but it is entertaining for Caillou fans. Because the instructions can be lengthy, it's important that you sit with your child and play through the game at first. This title is very similar to Caillou Birthday Party -- identical format, different activities.

Great for Toddlers
I found the ability to change the skill level very appropriate for toddlers between 3 and 6 years. I needed to change the speed of my mouse, and suggest that you do also. This allows the little ones to become used to the mouse and allows them the interactivity of this game. It is for those little ones who are fans of Caillou.

Wonderfull Game
I bought this game for my four year old who gets bored easly. I love this game and so does my son. I found that I didn't need to help him at all with this game, the instructions where easy. I think the game over all was great. I even found myself wanting to play it. I like how it was also musical. My 18 month old likes to watch my son play this game. I would recomend it to anyone who wants there children to learn and have fun at the same time. Great Game!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Take a year-round romp through nature's magical playground with Caillou. From winter's snowy wonderland to summer at the seashore, this charming adventure delights kids' senses and tickles their imagination. Drawing on familiar themes and settings like weather and the playground, Caillou: Four Seasons of Fun inspires creative play, imaginative self-expression, and a love of learning. Kids ages 2 to 6 learn the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and more. Plus, kid's animations, fun songs, and printable activities extend the fun beyond the computer. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Rediculously slow on my new Macintosh
This title runs rediculously slow on my new Macintosh. Some of the mini-games take 10 minutes or more to complete (race-a-long, for example)!!! Stay away from this dog.

Season Sensation!
While there are some valid points to the earlier criticsm of Caillou Seasons this is really a fun program that offers kids tons of choices. I bought this for my neice and ended up being the hero of the birthday party. The game is really cute and held her attention as well as bringing about lots of discussion about the various seasons, her likes and dislikes about them and plans for the upcoming fall. It looks like it will be Caillou for Christmas if I want to keep my prefered uncle status going. Just hope my brother and his wife can cope with the theme song that gets stuck in your head.

Love the Seasons
I agree with the reviews that Four Seasons is a little tight, that you're not sure which clothes go with which season(coordinate by color), and when Caillou spins (in the racing game) it's suppose to be a bad thing; however, my son and I LOVE this CD. He is 5, and we love discussing the seasons of the year and learning the exciting characteristics of each. I haven't seen any other software that teaches this. See-saw, build a snowman, rake leaves, ice skate, and roller blade thru the year. As you work thru the activities you collect items for your "Nature Book." When you've completed a season you can print the nature book, staple, and color. My son loves Four Seasons, and I reminisce about going through the seasons in my own childhood. Educational, fun, sweet - you can't miss!

weakest of the three Caillou software titles
We own the other two Caillou software titles and have enjoyed them both, but we are disappointed with Four Seasons of Fun, to a great extent because the potential is here for a really fun game; that potential is not realized, however, due to rigid and sometimes confusing navigation, bugs and less interesting activities.

Whereas the two earlier Caillou games involved wandering around Caillou's house, this title starts inside but spends the rest of the game outside moving around the neighborhood. The look of the area and the activities change according to the season initially selected by the player. So far, so good. However, our iMac freezes about 25% of the time during the dressing segment and, like other reviewers, we find this section confusing -- it's not often apparent, for instance, what specific shirt or coat a child should choose.

Unlike the earlier titles, there is less freedom of navigation. Players proceed in a rigid, linear progression between activities, and game play is not always smooth. Some of the activities are: (1) Race-along, an obstacle course that Caillou must navigate on his skateboard. Your child has to decide whether Caillou should jump over, duck under, or go around various objects. This segment is compelling for preschoolers, but Caillou moves VERY slowly, and if the player doesn't press the appropriate key at precisely the right time, Caillou will have risen from his crouch or come down from his jump too early. At the same time, feedback is not really salient; our little one doesn't recognize that Caillou's "spinning" is a bad thing, and since the player must continue until 7 objects are successfully navigated, this can go on and on. (2) Caillou rakes his way through a letter maze. Tedious. (3) Bouncing ball rhyming. Unimaginative. (4) Snowman Builder, in which the player copies another snowman. First of all, why stifle creativity? Also, when we are in the "Fall" and click on the rake, the narrator still says "Snowman Builder" even though that's not the activity that will follow. Was this beta tested?

All-in-all, we were predisposed to enjoy this game but were ultimately disappointed with it. We will certainly not rush to buy another Caillou title. Better bets for your preschooler are Reader Rabbit, Little Bear, Franklin or Winnie the Pooh offerings. Interestingly, we have found the same inconsistent quality with Zoboomafoo software, another PBS franchise. What gives?

Pros: familiar, beloved characters; interesting premise in a promising setting; seamless cutscenes; multiple levels of difficulty; simple navigation

Cons: rigid, sometimes confusing, navigation; no written instructions; no keyboard volume control; fewer, and less interesting, activities; less stability

This game is fun.
I bought this game for my three and five year old, both of whom love Caillou, and they have not let me near the computer since. I have to limit their computer time because they want to play the game constantly.

My three year old had a little trouble with the interface at first, but the five year old was able to walk her through it. And now she's a pro.

The games are easy enough for the 3 year old to play at level 1 and challenging for the five year old at level 3. They really like the Run and Jump game and the Ball Bouncer rhyming game.

Get this game for your preschoolers! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The Man with the Yellow Hat has promised Curious George a present, but George doesn't know where they are supposed to meet. What's worse, the note the man left for George has ended up in pieces! Putting it back together is going to take a little work... not to mention some help from a clever young friend.

Curious George Reading and Phonics is a five-part activity game designed to teach children ages 3 to 6 the basics of letter recognition, the principles behind sounding out words, and other fundamental reading techniques. As Curious George searches for the scattered pieces of his note, players practice simple spelling, work to distinguish between letter sounds, and sort out words that rhyme. Along the way, they earn bananas that take them, step by step, closer to their meeting with the Man with the Yellow Hat.

For children who are just beginning to learn the alphabet and venture into reading, Curious George Reading and Phonics provides a relatively easy route to skill enhancement. The drills are simple and can be set to one of three levels of difficulty. They are also broken up by low-key arcade sequences that reward success and allow children to take a breather, jumping George around in pursuit of bananas before he hits the next learning hurdle. The light expectations and gentle pace of the game make it a perfect choice for players who are resistant to learning, offering them lots of chances to get it right.

Kids who have already played more intense language games will polish off the drills in this package in short order, but Curious George Reading and Phonics is still a first-rate choice for those looking to introduce a child to educational play. With clean, easy-to-follow activities and familiar, engaging characters, this is a game that will get new readers off to a solid start. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Too hard for the suggested age range.
My son loves the Curious George stories, so we thought this game would be a natural for him. Unfortunately, mechanics of the game play are too difficult even for my 4 year old. If only simple key presses or just mouse movements were used, it would be fine. There are parts of the game where these simple mechanics are used, and these parts are easy and enjoyable for my son. Unfortunately, only the transitions between games when George rides his bicycle use these simple mechanics. (They don't even show George wearing a helmet during the bicycle riding!) The other parts of the game require coordinated key presses of two or more keys, primarily the arrow keys and the space bar. While this is simple for an adult, most 3 and 4 year olds don't have sufficient ability to coordinate these multiple key presses. My son often gets frustrated with this game. Another drawback is that the portions of the game must be done in sequence, so if your child gets stuck on one part, the following parts are inaccesible until the problem part is completed. Overall, the concept is good, but the game mechanics and the implementation of the game make it practically unplayable for most small children without direct parental supervision and guidance.

A mixed bag; some bits great, some not
I bought this for my daughter's 4th birthday, since she wanted a game of her own (her brother is 8 and loves computer games). She is also a big Curious George fan.

The adventures consist of five short phonics games punctuated by a little arcade-style game in which George must 'leap' (using the arrow keys) to capture bananas as he moves to the next location. My daughter had only the slightest difficulty learning to use the arrow keys and the space bar, and now she's got it conquered. I did not have any problems installing or operating the game (on our XP machine).

My problem lies in the widely varying difficulty of the games. The first one involves letter recognition; the second involves picking out the sounds of letters that START words; the third involves sorting 'packages' into those labeled with word that rhyme and words that do not; the fourth involves picking out the sounds of letters that END words; the fifth involves spelling actual words.

Even when set at the easiest level, the rhyming game (#3) and the spelling game (#5) were way over her head. The rhyming game is very speedy; the packages will fall off a conveyer belt if you do not pick them up fast enough, and manipulating the arrow keys in this case was way too complicated. The spelling game, even at the low level, involved silent letters in dipthongs like 'leaf.' She could sound out words like 'dog' just fine but the silent letters left her frustrated.

The game is progressive - you don't move onto the next one until you've finished with the one you're currently on, so getting stuck on #3 led to whimpering and sadness.

Nevertheless, she is constantly asking to play. It's a fine game but you'll have to plan on playing with your kid until he/she can manage the rhyming and spelling alone.

What a waste of money!
I bought this game as a Christmas gift for my twin grandsons, who are three years old and very adept at using a mouse. When we loaded the game, we were shocked to discover that it requires children to navigate using the arrow buttons and space bar, rather than the mouse! (Try to explain that to a mouse-savvy three-year old!)

If this were the game's only flaw, I could have lived with it, since they eventually would get the hang of keyboard navigation. However, once they started playing the game, I was unable to exit from it. Clicking on the exit button produced no results. When I tried to exit by navigating through the windows menu, rather than shutting down, the game instead continued to run -- in two separate versions -- the audio portion only. We had to remove the CD-rom and crash the computer to exit.

Needless to say, this did not make for a joyous Christmas morning! And since we opened the software, we cannot return it to Amazon.[com]

Save your money for a game that preschoolers can actually play, such as Blues Clues Learning Time! ... Read more

Features

• A set of online games and challenges set your child's brain humming, while entertaining them at the same time
• Skills taught include sequencing, matching, and simple classifying
• Kids will have fun picking which things belong together, follow the instructions presented to win the gold star
• Voiceovers help your child get through th elessons
• Personalized printouts let the learning continue when your child is away from the computer

Amazon.com Product Description

Join Caillou and all his friends for a fun-filled birthday celebration! Kids get to help Caillou make it the best birthday ever! They start by choosing from four party themes, complete with their own unique learning activities, presents, games like musical chairs, and, of course, cake! Kids also get to print Caillou party accessories that can be used when their birthday comes along!

Designed to build children's preschool and kindergarten skills, Caillou: Birthday Party's eight fun-filled activities also include puzzles that encourage pattern and shape recognition as well as problem solving. Music and celebratory songs round out the fun with Caillou and friends. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Annoying game with a few positive points
This game could so easily have been better with the slightest bit of effort. Unlike most games this game doesn't remember any of the settings for a particular child. It's not clear to me why they even bother having them sign in. The instructions where played for every game, no matter how many times the game has been played. The next problem was that it doesn't remember what level of the game the child last played at and starts over at level one every time. This is bad for two reasons. One is that many children get comfortable at a level and don't want to move on to the next, more challenging level. The parent ought to be able to change it once and not have to keep changing it every time. Not only that, you have to go into the game to change the level and then it plays the instructions yet again for the next level. It's true that you can click through all that but it's very annoying. Also, what is the point of having the confirmation every time the child leaves a game? It's not like they're going to lose some valuable data. They can just get back in if they want. Being asked all the time is also annoying.

On the positive side, there are enough activities in the game. And there were a few sound-oriented games that I thought were pretty nice and unusual. However, the art project was totally lame. No creativity at all. Just picking things from a menu.

fun and stable software for little Caillou fans
Caillou's friends will be arriving soon for his birthday party, and your little one will enjoy wandering through the rooms of Caillou's house as he gets ready for the big event, finding clickable objects, 6 party hats and 8 activities. Before playing, you select a "theme" -- Sports, Music, Sun & Sand or Nature, which only minimally affects game play.

The games, most of which have three difficulty levels, are: (1) Sound identification. Caillou shakes a present and you determine what it is by choosing from three objects represented. Difficulty level varies whether you select from a set of pictures, words or pictures with words. (2) Melody Match. Create a free-form song or listen to a progressively longer song then recreate it by clicking on the appropriate characters and pictures. (3) Crafts. Design and print party hats, invitations, cards or placemats. (4) Bubble pop. As Caillou takes a bath, you are asked to pop specific bubbles. Difficulty determines whether the bubbles depict colors, shapes or numbers. (5) Rhyming. Grandpa reads a two-line poem with the last word missing, and you choose from among three words to make it rhyme. Words are highlighted as the story is read. (6) Make a cake. Use given layers and decorations to construct a cake, then identify who will get a piece of it. Difficulty varies the number of layers and how the recipient is identified -- by clicking on the full name, overlapping letters of the given name or constructing the name from a jumble of letters. (7) Musical Chairs. Caillou and his three friends are dancing. You click on the person that corresponds to a given color, shape or number. (8) Number Chase. This is a game that Caillou plays against a chosen character. Die are rolled and the difficulty level determines whether Caillou counts, no one counts or two dice are rolled.

I like that the game begins with the familiar song and introduction from the television series, that it is very stable and seamlessly incorporates animated and puppet sequences into gameplay. I also like that these scenes can be interrupted with a mouse click. Instruction screens precede each activity and are clear, though too lengthy for little kids to take in. From any screen you can access help or instructions, or easily back out of an activity, and it's simple to change difficulty levels.

I didn't like that the Number Chase game was confusing and that, during cake construction and name building, the pieces must be placed in order; in the former case, the order is not always intuitive. Also, it would be nice if there were a printed instruction booklet. Little ones will probably learn mouse and navigation skills more than they will learn math or reading from this game, but it is entertaining for Caillou fans. Because the instructions can be lengthy, it's important that you sit with your child and play through the game at first. This title is very similar to Caillou Magic Playhouse -- identical format, different activities.

Excellent!
Keeps the child busy for a long time. They learn but most of all they have fun - what a 3yr old should be doing!

confusing!
I was so very disappointed in this software! My 3 year old who enjoys many different types of software and loves Caillou was disappointed. The pathways from one activity to the next is confusing. In the middle of acitvities he would tap a wrong key and end up in some other activity. Don't buy it.

Eight fun activities and four fun themes
In the Birthday Party, young players join Cailou and all his friends for the perfect birthday celebration entertainingly enhanced with an engaging combination of animation, puppets, music, dance, and live action. The eight fun activities and four fun themes, along with printable "Family Time" projects make for a wonderfully self-directed, game-based, learning experience. The learning of preschool and kindergarten skills was never so much fun! This Calliou gaming CD-ROM package operates on either Windows or Macintosh platforms, and are based on the popular charecters of an award winning PBS KIDS series. Ideal for daycare center, kindergarten, and homeschooling curriculums for children ages 2 to 6. ... Read more

Features

• Children have fun while learning important, age-appropriate skills
• In Pooh Toddler, kids learn letters, colors, and shapes
• In Mickey Toddler, kids discover hidden letters, collect balloons, and more
• Rolie Polie Olie takes kids on a fun learning game
• For kids ages 2 and up

Reviews (5)

Not the best, not the worst
I bought this game for my son who is almost two. He enjoyed it to a point, some of the games are a little hard for him, but he can play most of them. My biggest disappointment is that I will be taking it back this evening because the packaging says it will run on Windows XP, well this is partly true. It will run, but not correctly. I have run into this problem before with trying to find an educational game for my son that will actually run correctly. Overall, though, if it would actually work on my computer, these games would be pretty good.

Disappointing
My son began playing on the computer with BabyWow. After counless hours of learning with BabyWow! he advanced to Reader Rabbit Toddler. Both of these are quality games. Compared to these, Disney Learning Toddler was disappointing.

Fantastic Starting Software
My son started playing this at 16 months. You can hit any key on the keyboard to make something happen or progress to point-and-click. Thanks to the Mickey and Minnie games my son learned his letters and shapes by 20 months. He also amazed us by learning how to point-and-click at 18 months. He's now 29 months and still enjoys playing some of these games but has progressed to Putt-Putt Saves The Zoo.

I have to say that this is one of the best purchases we made for him and it's helped him stay ahead of his playmates when it comes to counting, the alphabet, and his computer skills. Within the coming months we'll probably give the Disney preschool software pack a try.

Bored 4 yr old.
Both programs lack any variation within the games. There is one task and one way to do it. There is far too much explanation for each game on the Winnie the Pooh game. My grandson who will spent hours, if allowed, on the computer was bored in minutes.

Learn ABCs, 123s and much more with Disney Friends!
I bough this CD-ROM 3-pack mainly for the Pooh and Mickey discs (the Rolie Polie Olie disk is not part of thiw review as I was unable to unstall it at the time of the review...an error with the disk, perhaps?). My daughter, who is 27 months old, LOVES both Pooh and Mickey and I thought this would be an excellent way to introduce her to the computer while using interactive methods to teach ABCs, 123s, and much more.

First, the Mickey CD specifics:

* learn letters with Mickey by playing hide-and-seek with six different letters at a time (Mickey says each letter)
* learn numbers (1-10) with Pluto by instructing him to bark at the gophers who pop out of holes holding numbers (Mickey says each number)
* learn shapes with Minnie by helping her find things that are of a certain shape. Shapes included are circle, square, triangle, diamond, and heart.
* explore music concepts with Donald by dragging the mouse over different items in his backyard to make noises
* there are coloring pages that you can print out which focus on the concepts addressed throughout the CD, and more

Pooh CD specifics:

* learn opposites with Pooh as you drag the mouse over different thigns in his house
* learn shapes, colors, letters, and numbers with all of Pooh's friends as you pop balloons containing these things
* help build your memory with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Roo as you try to remember what each character likes (they give you clues and you must guess accordingly)
* explore music concepts with Christopher Robin and Pooh ans 4 of his friends by dragging your mouse over different instruments to make music as well as dragging your mouse over the characters to sing songs
* explore different languages (French and Spanish) with Owl and Roo by helping Pooh choose items from behind a stage and hearing the word in both English and another language.
* there are coloring pages and other printing options based upon the concepts addressed throughout the CD

Rolie Polie Olie CD (some details as shown on box):

* help Olie clean his room and search for Spot
* make music with Oilie in his kitchen
* go scuba diving in Olie's tub
* make "Tellys" out of household items
* mix and match colors in Olie's room

I think this is a wonderful CD-rom set (without reference to the Olie CD, of course)! My daughter LOVES playing the different games on each CD-ROM and frequently asks for "Mickey" and "Pooh" games. she really likes to pop the balloons on the Pooh CD, and likes the shapes with Minnie on the Mickey CD. The best feature is that this game is truly made for young children who don't have the hand-eye coordination to fully operate a computer and mouse. The mouse activates functions on teh CD-ROM not by clicking, but by rolling over things (during play) and keeping the mouse on an item to change between tasks. There are special larger cursors throughout the game as well, so it's easier for littler ones to see what they are moving. And if they can't yet operate a mouse (my daughter just knows how to click the mouse, but hasn't figured out how to make it move yet), tehy can press keys on the keyboard and it will activate different parts in each "game".

I wish I could have reviewed the Olie game, but I will definitely edit my review once I am able to install the Olie game (still haven't figured out why it isn't installing correctly - get an install error each time).

I would definitely recommend this product, in particular if your toddler is already fond of the particular characters in teh game. My daughter was very familiar with (and in love with) Pooh and Mickey prior to purchasing this game, so it's possible that she enjoys it so much because many of her favorite cartoon characters are the "stars" of the game. But as a parent, I think this software is definitely an invaluable learning tool - the familiar characters are an added bonus. ... Read more

Features

• Accelerate the kids' learning by teaching important concepts and vocabulary skills
• Children will learn to recognize letters and letter sounds, and use them in sequencing and logic games
• Voiceovers will help guide your child when he or she is stuck
• A variety of thinking games give your kid a break
• Personalized printouts help the learning continue while children are away from the computer

Amazon.com Product Description

Putt-Putt's One-Stop-Fun Shop provides everything you need to design your own character creations. Create party supplies, personalized stationery, toys, and even paper airplanes. Choose from hundreds of interchangeable pieces of artwork or create your own, then develop and print an interactive coloring book featuring your favorite characters and scenes. You can also make your own adventure stories in a similar fashion, or use the Putt-Putt-o-matic to design your own Putt-Putt. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Terrific!
This program lets children create their own Putt-Putt stuff for any time. There's a printer output limit, and the soft backround music includes new tunes to my knoledge. It's really easy to use and fun. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Color and listen to this dramatic adventure story. This software allows users to create realistic, dimensional scenes using 63 Crayola crayon colors and 18 fun textures. Storytelling features reinforce key listening and vocabulary skills, and storytelling soundtracks on the CD-ROM can be played on your stereo. This product also features an electronic Parent/Teacher Guide with fun educational activities to promote creativity and literacy learning. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

This is wonderful!
This set is fabulous. My 26 month old son has only used the farm and the airport cd so far, but he LOVES them! They both have several games, and he goes from game to game, playing them all. On the airport game you can "build" and decorate your own plane (with "paint" and "stickers" of fish, frogs, turtles, flowers, hearts, stars, etc.), and then it flies around in the background while you continue to play. There are games that revolve around the flight tower, luggage sorting, putting pets on the plane and feeding them, and the weather. There are other little things that make it fun. You can click on a frog and he jumps (and my son erupts in giggles), the windsock becomes a sock or a fish when you click on it, etc. There is an "old mcdonald" song on the farm one, a game that shows how things are planted, grow when watered, and then harvested, you can feed the animals, help the babies get matched up with their mommies, and help the scarecrow say "boo" and scare away the rabbits (more giggles, everytime he says boo). There is a little insect jug band playing in the background on one of the games. It's all very appropriate for toddlers, and there is nothing my son loves more than airplanes, helicopters, and animals. All of which are included! So far, we have been playing with and helping him, but I'm sure there are parts he could do on his own. I highly recommend buying this, and then exploring it with your child to find all the neat little things they've added in addition to just the games (which are great, too). It really makes it fun. By the way, we have a new HP laptop, with Windows XP, and haven't had any problems getting those two c.d.'s to work appropriately.

Fisher Price Discovery Pack
This is a terrific purchase. It was the second software we bought for our daughter after Reader Rabbit Toddler. She was 18 months when we started her on these Fisher Price CD's, and there has been no stopping her since. All three CD's are both fun and educational. She was already proficient in the use of the mouse, and so she was immediately able to enjoy these games, and does so almost endlessly. I only wish I could figure out how to download them so that I don't have to swap out the CD's so frequently. She is now 22 months and can competently handle and play all the activities and games at all three levels. We often hear laughing coming from the den, and its great to peek in on her to see her amusement, and watch her eyes light up has she tries to explain whats going on. My one complaint is I wish I could disable the printer option, even when I turn off the printer, the program powers it up, and she comes running out of the den with her pictures with a big smile of accomplishment like look what I've done. Every day she wants to play more on the computer just for these games. While I don't think boredom will set in any time soon, I am starting to wonder what new software I can get for her 2 year birthday that will continue to challenge her and to keep her entertained. One side note, I have a brand new 2003 gateway computer, and amazingly enough the old Fisher Price Barn program told me I have to upgrade my quicktime version. You'd think the CD would provide what was needed, but it does not. However I had no problem downloading a version upgrade for quicktime and now it works fine.

good for a 3 year old
The first two disks are great as soon as a child begins to understand how to use a mouse (2.5-3yrs old). The airport has much more movie-like introductions and more levels of difficulty which should be good for a 3 year old.

Great for little ones
I have a barely 2 year old and a 4.5 year old.

Ready for School Toddler: With the exception of the rational (as opposed to rote) counting skills and letter recognition, the content of these games is elementary even for my 2 year old. The advantage is that she can focus on learning to use the mouse in a way that will provide her with a lot of encouragement because she knows the answers. The two remaining sections will continue to offer her some educational value when she's more comfortable at the computer. There are two difficulty levels for each activity.

Discovery Airport: Though the activities are somewhat elementary for him, my 4.5 year old loves to play this game because of the theme. The advantage of this game is that there are three difficulty levels, which make it educationally suitable for 2.5 to 4 year olds.

Discovery Farm. Like the Airport game, content is better for 2 - 4 year olds.

All in all a great set for younger children.

Great Toddler Computer Game
I can't say enough good things about this 3 little people disk set. My 3 year old twin boys loved Reader Rabbit Toddler but could not handle many other computer games because they were not able to control the mouse well. The little people Ready for School Toddler CD was so un-intimidating and encouraging. The kids could just push keys on the computer for the animal parade game and other activities would continue even if they were not able to point and click. They felt comfortable and found it so interesting that both twins actually taught themselves how to point, click, and drag with the mouse well using this CD because they weren't frustrated. They love playing all three CDs in the pack. They love feeding the animals, making music, and playing the memory game on the farm CD. Right now their favorite CD is the airport CD. They love building the plane with Michael and printing out a copy of the plane they made. This 3 CD pack is such a great value and has given my children hours of fun. It is educational and has taught them to feel more confident on the computer. If you love Reader Rabbit and are having trouble finding other starter type games for your kids, try this one. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

This colorful keyboard is as cute as they come, but don't expect the included software to get your child's typing skills up to par. Ready to Read is almost entirely mouse-driven--with two exceptions, both of which involve initially using the mouse to move to a specific area. Certainly, the characters are adorable as always, and the phonics games are fun for early readers to play, but it didn't meet our expectations for what a typing/keyboard package should teach.The keyboard itself seems sturdy enough for little ones to happily pound away on, and the contrasting orange and purple keys that differentiate the letters and numbers are most helpful for young learners. In general, the construction seems solid, but there are two areas of minor frustration. The base is flatter and wider than those of most "adult" keyboards, and because of that, the keyboard may take a bit of adjustment for use by adults. Also, the connection cord runs a bit short, so you may find an extension necessary. (Those with a five-pin port also will need an adapter.)

Overall, the smiling faces of Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet cavorting across the top of the keyboard and the intense colors of the background and buttons lend this keyboard a certain charm. A charming addition to the desk of anyone young at heart, it may be a disappointment to parents of younger fans who are looking for a strong teaching tool. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Features

• Makes learning the keyboard fun
• Teaches letter recognition and phonics
• Rewards and surprises to motivate learning and build self-confidence
• Included software places Pooh on your child's computer screen and at their fingertips
• Works with all software

Reviews (3)

Ment for children.
The keyboard is ment for children. adults may find it hard to use. However, my child gets a kick out of the wonderful colors. My suggestion would be to have it hooked up for your child then just plug in yours when yu want to use it. I find it durable and great for babies and toddlers. my six month old loves to just bang on the keys. Then it wont ruin my keyboard.

No keyboard learning here!
My child is 3 and has good mouse skills, so I thought this product is the next logical step. Good thinking, bad choice. The software is all mouse driven. My child played for 2 hours and was not encouraged to use the keyboard even once. My child kept asking when it would be time to use the keyboard so I took it to the highest skill level only to be let down. My child fell in love with the keyboard instantly so I cannot return it now. I don't want anyone else to make the same mistake.

Don't buy this keyboard if you plan to use it to type.
I bought this keyboard to use as my regular keyboard at work. (Some of us like to think of ourselves as young at heart). I was extremely disappointed by the quality of the keyboard, though -- I can buy a better-made keyobard for $ at Fry's. The construction is flimsy, some of the keys were sticky, the spacebar is poorly designed and must be hit in the exact center to work, the keyboard cable is only about a foot long, and it wobbles back and forth on the desk when you try to type. I seriously doubt the manufacturer's claims about its "kid-proof" durability.

As for the software, I tried installing it on Windows NT, but the installer crashed while trying to detect my operating system. So much for that. It's about on par with the rest of the experience.

As long as you don't try to use it, the keyboard is very colorful and fun-looking, and I'm sure kids would like it. If you're thinking about buying one for your child, though, don't think that you can set it up on your home computer in place of your regular keyboard, because it's terrible for anyone who types more than about three words a minute. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Recognizing that there are many ways to learn and that children can use different intelligences to comprehend a skill or concept, the JumpStart Advanced series provides a personalized learning environment that suits how each child learns best. In addition, the JumpStart Advanced series offers greater play value with an enhanced motivational game-reward structure that empowers kids to create and express their creativity, along with fun activities that encourage active learning to reinforce skills beyond the computer, and advanced curricula to better prepare kids for the next grade. A valuable new feature in this series is more sensitive skill leveling that automatically adjusts gameplay and educational content to each child's increasing abilities.

In JumpStart Advanced Preschool, kids help Frankie organize an adopt-a-pet program and place seven baby animals in new homes. As kids successfully complete curriculum-based games in JumpStart Advanced Preschool, they can earn toys, treats, grooming supplies, and lullabies, and care for their chosen pet. Once all four reward items are collected, the child can take the baby animal to its new family. As a thank-you, the new family will send the child a postcard that they can add to their scrapbook. ... Read more

Features

• Provides superior interactive game play tailored to each child's individual learning style
• Fun activities that encourage active learning through movement games
• Skill leveling that automatically adjusts game play and content to each child's growing abilities
• Enhanced motivational game reward structure
• Advanced curriculum to better prepare kids for the next grade

Reviews (4)

Ok but not great
I think the makers of this game tried to accomplish too much by attempting to cater to children of too many ages. My two year old loves the songs (the quality of the recordings is great) but they are too fast for him to sing along. He's learning how to use a mouse but this game doesn't allow you to drag items in the traditional way and that's very frustrating for him. The games are challenging for him because he's just beginning to show an interest in numbers and letters but I can't imagine him wanting to play this when he's 4 which is the sentiment of some other reviewers that have older children. I think an early 3 year old child would get the most out of this game.

Absolutely Worth the $$
I bought this for my almost 4 year old. She played it joyously for about 3 weeks. The songs are great in it, and the graphics are beautiful; the pets are adorable, you earn rewards so you can feed, pet, brush, and play with each different pet. If your child needs to learn to use a mouse, this is a perfect, throughly enjoyable game. My almost 4 year old, now, is bored of it, though; it's not challanging enough - does not advance to a high enough level for a four year old. But since it is 'preschool' it's done its job. My 4 year old has her choice of about 40 (yes forty) different educational games that range from preschool to grade 2 and she loved this one the best out of all of them. If you want to purchase this as a gift for someone who has a 2-3 year old, your gift will be the hit of the party, and the whole year, in fact. It's extremely well-done. Children advance quickly in home computer games -- faster than they do in school because they have so much time to access it. So even a 3.5 year old would adore it. What is important, i found, was this game gave my child the emmense *confidence* to throughly learn a _whole_ game! Something her 5 1/2 year old sister does on a routine basis. It would take a two or just-turned-three year old a good long while to tire of this game. Of all the jumpstart and reader rabbit games i have bought, this one was kindest, gentlest, and most entertaining (the "I am a Horse" song is worth the cd alone.)

A nice feature added to the 'advanced' jumpstarts is the 'assesment test' -- which, after you childs name is typed or clicked into the box at the beginning of each game -- you can click on and you child can take a quick 'test' to determine which level the game should set each catagory of learning at. Each catagory (shapes, music, colors, alphabet) can be set at a 1-3 level. When you take the self-assesment test, the computer will show you what level your childs responses earn her. And then will autmatically adjust to each level for you, or you can over ride it and set them yourself manually. All the Advanced jumpstart products have this. It's helpful to a parent. There is also a 'report card' like thing inside which shows what part of the game your child is playing and how many guesses and right responses she or he is earning. In preschool it's a nice feature, but as you go up in Jumpstart Advanced, it's a real eye opener as to what your child is doing and learning.

Do not confuse this Jumpstart program with any other jumpstart preschool versions. All versions differ completely. It must say Jumpstart _Advanced_ preschool. It is only one disc. Highly recommended. I can't wait to move her on to the Jumpstart Advanced Kindergarden game. I have the Jumpstart Advanced Grade One and her five 1/2 year old sister loves it!

THE BEST PROGRAM OUT THERE FOR LITTLE ONES!
I GOT THIS PROGRAM FOR MY 5 YEAR OLD NEICE RIGHT BEFORE SHE STARTED KINDERGARTEN AND SHE LOVES IT MORE THAN ANYTHING!
IT IS A GREAT TOOL TO START OUT WITH BEFORE THE KINDERGARTEN ONE BECAUSE IT BUILDS THEIR CONFIDENCE AND SETS THEM UP FOR SUCCESS WHEN THEY REACH FOR THE NEXT LEVEL.IT IS ALSO VERY GREAT IF YOUR CHILD LOVES ANIMALS AS MUCH AS MY NEICE! SHE IS VERY AWARE WHEN SHE'S BEING TAUGHT AND DRILLED BY OTHER PROGRAMS AND HATES IT, BUT WHEN IT'S DONE HERE IN THE MOST CLEVER WAY YOU'VE EVER SEEN SHE LOVES IT AND LOVES LEARNING! IT HAS EVERYTHING YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO GET A SOLID FOUNDATION THAT IS CRUCIAL BEFORE MOVING ON. MY NEICE HAS TRIED THE KINDERGARTEN ONE AND SHE DOESN'T LIKE IT AS MUCH RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE KINDERGARTEN ONE HAS RACE CARS AS THEIR REWARD FOR LEARNING AND SHE WOULD PREFER WORKING FOR PET SUPPLYS THAT YOU GET ON THE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM. WE LOVE THE MUSIC,THE ANIMALS,THE LESSONS, THE REWARDS, THE GRAPHIC DETAIL,AND THE WHOLE PROGRAM!

Cute, but below preschool level
This is a definite improvement over the previous versions. The pet aspect is really cute and the colors/graphics and activities are better. Although this is called "preschool", the age says "2-4". This is definitely at the lower end of preschool...I think it is more accurate to call it "Toddler". My four and a half year old daughter, who is in preschool, loves playing with the pets, but there is absolutely no challenge for her to learn. It is way too easy, so I went out and bought the kindergarten version which is more appropriate for her age. Again, my mixed review is it's cute and improved, but if your child is over 3 years old and knows her A,B,C's, skip to the kindergarten one. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Preschool Excelerator is a suite of four CD-ROMs featuring more than 25 individual lessons and 200 activities that are both entertaining and educational. These titles are designed to engage your child's attention and help his or her confidence grow as new skills are mastered. This package is comprised of Millie & Bailey Preschool, More Bugs in Boxes, Alphabet Express, and Grown-Up Gabby in Once upon a Time.

• Millie & Bailey Preschool gives kids a whole playroom of fun. Build a house for a mouse using different shapes and sizes. Type on the Letter Machine and watch letters and words come to life. Supportive characters inspire curiosity and build confidence as kids explore. Activities include Make-a-Story, Card Making, and Number Machine.
• More Bugs in Boxes features adorable animation and ear-tickling sound effects while building an interest in insects among kids. Catch colored bugs, memorize bug music, and read along in a bug-filled book. Quick installation and easy-to-follow instructions make this program a snap for children.
• Alphabet Express introduces friendly critters who teach the ABCs and the skills required to spell and read. Engaging lessons inspire letter learning with shapes and sounds, while animated cartoons reward correct answers.
• Grown-Up Gabby in Once upon a Time lets kids join Gabby on a trip to the store to find the perfect book. While choosing your favorite, learn about letters, words, and alphabetical order. Follow along to a story about Stanley the spider and his journey in the backyard. Earn an extra book when you correctly solve each activity.

Reviews (10)

Preschool excelerator is a great program!!
I bought this 4 cd programmes for my son, and I must say that he is having a great time with them. He seems to have Alphabet Express and Millie and Bailey's Preschool as his favourites. I bought this program while he was in preschool and now that he is kindergarten, he has a good grasp of many activites he is being taught now. Thanks to the preschool excelerator. The good thing is that he is still interested in these activities and I would recommend this program to anyone with young children....I haven't regretted buying it.

My son loves it
I bought the preschool excelerator 2 years ago. At that point, I already had quite a lot of computer games for my 3 year old, but this one was on sale and I couldn't resist. It has to be one of the best purchases I ever made for my son. He loved 3 of the four CDs in there: Millie and Bailey Preschool, More Bugs in Boxes, and the Alphabet Express. All three are wonderful games that are just as good or better than the Reader Rabbit or Jumpstart games. I would say that my son spent about 30 hours total on the Millie and Bailey, 40 on Alphabet Express, and about 100 on More Bugs in Boxes! He was so much in love with that game and just couldn't seem to get sick of it. More Bugs in Boxes teach reading, logic, sorting, music with all these weird "bugs" such as the basketball bug or the strawberry bug. The Alphabet Express is a train program and my boy love trains. They drill the ABCs into the kid with a dozen ingenious ways. I must say that the Alphabet Express doesn't have cute creatures like the Reader Rabbit. The critters in there are sort of ugly, but my son doesn't seem to mind. The Millie and Bailey Preschool is a more straight forward game of teaching the ABCs and numbers. I use it now to homeschool my son who is 5 and very slow at learning his ABCs, despite all the wonderful alphabet games he played (I own about 15 total!). I make him play Millie and Bailey every day by clicking all the letters and numbers in the order I prescribe. When he's done he gets a snack. He started out knowing about 6 big letters. He's been doing "school" for two months now and he knows 18 big letters, 18 small letters, and 20 numbers from 1 to 30. Another month, and he should be ready to do Reader Rabbit's I can read with phonics!

The last CD called grown up Gabby is a nothing, but no matter; the 3 good ones are great enough to worth buy the set. I highly recommend this product.

preschool excelerator
This 4 cd set has provided many hours of entertainment for our granddaughter. We got this for her before her third birthday and she is now 3 1/2 and still loves it. Her mouse skills have improved as many of the skills she practices in the different programs. The graphics and music are enjoyable for all ages.

My girl doesn't care for these programs and neither do I
My four-year-old daughter plays a lot of educational computer games on a regular basis and has fairly high expectations on graphics and entertainment value that a game should provide. These activities are educational but lacking high-end graphics and a competitive game-winning environment. She only plays these when I put them into the computer and tell her, "It's time to try this one again." I suggest you spend your software budget on other programs.

Not very good
My son who is 4 yrs old loves pc games- he doesn't care for any of the 4 cd's. He didn't find them to be very much fun, he lost interest after a short time. I regret purchasing this! ... Read more