Amazon.com Product Description

Children ages 2 to 4 join their favorite Little People friends for a day of fun and learning at the Little People Discovery Airport. Players visit the control tower, help sort suitcases onto planes, learn about the weather, and even build and paint a new airplane! Five activities teach colors, shape and number recognition, differentiation skills, spatial relationships, and logic. The Little People characters and Pilot Paula will keep children busy for hours as they encourage imaginative thinking and curious exploration. Together they will discover an airport full of fun and wonder. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Creative & intellectually stimulating
Intended especially for preschool children ages 2 to 4, Little People Discovery Airport a creative, intellectually stimulating, and very highly recommended educational software package that helps teach preschool through first grade children about colors, shapes, sizes, number recognition, spatial relationships, cause and effect, and more. The playful and multi-ethnic child characters featured add warmth and appeal. With five different activities, multiple difficulty levels, printable activity Fun Pages, and a colorful and friendly setting, Little People Discovery Airport is a quality experience to share at home, during day care, or in preschool. The teacher edition contains a CD-ROM for use on two computers; also available for this title are a lab pack ($149.95), a site license ($325.00), and an add-on licence ($10.00).

Great first game
My son recieved this when he was 2 1/2 as a gift. It was one of his first games and he ,one year later, still plays this game on a daily basis. He sings the song at the beginning, loves making the airplane and seeing it fly across the screen and enjoys the animals. I highly recommend this game.

stable, sunny software for preschoolers
This software installs easily and is very stable. A main screen shows five Little People characters at work; each one leads to an activity -- sorting luggage to be loaded on the plane (three difficulty levels vary in sorting by color, shape or multiple features); putting animals in carriers (levels vary by relying on simple number recognition, counting or identifying numbers verbally); designing, building, painting and decorating an airplane; using arrow keys to navigate mazes that vary in complexity; and matching airplanes that vary by one, two or verbally-identified features.

Kids are fascinated by planes and airports, and this software keys in to those activities little ones find of interest. Happy songs, friendly characters, and cute puppies and kittens will charm your child, though the game is probably not challenging enough to hold their interest for hours of play. Our toddler enjoys playing this occasionally but gets bored after a time and puts it away for awhile before wanting to see it again. Despite a lack of overall challenge, there are a couple of very nice touches: in level 3 of the luggage sorting, the child determines which of multiple features will determine the sets; after a child has built and designed an airplane, it appears flying across the sky whenever the main screen is visited; and the child's name appears on a banner being pulled behind an airplane.

Pros: easy navigation, stability, multiple difficulty levels, printable activities, lots of positive feedback

Cons: no keyboard volume control, no written instructions, confusing sign-in, not entirely engaging, maybe a bit too much positive feedback

Great for 2.5 year old new computer user
This is a great program. This is my two and a half year old daughter's favorate along with reader rabbit preschool. She has about ten games and these two hold her interest and she can play them by herself with no help. She got a computer for Christmas so is very new to computing.

Great Supplement to the Little People Discovery Airport Toy
I bought this for my 4 year old twins and my 2 year old little girl. I also bought them the Little People Discovery Airport Playset for Christmas. The twins love to play the games on the computer and then go play with the playset. The computer games gives them ideas for play. My 2 year old can't handle the mouse, but she loves to watch her brothers play. They games are pretty easy for my twins, but they still like to play them. If your kids love Little People, they will like this game. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

mediocre software for avid Rescue Heroes fans only
Meteors have hit the planet, resulting in a series of widely scattered emergencies that require the Rescue Heroes to intervene -- and they need your help!!

The graphics are good, the intro is exciting .... but after that the game is totally mediocre. Four activities have three levels of difficulty, but they are quite tedious no matter what level you play. (1) Move around a water maze to rescue people in a flooded movie studio, and shoot a life preserver over a moving line of floating objects. (2) Navigate a maze on a rock face as you rescue stranded climbers while avoiding vicious eagles and snakes. (3) Aim a hose at brush fires so you can find and rescue animals on an African preserve. (4) Snowboard down a ski slope without hitting the shrubbery so you can dig people out from under an avalanche.

The hype is here, but the games are very boring. Your child has little flexibility or independence when performing tasks, and those tasks probably use only 2% of your child's brain power. For example, in order to dig people out of the avalanche, you click on the snow cave over and over, it doesn't matter where, until the person trapped within tells you how great you are -- and every time it's the same person in the snow cave. Each game is rather mindless in this way. There is little reasoning required and no skills acquired.

This is lame software that has neither educational value nor excitement. When there are so many worthwhile children's software titles out there, don't waste your money or your child's time on this lazy stuff. It may be worthwhile for the truly avid Rescue Heroes fan, but even that is doubtful. This was our first Rescue Heroes title. It is also our last.

Lava Landslide
I gave this game to my son as an early birthday present. He's almost four and loves the Rescue Heroes. The reviews I read were mixed so I decided to buy it anyway. I'm really glad I did. Sure it's challenging, but it's a good excuse for the parents to get involved. First I did the hard parts for him, to show him what needed to be done. Then I guided him through them and finally he ended up doing it all by himself. He was so proud when he accomplished the hard tasks that he couldn't do at first!

Unlike most computer games this one requires the use of the arrow keys instead of the mouse. Well, it's always nice to learn new skills.
I can't wait to give my son the two other RH games I baught for his birthday. I have no doubt he'll love them too.

Inaginext Pirate Raider
I gave it a 1 because they did not have a 0, to give. I bought this game for my son and I try to install it and it tells me that it has encountered an error. I go to the web site and it tells me what to do with that error, but after I do what it told me it does the same error thing again. My son and I both got so frustrated and finally gave up. I am returning it to the place where I purchased it for a full refund. Good luck for those of you that also bought this Horrible Game.

Frustrating game for my almost 5 yr. old
I agree with other reviews that the mouse clicking is very difficult. It's difficult to maneuver the men around. My son tried for a few minutes, became so frustrated, I finished the one mission, but couldn't get him to do any more. Would recommend the I Spy software - ages 6-10, but he loves it! Don't have to know how to read.

Yeah Pirate Raider!
My 7-year-old LOVES this game. He'd play from sun up to sun down if I let him. I hear him cheering and clapping in the other room and he's having so much fun!
I'm VERY anti-violence, so when he got this game I was concerned. I was pleased to discover that although the ships sometimes fire on each other, no people are ever involved. This makes it so much more abstract and less about killing. When you capture forts, you fire on canons only and never see people. When you capture other ships, your knife is used only to chop up fruit that's thrown at you by skeletons. Once you capture their gold, you're on your way to fulfill another mission.
Frankly, this game is so much fun I have to admit to playing it myself! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Stuart Little, that lovable, little mouse with a big personality, is back for more adventure, fun, and learning. This double CD-ROM set offers kids, ages 3 to 7, two amazingly fun titles: Stuart Little: His Adventures in Numberland, and Stuart Little: His Adventures in Wordland. Filled with 29 learning activities covering math, language arts, and critical-thinking skills as well as award-winning content designed by educators, kids will revel in a range of adventures and heroics with Stuart and friends. And for parents, progress-tracking tools and reports let you celebrate your child's learning victories. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Wonderful!! Real learning in a fun environment.
Of all the educational software my girls (currently in kindergarten) have played, this is easily my favorite - and theirs too. Much more engaging than similar titles in the JumpStart and Reader Rabbit series.

First, there is more variety in the two CDs in this package than in similar educational software for this age. And the activities are more compelling and less repetitive. My girls are sticking with each activity for a long time rather than always moving on to the next one because the current one gets boring quickly.

Also, this software has competitive games that can be played with the computer or with another player (a child or a parent.) So I get to play. And some of these games actually involve some strategy. For example, in one game, each player controls two pieces that have to move from the start to the finish. The player has to determine which piece should be moved since different actions will result after the move is made. Also, this game uses two dice, so the child gets used to quickly adding two numbers (shown as dots) instead of relying on a spinner pointing to a single number.

Next, the production quality is very high. The games and activities use a 3D environment, and are always interesting to look at. My kids frequently say "Cool" when they see the special effects.

One more item: This game uses the metaphor of Stuart Little's "brainpower" (visually filling in areas of his 'brain') to keep track of what activities have been played and how much more is needed to get a special reward. My kinds understand this, and it motivates them.

I think this is a great kids title. My kids do too.

this IS the best ever-- and no wonder why
I got Stuarts Adventures for my three grand daughters and what a success. This game is amazing and like nothing we have ever seen before. There is a scale model of an ancient sailing ship where the children can play, and a scale model of an old steam engine the children ride to a mining town. The adventures are fun for young kids and must have been tested with lots and lots of young children. There is pretty music from different countries, and games with a lot of refreshing variety, cute rewards, and great content. In one game the child learns the letters that begin the names of beautiful children from many cultures. As the game progresses these children whose letters and names are being learned are seen in their own cultures. The game culminates with the child learning famous landmarks on each continent and seeing where these different cultures are located on a world map....an amazing example of the way gifted kindergarten teachers can teach language in a cultural context. The highest level rewards are meaningful because as the child moves through the games they accumulate "brain power" that lets them create toys on one CD, and on the other that lets they decode a mystery note so Stuart can follow his aunt Polly on an adventure. Its SO addictive, and the kids learn SO easily and don't get tired of it, that I became curious about who could have created such a masterpiece. I went to the website on the box (and also the interactive manual on the CD)and read all about it. These games were made by a research and development team at a top university. The team was a cognitive psychologist, two developmental psychologists, a linguist, an art teacher, a prize winning composer, an experienced kindergarten teacher, and several computer scientists and graphic artists. This is why the games keep the attention of kids and actually teach them things that coordinate with school. It must be why it all appears so hand crafted and beautiful. This is a really great achievement and I agree with the other review I read here. Its the best value to date -- and its no wonder why!

It never ends! A great learning tool, but a game for kids
This is the best value in computer software to date. The games never end and are incredibly educational. But your kid will never know it! The games include board games, dot to dot, matching, tetris-like adding game, crosswords and more. My daughter can't get enough of it. We read the reviews and yes, I'll agree it is advanced for a 3 yr old. My daughter is 4 and recognizes her letter (but doesn't yet know their sounds) and knows numbers by sight up to 10. If your child doesnt know their numbers or letters you'll have to play with them. But isn't that fun, too?! Really, this is a great game.

A Little hard for 3 year olds
My three year old enjoys seeing Stewart on the computer, but I think she doesn't understand the concept of most of this game.She likes doing the dot-to-dots and then coloring them but it was to hard for her.I found no setting to make it easier for her to play.

If there were academy awards for educational software...
If there were academy awards for children's educational software, Stuart's Learning Adventures would win all the Oscars -- for best educational content, for best graphics, for cleverest characters, for best motivation for kids, for best music. This was a spectacular surprise. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

If You Want To Disappoint Your Child Buy This Game
Being the purchasing parent, I got to play the Waste Your Money game with Disney. I like The Wiggles, I have no problem sitting through hours of Wiggley fun, but goodness gracious Disney Interactive! How could you allow this to be put on the market - for 20 dollars no less? My son actually said to me, "Daddy, it's not doing nothing?" (I'll work on his use of double-negatives later) Uhh, Merry Christmas Son?!? It offers NO stimulation for the childs mind and has NO entertainment value. Basically, it's the PC game equivalent of a cardboard cut-out.

Let me give you an example of how bad it is: You can choose to watch three little Wiggles video clips, well, the problem is when The Wiggles sing their mouths don't match-up to the song being played - none of the three videos are in sync! I mean seriously people?!?

The one good thing about Wiggle Bay is that it gets my son off the computer. Now THAT'S worth 20 dollars.

Don't Waste Your Money!
Trust me when I say, don't waste your money, this game is not worth it no matter how much of a Wiggle fan your child is. My son is a huge fan so I got this for him thinking it would be the perfect thing to introduce him to the computer. After we played each game just one time he was bored and wanted to get down to go play and that isn't like him when it comes to anything dealing with The Wiggles, he eats, breathes, and sleeps The Wiggles.

Should have been called "Dorothy's Cheap Mini-Games"
The voice of Dorothy the Dinosaur provides instructions as you navigate around an island-shaped menu of 8 mini-games. Unfortunately, the games themselves (Tic-Tac-Toe, simple jigsaw puzzles and mazes, etc.) are very short, unimaginative and look cheap. They are of the quality that you can easily find for free on websites like Nick Jr., Playhouse Disney, or PBS Kids.

One of menu options isn't even a game at all - it's just 3 short clips from the "Wiggle Bay" video. Another game where you water four of Dorothy's flowers, is actually quite frustrating -- each plant starts dying if you remove the water for more than a split-second, so the only way to get them all to bloom is to be in a ridiculous constant motion.

And besides those three video clips, the Wiggles themselves are barely present at all in the game. Comic-book-style renderings of their faces appear on the screen, and you'll hear an occasional "Hi I'm Jeff" or "You're very good at this game", but Dorothy is the voice who provides all the instructions.

Overall, a very disappointing product.

NOT WHAT I EXPECTED
This is not high quality software.The program is slow and to simple even for my 18 month old daughter.I have a top of the line Gateway computer,and I have never seen anything move as slow as this.She loves the Wiggles so I feel we got are moneys worth she can look at the one of the three videos included in the software ( they are only small pieces). I thought we would get a better program with Disney names on the product.

Better for Older Kids and No Wiggle Music
No Wiggles music is incorporated in the game. The computer games are better designed for older kids. Games include Tic, Tac, Toe and maze games. Not the best children's computer game out there. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With Disney's Winnie the Pooh Preschool, young children can gain an early understanding of letter and number recognition, phonics, sequencing, and more. Preschoolers help Pooh throw a birthday party and attend Christopher Robin's friendship celebration, while learning lessons about sharing and friendship. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A great CD game for kids to cut their teeth on
Who doesn't love Pooh bear? Every kid I know does, and this Pooh software is a great game for kids to get themselves ready for preschool and kindergarten. Pooh visits Piglet, Kanga and Roo, Tiger, Owl, and Rabbit at their homes, as well as takes a nap at his. Each place has an assignment for your child (e.g. at Piglet's, you have to look at a picture Piglet painted and color it exactly the same way; at Kanga's, you help her and Roo make alphabet soup by adding the specific letters they ask for, etc.). Each assignment has 3 levels of difficulty, so as your child progresses, you can make the game a bit more chllanging for them. My kids are 3 and 2, and using this game has already helped them manuever the computer mouse and use their powers of discernment to make correct decisions. Each child can enter his/her name and has a chart to monitor their progress (which is fun to print out and put on the fridge). Brilliant!

One of the best in the Preschool software category
If there were Emmys handed out for educational software, this one would be a strong contender. This software game really helped my 3-year old son learn his colors, numbers, sound recognition, matching, and letters. The best part is that the game is easy to understand and very fun. He plays this game often. Pooh visits each of his friends' house to notify them of Eeyore's birthday. In the process, the child "helps" the characters provide a gift for Eeyore. Once the chore is accomplished, the gift is waiting for Eeyore. When the child has collected all the gifts, let the birthday party begin! The software has three difficulty levels. The software requires use of a mouse.

Pooh is the man.
I received this from my parents for my son thinking that I would just sell it on-line and then I realized it actually worked with our system and it's been installed since. My son started playing this when he was 3 and he loves going through all of the different houses and doing the multiple tasks and going on to the advanced stages. It keeps track of your childs progress and it also gives you printable pages for a workbook. I just printed out a set to take on our trip so he'll have something to do on the plane ride. My daughter who is 2 also would enjoy it if her big brother would ever give her a chance to sit and play with the computer. I highly recommend this because it's very easy for them to catch on to what they have to do to complete the levels. Boring? It can be, but kids thrive on repetition, so I just leave the room if I get too bored watching it.

Not so crazy about this one!
I purchased this game for the PS2 for my son who is 4 and I find it rather boring. The only thing he even likes to do is the coloring and even then there are only like 2 or 3 pictures to choose from. It seems to go slow and take forever to do anything. You have to listen to all the characters talk and you cant just get right to the game. After reading some other reviews though it seems to have worked for many, but neither myself or my son were too impressed with this one!

My 3-year-old's favorite
My 3-year-old son loves the Winnie-the-Pooh games; this was his first in the series and is by FAR his favorite. It's very entertaining and educational, teaching a variety of skills such as number and letter recognition, reasoning (i.e. cause-and-effect), matching, etc. After we helped him out with the basics, he figured out how to navigate through the centers with ease, and really learned to use the mouse. Any of the Pooh titles would be a good buy, but this stands out if you're looking for a great all-around buy for your toddler/pre-schooler. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Tivola breathes life and whimsy into the alphabet by giving each andevery letter a personality of its own. As become a heavenly choir,singing "ahhh" in perfect harmony as keys are stroked or the mouse is dragged.T becomes a kite with a tail, fluttering through the air and making apapery whap! when it crashes to the ground. An i scuttles acrossthe screen, so scared it occasionally leaves its dot behind, while Cscrash cacophonously into one another.

A book by artist Kveta Pacovská inspired Alphabet--the artwork isblocky and abstract, with a lot of reds, oranges, and dark greens. Though thesegraphics are an unusual contrast to the slick, bright world of mainstreamchildren's programs, don't let the offbeat look of Alphabet scare you. Wesaw Nintendo-loving preteen boys and nonartistic adults fall under the sirenspell of this program.

Alphabet is designed for both PC and Macintosh users, and folks withmicrophones will enjoy the interactive audio element that allows them to blowletters across the screen or frighten poor i even more by shouting.Operating in Alphabet is simple: clicking on the upper left of the screenmakes letters of the alphabet appear in random order, as children's voicesrecite them. Keyboard strokes will call up whatever letter is hit, whiledragging the mouse over the letters renders hypnotic, dance-mix-type audio("zed, zed, zed"). A click on the upper right corner explores the possibilitieshidden within each letter--this is where you find your singing As andcrashing Cs. Alphabet is a rich sensory experience--don't expectdetailed instructions, games with goals, or even lessons in this land ofletters. This alphabet's main strength is that it doesn't spell thingsout--explorers must discover the magic on their own.

Tivola isn't engaging in public relations puffery when it says the appropriateage range for Alphabet is 3 to 102. This CD-ROM is a work of art thatwill tickle young and old alike. --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (10)

WOW!
All I have to say is WOW! Alphabet is children's software at its finest. This game not only introduces kids to the letters of the alphabet but also to the mouse and keyboard. I enjoyed playing with my daughter because the graphics are so rich and the music is fascinating. This game is really about art. Like a wonderful picture book, Alphabet has given our family hours of enjoyment.

The Best Educational Software I have Come Across!
This is absolutely the best game/learning tool my daughter has to-date. Unlike some other software, Alphabet engages all senses and makes the PROCESS of learning enjoyable.

Still don't understand
I have used several beginning alphabet programs with my 7 year old. I was looking for something new for my 4 year old and this was well reviewed. I find it totally incomprehensible. It was somewhat entertaining for the 7 year old. We kept trying to guess which letter was represented on the screen. It was useless for letter recognition or phonic sound.

Brilliantly Different
This is a beautiful program. It is based on a picture book, and it literally allows your child to play with the alphabet in an explosion of color and sound. Many of the graphics resemble a child's collage. The background music is a wonderful ethereal blend of instruments and voices. If you like "world" music, you'll like this. Also this is made by a European company so you might notice some unusual things like Z being called Zed, but that's easy enough to explain to children.

This is very, very, very unlike most children's software on the market so I think it will be a love/hate thing for most people and as is reflected in other reviews in this forum. If you think the cutesy animated characters which drill the ABC's and 123's with lots of structured games and jingles are the greatest thing since sliced bread, then Alphabet is probably not for you. However, if you are looking for a truly unique, artistic, and fun way to introduce your children to the computer and the alphabet then give this a try.

Both my 3 and 6 year old boys love this. And I mean LOVE. Oh the giggles that erupt in my house when you play this. You have two choices you can either choose a letter to play with from the menu or let the computer randomly choose.

The letters do not merely dance, but can be manipulated by your child moving the mouse. Each letter does something different. For example one turns into a pac man like creature and the child moves the mouse capturing the rest of the letters. With A, the letter is stylized to resemble an opera singer and out of her mouth come many A's. Your child moves the letters around to make different sounds, harmonies, and melodies. The letter "i" acts like a flyswatter chasing it's dot around the screen. Each letter does something fun which your child manipulates with the mouse.

Now what about educational value? Children learn mouse skills, action and reaction, and familiarity with the alphabet. And while they do this they are surrounded by fantastic art, animation, and sound which they manipulate. Being able to play with the alphabet leads to interest in reading. This is a highly creative program, which obviously is not for everyone.

DO NOT BUY THIS!
My child accidentally bought this by clicking on the button to buy automatically while she was in my lap. I could have returned it, but decided to save it until she was ready. Well I just opened the package and tried it. This program is awful! Just like other reviewers, I couldn't figure it out and didn't really want to because it was just nonsense. I had to write a review because it is sooo terrible, I don't want anyone else to think their kids will learn anything from it. Do not waste your money. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

It's Clifford the Big Red Dog's birthday, and Emily Elizabeth has a longlist of tasks to accomplish before she can throw a party for her colossal caninepal. As the original "big dog" wreaks havoc--then comes to the rescue--throughout this program, it's easy to see why the affable Clifford has been ahit with early readers for nearly four decades. Kids strengthen recall,problem-solving, and creativity skills as they travel through town with Emily Elizabethand Clifford, getting ready for the party.

The program begins with the efficient Emily Elizabeth explaining all that needsto be done to prepare for the party: groom Clifford, decorate a birthday cake,pick up a present from the post office, build a birthday-dog collar, and cleanup the backyard. As the duo sets out to accomplish these tasks, guided by yourchild, unplanned events and Clifford-caused accidents throw them off task,giving them additional problems to solve. A knocked-over grocery display casemust be put back together before decorating the birthday cake, the neededpackage isn't at the post office, and the only dog groomer in town refuses toservice the gigantic specimen. This program does a great job of encouraging thenonlinear thinking that's sometimes necessary to get through real life.

There are seven places to visit and explore in town, ranging from the beach tothe home of the crotchety Bleakmans, elderly neighbors with a large swimmingpool (hint, hint). In addition to the overall task of figuring out how to getready for the big bash, there are also eight activities that can be played usingthree difficulty levels. One of the standouts is a game in which Clifford mustdeliver cars safely home after causing a traffic jam; it teaches spatialreasoning and how to follow directions, and there's just something delightfulabout seeing Clifford with a minivan in his mouth. Other activities range frompurely creative (decorating the cake, grooming Clifford) to the game-like(helping Clifford dodge seaweed and refuel by eating fish sticks as he swims outto sea to rescue a doggy pal). The overall concept of the program is strongerthan the individual games--a 6-year-old game whiz may find that Cliffordmoves a bit too slowly. We think disciples of the Big Red Dog will love it, asit features everything from Clifford's helpful heroism to Emily Elizabeth's oddcircular kneecaps. (Ages 4 to 6) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Favorite of the kids
Our kids have used many products. This became their favorite because of it's content as well as having Clifford which they knew from the books we have. This CD is pretty much what the title suggests - it's a thinking game. It gets them to remember items they saw on other screens and bring them to other screens to solve problems. I was pretty impressed at the success it had getting the kids to think - without our help. They sometimes play for hours till we tear them away. Both our 2 1/2 year old and 4 year old love it. I'd say that 3 year olds can probably start using it on their own if they are familiar with using programs of this type & the mouse. 2 year olds will need help solving some problems but love the graphics, painting and games. The box says ages 4-6.

Woof Woof!! Excellent For Kids, Fun For Adults, Too!
Although Clifford's Thinking Adventures is rated for children ages 4-6, my 3 1/2 has been playing with it, loving it, and learning (without knowing it!) since we received it from Amazon a week ago. There are three difficulty levels, and even on the Easy setting I have been impressed with the level of thinking my daughter has shown in figuring out the puzzles and also in the long term goal of getting Clifford to his birthday party.

When you play, you first choose 4 jewels for Clifford's collar, which show up along the way as you explore the game and work on the more difficult, multi-part tasks which must be completed before Clifford's birthday party may begin. These tasks involve your putting together various items you find in the game to solve problems. For instance, one of the tasks is for Clifford to get a bath and brush so he will look spiffy for the party. Fair enough, but this task cannot simply be accomplished by going to the dog groomer's shop (Clifford is too big to get through the door!). Later, as the game is played, you will find that the groomer, who previously closed his shop at the mere sight of the humongous Clifford, is taking a balloon ride in the park. What do you do when his balloon gets stuck in the tree and he can't get down? Think think think...how about using that rope ladder we saw earlier by the fire station? When the groomer gets down, he is so greatful that he gives Clifford a grooming kit he can use, if he can find enough water to bathe in. Where is there enough water? Think think think...was that a swimming pool I saw on the map??

There are plenty of games and puzzles along the way to the party as well. For instance, when Clifford accidentally knocks over the stand in front of the grocery store, you have to piece the broken sign back together (puzzle - spacial relationships) and put the grocery items back on the proper shelves in a certain order (following directions, counting).

I have noticed that the games and item locations can change from game to game for repeat playability. The game is also automatically saved wherever you happen to be, even if you do not close out of the game properly. This is a nice feature for small kids.

I have very few criticisms of the game. Actually moving Clifford around on the map in the game where you take people (and their cars) home according to their directions ("I live in the yellow house next to the three apple trees") can be a little bit tricky to master. Also, I first thought that it was a little annoying that the game does not give you a cursor to click until the characters in the scenes stop talking. I now think that this is a good idea, because it forces you to listen and to think about what the characters are saying instead of just clicking away as on an arcade game.

I changed my sound card a few nights ago, and went into Clifford to test it after my daughter had gone to bed. I ended up playing an entire game myself using one of the more difficult modes. About halfway through my wife walked in and started giving her suggestions over my shoulder. Yes, we really enjoyed Clifford too!

Surprised and very pleased.
This is my very first childs software game. I was quite amazed with it. Our 4 yr had never touched a mouse before, yet she (faked) a cry when she had to stop playing after her first 40 minutes. She needed only occasional help learning the game and of course it's even more fun if your nearby to share her excitment at the many surprises presented.

Really Great!
Our children, 2, 3 & 4, are just getting to know the computer. We've tried a couple different programs and this is by FAR the best. Our 4 year old is enthralled. He loves it, and I don't mind playing with him. The younger kids play it, but not as independently as the oldest. I think this means its a program we'll be playing a year from now. Can't say that about any of the other programs we have.

Motivational and a Positive Influence
My four-year-old plays more than 30 educational software games on a monthly basis (sometimes three a day before school in the morning and before bed at night). This one is a favorite of hers and so it is at the front of the CD-ROM Album. She started at the easy level more than a year ago and now she always does the hard levels. I (father) like the music and the navigation is much simpler than most programs provide. It still surprises me that she chooses to play it even though she mastered it long ago, but I can see that it teaches her good manners and sensitivity to others so I am happy to have the "Clifford influence" in her upbringing. ... Read more

Features

• Brings the classic fairy tale to life in an interactive adventure
• 10 different games and activities
• Two gameplay modes
• Interactive and child-directed
• For one player

Reviews (1)

Very Simple game good for 4 and under
This is a cute game. This version and graphics are old but still work good. The bad thing about it was my 5 year old finished this game in 20 minutes. I would recommend this for children under 4 and under. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Teachers agree: learning is easy when you're having fun. That's the spark behind Numbers and Letters Excelerator Ages 2-5, a four-CD-ROM set of premium software titles combining amusement and education in one motivationally interactive package.

Stuffed with more than 20 individual lessons and more than 50 activities, this educational suite for children delivers endless hours of exciting learning adventure, while promising the acquisition and retention of fundamental spelling and counting skills. Whether on sing-along safari with the gang from the PBS hit "Zoboomafoo" or honing their number recognition and phonics ability, first-time readers will grow with confidence as they immerse themselves in these challenging activities, which adjust to a child's rising proficiency level.

Included in the bundle are: Chatter Buddies Ready for Speech: Making the R, S, and L Sounds (in which the Chatter Buddies cast focuses on three of the most commonly erred sounds that affect reading readiness in preschoolers and toddlers: R, S, and L), Letters & Numbers (featuring 11 sing-along karaoke songs and 15 interactive games and activities), Zoboomafoo Animal Kids (help Zoboomafoo collect googleberries while playing 10 different games at three skill levels), and Buddy Brush and the Painted Circus (a disc filled with zany activities, magical matching games, and imaginative coloring exercises). ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A good value for the money
My daughter enjoyed this program. She learned a lot of different words. The animations are clever and she enjoyed completing the spaceship to get Quixel home.
This is a good program to build a foreign language vocabulary.

Beware!
I thought this would be good for my students until I tried it out myself. First I tried the Italian. When I discovered that they translated "potato chips" as "microchips", I was surprised. In telling time, they expressed the correct feminine plural but displayed the incorrect masculine singular "il due" for 2:00. Now for the French...I learned that "potato chips" were "eclats" as in "paint chips". Wrong chips both times folks - and good luck in a restaurant! I stopped there. It's a shame they never got a native speaker to check it before releasing this as an educational item. They did get native speakers to read aloud the vocab lists however. That's the one-star part. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Blast through time with the Power Rangers. A new crew of superteens fast-forwards to tackle time and space in Power Rangers Time Force. Leap forward and then back again in time, fighting evil wherever it occurs. Equipped with futuristic gadgets and vehicles, you'll play as your favorite Power Ranger. Adventure through five different arcade-style games, including Cyclobot round-up, time jet rescue, Roman tile match, laser showdown, and more. Test your skills as you play through multiple difficulty levels. Artwork based on the TV show and authentic music and voice work intensifies gameplay. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Go Go Power Rangers!
We just received this game for my son's 6th birthday. He loves the Power Rangers and is a pretty savvy computer user for his age. Right away I can see that this game keeps his attention with exciting graphics and different crime fighting activities for each Power Ranger to triumph over evil. My son gives it a thumbs up and mom recommends it too (yes, I've even played it today :o)

kids did not enjoy it!
My kids, daughter 8 & son 5, both Power Ranger & video game fanatics, did not like the PR Time Force game! They have the PR Light Speed Rescue, which is the first play station PR game, which they loved. They were able to fight as a team, two players against the villains. This one does not allow you to play together but against each other. Two players can fight each other as Zords, they say that's boring! They liked it for maybe 5 minutes, that's it. The whole idea is to fight bad guys right? It's even better having another PR to help. They'll play it alone but very seldom. They game itself, I thought it was pretty good, challenging and it had good graphics. But again, I think they should have included a two player game fighting against the bad guys instead of just a single player game

super awsome!
I bought this game the first day it came out,i was so excited when i got home and popped it in,this is what i thought of it- super cool!I am 18 and this game was action even enough for me. I recommend this game to my age group because the power rangers are still cool and they fight crime in a good lessoned way.Go go power rangers!

Power Rangers Time Force
My daughter asked for this game. She is a Power Rangers fanatic. She finds this game challenging and exciting. Plays it constantly. She loves the colors, graphics and activities. I love the fact that it teaches coordination and attention skills. I'd buy more Ranger games for her if I could find them. I'd like to see a CD-ROM for each of the different Power Ranger series.

OUT OF THIS WORLD
THIS GAME IS AN OUTSTANDING WAY FOR YOU TO ENJOY THE WORLD OF THE POWER RANGERS. FIGHTING EVIL IS AND STOMPING IT OUT IS THE NUMBER ONE GOAL. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Get behind the controls of U.R.V., the Ultimate Robotic Vehicle, in Rescue Heroes: Tremor Trouble. An earthquake has hit the amusement park, and animals and people are in need of quick assistance. Players ages 4 to 7 can stop a runaway roller coaster, save animals from a flooding river, retrieve a downed submarine, and restart stalled high-wire trolley cars in this four-part adventure!

Even with three levels of difficulty, the activities in Tremor Trouble are simple, and children will have no trouble completing the game's tasks. The activities are basic skill builders. To put together the animal bridge, players must match up logs of varying lengths; to restart the stalled trolley, they match up gears of varying colors within its motor. One pleasing aspect of the game is that each of these four activities comes in two parts: the educational matching drill and an arcade game. To save the roller coaster, for example, U.R.V. must first put out the fires threatening to burn its structure. Only then can players sort out the machine pieces needed to rebuild the damaged ride.

It is a shame that, despite the fact that its animal-rescue component is certain to appeal to female gamers as well as to boys, Rescue Heroes Wendy Waters and Ariel Flyer don't appear in Tremor Trouble. What's more, the game's learning component is very basic, unlikely to seriously challenge players more than once or twice. These complaints aside, Tremor Trouble is bright and cheerful, and parents will appreciate the nonviolent structure of its storyline even as their kids delight in the fast-paced adventure format of its activities. The easy-to-follow instructions and tons of hearty encouragement served up by the Rescue Heroes team are sure to build player confidence... all while offering plenty of fun. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (26)

mediocre software for avid Rescue Heroes fans only
Meteors have hit the planet, resulting in a series of widely scattered emergencies that require the Rescue Heroes to intervene -- and they need your help!!

The graphics are good, the intro is exciting .... but after that the game is totally mediocre. Four activities have three levels of difficulty, but they are quite tedious no matter what level you play. (1) Move around a water maze to rescue people in a flooded movie studio, and shoot a life preserver over a moving line of floating objects. (2) Navigate a maze on a rock face as you rescue stranded climbers while avoiding vicious eagles and snakes. (3) Aim a hose at brush fires so you can find and rescue animals on an African preserve. (4) Snowboard down a ski slope without hitting the shrubbery so you can dig people out from under an avalanche.

The hype is here, but the games are very boring. Your child has little flexibility or independence when performing tasks, and those tasks probably use only 2% of your child's brain power. For example, in order to dig people out of the avalanche, you click on the snow cave over and over, it doesn't matter where, until the person trapped within tells you how great you are -- and every time it's the same person in the snow cave. Each game is rather mindless in this way. There is little reasoning required and no skills acquired.

This is lame software that has neither educational value nor excitement. When there are so many worthwhile children's software titles out there, don't waste your money or your child's time on this lazy stuff. It may be worthwhile for the truly avid Rescue Heroes fan, but even that is doubtful. This was our first Rescue Heroes title. It is also our last.

Lava Landslide
I gave this game to my son as an early birthday present. He's almost four and loves the Rescue Heroes. The reviews I read were mixed so I decided to buy it anyway. I'm really glad I did. Sure it's challenging, but it's a good excuse for the parents to get involved. First I did the hard parts for him, to show him what needed to be done. Then I guided him through them and finally he ended up doing it all by himself. He was so proud when he accomplished the hard tasks that he couldn't do at first!

Unlike most computer games this one requires the use of the arrow keys instead of the mouse. Well, it's always nice to learn new skills.
I can't wait to give my son the two other RH games I baught for his birthday. I have no doubt he'll love them too.

Inaginext Pirate Raider
I gave it a 1 because they did not have a 0, to give. I bought this game for my son and I try to install it and it tells me that it has encountered an error. I go to the web site and it tells me what to do with that error, but after I do what it told me it does the same error thing again. My son and I both got so frustrated and finally gave up. I am returning it to the place where I purchased it for a full refund. Good luck for those of you that also bought this Horrible Game.

Frustrating game for my almost 5 yr. old
I agree with other reviews that the mouse clicking is very difficult. It's difficult to maneuver the men around. My son tried for a few minutes, became so frustrated, I finished the one mission, but couldn't get him to do any more. Would recommend the I Spy software - ages 6-10, but he loves it! Don't have to know how to read.

Yeah Pirate Raider!
My 7-year-old LOVES this game. He'd play from sun up to sun down if I let him. I hear him cheering and clapping in the other room and he's having so much fun!
I'm VERY anti-violence, so when he got this game I was concerned. I was pleased to discover that although the ships sometimes fire on each other, no people are ever involved. This makes it so much more abstract and less about killing. When you capture forts, you fire on canons only and never see people. When you capture other ships, your knife is used only to chop up fruit that's thrown at you by skeletons. Once you capture their gold, you're on your way to fulfill another mission.
Frankly, this game is so much fun I have to admit to playing it myself! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With this deluxe two-CD-ROM software set from JumpStart, kids learn essential kindergarten skills and then take off to faraway worlds of fun in an adventure around the world. AdJust-for-You Learning Technology automatically adjusts to your child's pace. Kids learn prereading, the alphabet, letter combinations, counting, quantities, similarities and differences, sequencing, problem solving, shapes, colors, phonics, word recognition, time concepts, world geography, and cultures of the world.In disc one, join Mr. Hopsalot, the rabbit, as he invites your child to explore an interactive kindergarten classroom, where fun, music, and games are the reward for curiosity. Disc two lets children climb aboard the next boat, plane, train, or zeppelin and take off to faraway worlds of fun on the all-new Around the World CD-ROM. Kids can play four different games and visit 12 different cities, where they'll learn phrases in different languages, hear music of other lands, and collect souvenirs. Access is provided to four bonus downloads over the Internet. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Another solid effort from Knowledge Adventure
This is the second title we purchased from Knowledge Adventure. The first, JumpStart Spanish was a good investment, and loved by our boy.

JumpStart Kindergarten is another solid effort. Our son thinks that he is playing games, but he is really honing his skills. Basic skills, like counting, phonics, and telling time are included. These skills are critical building blocks for any child's future academic success.

The interface is typical for this type of program. Kids enter a virtual "schoolhouse" and click on items that represent the activities to hone/learn particular skills. For example, users click on a clock to go to the telling time activity.

One thing we appreciate about the game is that it teaches a skill that we may overlook at times. It is very important for the child to listen to instructions prior to undertaking many of the activities. For example, in a game that teaches counting, users find themselves in a garden with Hopsalot, the rabbit who is the guide. Hopsalong tells users that he needs a certain number of a certain item growing in the garden ("I need 7 red roses."). Initially, our son was not paying attention, and he would be caught off guard when the game started. We kept telling him that he had to be quiet and listen to the instructions. He now listens attentively so that he can complete his task correctly.

We will definitely consider purchasing other titles from Knowledge Adventure. We've been pleased with the 2 products we own thus far.

Jump Start Kindergarten
Rather than approach learning as an enjoyable experience, this cd presents a structured environment that screams of lessons not games. This cd is successful however, in presenting a balance between pressure, judgement and success vs. failure. Additionally, the skill level is more for preschoolers. Edmark Millie and Bailey Kindergarten is a much better route to take for your childs enjoyment.

Not as good as the older preschool version
Since my daughter really enjoyed the older preschool version, I was excited about getting this cd rom. The difference is drastic. There isn't a reward system like the older version. Some of the activities aren't clearly explained. The '99 version for preschoolers was much better. My daughter rarely uses this version.

Jump Start Kindergarten
My child loved this cd program. He can't get enough of it.

JumpStart Kindergarten woes
After using the Jumpstart Preschool program very successfully to teach my autistic grandson basic skills, we looked forward to the Kindergarten version. We were not prepared for the radical change in format and teaching style, and the lack of an enjoyable "reward" after successful completion of task. While it may be an enjoyable program for some children, I wouldn't recommend it for any child that requires a lot of stimulation. Two other children (a kindergardener and a slow-learning first grader say it is boring.

The video that came with it, however, gets raves and the attention of all the children. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Shovels to the ready! It's time to help Bob and friends in 12 fun activities. Join Wendy, Bob's business partner, and his energetic machine crew--Scoop, Muck, Roley, Lofty, and Dizzy--in helping Bob design a park that can be viewed in different seasons, repair a skateboard track so that Spud can perform cool tricks, assemble dinosaur bones into a huge skeleton, collect food for animals and help them find their home, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Entertaining game
My 3 year old grandson completed this game to the end by himself and enjoyed it. Just alittle guidance one time and he mastered the game to enjoy the fireworks show at the end. He felt he helped Bob do the park all by himself. He has played it over four times and he knows he can do it by himself without getting bored or unable to do it. It is worth the money to let kids be successful playing the game by themselves and do all the jobs correctly.

Bad graphics, confusing and boring
I am so sorry I bought this game, its such a waste of money for us. My 3 1/2 year old likes Bob and has videos and toys so I thought this would be good for him. But the games are very limited so they get boring quickly, moving around is very confusing and even the graphics are very bad. There's much better stuff out there for the kids. Reader Rabbit is the best we've found so far.

But I disagree with the age range
My son is an expert on this game and he is 3. In today's world, with kids so much more computer-literate, this game is really quite simple. Great for a 2-3 year old that loves Bob.

Unsophisticated
~My three-year-old son loves Bob the builder. That is the reason I bought this game. However, this product is just blow the bar. Poor graphic quality and boring game design. Compared with the kid software made by Disney or other company, this product is not refined enough and gives people home-made feeling. I gave it 3-star instead of 1-star because it is still a Bob the builder and my son likes to play with it. If you want to buy a Bob the builder PC game, this is one of the only two on the market.~~ If you just want to get some really nice pc game for young kid, look for something else.~ ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Reader Rabbit Kindergarten 2002 packs an astonishing number of activities into a two-CD-ROM set, enough to keep nearly any child in the 4 to 6 age range glued to the computer for hours. With glitzy graphics and plenty of songs to sing along with, not to mention a clever plot, this high-quality educational program helps kids practice a range of skills, from counting, reading, and listening comprehension, to recognizing colors and shapes.

The adventure begins when Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion are stranded in Balloon Town and must rescue the Dreamship, which has been encased in bubble wrap and locked in the Pointy Palace. In order to wake up the sleeping bull that guards the palace, the player must locate five musical instruments. Each time the player completes an activity, an instrument magically appears. For a program aimed at kindergartners, the instruments take a lot of persistence to earn--kids must complete a staggering number of problems at each activity site and this can quickly become very repetitive.

The program itself is well thought out and comes with many user-friendly features. The software automatically adjusts to your level and shows how you're doing at each activity. It's also possible to save games for up to 99 different players, which makes the software suitable for use in a classroom or other group setting.

The CD-ROM set includes three other activities--calendar making, painting, and music playing, all of which are engaging in their own right. It also comes with a collection of more than 100 age-appropriate activities that don't have to do with the computer, as well as Reader Rabbit songs that can be played on an audio CD player.

As with other Reader Rabbit software, the biggest concern with this program is that there are so many things to do, children may eventually have to be dragged away, kicking and screaming, from the computer. Perhaps a laptop is the answer--at least that way they can play outside. --Molly Masland ... Read more

Reviews (17)

good for preschoolers if you want them using the computer!
This program doesn't teach anything special that is not easily taught outside of a computer game. Success at the game will be had most quickly if the child already knows the skills needed to play the game (see below, i.e. already knows their basic shapes). If you want your child using the computer during the preschool years then this is a safe and good bet. If your child doesn't know everything this program covers already then they are sure to learn it quickly if they like the game and are not discouraged. There is much more to phonics than this program covers, of course.

We held off introducing our son to the computer until he was almost 4.5 years old. We strictly limit what he can do on the computer and he does not use it much, sometimes going 2 months or so without using it. We purchased this program when our oldest just turned 5, at which time he already could start up the computer, open a program, change CDs and close the entire system down all by himself. I thought it best to buy an easier Reader Rabbit game and see how he likes it rather than start off with the Kindergarten or the phonics Reader Rabbit. If you have a 3 or a 4 year old (or even a 2 year old) that you want using a computer game then this one is great (see section on phonics for a possible difficult part though).

Being unfamiliar with children's computer games I was surprised that much of this is almost like a video on television, there are songs that seem to be about 3 minutes long and very graphic and long introductions to the program every time it is started and before each game. The characters on screen tell the user what to do. I was disappointed it did not come with written instructions, as when my son needed help there was nothing I could turn to. Goodness knows I am not sitting with him all the time watching him play, so I miss the already-spoken instructions for the overall game. Instructions for the mini-games that they play can be repeated by simply clicking on a certain character on the screen.

I sat down to play it as a new user and we played for over an hour. I was annoyed that the instructions are not clear. Specifically, the program has the user doing a little job to earn a gem called a brillite. They wanted 5 yellow brillites to start. We did all the jobs but there was a missing brillite. There was no instruction as to how to get this missing brillite so we re-explored every area on the program's map and began repeating jobs because we didn't know what else to do. That began earning us different colored brillites. It is a little unclear to me as to how to win this game, they say to gather brillites but we really don't know how many of each and how to exactly get them except play in a random manner repeating the games. I'd much prefer them to say "repeat all the games to earn the blue brillites in order to earn the missing yellow brillite" or some other such informative instruction.

This is truly geared for preschool age (3 or 4) or for any age that already knows the 6 colors of the rainbow, circle, square, oval, triangle, diamond shapes, if they can count to 10 and follow oral directions. The hardest part of the game, which may be difficult for preschool aged children and may cause frustration, is the phonics portion. An object comes along on a raft and there are 3 sparkle shakers above it and the user must choose which sparkle shaker (with a letter on it) represents the first letter of the object. The first go round has the word written under the object (i.e. violin) but after that round is won the object comes out without a word. Shame on them for showing a giraffe and giving both a g and a j as options! Bad choice for beginners to phonics! The user will be told if they make an incorrect choice and they can narrow it down by process of elimination. The game with the train and matching the object shape is more of a fast paced game to improve hand and eye coordination and fast mouse-usage than a true matching game-if they pick the match right after the fast changes they are doomed. On the box it says this does drawing and coloring but that is a stretch: the kids are told to paint a certain shape a certain color and they simply click once on the proper color and click once on top of the shape and it is instantly colored in. There is nothing about drawing going on there! The only math here is counting up to 10 (it is advertised as having math on it).

There is nothing offensive or questionable about this game, the language is clean, etc.

This is a fun game for preschoolers (I found it too easy for my just turned 5 year old). It is very entertaining in that it has interludes in between games and songs with a few minutes of on screen entertainment. The songs are catchy. The graphics are very good compared to the old days of Space Invaders and such!

Good Program
I purchased this program to help my 3 year old son sharpen and develop his basic preschool skills. I found this program to have a good theme and my son was very interested in the character's various actions, songs and dances used to accompany the instruction. Skill levels can be chosen to pace the progression dependeing on the need of the child. The program is very user friendly to an adults helping their children. Progrmas are easily exited out of and information can be saved to log the progress of the children users. I recommend this software to parents who want to help their preschoolers get a head start on Kindergarten education.

Skip this one
My son (now almost 4) is pretty academically bright and pretty good with a computer mouse. We bought this game for him just before he turned 3 last year. What a disappointment! Now, we are a big computer game family, and our son has played a few other titles which we have loved (Little People Discovery Airport, Ollo Saves the Fair, Putt-Putt, and a few others). We loved Reader Rabbit Toddler and Reader Rabbit Baby, which were designed very well. Unfortunately, Reader Rabbit Preschool did not stack up.

As usual, the game has a creative story behind it, and there is a goal that involves collecting things. These are wonderful motivators. However, the game skill levels seem either much to easy (matching bugs) or pretty advanced (counting out just the right number of bugs to fill a rocket, including addition and subtraction as the game increases in difficulty) for a "typical" preschooler. I should add that I used to teach preschool and kindergarten, so I have an idea of what is developmentally appropriate. This game ranges from boring to frustrating with very little in between. Some activities, such as the "painting" activity at the waterfall, require very very good mouse control, as the shapes tend to be very small, and the child must click in just the right areas.

I highly recommend skipping this game. Our son is now happily playing Reader Rabbit Kindergarten (the Summer Camp one)with very little trouble.

Too much advertisement and lacks parental controls
I had previously purchased Reader Rabbit for baby and toddler and was thrilled with the product. However, I cannot say the same of the Reader Rabbit Preschool. This CD launches with a page that gives my [child] 6 choices of where to go. Only one is the educational program. The others are advertisements for Star Flyers, Clue Finders, Zoombinis, the Oregan Trail, and Carmen Sandiego. Each of these plays a short movie and gives my [child] the option of launching the internet to download more. I certainly do not want my child on the internet, and I did not purchase the CD so that the Learning Company could target my ...child with advertisement. I wanted him to learn something. It quickly became a fight to keep him in the educational portion of the CD. I called Broderbund, and after waiting 25 minutes to speak with a technician, was told that there was nothing that could be done. There are no parental controls. I asked to speak with a supervisor to discuss my concerns, and was told I could go to the web site and e-mail them. I would not recommend this CD.

They've got it almost right
This is the most educational of the programs I've found for the preschool set, but there are still disappointments. I wish they would do more with the alphabet - they need more variety of words, a combination of small letters and capitals. My three-year-old mastered the top level within a few weeks, simply because he memorized the words they were using, and then quickly grew bored. The musical numbers are cloying and irritating. But the rocket counting game is terrific -- a real help teaching small kids the meaning of numbers. Overall, I've yet to find better, but I hope the designers of the Reader Rabbit series keep trying. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

It's a beloved children's classic in a brand-new format, and kids are sure to love all the new music, games, and creative activities on this CD. Throughout the software, The Cat in the Hat is read aloud by a narrator, and children are presented with two choices: follow along with the story or play with the games and clickables hidden on every page.

Games are designed simply, and preschoolers will be able to master them without much difficulty (older children may find them a bit too easy to bother with repeat play). Throughout the story narration, early readers will benefit from seeing the highlighted words on each page--they're repeated frequently. It's a great way to foster word recognition.

This software also teaches toddlers how to get the hang of using a mouse. They're encouraged to turn "pages" by clicking on the Cat's glove icon; they'll find this action easy and instantly gratifying, since kids can click anywhere in the vicinity and still receive hilarious results.

Who knows, maybe helping the Cat with the Clean-Up Machine will inspire your little ones to put their own toys away! --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Cat in the Hat is Alive!
I recommend this interactive book to anyone with small children. My 4 year old loves the read and play portion of the program. My 2 year old, who doesn't sit still long enough to catch her breath turns on the computer and insists on Cat in the Hat. As she is not quite old enough to handle the mouse on her own, I click the read segment for her. She sits through the entire book laughing at the Cat's silly antics, repeating words, and humming along with the music. It is the best of both worlds, a classic children's story come alive.

My Son Loves It
My 3 1/2 year old son is already a huge fan of Dr. Seuss. I bought the software because he loved the book so much and he was delighted. A child can choose to have the computer read the book to them or they can choose to play along. When they play along, it stops on certain screens and allows the child to click and interact with the characters and text. For example they can help the Cat in the Hat clean up his mess by clicking on the scattered items on the floor. My son is constantly saying "Mommy watch this...". I couldn't pull him away from this game when we first brought it home. He still pulls this game out quite often. The best part is that he still loves all the Dr. Seuss books. The software won't take away from the traditional form of Dr. Seuss.

The Cat in the Hat software
This is a wonderful way to get young kids interested in the computer. The software follows the book almost word for word, plus the words appear on the screen, and are highlighted when said. Your child has the option of allowing the book to be read to them or playing within the pages. My daughter has been using this since she was two and a half. She loves to click on the various items on the screen and see the action. This is her favorite software. It is nonthreatening, and fun, plus kids become more familiar with the words as they appear on the screen. Highly recommend for 2-5. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Putt-Putt and Pep are on their way to the circus, and they're looking forward to three rings of fun. Unfortunately, a hungry goat eats their ticket, so the car and his canine pal must earn their way to a ringside seat. Fortunately, the circus owner has some serious problems, and he enlists Putt-Putt to solve them. The reward--if he succeeds in getting the circus up and running--is a free lifetime ticket to the big top.

Putt-Putt Joins the Circus is a role-playing adventure for children between 3 and 8 years of age. The various circus performers are all refusing to do their shows, and Putt-Putt must change their minds, either by finding a lost item or winning a simple arcade-style challenge. The puzzles and arcade games are easy and straightforward, and users will find extensive animated sequences sprinkled throughout the story. Along the way, they can help out a number of talking vehicles and friendly circus animals. One word of warning: older players may find the animations too lengthy, and the simplicity of the challenges means they will finish the game quickly.

Putt-Putt is an appealing character and he shines in this game, which features large, colorful graphics, great sound, good humor, and a nice mix of storytelling and problem solving. Putt-Putt Joins the Circus also comes with a parent/teacher guide, which suggests methods of reinforcing the lessons of teamwork and kindness that are the game's themes, a nice supplement to the gaming experience. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (10)

excellent software for young game players
If your child has played beginning software like JumpStart and is ready to move on to more advanced gameplay, Humongous Entertainment's Putt-Putt series (and Freddi Fish and Pajama Sam, as well) are an excellent choice. These titles take the cognitive tasks up a notch as children must accumulate specific items, navigate a number of locations, and use their problem-solving skills to help their friends and achieve larger goals. Along the way, kind and gentle Putt-Putt and his dog Pep will meet a number of nice characters, visit a variety of interesting locations and play games as they complete the larger tasks.

In Putt-Putt Joins the Circus, the overarching goal is to earn a ticket to the show by performing a variety of tasks and helping the various acts prepare. You must get a nose for the clown, help the organ arrange her pipes, get a power drink to the strong-van, find a new tent for the fleas, etc. There are quite a few locations and objects, so it would be a good idea for you to help your child for a while. Eventually they will probably want to play on their own. The characters are lovable and there is a lot of humor here. We run it on a Mac and have had no problems at all -- very stable and easy to install.

This is one of the best titles in a great series.

Why no positive reinforcement?
I'm a parent of 2 children, 5 and 2. Both find this, as well as all Humongous software, quite a bit of fun. My problem, as a parent, is that after working on clues and spending as much as an hour getting through the game, all the positive reinforcement goes to the onscreen character, (Freddi Fish/Putt-Putt) and the child is left empty. Why on earth doesn't Putt-Putt acknowledge the child as the reason the game was solved? Accolades are heaped on Putt-Putt, while my five year old looks on with an expression frustration hoping someone onscreen will talk with her. Great games from Humongous, but they need to work more directly with the children playing them.

Putt-Putt is great
I got putt putt with a computer that i had bought as one of the disks included. My son was 2 at the time and loved playing this game with me looking for missing clues and helping to put them together. now at 3 yrs of age he plays all by himself with it and knows exactly where to go each time he starts over.

Great for Young Kids Age 4 to 7
Add this one to the list of great (young) kid's games produced by Humongous, including the Freddi Fish & Pajama Sam series. Although my grandson has outgrown these titles, my great nieces and nephews are now playing them. They are both entertaining and educational.

A fun, fun game!
Both my 3 1/2 yr. old and my 6 yr. old girls play this game. They both truly enjoy this game. In fact, I have to get them some of the other Putt-Putt games, because they enjoy them so much! This is a delightful game that teaches problem solving and memorization in a very fun way. It is a great game for either boys or girls. I would recommend this and any other Putt-Putt games. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Problem solving is at the fore of Curious George Downtown Adventure, a game that pits the inquisitive monkey against his own clumsiness! George has caused a series of minor accidents while shopping downtown with the Man in the Yellow Hat. Among other faux pas, he has trapped a window washer halfway up a building and lost someone's fan in a dumpster. In order to put everything right, George will have to travel all over the city, putting together the gadgets he needs to get the job done!

There are about 60 puzzles in this game, each structured as a challenge of mechanics. George must put together a group of simple devices like trampolines, ladders, and conveyer belts to move him to his current goal. Heavy objects can be dropped onto crates in need of shattering, while ramps and trampolines can get the monkey up to the otherwise inaccessible levels of the puzzle. Completion of some tasks will earn the player more "curiosity tools"--gizmos designed to help with the harder challenges. Be warned, though--sometimes finishing a puzzle just causes George to have another mishap!

Mechanically based puzzle games are nothing new, teaching basic physical concepts like gravity and momentum to children while giving their creativity a workout. In fact, some of these other games are vastly more complex, inventive, and rigorously devoted to the chain of cause and effect than Curious George Downtown Adventure. Even so, this package is competently designed and makes an excellent choice for kids who are newer to this form of gameplay. Its graphic design and interface are appealing, while its challenges increase in difficulty at a gentle pace. The game also offers plenty of help and encouragement for players who get stuck, and most of its puzzles have more than one solution, giving children an opportunity to try out new strategies as George tries to rescue balloons, elephants, and electric fans by the score. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Features

• Help Curious George get out of predicaments by solving puzzles
• Over 60 different puzzle games for kids to solve again and again
• Curiosity Meter rewards kids with banana points
• Four unique locations allow for greater enjoyment and exploration
• Includes bonus Curious George book set

Reviews (8)

Great Game
My 5 year old son loves this game. He has played through it 11 times in the last 6 months. Very original game that requires some planning and thought on where to put different items in order to move George through each situation. Also a help key that gives the answer away if you get frustrated.

A great problem solving game!
I really like this game for my four year old, because it is different. It doesn't teach phonics, math or music, but the more abstract problem solving skills. And, he loves it because it's fun! He has to put together a sequence of events to get to the desired object. Very well designed!

Only one complaint
My 5-year-old son loves this program. However, he is frustrated that he cannot enter one area because we don't have the "booster code." How do you get a booster code? You have to buy another product from the same company. It upsets me that the company cannot rely on the fine quality of their products to sell more, but have to resort to ambushing parents with a marketing gimmick that a 5-year-old is too young to understand.

Once again, voted greatest Uncle of all time
My niece and I have a mutual understanding- monkeys are cool. It started with a monkey puppet "the tickle monkey" and evolved into Curious George toys. For her 3rd birthday I sent her very first software. She was very excited to get started on the computer (at long last since my sister has been fighting her off it) and loves it.
My sister feels this is a great introduction for her to the PC and she loves George's adventures. I'm looking forward to giving it a try myself, but until then I'll have to go on the assurance of a 3 year old that it is a great program.
(Well, her mom loves it too)

Too hard for a 3 year old
This is a well-designed game and my son really likes to watch us play it but he is light years away from being able to do it himself. Frankly, my husband and I had trouble with a lot of the puzzles ourselves and we are both engineers. I was surprised that the previous reviewer said her 4 year old could do it, since I thought it would be pretty hard even for a six year old. Maybe we just haven't had enough practice yet. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Adapted from Ready to Read with Pooh educational CD-ROM, Disney's Winnie the Pooh: Spelling helps kids, ages 3 to 6, polish their spelling skills in the confidence-building environment of the Hundred Acre Wood, with encouragement from Pooh and pals. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good addition to your educational software
My 3-year-old son loves the Winnie-the-Pooh games. He's not as big a fan of this one as he is of Pooh's ABC's; it's a bit "over-his-head," but I'm sure we'll get more use of it later on. The Winnie-the-Pooh Preschool game is by FAR his favorite. (I would also highly recommend it; VERY entertaining and educational, and that was how he learned to use the mouse. Great skill building activities.) Any of the Pooh titles would be a good buy.

A One Hundred Acre Wood Full Of Spelling Fun!!!
Winnie The Pooh Spelling is a wonderful, educational way to learn, and have fun with Pooh. Spelling is adopted from the original Ready To Read With Pooh, but even if you already have that, it will still be a blast. As you begin Pooh will greet you with his cheerful "Here We Go Floating" song. Then, he will land right in front of your tree house, and he will say so. After which, Gofur will give you one of his mailboxes and you get to put your name on it. (Be sure to check your mail every time you come back to your tree house, because there will be letters from Pooh's friends that you can print.) Every direction around the tree house will be a game. To the west, there is Pooh's Hunny Pots. Pooh has just finished lunch, and he needs your help to put all of the hunny pots back on the shelves. To do that, simply put them back on the shelves in alphabetical order. You will receive highlighted hints of what needs to go where for level one, for level two, you don't need to necessarily follow the alphabet, but you'll need to get all of the pots matched with the certain letters on the shelves to clean up, without any hints, and for level three, you'll have to just, shall we say, "follow your instinct." After each level, Gofur will come down the chimney and present your prize. If you head in a rather eastish direction, you'll come to Piglet's Cupboards. Piglet is getting ready for lunch and he needs you help to match up his plates for it. To do that, simply open the doors until you get a match. For level one, match the plates with the same letters on them, (there will be both upper and lower case letters on the plates in this level,) for level two, there will be only one upper or lower case letter, (for example, A matches with A, and b matches with b,) And for level three, match the plate with the upper case letter with the plate with the lower case letter, (For example, C matches with c.) After you have completed a level, Gofur will break through the cupboard and reveal your prize. Finally, if you head "due north, by northwoodly", you'll get to play the best game here, Tiggers Don't Climb Trees. Tigger has bounced up into the tree, and it's going to be your job to help him get down. To do that, simply complete the quilt for Kanga, Roo, & Piglet to hold under Tigger to catch him when he falls. To complete the quilts on level one, put in the missing letter of the picture above the word at the front of the word to complete it, (for example, choose f for _an,) for level two, The same only with the last letter, (for example, choose g for do_,) and for level three, do the same only with the middle letter of the word, (for example choose a for c_t.) After you complete a level, Gofur will pop up out of the ground and reveal your prize. Speaking of prizes, you're probably wondering where they are going. Well, back to your tree house of course. Prizes will appear on the outside & inside of your tree house. So far it sounds like a great game, but wait it gets better. Also included are six, that's right, six demo games. There's Winnie The Pooh Toddler, Preschool, and Kindergarten. The same with Mickey Mouse. In Pooh Toddler and Mickey Toddler, help Pooh and friends get down to the ground after hanging on balloons, and help Minnie look for shapes all around her house. Toddlers don't even have to click to play most of it!!! Then, in Pooh Preschool and Mickey Preschool, help Pooh think of words to say to the magic tree to hear it in a different language, and help Goofy make 100 percent goof cars. Finally in Pooh Kindergarten and Mickey Kindergarten, make Tigger act out actions using wacky sentences, and learn the alphabet while keeping Goofy falling off the edge of a not-yet-completed building. Other titles in the Winnie The Pooh Learning Series include Pooh 123's, ABC's, Ready To Read, Ready For Math, Preschool, Toddler, and Kindergarten. You think I'm done? Yes, I am. Well that's it. I hope this review has helped you and encourages you to get this CD-ROM. ... Read more