Amazon.com Review

Hey howdy hey, all you deputies out there! Now you can have as much fun as Andy does with Buzz and Woody in this activity pack that's chock full of arcade games and printable art. Most of the games have a theme found within the movie; you'll even get to play "dodge the traffic" hidden inside road cones! There's also a hilarious trek through the luggage carousel with Buzz on a hunt to rescue Woody, and it's trickier than you might think.

All the games have adjustable levels of difficulty (so kids can play at more advanced levels, while you putter around as a beginner, 'cause let's face it, they're better at these things than parents are!). One of the elements that kids can print is a fantastic colorable comic book featuring all of Andy's toys. Even those goofy three-eyed aliens put in an appearance! Also ready-to-print are posters, stickers, and greeting cards; a birthday party could easily be decorated with the stuff within Activity Center.

Whether kids see themselves as a space ranger or identify as a cowpoke, there's plenty of fun for a rainy afternoon or two in this game pack. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Won't install under Win XP
The disneyinteractive.com customer support section has an entry for the problem but no solution. Calling their 888 number you learn that you need to send your CD-ROM (with a receipt) in to Disney for a swap. Apparently the problem is so ingrained in the software that it can't be published on the internet as an update. What a drag!

ALL of my kids love this game!
I have three kids who LOVE this game. (A 5,7 and 9 year old.) It is fun and entertaining for all of them! My 7 and 9 year old girls especially like the "Comic Book Creator" My 5 year old son likes all the games,especially "Traffic Cones" and "The Toy Shelf" I have caught him laughing and having lots of fun when he plays! Based on my childrens reaction I Highly recommend this one! If you are looking for a fun game and love Toy Story, BUY THIS!

Don't Buy It!
I'm with the majority on this one. This is a TERRIBLE program, well below the standards you would normally associate with the Disney brand. My 4 year-old, who is well-versed in children's computer software, lost interest almost immediately. The games are boring, lack depth and replay value, and are difficult to operate--most use the arrow keys to navigate instead of the mouse or track ball which we use. The printing projects lack choices, although they do produce nice output. All in all, a major disappointment.

On the other hand, the Lion King 2 Activity Center program which we bought at the same time is excellent. I think that the reason for the inconsistency is that while these programs are commissioned and marketed by Disney Interactive, they are actually produced by different independent developers who apparently have a great deal of latitute in determining what goes into the finished product. Disney needs to exert more control on product definition and quality control if they want to avoid another black eye like this one.

Fun and challenging!
I can't believe anyone had anything negative to say about this game - it's GREAT!!!! It has four fun games, and each one has three levels of difficulty. The games all relate to the movie, which my son really likes. It's a bit too advanced for my 3-year-old at this point, but he can do the easiest level of the cone game (getting the cones across a street while avoiding oncoming cars), and I help him play the other games. I think when he's about five he'll be more able to play it. It's VERY educational in the sense that the games require good memory, logical thinking, and strategy, anticipating the next several moves you should make. I'm 35 years old and no dummy, but the luggage game (a series of 10 mazes) took me about 30 tries before I could win! The first few mazes were easy, but they got progressively harder, with booby traps and decoy cases. Each time you play, you have to remember which way was the right way to go in each maze, or you can get trapped. Honestly, it's a LOT of fun! The "critter corral" game is a bit like checkers. The first level is easy, level two is more challenging, and level 3 is VERY hard - again, I'm an adult, and it's taking me lots of practice to learn how to beat it! The Toy Shelf game is a fun arcade game. The only weak spots are the two art sections, but all in all, I think it's definitely worth the money for four fun, challenging games that are entertaining for kids OR adults. We got the game four days ago, and my son still asks for it immediately when he wakes up in the morning, and wants to play it three or four times a day.

Loser
My 4 year-old (who is great at playing cd games) lost interest in 10 minutes. This is a badly designed game with minimal graphics and no story. There are a few games like "print" where you click on something and it prints...you don't even get to choose the character. The cone crossing game uses the arrow keys, not the mouse. And it crashes badly on the Mac. It is very un-Mac like. Too bad, we are such great fans of the movie. But save your money here. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Learning letters and numbers is child's play. Get a giggle a minute with the animated Number and Letter Machines. Touch the "J," and jaguars jog. Try the "R," and rhinos roller-skate. Select a number from 0 to 30, then count along with the cheery critters that pop up. One mouse... eeek! That's two mice!You'll find hours of learning play and discovery with alphabets and phonics, numerals and quantities, simple sentences, and upper- and lowercase letters. (Ages 3-5) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very mediocre
This inexpensive learning tool for children is extremely unembellished and unexciting. It is simple to use and might be a good tool for toddlers as young as two and a half. My son is three and has numerous better abc software applications. This one didn't hold his attention for very long. It has no music and very meager graphics.

This might be a good first abc program for a young toddler. Though the recommended age range is 3-5 years, I would say it is better for 2 1/2 to 4. You get what you pay for. This software doesn't cost much and it doesn't offer much. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Kids who don't want to leave the Cretaceous period--as depicted in Disney's thundering Dinosaur film--will thrill at this whimsical Activity Center, created by the same company that made the movie. Graced with snippets of evocative music, animation, and voice talent from the film, this CD-ROM has great ambiance throughout, whether you're playing simple arcade games or spending long moments picking out a unique tail and roar for your hand-built dinosaur.

As you'd imagine, much of the film's personality is echoed here. You'll see the same moody prehistoric habitats, the same eye-popping dinosaur animations, the same stupid lemur jokes, and the same absence of scientific veracity. If you want a truly educational software program about dinosaurs, you'll have to look elsewhere (try the Magic School Bus or Dorling Kindersley CD-ROMs for true facts). With this program, you'll instead get loads of imagery, drama, and hypnotic games and activities rife with snarling Carnotaurs and Velociraptors.

There are five areas to explore in this CD-ROM: one cool puzzle-making activity that allows you to construct a dinosaur all the way down to its exact roar, one neat chesslike strategy game that pits carnivorous dinos against their vegetarian brethren, and three hypnotic games that don't offer much beyond compulsive multilevel arcade play. It's hard to figure out whom the ironic Dating Game-style "Lemur Love Match" is meant to appeal to, yet in all other cases, the games (no matter how basic) are so well stocked with massive, rumbling reptiles that any layman dinosaur fan is going to find them perfectly satisfying. (Ages 5 and older) --Jean Lenihan ... Read more

Reviews (5)

typical Disney: looks good, no substance
This disk has very little to recommend it. It's little more than a collection of dinosaur-themed games -- and pretty uninteresting (and annoying) games at that. Nor is there any educational content to speak of. My six-year-old son lost interest in it after about 10 minutes.

My 5 year old son loves this game!
This game has been well worth the [money] I paid when the game first came out! My 5-year-old son is a dinosaur fanatic and has logged hours and hours on this game over the past year! His favorite game is Colosol Fossil Face Off, a chess type game where the heros of the movie "Face Off" against the villainous meat eaters! Great game for developing strategies!

The software is easy to maneuver through and the Arcade-style games are both entertaining and challenging with some games offering up to 100 different levels!

I will agree that this game is a waste of money if you have an older system! We had several problems when we first bought the game, but have since updated our system and now have NO PROBLEMS at all!

Hours of Fun
My daughter is five and she loves this game. She first borrowed
it from the neighbor boy who is seven. I am embarrassed to say,
she played for four hours straight. She did not want to stop
even to eat. She has several other games she likes, such as
Adiboo, Barbie, Freddie the Fish, but this one realy holds her attention. Now I limit her computer time.

NOT ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE
I AM DISAPPOINTED IN THIS GAME. THE GRAPHICS ARE NOT PART OF THE GAMES THEMSELVES,THEY ARE ONLY AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SEGMENT.
BE AWARE THOUGH, THIS GAME TAKE UP ALOT OF SPACE FOR ANYONE WITH AN OLDER SYSTEM. THE ONLY PART MY 5 YEAR OLD SON ENJOYS IS THE DINOSAUR BUILDING GAME.

DISNEYS DINOSUAR ACTIVITY CENTER
FUN, EXCITING, EDUCATIONAL GAME, THE GRAPHICS ARE FANTASTIC,LOTS OF FUN FOR MY 8 YEAR OLD, ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

With tons of spelling and vocabulary words and silly pictures to click on, Arthur's Teacher Trouble introduces kids to the Spanish language with the help of their favorite aardvark. This interactive storybook form introduces us to Mr. Ratburn, Arthur's new teacher, as he advances to the finals of a spelling bee, trying to win an elusive trophy.

The 24-pagestory can be read aloud with no computer skills needed beyondclicking on the arrow at the bottom of the page and at the start of thestory. (Parents or older children can choose whether the story will be readin Spanish or English.) For children with slightly more advanced mouseskills, every scene has multiple points that can be clicked on for hilariousthings to happen--you never know what you might find lurking in the trashcan! With the graphics so true to the original books' satisfying amount ofvocabulary-related activities, this award-winning storybook is bound to be abig hit with any Arthur fan. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Arthur's Teacher Trouble
Marc Brown creates the Arthur adventure, Arthur's Teacher Trouble with a moral in mind. Also it proves that if you work hard and give it your all, you'll be more successful. The book is told for children to understand that a little hard work gets you somewhere. With no effort at all, you won't come out with your best.

Arthur gets stuck with a hard teacher. The teacher starts out tough on the students, assigning homework right away. Arthur isn't very confident in himself and isn't used to the work and extra effort that he has to give to 3rd grade. With all of his hard work he actually gets awarded with something even better...and by reading this book you'll be sure to find out!

Arthur is my favorite character in this particular Arthur book. He isn't very confident in himself, but we all relate to that. And in the end we sometimes get surprised by unexpected turns.

Neat!
This game is great for young computer-users! Each page has at least 15 "interactions" -- i.e. clicking on the salt shakers in the kitchen makes them dance. The story can read itself to you are you can read it silently. Even clicking on one word makes the computer say it. Great for children just learning to read. However, using it TOO many times can get tiring...after all, it is just a computerized book. Great value for the money!

I learned from Arthur's Teacher Trouble.
I learned to do my best, but that if my best isn't better than everyone else's best, it is okay. ... Read more

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 Review

Get ready to save the day! The Rescue Heroes are a great team of emergency technicians who have all kinds of skills and gadgets at their disposal, and they'll all be put to good use.

First, meet the team at the command center--Billy Blazes fans will be thrilled to work with such a talented bunch. Then, accompanied by decent graphics and a suspense-building musical soundtrack, set out to rescue families from different tropical storm disasters. In order to rescue folks, you need to know the best ways to get around the storms and where it's safe to take hurricane victims once they're out of immediate danger. As you successfully accomplish each mission (which happens with careful planning, teamwork, and all-around bravery), you receive printable Rescue Heroes honor badges and personalized certificates. You can also take a breather from the exhausting work of heroism and head to the design center, where you can create your own printable rescue gear.

Rescue Heroes: Hurricane Havoc requires surprisingly simple mouse skills for an action game. Your team is around to narrate so, while reading is helpful, it's not absolutely necessary. Any kindergartner who likes helping those in need (or has a secret longing to become a superhero) is sure to have a blast with this game. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Way to go Rescue Heroes
My 4 year old is a Rescue Hero fanatic and he loves this game! The music is catchy, the graphics are good and the adventures are fun. And he learns a little something about tropical storms in the process! If your child loves Billy Blazes and the rest of the gang - they will love this computer software.

Educational and Fun!
My son has been playing this game for almost a year now and he loves it!! Very educational, he can tell me all about tropical storms. It has lots of different missions and fun things to entertain.

nothing to it
My five yeay old was completely finished in about 1/2 hour, except for printing out a bunch of stuff we didn't want.

My daughter's favorite computer game!
My 4 and half year old daughter wants to play this every day!
Its very easy to navigate and understand for a 4-5 year old. She loves to print out the stickers and badges too. If your child loves rescue heroes, then this would certainly please them!

excellent
I have a 3 1/2 yr old son who loves this game. EXPERIENCE NECESSARY...the mouse is the only game control. This is also a benefit...hand eye coordination. ... Read more

Features

• Free-form construction play for young gamers
• Nine different vehicles include bulldozers and tractors
• Move debris, demolish buildings and plant crops
• Five different play environments
• For 1 player

Reviews (5)

Big Disappointment; Difficult to Play
Initially my son and I had a difficult time even moving the machines. But he mastered it, and really loves playing alone.

It keeps his interest fairly well, but I think some other comparable games are better!

Exciting and Entertaining
I bought this game for my son for Christmas-along with his first video game (Gameboy Color)not really knowing how he was going to get along with it. Well, much to our suprise, he loves this game! His daddy and I have to "make" him put it down. It's a "nobody looses" type of game. For a child only being 4yrs. old, this was the perfect choice. It has even got self explanitory info. in it that helps the kids follow directions from "George the Foreman". He tells you what to do and where to drive to. Very nice game- hope the next choice we make is as good as this one was. Very highly recommend this.

My Pre-K Loves It
First off, let me just mention that this game was designed with very young children in mind, so I'd say that anyone over the age of maybe around 7 will find the game insanely easy. Basically the game revolves around top-view control of several different Catepillar trucks & tractors, which you control to complete a task to beat the level. As an example, in one that I recently played with my 4-year-old, we had to use a tractor to pick up logs, drive them over to a location where a bridge is being built, and press a button to drop the logs in place, thus making part of the bridge. Repeat three more times, picking up logs in different locations that little contruction guys point out. Basically, he seems to think it's really cool to control all the different styles of equipment, and the variety of settings helps to keep things somewhat interesting (in one phase you are building bridges, on another you are working on a farm, etc). Even though he really likes the game, I had to take away a star due to the repetitiveness of the game - most levels consist basically of "Drive here, press button. Drive there. Press button. Repeat." Even though the equipment and settings change, interest is lost after a while because there's little variety in gameplay. He keeps going back to it though, so it can't be that bad :)

This game is AWESOME
You get to do really cool stuff like Dig tunnels, move earth, demolish buildings, and perform daring rescues with nine different tough CAT tractors, dump trucks, and bulldozers! Plus, Construction Zone features several challenging missions including building a log cabin, dumping boulders into a river to divert water flow, and paving a basketball court! Choose from nine different CAT machines, including the Integrated Tool Carrier, Lexion Combine, and Power Shovel. PLAY IN FIVE ENVIRONMENTS: Outskirts, Farms, Forest, Neighborhood, and City.

Fun But Easy.
This game is fun but its too easy to beat. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

This two-disc set invites kids to join Arthur and the gang for learning and fun. It's packed with 15 educational activities covering math, reading, creativity, and more. Arthur's Kindergarten teaches a full year's worth of kindergarten skills, and entertains your child in the process. Kids can track their progress with the Goal Checker and enjoy the three new reward activities after successfully completing the learning activities. (Ages 4 to 6) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good product
Great software program for kids in kindergarten or maybe even a little younger.

No refunds from Learning Company
This product did not work. I returned it to The Learning Company months ago and haven't received a refund or any response. Buyer beware.

Good source for a starter
It was a good start for my son who moved from London to the US to learn the ways of the schools etc.Arthur has captured his fancy from the Pbskids and the books in schools.This does the same and I am sure will help him to get to speed here in the US. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Develops Reading in the Long Run
Our son received this game for Christmas 2002 when he was 3 1/2. We had none of the problems with installation or incorrect sounds described by the other reviewers.

The game has two components -- one that lets the child listen to songs and books and the other called "Road to Reading" that requires the child to perform certain tasks for each letter before moving on to the next one with the goal of filling in a message that contains all 26 letters.

My son has not quite finished the game yet, but we have set a goal of completing it before this Christmas. It is a nice change from most of the "story" games that he has that he can complete in an hour or two at the computer. The game is slow, but it has held his interest. We know that he is learning many words by sight because of the reading he can now do outside of the game.

There is one activity that he does not particularly like and needs help with, but for the most part he has played this himself. I can't wait for him to finish. He will be very proud because of the time it takes to get through. It has been worthwhile.

Trouble with Windows XP
This old program seems to have trouble with Windows XP. It changes the resolution to something that Windows XP considers "less than optimal". Consequently a mysterious panel keeps popping up offering me the chance to change the resolution. Of course, the panel disappears whenever I hit any key and then reappears about 15 secs later only to disappear again. At this point I'd rather teach my kid to drag her nails over a chalkboard than mess with this anymore.

Definitely has a Defect, dont buy it!
I bought this and it is definitely defective. It was not a computer installation issue. The problem is in the main music game that labels letters phonetically in a word. It does not spell the word correctly and sounds the wrong sound for the letter. I was told the earlier version does not have these defects and I am buying that on ebay. Its a pity because the rest is very nice so I hope the earlier version will be fine.

Tells kids wrong sounds for some letters! Many mistakes!
I liked the design of the program. I played briefly with my daughter and then started letting her play alone. Today I played with her and was surprized to see it telling her incorrect sounds for some letters! "Click on the letter to hear its sound." She clicked on E and it made the sound for A! The same thing happened with O and I in this section of the game. My husband said he saw it giving her incorrect info in another area of the game. Now she's sad that I took her game away and I can't get a refund because I lost my receipt and the toy store won't take opened software. Apparently, there was poor quality control on this program. This could really confuse a young child learning phonics! Or perhaps the creators of this game could use some basic phonics lessons?

Education can be funner
We have several of the Reader Rabbit programs so buying this one seemed like a good idea. I would give it the "ok" my 5 year old will play the game but it is not his first choice. The fact that you have to do things in a certain sequence is boring to him because it is always the same. Slow moving game.(It might be just us!)There are a couple of cute places like reading the word and dressing a hamster and bubble blowing dragons. But overall I wish we would have waited on this one. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I would go lower if I could!!!
Purchased this product for my daughter for christmas and it was a major pain. After installing it I continued to get a error saying that "Director Player 6.0 requires 3Mb of virtual memory". Well I have over a GB of virtual memory available. I even tried to set the settings to allow the system to manage it but to no avail this product will not work on Win XP Professional. The killer is that box says "For Windows XP"?!!! The website for the product offers no tech support. I am returning to the store and finding something better!! ... 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

Reviews (3)

Much Too Complex for 3 year olds
Although my daughter asks to play with this a lot (cute characters) she gets frustrated immediately with the navigation. Perhaps I'll hold on to it until she is 4+, but the material is too mature for her at 3 & 1/2.

terrific introduction to time and geography for little ones
This is our first Edmark product, but it won't be our last. This is a fine program with easy controls, a user-friendly interface, and fun educational activities. Kids can work on five tasks in one of two modes. For example, in Jellybean Hunt, your perspective is as an ant on a grid-patterned tablecloth. Jellybeans are scattered at various locations. In exploration mode, you can use arrows designated as relative directions (forward, left or right) or absolute directions (labelled N, S, E and W), to find jelly beans; in task mode, you are asked to get a particular jellybean using a specific arrow set.

Other tasks include: (1) a world map that asks you to identify large land masses or bodies of water and take pictures of them (and clicking on specific places brings up pictures and facts about that place); (2) analog and digital time telling; (3) a scene with dials for seconds, minutes, hours, days and months -- when you click on a dial, the scene is sped up in those increments; (4) a proto-Sim City where kids can place design elements (towns, hills, rivers, roads, etc) on a grid that maps to a sandbox, where the elements take shape.

These activities are well designed and educational as well as fun. As someone who has used Reader Rabbit, Jumpstart and many other children's software titles, I think this compares favorably, and heartily recommend it for your child. Very nice!

Trudy's Time and PLace
Once again Edmark keeps our kids happy with another outstanding product. I've seen kids from 3+ to 7 play this. Several different activities with both Q/A mode or explore mode keeps kids with varied levels of skills busy, entertained and learning. The games "grow" with the kids. Both educational and loads of fun, it's a must for all homes.

We have enjoyed it so much, we continue to buy it for gifts. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Travel through time with Putt-Putt and use your quick wits to help him find his buddy Pep in Putt-Putt Travels Through Time. Mr. Firebird's techno time machine has malfunctioned and sucked in Pep the dog, Putt-Putt's history paper, lunchbox, and calculator, and flung them through time. Players join Putt-Putt on an adventure-of-the-centuries that visits four different time periods.

Along the way, meet Ms. Brachiosaurus--she holds the key to unlocking the secrets of the dinosaurs--and see what pans out when you visit Silverado Sam, the prospector from the Old West. Don't forget to feed the dragon in King Chariot's medieval castle, and be sure to check out Darien the librarian from the future--he just may have the book you need. These are a few of the delightful friends who help players reunite Putt-Putt with his pal while encouraging critical thinking, listening, and memory skills, and reinforcing good social skills. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Confusing - Nonsense
We've played other Putt-Putt games, but for some reason, Travels Through Time is not only confusing to my 5-yr old child, but he has no interest in it. This is the kid who plays Freddi Fish over and over and over, same with Pajama Sam. Maybe it's for an older child, but I'd still not recommend it. I think the whole game is nonsense.

fun software for older little kids
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 Travels in Time, the overarching goal is to collect the items that have been sucked into a malfunctioning time machine, but along the way he will perform a variety of smaller tasks. I would rate this specific game a little lower than the other Putt-Putt titles because it is more complex and harder to follow, as the events take place in different tunnels -- prehistory, the Old West, a medieval castle and the future. This title may be more appropriate for the older kids in the suggested age range of 3-8 years old.

This is a still a fun game in a great series. We have 5 Putt-Putt titles and enjoy them all.

Great Game
Its amazing how creative this game and all other Putt Putt games are. Don't hesitate to get this for a child of any computer skill level. All the controls are purely intuitive.

A happy customer
When my daughter played this game her eyes lighted up. She was laughing really hard. This game is I think the best that I have ever seen in this putt putt series. It defenitly is worth the money and time.

Over many preschoolers' heads...
Of course, I am the odd one out here, but I was very disappointed in this game. After reading the reviews here and at Children's Software Review, we bought this game for our 3 yr. old (now almost 4). Although he finds parts of this game enjoyable, it has a very complex storyline and subject matter for young children. The activities are interesting, some more challenging than others, which is probably what keeps the children so interested.

Children are expected to help Putt Putt the car travel throughout different time periods (Medieval, Old West, Futuristic City). Along the way, they will encounter different "puzzles." Children must explore the game and find different hidden items in order to solve the puzzles and advance in the game. Some of the puzzles are wonderful thinking activities, while others are simply puzzling, even to grownups.

Because of the advanced storyline (dealing with time travel through past, present, and future), I would not give this game my highest recommendations. There are too many references to particular years and ages that just won't compute with the little guys. Also, this is not an easy game for the youngest preschoolers to use without a lot of guidance and suggestions from a gownup, so be prepared to sit alongside your child while s/he plays (which is what we should be doing anyway, right?). If you are looking for a similar game that is more developmentally appropriate, I highly recommend Ollo and the Sunny Valley Fair, a very well put-together game. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Join Barbie as Sleeping Beauty on a fairy-tale adventure full of games and surprises. Explore an enchanted castle as you help the princess get ready for her birthday party. Meet magical fairies, play music with friendly forest animals, open pretty presents, and more--but beware of spinning wheels and the evil fairy's curse! Now it's up to you to wake Sleeping Beauty and help her save the kingdom. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Not good!
When I bought this for my daughter she was 4 years old. She needed help every time getting through the maze. Which wasted my time, she was supposed to be having fun, not frustrated. There is just nothing to do. Half the time you are just clicking people to wake up. Borring!!!!!! Save your money, my daughter was on to something else in no time.

Simple, but good
I find this game very simplistic, compared to others my daughter has. However, my daughter (4) really enjoys playing with it, and can do it on her own. I had no problems installing it in my iMac, and it runs fine. The best feature is that it can either be played in order or you can go to your favorite parts. I thnk it's a good buy if you have a 4/5 year old.

TOO Scary!
My four year old got this for her 4th birthday and was so scared that she refuses to play it. The witch is very realistic and true to Disney form something geared towards kids is not made with their sensibilities in mind.

My 5 year old loves it
This game has stood the test of time - 6 months later my 5 year old still will play it though she has dozens of newer games. She can go thru it in order, or pick and choose sections directly. Very nice music that she will sometimes just sit and sing along with. Smooth animation thoughout and vivid sound effects. Her favorite section is the crown decoration, which is a mini art studio - plus she prints her custom crowns, adds a taped on paper band, and wear them all the time!

I only give it 4 of 5 cause it's not especially challenging or educational.

I had no installation problems or any other problems with the game...and unlike many of the games she likes, this one has never crashed.

Great for a 4 or 5 year old
This software installed and ran seamlessly on our Pentium 3 computer w/128mb ram. We've had no technical problems to speak of.

My daughters (4 & 5) have enjoyed it immensely. It has many customizable features that, as they play the game more often, they discover, adding a new dimension to their play. Creating and customizing their own crowns is one of their favorite features. Choose the crown style, and a huge array of accessories, from gems to "stickers" to paint, etc. You can even print the crown, wearable by its creator!

This software is great for the pre-reader. It doesn't have "death" in the story at all. The evil fairy is converted to good at the end. It may seem sappy to a more hip grade-schooler, but your pre-schooler and kindergartner will love it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

What could be more fun than an afternoon in Furbyland? The first activity is to design your own Furby: choose among different sizes and many colors and patterns to create your ideal little buddy. When he's complete, there are lots of different games to play with your new friend. For example, in "Club Furby," your goal is to keep the Furby dancing by matching different sizes of disco balls. The three Furby backup dancers provide helpful comments like "bo-ring" when you're not doing well.

"Furby to the Rescue" is another favorite, with many challenging mazes to conquer while rescuing baby Furbys and collecting valuables. Each game has multiple skill levels, bonus rounds, and goofy rewards, making this activity similar to classic arcade-style entertainment. In the Scrapbook area, learn the history of Furbys, make use of the Furbish-English dictionary, and print coloring pages that make great fridge art. Happily, all the screens in the scrapbook are printable, so you can share the dictionary with other Furby-loving friends. While this program is officially for youngsters, Furby addicts of all ages are sure to enjoy. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (2)

It's fun, but there isn't that many games.
It's a fairly decent game when it comes to size, but the fun-o-meter is set at 4 on a scale of one to ten. It has fun games, and the beanie wheather game is challenging. But there isn't very much to do, and there is only 4 games to play. Creating your own Furby is exciting, though. It even has inter-changable backgrounds! I was a little dissapointed though when I won all the games and beat my own high score, because after that there isn't much left to do except play and win the games all over again.

Ok, I guess
This game is ok I guess, I played it at my cousin's house. It'sgood for small children. I think it's pretty annoying just like thereal thing. But kids seem to enjoy it.The design a furby is pretty cool you can choose from a varity or colors to color your furby. I didn't get a chance to play with the games. And basically with this game you take care of your furby like it was a pet! ... 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

Hop into Timmy's hot air balloon for a multicultural journey to visit friends in Argentina, Kenya, and Japan. Learn all about the customs and languages of foreign lands, building early math, prereading, and language arts skills along the way. Learn to greet your friends in Spanish, Swahili, and Japanese. Write stories about Timmy and his friends. Choose characters, settings, and actions, then hear your stories read aloud in English or a foreign language as often as you like. Print them as books to read to others. Play problem-solving games. Match pictures on cards in a game from Argentina, and use logic in a Kenyan bug game. Each game has a two-player option and three levels of difficulty. Discover culture through arts and crafts. Learn interesting facts about the people, places, and animals of other countries while you paint and decorate cultural artwork. Print, color, and assemble crafts for hours of imaginative play. Recognize numbers and learn about quantities. Add people, animals, buildings, and familiar items to create villages. Build the towns that Stanley asks for, or dream up your own. Learn new foreign words too. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Loved Timmy Deluxe
I helped my child with Timmy Deluxe at school. 6 countries and languages. We both loved it. Fun, quick, cute, nice music, nice art (not babyish), funny stories. Where can I find it retail?

Great Product
Could'nt get child away from computer (6years old) Do they have any other countries? Only 3 is the only complaint ... Read more