Amazon.com Review

An exciting new set of learning games featuring the ever-playful Reader Rabbit and friends, Thinking Adventures provides tons of activities designed to get kindergartners mastering all kinds of important skills. The goal is to throw a party for Sam the Lion, and there's a lot to do to get ready--matching, sorting, patterning, memorizing, and problem solving all play a role here.

As always with this series, the difficulty level adjusts automatically, and there's lots of printable worksheets and certificates. Reader Rabbit is always ready with helpful hints, which is great for kids who like to play without parental assistance. This is a great accompaniment for other Reader Rabbit titles--kids love the characters, and this title is more about general learning and entertainment than other programs that focus exclusively on math or reading. Younger kids will have a great time exploring with the easier skill levels--nearly every scene has lots of fun clickables, and many games can be easily handled by preschoolers. Reading isn't necessary, but good listening skills are--more easily distracted kids may need some assistance in understanding game instructions. You'll appreciate the progress reports--and knowing in which areas your child excels or needs some extra help. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Quite Engaging for Any Youngster
This software immediately caught my 4 year old's attention. The animation is great, and Reader Rabbit even addresses your child by their name (which you supply the program).

Many wonderful games for children to learn sequencing, matching, similarities & differences, and many more things. A second disk is even included that allows you to print helpful worksheets so that you may work away from the computer.

This software is money well spent.

Excellent educational games require advanced mouse skills
As with all of the Reader Rabbit titles, this one has excellent education activities and an engaging storyline. My daughter loves it. Parents should be aware, however, that this title requires more advanced mouse skills that other software for this age group: two activities require the user to "click and drag". In another game the child must click in very small areas and in the "present wrapping" activity it is very easy to accidentally exit the game.

Too confusing for 4 years olds!
I had always heard great things about Reader Rabbit software but I was very disappointed in this one! My four year old got frustrated after 5 minutes and gave up. She found the instructions to be too difficult to understand because they were very detailed and spoken too quickly. The premise is that you're supposed to gather items for a surprise party. You need to obtain a specific amount of each item and it goes into an empty room once you gather enough for the party. You need to go to different areas to make cookies, wrapping paper etc. I don't know how a four year old could do this without adult supervision. This software will sit on the shelf until my daughter gets older. Hopefully then she'll enjoy it.

Uninspired and dull with clunky interface
There is one part of this game where the main character enters a room that is entirely empty except for a carpet, a few drapes, and blank walls. It's like someone forgot to work on the scene. There are other parts where the animated characters do the same things over and over and over, and the tasks are extremely repetitive. Other scenes are equally dense or unimaginative. The artwork is awkward and ugly. The interface is non-intuitive, as is the flow of the story. There's also this Blob thing that lays on the ground to help you with navigation, and he's a depressing little thing.

So, this title is not recommended. Try Freddi Fish or Puttputt or SpyFox. Avoid this turkey in disguise.

Not very impressed
My kids did not find the games very interesting and neither did I. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Now you can join Little Bear for an exciting day of indoor activities for a rainy day, or any day. You'll have hours of fun playing over 100 activities designed to strengthen creativity, thinking, and memory skills. You can decorate scenes from Little Bear's world with stickers, dress up Little Bear and his friends with fun clothes and accessories, and solve the puzzle to reveal pictures of Little Bear and his world. Other activities include matching Little Bear characters to develop memory skills, measuring ingredients, cutting out shapes, and decorating cookies. There are also over 40 printable activities that allow you to create your own pictures, cards, and puzzles. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fantastic! Well Worth The Money!
This is a fantastic CD. It is well worth the money.
There are a wide range of activities on this CD.

Dressing Little Bear up in costumes is very fun and inspires creativity. Cooking - you drop ingredients into a bowl and mix them up, cut out shapes and decorate cookies is one of of my son's favorite activities on this CD. This develops prereading skills and following directions. There are other activities: Coloring, matching, puzzles and a sticker type activity. All the activities inspire creativity and other skills such as pre reading skills, following directions, and more. Further there are print up activities you can print up and do in your own home. What a great idea.

The characters are cute and the voices sound just like the ones on the show. The loading time is reasonable for each game and the games are fun.

My son is three and enjoys this CD. I can see this being a CD that will be enjoyed for several more years.

Enjoy.

a terrific suite of activities for little Little Bear fans
We have already tried a number of software products for young children, and I would rank this as one of the very best. The material is true to the children's series, so you see most of the characters from the show (Owl, Cat, Hen, Duck, Father Bear -- though not Emily or Little Bear's grandparents), and Little Bear and Mother Bear's voices seem to be voiced by the same actors who voice the television show.

The CD starts with Mother Bear calling Little Bear into the house when it starts to rain, and quickly switches to the activity selection screen. There is: 1) cooking -- adding ingredients to a bowl, cutting out shapes, and decorating cookies; 2) costumes -- drag-and-dropping various costume pieces and props onto Little Bear, Duck, Cat, Owl or Hen; 3) painting -- using a variety of colors and fill patterns to color any of six different scenes; 4) stickers -- drag-and-dropping characters and props onto various scenes (campsite, garden, bedroom, picnic, boat or house); 5) puzzles -- drag-and-drop 4, 6 or 9 pieces onto a template; 6) matching -- finding pairs of characters' pictures amid a layout of 8 or 12 "cards".

An activity section has 27 projects which can be printed out. These include recipes (such as fizzy lemonade and gingerfriends cookies), games (sound bingo and finger puppets, for instance) and arts & crafts projects (vegetable stamps and making a water xylophone among them). There are enough activities to keep a child interested for a long time, and activities sometimes have different levels of difficulty, such as the number of puzzle pieces or matching cards, so they can be ofinterest to children of different ages. At any point you can print scenes in one of three formats -- a color picture, a coloring book-style line drawing, or a greeting card), and printing has been without bugs.

Running this on a PowerMac G4, installation was quick and easy. The only weak point is the booklet, which contains nothing but installation instructions.

Recommended for ages 3 and up, but younger children will enjoy it if you operate the mouse for them.

This is a terrific product, and I endorse it without reservation. ... Read more

Features

• Join the Spy Kids for an exciting learning adventure
• 8 exciting and educational activities; 3 levels of interactive play
• 32-page puzzle book integrates with the CD-ROM game
• Never-before-seen footage from Spy Kids 2 and Spy Kids 3-D
• For kids ages 8 and older

Features

• Includes software CD, 6 acrylic key rings, 18 photo inlays, 2 printer test sheets and alignment page

Amazon.com Review

A collision with a meteorite has stopped Earth from rotating on itsaxis! Now half of the planet is turning to a ball of ice while the side facingthe sun gets hotter... and hotter. If the planet is to survive, you mustgenerate enough electricity to power a giant impulse machine, the only devicethat can get the planet rotating again. The only problem is with the impulsemachine's electrical generators--not only are they scattered throughout theworld, none of them is working correctly.

Physicus is a first-person role-playing game in the style of Myst,designed for players aged 10 and older. Players click through a nearly endlessseries of gorgeously rendered scenes, scanning any stray objects they find andusing them to repair and activate the electrical generators. The key differencebetween this and similar games, though, is that all the puzzles inPhysicus are based on solid scientific principle.

Fortunately, you do not have to be a wizard in optics, Newton's principles ofmotion, or any other aspect of the physical sciences to play this game. Theexpert is provided for you, in the form of a virtual laptop, which can guide youthrough your world-spanning task. Within the laptop, the fundamental concepts ofphysical science are laid out in a clear and entertaining format, complete withdiagrams and animated illustrations. This banquet of information is broken intobite-sized morsels for younger players, and is available for access at any pointin the game. What's more, the game is very well cross-indexed, with links to thecorrect sections of the laptop appearing whenever a puzzle presents itself.

Physicus is one of the rare educational games that genuinely have it all:great story, super graphics, and truly interesting puzzles. Visually, it melds alush Victorian retrotech sensibility with hardcore educational content. Thefirst-person interface gives the players the opportunity to fully imaginethemselves in this complex adventure. Engaging enough to hold the attention ofadults as well as younger players, it makes an excellent shared project for aparent-and-child team. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Awesome graphics, but a huge disappointment
This game looked so cool as it made my Pentium 1 computer crash again and again that I purchased a new Pentium 4 machine JUST TO GET THIS GAME TO RUN!

Physicus has an intriguing storyline. Awesome, superior 3D graphics. The reference material is top rate.

But the game: In a scavenger hunt scenario you search for clues then solve problems. There is not enough direction. Hours of aimless frustrating hunting. There is no help in the game that provides any guidance as to what to do next.

The Tivola website offers some guidance, even shows you the answers for the next step but this leaves you no feeling of success. Even after these Tivola hints, you still can't find subsequent clues until more aimless frustrating hunting.

I don't like scavenger hunts where I don't know what I'm looking for so this game is a huge disppointment for myself and 9 yr old child.

It could be useful as reference material for explaining physics related subjects to kids, but the game needs a greater degree of direction.

Physicus
Physicus is a terrific game. It is similar to Myst, with the game play and graphics, and has the added bonus of being very informative. The information on optics, mechanics, acoustics, electricity, and heat are excellent. Some of my middle school students love it. They have fun playing, and they're learning.

Famous Software Tool
This software is found to be educational for those who are currently interested in the physics field and/or want to pursue future careers that generally involve physics. Recently, I've observed that the software itself is truly designed for teenaged students aged 10-16, in grades 5-11 and an excellent resource for physics-related science coaches. After all, it also provides an opportunity for many middle and high schoolers to excel in this software for many education purposes.

For instance, it is mainly used for situations when a teenager wants to try harder to sucessfully progress his masteries in various courses without any of bothersomeness in his parents' authority. As an idealist of the new century, I hope you find this to be your success material of all!!

Need More Work From the Creators
This game is an interesting one, but completely confusing. I would like if it could tell the player what she/he is supposed to do. I try to play this game, but I am always bewildered about what exactly do I have to do to reach the next level. I just get lost and walk around for like hours without a clue! You should say something like "Here you must solve the ........." or something like that. This way people can understand what you mean and what they have to accomplish.

Really Cool
I really liked this game. The graphics are awesome and it's tricky enough to hold my attention but easy enough (okay, I looked at the hints twice!) to know that I will save the world! Very cool. ... Read more

Features

• Interact and play with several cute virtual pets -- multiple breeds like Golden Retrievers, Jack Russell Terriers, Pugs, Papillions, and German Shepherds
• Dogz can now have multiple puppyz born in a litter -- anywhere from 1 to 4 unique bundles of joy
• New playscenes to keep the new puppyz happy - Haunted Mansion, Fantasy Castle, Asian Temple, Pet Salon, and even a Nursery
• Play mini games like Tic-Tac-Toe and Rock-Paper-Scissors with your Dogz
• Realistic sun, rain, and snow weather effects, and day and night cycles

Reviews (1)

AFunAndCreative Game!


This is a very wnderful game! Below is a list of reasons!


1 6/10
Playsenes: it is not that fun when you have to play for items!


2 10/10
Breedz:all the breedz are cute,Funny,And have Very cool Mannrisms!


3 9/10

time spent playing: This game is not boring. This game is not Addicting.But still fun!


These are the many reasons I love this game!

-A 11 year old gamer ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Now kids can play and learn with their favorite Learning Company characters online at KidsEdge, the safe, family-friendly Web site with over 170 educational games and growing. Parents receive detailed progress reports, as well as recommendations for helping their children excel. One membership covers the entire family. This package contains the KidsEdge travel CD-ROM, which allows kids to play games even when they’re not connected to the Internet, and the ClueFinders Mystery Adventure CD-ROM. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Absolute Junk!
If you are a computer expert, enjoy constant crashes and unavailable servers and your child has patience beyond belief then this is the product for you. This product does not work! We spent a week trying to log on to the server which was down, then when we finally got on and registered the games and activites (which are no very good at all) take about 10 minutes to come up before you can play them. If you are hoping that you will be able to let your child play independently with this product, you better think again. You will be the one trying to navigate the instructions and reading the rules. Your child will be able to click every once in a while when you tell them to click on a certain item, but that is about it. DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT!!

Smart Choice
So glad to see you finally added this product. I have been hooked on the Kidsedge website for a year now. It is the best all around educational "magazine" I have found. I get great ideas for my third graders -- the ones who need motivation and the GATE kids. We used it today during science and ended up at a virtual museum tour on bugs. I couldn't get the kids to stop for lunch! The articles are interesting, and I am always downloading them for the teacher's room. My husband teaches computers in high school and liked the recent article on cheating in America. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

If your child enjoys tea parties, castles, and princess prettiness,Disney's Beauty and the Beast Activity Center will enrapture her. Andlike its protagonist, Belle, this program has the right balance of beauty andbrains.

A gorgeous opening leads to the foyer of the Beast's castle where Belle andCogsworth, the worrywart clock, and Lumiere, the candle with the MauriceChevalier accent, are preparing a surprise party for the Beast. Visitors musthelp the castle's denizens prepare for the party in four different areas. Mrs.Pott's Teatime Table is in the kitchen, where guests must help set the table forthree different meals; a rotating table gives this mundane-sounding task a funspin. It takes good timing and hand-eye coordination to drop scoops of ice creamfrom high up on the shelf to the dishes spinning dizzily below.

In the ballroom, visitors can pick music, decorations, and a gown for Belle, aswell as choreograph dance steps in an activity that teaches sequencing andprogramming skills. Cogsworth's Library Mystery is another smart activity;players must use descriptive clues to eliminate books, then decide which of theremaining tomes hides part of a key that's necessary to unlock the Beast's lair.Belle's Writing Desk is a non-structured activity in which kids can createstained-glass windows, cards, party invitations, and other masterpieces. TheTeatime Table and the Library Mystery have three levels of difficulty, all ofwhich must be mastered in order to adequately prepare for the big payoff--thesurprise party for the Beast.

Interestingly, the Beast doesn't make an appearance until it's time for theparty. He sleeps in the West Wing, and the castle gang gives explicitinstructions not to disturb him. Clicking on his door earns a gentle reprimandas you hear him snore in the background. This patriarchal bit of ominousness maybe irksome to parents who seek to teach kids non-stereotypical gender roles.

The lavish graphics slow progress somewhat, and it wouldn't have hurt Disney toinclude a few more activities; maybe they should have made the Beast get off hiscouch and go get something nice for Belle. (Ages 5 and older) --AnneErickson ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Has Wonderful Potential
I have bought this game 3 different times. It would be wonderful, if it would work properly with XP. I originally thought the CD rom itself was damaged somehow, I really wish that had been the problem. DISNEY you need to spend the money and fix the game. I truly believe it would be worth your while. Until then, I would not buy this game. The sound is choppy and the picture is jerky. The sound is critical to playing the game. I was able to play through the entire game once on Windows 98. It was great, my daughter loved it and so did I. It is is shame they don't keep up with the times.

Trouble running on Windows XP
I honestly liked this product; decent games, very nice graphics, and most importantly my 2 year old loved it.

However, I could not get the sound to function properly; when it works at all it is choppy, cuts off words, and sometimes even sounds like a broken record. I thought of keeping the software but it the sound is just too annoying and you need it to play the games.

I believe the problem is that I'm running Windows XP, and since this Disney software is a few years old it does not run properly on XP. There's actually a disclaimer in the instructions saying they cannot guarantee compatibility on Windows 2000 (XP is based on Win 2000.) The manual mentions to update all drivers on your computer, all mine are brand new for XP.

For what it's worth, after exhausting the manual and the included product troubleshooting, I found a pretty good troubleshooting page on Disney's website at: http://asp.interactive.go.com/support/disney/index.asp

An Enchanted Party!!
This is a CD-ROM no computer should be without!! It's Simply Magical!!
When you sign in, you will have 2 options. You can use your own name, or use the name that they give you. It could be Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, or The Beast. But most likely, it will be Belle. As you begin, you will meet Belle, Lumiere, and Cogsworth in the foyer. They will tell you that they are planning a surprise party for The Beast. They will tell you that in order to surprise him, certain things need to be done in the castle, and that you can play those activities to help get everything done for the party. Pssssttt, be sure to be on the look out for secret passages in every room. And to go back
To the foyer, click on the magic mirror. If you're in the foyer and you want to quit, click on the magic mirror. If you want to see the credits, click on the rose bush in the foyer. If you want to go back to sign in and change games, click on the green rug with the rose on it, in the foyer.

There are four games and two mini movies in this CD-ROM. We'll start at the games. The first came is called Belle Of The Ball. Here, you can choose the dress that Belle will wear at the ball, when you click on Wardrobe. You can choose the instruments that the musicians will play at the ball, when you click on the chair. And, to create a dance, click on the floor tiles. Then to
See it all put together, click on the doors behind Belle. Oh, and don't worry,
It won't interfere with The Beast's party. The second game is called Mrs. Potts Tea Time Table. Here, you can help Mrs. Potts and Chip set the table for tea, dinner, and dessert. It gets harder with each course. For tea, you only need five things, but for dessert, you need seven. Tip: In the lunch course, with the bread, salami, tomato's, and cheese, just keep clicking on them until all four place settings are complete with that item. In Belle's Writing Desk, you can illustrate and color the story of Beauty and The Beast, make stained glass windows, and make cards!! By the way, the secret passage in here in right in clear view!! The last game you should do last, the CD-ROM will tell you why when you buy it. It is called Cogsworth's Library Mystery. Cogsworth has forgot what books he hid the key to the west wing behind!! And it's going to be you job to help him get the key back. Get the entire key,
And you can go to the west wing and see the mini movie, and see how The Beast's party goes!!

Well that's it. I hope that this review has helped you and encourages you to get this CD-ROM.

Fun game
My daughter enjoys playing with this game. There are various games, and when changing from one game to the other one has to wait for Belle to speak all the options. This takes a while, and my daughter gets impatient. The food game and the one where a dance is created are fun. The best is the guessing game, as it fosters skills like listening, observation, focus on details, deduction, logic, and making educated guesses. All in all it is a good game.

A Beauty or a Beast?
This is not one of the better Disney programs. It's charming at first, but gets old quite fast. There doesn't seem to be that many different things to do on it. It is fun, however, to make up a dance,arrange the music and hallway, and play the food game, but one can only do that so many times. You also rarely get to see the beast. I recommend this to those with a short attention span. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

It's after school and there's so much to talk about with your girlfriends! Get connected with Disney's Girlfriends and enjoy an instant messenger, e-mail, making Web pages, fortunetelling, and friends' profiles, in a safe and contained online environment. There are nine activities in all, hostedby Disney's modern princesses Jasmine, Belle, and Ariel. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Disney Girlfriends
I got this game for Christmas and it had no instructions!! It is so hard to play with out the instructions. You don't know what buttons you're pressing without them. The game keeps on locking up and it's pretty slow.If you want to get in a chat room or send e-mails to your friends, the friends have to have the game too! Don't buy this game for your daughter unless there is someone that's really good with computers.

Interesting
I haven't actually played the game yet, but I have done a lot of research on it. It looks like a game that will be beneficial to girls of all ages, and will teach them lessons about computers and the internet that they will be able to take with them throughout their lives. I would highly sugest this software. ... Read more