Features

• 3 titles from the trusted leader in early childhood education
• Sesame Street Baby; Shoes, Bugs and Farms; Pets, Food and Telephones
• Babies will have fun exploring music, colors, letters, shapes, and more
• Customized learning environment with individualized feedback
• Automatically adjusts for appropriate skill levels

Reviews (1)

Buyer Be Very Wary
The trusted leader in children's learning really blew it with this product. I bought SS Baby deluxe, SS Preschool and SS Toddler for my 2 and 4 year olds. My little girl was SO excited to play these games but Uh-oh. The small print says several of the disks DON'T WORK on Windows 2000 and they were developed for XP before the program was released so it is shaky on XP machines too. The bottom line - we can't run most of the CD's - some will install but not play. Some won't give the sound, some won't install. Very disappointing. Also Encore (who produces product) says on their web that they don't do refunds - you have to go back to the original store. Also they don't have an 800 toll-free number so you have to pay for support calls. NOT WHAT I EXPECTED FROM SESAME STREET. I WILL BE VERY WARY OF ALL THEIR PRODUCTS NOW. ... Read more

Features

• Join Clifford and his friends at the Birdwell Island carnival
• Participate in lots of different activities and carnival games
• 100+ interactive and printable stories
• Win up to 18 different prizes that you can use to decorate a float for the big parade
• 3 levels of play that automatically adjust to your child's progress

Reviews (3)

for the most resistant reader
My 4.5 yr old son would much rather play nintendo than try to learn phonics, thanks to the influence of two older sibs. He received this game yesterday and already has spent countless hours on it playing the games and inadvertantly learning phonics. This game uses letter groupings as well as phonics, which is the method my other kids used with great success. This game definately requires parent participation in the early stages, but it's been fun watching him become more and more independant in his reading skills even though he is not aware of it. Only complaint is that the reward system is limited, so beware if your child is reward-oriented.

Clifford the Big Red Dog: Phonics
I bought this for my 3 year old daughter for Christmas this year. It was the first computer learning game she ever tried and it has been great in teaching her the basic mechanics for moving the cursor around the computer screen and using a mouse. But now, just 3 months later, I find that she is bored with the game. There are only a handful of games at the carnival to play. She seems more interested in decorating the float with the prizes she's won from these games instead.

some reviews below refer to "Thinking Adventures"
Note: Some of the reviews here (the 3-star one entitled "very easily bored with it" for instance) refer to a different product--"Clifford's Thinking Adventures".

The Phonics title is a completely different game, released in July 2003. If the review says at the end "refers to an ALTERNATE VERSION" check the link--might be a review for the other game. ... Read more

Features

• Experience a learning travel adventure with Dora the Explorer
• Valuable skill development for preschoolers, including colorful puzzles
• Popular Dora songs from the TV series--perfect for singing and dancing
• Classic storybook tales throughout Fairytale Land
• Includes bonus Dora figure for kids to take on their own adventures

Product Description

These aren't your typical pint-sized heroes!

Kids will join Spider-man and his friends to help those in need in this fun, interactive and educational adventure. Every activity will feature 3 different super-heroes, each with their own special ability. Children will practice basic pre-school skills in a fun arcade-style environment, while learning problem-solving skills and teamwork in a positive and constructive manner. Spider-Man & Friends features math, language, color and shape recognition with multiple difficulty settings for each challenge. Learning is fun and exciting with Spider-Man & Friends.

Six Marvel super-heroes featured:

• Hand Glider Spider-Man
• Crime Fighting Wolverine
• Air Rescue Captain America
• Skating Spider-Girl
• Laser Blast Cyclops
• Deep Sea Explorer Spider-Man
• Each activity features 3 of the 6 super-heroes

• Air Rescue Captain America can fly
• Deep Sea Explorer Spider-Man can swim

• Math skills: Number recognition, numeral recognition, greater than, less-than, and very basic arithmetic such as addition and subtraction
• Language skills: Letter recognition, upper & lower case letter recognition, and word/shape association
• Color and shape recognition

• Training
• Challenge

Features

• Join Spider-Man, Laser Blast Cyclops, Crime Fighting Wolverine and 3 more of your favorite Superheroes
• Explore vast maps as you help those in need in this side-scrolling adventure
• 2 modes of gameplay: training missions or challenge mode suit different learning levels
• Learning while you play has never been so much FUN: test math skills, language recognition and shapes & color identification

Amazon.com Product Description

Based on the School Zone workbook series, this program teaches critical math skills with interactive activities and fun games. Proven curriculum, audio guidance, and clear examples help your child master addition, subtraction, multiplication, place values, and other skills. The program randomizes problems with each use, providing endless activities. The engaging games provide a helpful break. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for second graders and home motivation.
I teach a first/second grade combonation class. This math program allows my second graders to learn at their own abilities, and my high first graders to be challenged. The program keeps track of the students progress and allows them to correct the problems they missed. (I like that a lot!)
It is also a great motivation for my own child at home. He is in school all day. So coming home to do more work is tough, this lets him practice his math in a different way. Great program!!! ... Read more

Features

• Hours of entertainment with 4 fun-filled games for little girls
• Interactive adventures in Dora the Explorer: Backpack Adventure
• 8 exciting games with Care Bears Care-a-lot Jamboree
• Fun activities in Strawberry Shortcake Amazing Cookie Party
• Get creative with Disney Princess Fashion Boutique

Reviews (16)

Kinda boring...
I bought this game because I love the Little Mermaid and seeing Ariel on the box made me very happy. Sadly, there is not much Ariel in the game. The most you can do is put your princess model into Ariel scenes. I was hoping to put my model into Ariel's mermaid costume, but sadly, there are not many Ariel costume options (just the wedding dress and a pink one that she wears when she is human). All the costume are the classic 'ballgown' princess style, and most of them are ugly, as a matter of fact. I enjoyed putting my face onto these models, but I was disappointed that there were no costumes I really liked to put myself in. A waste of time; if buying this, like me, because you are a fan of Ariel, don't waste your money. Buy 'Ariel's Story Studio' or 'Little Mermaid 2 Activity Centre' instead.

My daughter likes it - I don't
We checked this software out of the library, thank goodness. I'd be unhappy if we'd spent money on it.

My five year old enjoys playing with it but I suspect she will tire of it before it's due back at the library as there is really nothing to do. You can decorate your horse, decorate the show ring, and run around a track. That's about it.

There does not seem to be any educational value whatsoever unless you're trying to teach a child how to click a mouse.

Very Disappointed Royal Horse Show
Don't give your money to Disney for the Royal Horse Show. I'd hardly call this a game, more precise it is a vehicle to promote Disney princess characters. And even the promotion gained from this was probably a waste for them as my daughter's interest in the limited activities wained quickly.

There are only 4 options to choose from.
1-decorate your horse (this is probably the most engaging feature for my daughter but she lost interest quickly as there seem to be dead end options - you are told that you can show your horse in the ring but no path to do so is ever provided)
2-decorate the royal horse ring (my daughter had no interest in this)
3-ride your horse around the ring (the view is awkward - the top of the horse's head blocks most of the picture)
4-in the craft cottage there are the most awkward features of all (an empty scrapbook which you fill with your escapades - this never caught on with my daughter, a growth chart [what this has to do with the game I have no idea and because her computer is not hooked up to a printer the option just caused the game to hang], a box for horse cards to collect [we are still not sure what this is] and the value of any of this is lost on me).

Cute
My 4 yo can operate much of this game. I'd rate it more for a 6 yo though... not any older. It's fun to dress up the horses. Not really a learning game, just for fun.

Perfect for my little Princess
I got this for my preschooler for Christmas and she is loving it! I love the fact that she can design the princess to look like herself or a friend or just about anyone! Designing the dress and jewelry is her favorite part, but she could go all day if I let her! This is definitely a gift that won't lose its appeal soon and also one that will grow with her!!! ... Read more

Features

• With the allowance feature each point earned or lost is worth a small amount of money. It is optional but very helpful in encouraging good behaviors and is highly recommended by psychologists to help give children immediate feedback.

Reviews (2)

Pretty Good.
If your child knows all the rules of addition, substraction and the multiplation table, but he/she is just slow; this software can be helpful. This software can create a random set of exercises at various difficulty level and challenge the child to do as much as he/she can in one minute. Pratice makes perfect. It works.

Olympic Winner
My 8 year old daughter had struggled with math since first grade. She loves the practices and challenges of the Olympic games and she especially loves winning the medals. My husband loaded the game and she was able to take it from there with no assistance. She is having fun and learning her math basics. The game is well worth the money. ... Read more

Features

• First game to feature DoraÆs cousin, Diego (who can talk to the animals!)
• Jukebox for kids to choose their favorite Dora songs
• English and Spanish counting activities
• Star catching activities just like on the TV series
• Three levels of learning

Reviews (60)

My 2 year old LOVES it. Great fun!
My oldest daughter loves Dora and took to this game immediately. She loves to sit on my lap and play and our father-daughter time is often spent on the computer. She can't get enough.

The 3 levels offer a nice change for children that are getting bored with the game. Some puzzles she plays at level 1 where some puzzles she plays at level 3.

The game is VERY educational and fun and it follows the same format as the cartoon does. She'll turn 3 soon and she still loves it.

I'd also recommend Dora's Backpack Adventure (they make a trip to the library), Little People Discovery Airport, Winnie the Pooh (where Pooh gathers all the friends for Eyores birthday party) and Mickey Mouse (where Mickey and Minnie stop off at Goofy's gas station / Daisey's diner).

Average at best game; Dora only redeeming feature.
Do not buy this game if you are used to the better quality games Humongous software has produced for NickJR characters in the past: Humongous was sold to Infogames, and well, if this title is indicative, much was lost.

This game is saved only by the appearance of Dora. I really feel the two star rating is generous. My daughter is Dora crazy, and even she shows little to no interest in this game (and she loves edutainment computer games).

The program is not well executed, and there is little asttention to detail. One my daughter noticed was that at the begining of the game Dora collects 5 books to return to the liebrary. When she returns the books at the end of the journey, the colors of the books which come out of the backpack don't match the ones put in, prompting my daughter to ask "what happened to the books we put in Dora's backpack...

Dora the Explorer takes you a short and boring journey
My 4 year-old daughter completed this game in less than a half-hour. The short-length of the game actually caused her too cry! I was shocked at the lack of depth in the game given that it weighed in at over 250MB for the install.

She's crying as I type this. "I don't like this game!"

Atari must really hate paying customers!!
Well I would give this more stars if Atari support weren't so terrible!! The only reason I give it 2 stars is because my daughter loves Dora and likes playing this game because there are plenty of activities to try and places to go. HOWEVER, Atari seems to want to force you (due to their prehistoric copy-protection scheme) to keep the CD-ROM in the drive at all times in order to play the game! How ridiculous! Even though I paid good money for this game and it installed on my hard drive, it does not let you run it from your hard drive. Atari told me that you need to have the CD-ROM in to play it and they "cannot help me get around the copy protection". Well I don't know about anyone else's toddlers, but my 2 year old just loves to open the CD-ROM and take discs out to play with. So this leaves me out of luck if the disc becomes scratched after she's done with it! I think Atari should trust their paying customers a little more and allow them to install the game FULLY to their hard drive... if for nothing else to protect their investment! I will never buy another game by Atari because of this. They have no regards for their paying customers.

Boring!
I have a 3 year old, and after a week, she is already bored with this game. For $20, there should be more to do. It constantly repeats itself, and has no real direction. Very limited number of activities available, and really no variety. I would not recommend this game at all. I am currently reading reviews to find something much more interesting. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Reader Rabbit Toddler is part of a curriculum-based system that is designed to keep children learning all through their elementary school years. Simple, brightly colored graphics and classic sing-along songs make all these activities a sure hit with toddlers.

This pack gets kids off to a great start with an introduction to letters and numbers, matching and patterns, music, and mouse skills. In "Follow-Me Theater," children take a physically active role with finger plays and singing along, while in "Baby Animal Bingo," sounds are matched to help parent animals find their babies. The characters of Reader Rabbit and his sidekick, Matt the Mouse, are funny and friendly--and always ready to help if your child needs a hint.

Because these characters are in every unit--all the way to sixth grade--and the basic format for each level is similar, children can dive right in to the new curriculum skills without the distraction of different graphic styles or character guides. This pack includes the next step--Reader Rabbit Preschool--as a free bonus. You'll see quickly why this series is so often used in schools, and we're sure your toddler will love it as much as her future teachers already do. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Absolutely Wonderful
My grandson just turned 3. He loves this CD. It is easy for him to use because he doesn't need to click the mouse. It is still difficult for him to hold the mouse steady when he clicks. If the mouse moves, he doesn't get a response and then gets very frustrated. This CD eliminates that problem. The activities are great fun for him. He likes the coloring and the "bubble castle" best. I highly recommend this CD.

Toddler is Great - PreSchool sucks
Imagine my surprise when I realized my 20-month old had suddenly developed pointing and clicking skills! We started him early with Reader Rabbit's Toddler (he was simply TOO interested in helping mommy "work"), and he was so delighted to be able to bang on the keys and watch stuff happen. By now (2 1/2) he can navigate through the entire program, and now amuses himself by interacting with the characters in ways the creators never imagined (he waits and waits until the mouse appears to tell him what to do, then scares her away with the pointer). Moving on, however, is a challenge - nothing quite lives up to this. We prefer Geoffrey Goes to the Fair and even JumpStart Preschool to RR Preschool, which requires endless busywork before getting rewards - even I don't have the patience!

The BUNNY GAAAAAME!
What would you like to do right now?

The Bunny Game.

It's a nice day out, wouldn't you rather come outside with me and play

The Bunny Game!

Let's go to the park instead, sweety.

The BUNNY GAAAAAME!

This is my major complaint of the game. The scene above is not an every day battle or anything, and my be a result of my daughter's personality rather than any addictive qualitys of the game. However, when she has decided to play it, well, I had better sit down with her to play.

My daughter, who just turned 2, sees Mommy and Daddy cook, so she likes to cook. She sees Mommy and Daddy clean up the kitchen, so she likes to clean up the kitchen. She sees Mommy and Daddy use the computer.... so, having a game that lets her use the computer, I think, is mostly a good thing.

I think we got the game for her right around when she was the recommended 18 months old or so, and when we first started to play it with her we had to help her with most of the activities. I am not sure that she even really understood that she was controling the action. It was, I think, lots of pretty pictures and songs. The game is set up so that your budding computer expert doesn't have to click the mouse to make things happen; a child only has to move the mouse to play any of the games. Still, some of the games are harder than others. Some of the games will reward your toddler with a song for just ramdomly moving the mouse, while others will require a good deal of concentration, which is an asset of the game. Your 18m-3year old will be able to play the games. The hardest skill to master, and what casues the most frustration (for the toddler) is the screen where they choose which game to play.

Notice that I said that When we sit down to play the game. As I already said, your 18Month old will require help, and as you continue to help your child, they may come to expect it, and suddenly playing this game will become a bonding experience if you are that kind of parent, or a chore, if you are another kind of parent, or both if you are somewhere in between. I don't know if I want to leave a 2 year old incharge of $2000 worth of hardware, and what ever else I forgot to back up on the hard drive anyhow. 2 might be a better age to start them on this game, however, from both a cognative and a motor skills perspective. I am not sure that an 18 month understands what is expected of them by the game. You might be better off to surf Tele-Tubbie Websites with them if they want to use the computer with Daddy.

Excellent learning package for up to age 3.
My son received Reader Rabbit Toddler as a gift and we are sold on it's ability to help him learn while having fun. He loves to do all of the tasks and is learning colors, shapes and a host of other skills. The true test of a software program is the willingness to buy the next level - we are doing just that by upgrading to the Preschool program.

My Preschoolers Loved It
With its easy point and click at the pictures approach, even very young preschoolers in my day care could navigate this program. They loved the variety of activities - coloring, nursery rhyme theater, matching animals to their mother, counting and more. I loved it too - it was a great educational tool that was fun for them to explore. ... Read more

Features

• In Thunder And Lightning Aren't So Frightening, kids will use their critical thinking skills to help Pajama Sam fix the world's weather patterns
• In Pajama Sam's One-Stop Fun Shop, kids can design their own art or write their own stories, to exercise their artistic abilities
• Pajama Sam's Lost & Found has you & Sam working together to collect all the toys & items you possibly can!
• Ages 3-8

Reviews (10)

NO COMPARISON
This is the one set of Educational software CD's that are so interesting and fun, my son will not stop playing. He has used it for 3 year now. I shared his CD's (4 in all) with the Kindergarden teacher who specializes in computer learning, she immediatly went out and purchased the set. The games are fast. The tutoring is there on command. . . and will even pull itself up when it detects your child having problems. It is NON-threatening for a new young PC user. Also the program stores your childs progress and stays at his/her level. You can look in the "Stats" to see there progress. The cute/silly poetry books you can print are one of my son's pride and joy. I know this program has helped keep my son at the top of his class academically.

THIS IS AMAZING!
I searched through all of the software for children and this really seemed like a great collection! There are 4 CD-ROM's, my daughter has totally taken to this and has made amazing progress. She is 3 1/2 and is doing addition on this game. She is learning right from left, etc. There are over 700 activities between the 3 CD's and it works with your child the better they get the harder it gets, Or you can adjust the skill level yourself. It's very kid friendly and if you child has mastered the mouse then this is the game for you. I would kiss Microsoft...for making this, this is the best software package I have ever gotten for my daughter. You can also tell this b/c she is 3 1/2 and on a 2nd graders level at school! If you are looking for something to keep the learning going during summer break or just to help at home whenever this is it. It also has a personal tutor that pops up after your child incorrectly answers something wrong twice and has progress reports so you can check your childs progess on them. I love this and can't say enough good thigns about this just buy it and see!

Another Gem, What Else Can I Say?
I have been reviewing Microsoft products for years. I cannot emphasize the quality of its products, especially this one. This package contains four disks: Preschool Workshop, Alphabet Playhouse, Reader Railway and Bonus Math CD. Four disks! Four programs! Great value...My seven year old doesn't play this anymore because it doesn't have 2nd grade written on it. That's it. The only reason....but he played the heck out of it. Parents, buy this one and pay attention to what your child says after using it for awhile. You will hear new things that he or she learned from this gem. What else can I say?

Good value but some duff parts
This package contains 4 CDs each with a single multi-activity game. My son loved almost everything about the first CD , Preschool workshop. It is the most attractive of the CDs and contains a good variety of activities from coloring to counting. The application encouraged exploration and provided suitably encouraging feeback using sound clips. It was interesting to watch him rapidly progess in the "spot the differences" activity, which seemed to get harder quite quickly -- since this is not unlike some IQ tests. However the other CDs in the set did not seem to interest him nearly as much. Of the remainder, Reader railway seemed to work better for him a little later and he enjoyed filling in pictures based on letter identification. I thought that Mathopolis game was poorly designed (I have a maths background).

The Ultimate
Both my daughters love this software package. It beats out all the others hands down. My 4 year old has quite the addiction problem with this game and fortunately, I can use it as leverage for getting her to clean her room or behave at the store. It is very fun and they learn at the same time. The Alphabet Playhouse is my favorite because it has some cool songs that we all sing. The music that goes along with the graphics has them singing vowels and sounding out the letters phonetically and they don't even realize it. I love the catchy tunes myself, I have to admit. It's very fun and top-notch and I would recommend this over any other program if you can find it anywhere. I snatched up My Personal Tutor for 1st grade and 2nd grade on an internet auction, it's worth seeking out. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed specifically for preschoolers, Elmo's Art Workshop provides hundreds of ways for children to create beautiful artwork and fun creative projects. Paint pictures and add your favorite Sesame Street characters. Create birthday cards, finger puppets, masks, posters, and more! Oversized buttons and helpful creative hints from Elmo ensure that every effort leads to a masterpiece. (Ages 2-6) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Hours of fun!
This has been a great game for my 3 year old daughter--she loves to draw and color and this game seems to tickle her creative interests. It has been an exceptional, inexpensive purchase and one she can play over and over with new challenges. I guess I'm writing this review because we have purchased some duds and it is always nice to see a ringing endorsement of something that really works! Hope this helps you.

Elmo is a Winner
Of all the software, our five-year old likes this program the best. It's 'user friendly' and can entertain for a long period of time. Projects include Stickers (where the child can complete a picture using point and click), Costumes (dress up characters in outfits and outrageous accessories), and Coloring Book scenes with an 'automatic fill' feature. These can be painted or colored, rubber stamped, or personalized and can be printed out. Hours of fun. Wonderful graphics. The sticker pages include scenes for both boys and girls: outer space, picnics, birthday parties, snow scenes, beach, etc. I highly recommend this software.

SS Art Workshop enhances a child's creativity.
Sesame Street Art Workshop (SSAW)is one of the best loved CD-ROMs in our collection. SSAW enhances a child's artistic ability by having activities a mouse click away that would otherwise be limited by the child's fine motor coordination. The strengths of the program are that it is easy to use by a pre-reading child and offers numerous activities including coloring, stamping, and free drawing. Some of the more clever pages include finger puppets and birthday cards. The weakness of the program is that it does not allow color mixing as, for example, the Madeleine Classroom Companion does. This is a great starter program for ages 2 on up and one you will not regret buying. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Gentle jungle murmurings overlaid with Robert Guillaume's gleeful voice give this solid, well-conceived typing program an unusual degree of appeal and staying power. While smacking bugs, catching grubs, and tearing away from dangerous enemies, kids are actually practicing the same fundamental skill-based keyboard activities as covered by such adult titles as Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing.Some terrific components of this program include shadows that display which finger should be used to hit each key, a clock ticker that counts the seconds in each two-minute game, and the blissful fact that hitting the space bar will fast-forward you past the opening and closing credits. The mysterious, leafy jungle setting is delightfully alive, yet you'll likely need to turn the brightness on your monitor way up to see all the vital buttons hidden in the dark corners of the scene.Be forewarned: to truly conquer touch-typing, you need to drive those keyboard strokes deep into the body's muscular memory. Endless repetition is the only proven method for this. That means that while this program boasts five unique activities (for example, Rafiki gives "lessons" while Timon and Pumbaa play "games"), it is all keyboard practice, again and again. Kids receive encouragement with an enticing visual environment, progress reports, certificates, and frequent enthusiastic comments from Guillaume, but it is ultimately going to fall upon the parents to see that their children continue with this when the going gets, well, boring. Don't expect your child to see this through without your support. Stay involved, and they will. (Ages 6-10) --Jean Lenihan ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Good Game... Parts of it are a bit monotonous for young kids
This game was purchased for my six year old. She is a pretty active kid...not a lot of computer experience yet. When she first began to play, she was very tempted to look at her fingers...I sat beside her and held a lg. piece of paper over her hands, which solved the problem. The first night she learned to type f,d,j and k. She liked to "shoot bugs" (by typing the correct letter) but mandatory pages of just letters was a bit frustrating for her. I think that this game should go a little slower and therefore be more of a game and less work. I rate this game a solid B. It seems that it would be perfect for an 8 or 9 year old.

Time to give Mavis her walking papers!
This is not one of those cutesy titles that only pretends to be about education. This is an extremely well-designed, well-thought-out program that effectively teaches typing (i.e., keyboarding). Anything even remotely associated with The Lion King may trigger the gag reflex in survivors of the whole Lion King blitzkrieg, but rest assured: Timon and Pumba do not have center stage here; the lessons do. Never sacrificing the functional for the cute or gimmicky, this program is structured, yet adaptive, and uses a gradual progression of exercises to provide just the right degree of challenge as the user progresses. In other words, the program captivates by providing variation (to keep things from getting dull) and by making the goal seem easy while maintaining just the right level of difficulty. Both my wife and nine-year-old were instantly hooked and have progressed dramatically. I do have a few minor complaints (for example, icons for navigating through the program could be more intuitive or--Heaven forbid--identified with actual words), but overall, this is a finely crafted tool that condenses a one-semester high school typing class (of yore) onto a single CD-ROM--but without the boring teacher.

Unhappy
I have had a terrible time getting this program to run. It constantly shuts down or comes up with errors. It was a total waste of money as far as I am concerned.

Great game, tons of fun!!!!!!
This game includes four fun-filled levels. It's great for kids of all ages. But I am sorry that it is SO difficult to find in stores. I recomend this item to anyone who is looking for a very, very fun learn to type game for children.

Boring! Boring! Boring!
While this program appears to be cute and engaging at the onset, it quickly becomes very boring. My daughter likes the ONE game, but can't get past the first row of typing because it's so monotanous. There is nothing to challenge her to keep going and improving - no incentive. Just more boring repetition like we had to do in high-school. ... 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

Dig deep into sixth grade skills on a mystery-solving adventure in the empire of the plant people. Go underground to find the missing ClueFinders, and take on an army of mutant plant warriors to save the town above from certain doom. Kids will need all their smarts to tackle this title's tricky challenges. From cleaning up toxic pollutants to building bridges, every activity brings kids closer to solving this underground mystery, while mastering essential sixth grade skills.

Explore 15 interactive games and exercises designed for kids, ages 10 to 12 and older. Build more than 150 key sixth grade skills in math, language, science, social studies, and problem solving. Four levels of difficulty and a variety of tricky challenges keep ClueFinders 6th Grade Adventures 2002: Empire of the Plant People fun and fresh. Detailed help features guide kids throughout, and built-in progress reports help parents navigate their child's learning fun.

In addition, an all-new for 2002 bonus CD-ROM doubles the mystery and clue-finding fun. In ClueFinders: Mystery Mansion Arcade, our adventurers are lured into a spooky mansion by an ingenious mastermind and his four villainous henchmen. Kids help the ClueFinders escape by choosing the best ClueFinder for each arcade-style hazard. Speed through the Ultimate Deep-Dish Pizza Skate Park, stay cool through the High-Voltage Circuit Zone, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Clue to Making Learning Fun
I purchased Cluefindes 3rd Grade Adventures about 6 weeks ago, and since have watched my child use it to completion. She has played it 4 times and will probably play it again in the future. In the meantime, she has moved onto the 4th grade game.

Setting up the game is pretty easy, and the directions are clear. Starting up is a cinch as well. You have the options of taking the test drive which is a placement test. It is not as much fun as the actual game, but it is not too boring either and it gets the child started at a challenging level. The first time my child "played" it she started at the beginners level, and finished it in two days. The second time, I set it to level two and it took her a week to complete. The third time I had her do the test drive. This is where the real value came in.

When she started the game on the lowest levels she was basically reviewing what she had learned the previous year, which is a good thing. But, when she played the game after the placement test, she was truly challenged to learn more. I never imagined in a million years that a child would follow me around begging to be taught long division. She could not cross a bridge in the game without being able to divide. So I taught her and she practiced and cemented the skill by playing the game.

As a homeschooler leaning towards self directed learning, I found this game to be invaluable. It gives me the freedom to wait for a child to be ready to learn a skill while at the same time ensuring that such comes quickly through constant challenges. After all, the best time to teach a child a skill is when they want to learn it. This game provided that want for me.

This game does not teach skills your child must know, but provides challenges. The way I use it is to wait for a challenge to be presented, and then teach that child whatever they need to succeed and overcome that challenge.

The only problems I had with this software is that each time the child finished the game, they had to start again with a new member name, it would not let us back into the game as the same person. This did allow me to compare the membernames records to check for progress which was evident.

If you purchase the 2 cdrom version of this game, with the personalized learning center, you will be able to print worksheets according to your childs strengths and weaknesses and to see where the child needs more practice. You will also be able to spot where your child may be gifted.

The personalized learning center disc, however is not formulated to give a child a "grade" based on how well the child did in the program, but to show progress over time. Therefore, If you are a homeschooler and grades are important to you, you will want to "test" the child separately perhaps using the worksheets or making up your own exams.

Great teaching game
We are a homeschooling family. I bought this game along with the fourth grade and fifth grade versions for my nine year old. She sailed through the other two, but found this one challenging. It is great for reinforcing math, introduces chemistry, addresses the pollution problem, history, spelling, vocabulary and reading comprehension. There is a level selection area in which you can choose how hard or easy the game is, but this is also handy for letting parents know where your child may need some help in or where they excel. It has a practice mode where the child can just do the activities without having to play the game. I found this great for reinforcing some of those areas my daughter needed more help in.
Even though my daughter has finished all three games, she still plays these.

Never Too Old To Play!!
It's great I'm 14 going on 15 in a month but I don't care
because that doesn't stop me from having fun. It's the greatest game. I've only played the 3rd and 4th grade one but they're still and always be my favorite software. If you've never played any of these games and you love computer games; buy this then even if you're older then me. Who cares? Just remember HAVE FUN!!! You won't regret it!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Could you make one for 10th graders or do you already?

Thank You

Cluefinders 6th Grade Adventures
This product provides an excellent source for preparation or reinforcement of what a 6th grader is expected to know. Players are put into a mystery situation where they have to solve clues in order to figure out the answers. Various aspects of the 6th grade curriculum are covered, and the computer adjusts for the skill level of the player, making the games increasingly more challenging. Areas covered include logical thinking, mathematics, science, geography, social science, and language arts. The games are fun, and since they get progressively harder as the student masters a skill, they do not get boring. At times the transition time from one activity to the next can be a bit long, and instructions are repetitive, but this seemed to bother adults more than children; this should not deter the buyer, however, as the positive aspects of this game far outweigh the negatives. Graphics and sound are excellent, and help includes a map and a reference section. Levels can be set manually, or the program can be adjusted to automatically determine when to advance to the next level as a skill is mastered. On the whole this is an excellent product, and a great way to make learning fun. Highly Recommended. Reviewer is a teacher and a librarian.

Cool
This game is fun and VERY educational... I even forgot I was
learning while playing it! The games are fun and have different levels, so if one level is too easy you may make is
harder and more challenging. It explains the mini-game
and how to play. The charactors are click-able and they seem to talk and help you throughout the whole game.
You meet cool alien type things, and in order to survive, you must figure out the answer to the mini-games.
The backround music is pretty cool, but it may get annoying
you can turn off the music, too! before you begin the game, it shows a mini movie of what's happening and it tells about
your mission.I love this game! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

It had to happen: software is now being bundled for your little bundleof joy. Reader Rabbit Playtime for Baby & Toddler will never be asubstitute for the tactile joys of real life, but this software does manage tocapture infants' and toddlers' attention with bright, happy images and a formatthat responds well to chubby, not-so-coordinated hands.

In Playtime for Baby, a game of tag between Reader Rabbit and Mat theMouse ends with Mat hiding in a toy box. With Mat's help, each of the 10 toys inthe box leads the baby into a new experience: singing, manipulating shapes,playing hide-and-seek, discovering body parts, reading storybooks, and (oh joy!)rummaging in drawers to make music. Your baby controls the action by hitting anykey on the keyboard (or just hitting the keyboard, as they are wont to do) orsimply moving the mouse. No clicks are required. The cursor is a big fat starthat leaves a trail of twinkles. Brushing it against an object onscreen willelicit anything from a childlike giggle to a kerplunk to the appropriateanimal noise.

The only critique of this CD is that the artwork is simplistic. It would be niceto see more depth and smoother movement, if only to make the program moreenjoyable for the adults who must guide their babies through it. Other thanthat, by developing cupboards with no locks, personalized storybooks with pagesthat don't rip, and farm animals willing to engage in endless games ofhide-and-seek, the creators of Playtime for Baby have managed to tap into a baby'swildest dreams.

Playtime for Toddler has a lusher look than Playtime for Baby.Again, mouse movements or keyboard pokes inspire action in nine activities thatinclude things that send most toddlers into fits of joy. One of the better gamesis Bubble Castle, where your toddler "pops" bubbles with animals in them, andthe freed creatures gallop into a castle and peep from the windows. This simplepayoff engaged one 2-year-old tester for many minutes, shouting "Bye-bye,animal!" each time she liberated a critter. Pop and Play Place teaches matchingand music as toddlers activate three jack-in-the-boxes until whatever pops outmatches, upon which they are rewarded with a song ("We are mice, we are nice. Wesay please when we want cheese!"). In Follow Me Theater, Reader Rabbit acts outhand-motion hits like "Eensy Weensy Spider" and "I'm a Little Teapot." Otheractivities include a puzzle and color tutorial called Sky Shapes; PeekabooJungle, where kids investigate animal noises with a flashlight cursor; a MusicalMeadow; an ABC Train that teaches letters with the help of slick animation andaudio; and Baby Basket Bingo, a cute bit of business that requires toddlers toreunite baby animals with their parents based on the tiny roar or peep thatcomes from the creature hidden in the basket. Rainbow Rock is the only loser inthe bunch, a coloring program that doesn't even attempt to teach colors.

One of the best features of Playtime for Toddler is that younger babiescan bang on the keyboard and automatically get "correct" results, while olderones can use the mouse to drag the cursor in a mode that involves more trial anderror. Both options are available at once; no settings need to be changed.Clicking does nothing here, which may puzzle some tykes who have alreadydiscovered that clicking gets results in grownup programs. Overall, this is adecent bundle for babies, with Playtime for Toddler being the stronger,more realistic offering of the two. (Ages 1 to 3) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Excellent educational program!
I bought Reader Rabbit Baby and Toddler for my son when he was about 15 months. He's been using it for 6 months and still loves it! There are so many different activities; we haven't even gotten to all of them yet. He has a few other CD's - but still loves "Mat the Mouse" best!

The program focuses on the basics and seems to emphasize "child interaction". For example, one of the activities is a coloring book. An outlined drawing comes on the screen (fish, dinosaurs, frog and an elephant in a boat, etc.) and my son colors in the drawing just by moving the mouse back and forth. He was able to do this very early on, but still loves the activity. Once drawn in, my son is rewarded when the drawing "comes to life". For example, the frog and elephant sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat.

The author has also done an excellent job with extras. I can print out each of the drawings individually (to be colored in with crayons) - so my son doesn't have to be sitting in front of the computer to play the game. He clearly associates the printed pages with the online game - feels like a two-for-one!

The program was easy to install (Windows 2000 Pro) and we have not had any trouble using the program. From an educational standpoint, he has learned everything from music, counting and colors/shapes to sing-a-long's and animals (there are 3 different activities with animals!). One of the best activities is a sing-a-long of Intsy-Winsty Spider, I'm a Little Teapot, Wheels on the Bus and others - simply awesome!

Highly recommended from a dad and his son after six months of use!

The Best First Computer Program For Any Child
This is an amazing product. My 2-year old took hold of the mouse for the first time 10 days ago and hasn't let go since. During that time he has mastered every game on the CD, requiring some rather complicated matching and sorting, as well as precision mouse movements that I didn't think he was capable of. Since the activities as well as the main menu are all "click-free," my son has been free to roam and explore at his own pace -- his Dad and I haven't lifted a finger to help him. As a result, he has grown increasingly more interested in the increasingly more complicated activities. (We have probably shot 1 hour of video of this boy using the program and screaming with delight as he discovers a new ability)! More amazing still, the strides he's made with these games have translated into a greater sense of confidence and "control over his environment" away from the computer as well. I would recommend this program to any parent!

they'll catch right on
my sweetie will be 2 in 4 weeks. she loves "rabbit". begs for him!!! it took less than 3 sessions for her to "get" the mouse skills...now she is learning to click as well...
good starter program.

A program that grows with your kids!
I like this program because it is easy for small ones to use. I have a 20 month old and a 4.5 year old. They both love this game.

I've seen better
I have to say, I let my son since before he was walking to play on my old 586 133 computer. After having the Fisher Price Keyboard and three stage game, I was very dissappointed with this game. First off, it says it only needs DirectX 4 but it comes with DirectX 7 which would not install on the machine. One must have an updated computer to run this game, or have a copy of DirectX 4 lying around. Now since my son has been using a computer for as long as he has, he has learned that keys do different things and every key has an association with the Fisher Price game, and in general computer usage. With this game, everything is controlled. The key strokes do commands that the program wants to run, and completes tasks FOR the child rather than initiating them to complete the task by pressing the correct buttons. My son gets bored with this game since it doesn't matter what key he presses it does what the program wants to do, not what my son wants to try, and the game stops and sings and won't let him do anything. My son is used to more control. The Fisher Price game actually associates the letter A with the letter A for example, so I believe he is actually learning more from a straight keyboard than this game. My son is now 20 months old. When we got this game he was 18 months old, and he was off and away on the Fisher Price keyboard at 13 months. I was looking for another game just as good if not better, or more interactive to help him grow, but I would rather see an old fashion typing game that teaches him the letters on the keyboard or something more interactive that lets him control the game, not the game controlling him.

And according to the system requirements my computer should be able to run the game, but I am still having a hard time finding DirectX get the computer game to run :( ... Read more