Features

• 4 full-version titles combine learning and fun
• Create arts and crafts; enjoy sing-alongs and puppet shows
• Easy-to-use interactive art tool brings art to life
• Strengthen skills in logical thinking and problem solving
• Have fun learning critical reading and writing skills

Features

• Dozens of high-quality lessons that develop age-appropriate skills and unforgettable fun
• Multiple games and activities build spelling, phonics, and basic math skills
• Fun games and singalongs make the learning fun
• Three difficulty levels for better comprehension and problem-solving abilities
• Learning fun for ages 5 to 7

Amazon.com Product Description

This is a package of three titles designed to stimulate young minds. Kids will discover cool new tools for artistic self-expression with Kid Pix Studio Deluxe, conquer math fears with Reader Rabbit's Personalized Math, and present their own literary masterpieces with Storybook Weaver Deluxe. From problem solving to self-expression, these titles promote a full spectrum of early-learning skills.

Kid Pix Studio Deluxe offers easy-to-use tools for creating digital puppets, multimedia slide shows, and other fun projects. Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion take kids on a Pirate Island math adventure. Storybook Weaver Deluxe gives kids ways to express themselves through words, pictures, music, and sounds. The skills covered in this package include art, creativity, number recognition, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, telling time, counting money, solving equations, fractions, writing, and spelling. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good and Bad
This bundle seems like such a great deal.

Problem is the Storybook Weaver program will not work on any Mac system after 7.0. But you can't find this out until you buy it and wonder "Why do I keep getting error messages?" The newer version is available only to schools at $... So if you have a Mac, this program will probably not work. What a disappointment.

The math game is great! My seven-year-old homeschooler loves it. It includes a wide variety of math concepts - grouping, time, money, etc. And Kid-Pics is always fun. I guess it's still a good deal. But it would have been good to know that we were only getting two programs when we bought it.

Great software for kids 6-9!
This is a great value for the three programs. The school our kids are attending uses this software and gives out homework to do on KidPix, so we have fun working on the computer. It is a very cool drawing program for kids, with lots of special animation effects.

Please note that this software was designed for Windows 3.1/95 and needs to run in 256 color mode...which is easier to do automatically in Windows XP, all other versions will need that you change this setting manually before the children use the program. This is why it gets four stars instead of five.

this game helped my son learn real well
This a very good package. Not only is it inexpensive, it also has 3 cd's. This is a great package. It has reader rabbit math, kid pix deluxe, and stiry weaver deluxe. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

This two-disc product invites kids to join Arthur and the gang for learning and fun. Arthur's 1st Grade is packed with 15 different educational activities, teaches a full year's worth of first-grade skills, and entertains your child with limitless fun and learning. Plus, kids can track their progress with the Goal Checker and enjoy the three new reward activitiesafter successfully completing the learning activities. (Ages 5 to 7) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

3 year olds
Easy to install software, but unfortunately too easy for the age range. My son is 5. He mastered this software completely including the bonus games in 2 days. He is now bored, not a good thing for a 5 year old. Buy the Stuart Little software instead, it's challenging and keeps the attention.

okay, but a little boring
I bought this for my 7 year old daughter & she quickly bored of it. It's not that it's a BAD game...just didn't hold her interest for long.

Learning and Play blend well together
Our family truly enjoys Arthur's Learning Series. Several "lessons" (presented more like a game) are offered, each with 3 levels of difficulty. A Goal Checker is available for parents who like to keep track of their child's progress, and a Certificate of Achievement can be printed out once the child gets a good grasp of all the concepts. Of course, none of this matters unless your kid finds the CDs fun, right? :o) My six year old often spends more than an hour playing with her Arthur Learning CDs, so I think it passes the "fun" test in our house. If your child is an Arthur fan or just likes to monkey around on the computer, I highly recommend this series. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Middle School Advantage 2000 is a 10-subject tutoring program to give middle school students an edge in their studies. Entertaining and educational simultaneously, this program promises to improve grades and test scores, help students quickly obtain data for reports and homework assignments, strengthen skills in weak subjects, and expand knowledge in topics of interest.

Rich images, 3-D visuals, interactive activities, and thousands of step-by-step lessons make this collection ideal for self-paced study. Subjects include science, animals, history, grammar, typing, pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry. As a special bonus, you also receive a full-version interactive encyclopedia. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

You are invited to join Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion on their sparkly preschool adventure. The Land of Sparkalot has lost its shine and needs your help to re-sparkle everything from the stars to the flowers. Your prereading, counting, and matching skills could save the day, and the night, too! Help Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion collect the sparkling brillites and you'll really make things shine in this Sparkle Star Rescue mission. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Nice graphics but too much sparkle and sound effects
Overall this is an ok cdrom. The activities in general suit the age group recommended for it. However there are a few things that detract from this software's effectiveness as a fun learning tool.

The opening movie-like sequence is just a flashy distraction that could have been better designed, replaced or excluded. My niece usually bypasses it with a click and goes straight to the menus.

The menu is interesting enough but some of the menu paths lead to the same place and I wonder what is the point of this.

My biggest gripe is some of the sound effects that tend to drown out the instructions (a major disadvantage) and as far as I can tell, you have to click them off everytime you restart the program .

Also, what is the point of being able to add users if you can't delete some of them? My niece likes to type a lot of letters without care to what she's typing so we have a long list of users who are either ABCDEFG, or AAABCDEDFGHIJK etc and there is no way to get rid of these that is obvious to me.

The activities are easy enough to complete once you figure out what to do but it would have been more appropriate to be able to customize the experience i.e. have several levels for each activity so that the parent/adult can select the most appropriate level with less or more requirements for completion to get the brillite stones as a reward. My niece has managed to get a few of these in some activities but in others, she has yet to achieve the number of repetitions required to collect one because she usually gets bored and switches to another activity before she completes the required number.

The colouring activity is creative and unique but some of the smaller shapes are difficult for preschoolers to target with the mouse without a severe amount of concentration and focus and so trying to colour these shapes is an odious task when it should be fun.

Also, the counting activity with the rockets, (while very unique and creative), is a definite candidate for multiple levels of difficulty since at age 3, most pre-schoolers have not grasped subtraction yet and this activity requires that they be able to understand this concept to complete some of the mission tasks.

In addition, the counting activity and some other activities need a more obvious and more visual completion/reward message for each time the task is completed. This is the one area where the graphics are lacking.

some things done right, others not so good
We are a loyal Reader Rabbit family, having tried many children's software titles and consistently finding the RR series at least as good as any similar software and usually much better, but I would say this particular title is a mixed bag. On the positive side, the graphics are good, the characters are familiar and there is an overarching purpose (collecting brillites to plug into Mount Brill) that lends depth to a typically shallow gaming genre. On the not-so-positive side, the games are often exceptionally tedious and it is not always clear what one is expected to do. I really appreciate that there's a framework story and a big finish with a "Congratulations" to help your child get excited about the accomplishment but, as another reviewer has mentioned, the child can easily get the brillites needed to finish the game while they still have another (and incomplete) set of stones -- what are those for?

There are six activities that rely on matching, counting and letter recognition skills as well as listening to instructions, but there is little devotion to teaching these skills -- it's basically just testing them. I'd say this is one of the weaker members of a strong software series .... perhaps not the first program that you might want to buy for your preschooler, but entertaining and with some positive attributes if you're shopping for a third or fourth.

a big disappointment
My son really enjoyed Reader Rabbit Toddler, so I thought this would be a good next step. Sadly, while this game has all the bells and whistles, looks wonderful, etc., it is not very playable. If a child has trouble completing the tasks, they will soon get bored.

Many of the games actually require the knowledge they are purporting to teach. For instance, one of the games which is supposed to teach letter recognition is not actually playable if the child doesn't already recognise the letters.

When you complete a section there is a long movie which plays, with a really cheesy broadway musical type of song. Once my son (a 3-year old) figured out how to play this movie, he would spend all his time playing it over and over again , learning nothing (and driving me crazy in the process).

My son soon got bored, and I got him Dr. Seuss Preschool instead, Reader Rabbit ended up in the trash can, and family harmony once again prevails.

I gave it two stars instead of one because my son did have fun with it for about 2-3 weeks.

Big Step Down From Reader Rabbit Baby & Toddler
This program has a lot of narrative preamble prior to the introduction of each simple (and very repetitive) game. If the object here is to teach children patience and listening skills, then maybe it's on target. However, in my opinion any child who is developed enough to have that kind of patience and listening skill is going to find the games completely unchallenging. So far I have been unsuccessful getting my boy to show the slightest interest in this CD.

Beware Windows ME users!!!
I purchased this game at Toys"R"Us and I installed it on my PC, it ran fine but when I went on-line the first time after the installation I could not get to any secure sites. I found out later that the program had crashed my browser, so I am posting this warning to any Windows ME users just to be aware of this problem. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very good idea for 4th graders!
I liked it because it explained how to do that subject and then you do it with usally a thing where you "color" in the words that are unstressed words or stressed words. there is a chart to show how good they've been doing in lots of different subjects. This CD includes English, Math, Science, Spelling, Grahmer, and lots others. Every time they score 4,000 points they get a new picture to use at the print shop, the print shop includes things like stationery, birthday cards and labels. I do not own this I got it from the library. Overall it was pretty good the only bad thing was is that sometimes the CD explaines somthings that alot of kids probably wouldn't understand, (well at least I didn't) I was usally better off just skipping the instructions,
DK did a good job you should try Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd, grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade too. :) ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Periwinkle is going to start school soon, and the thought is making him quite nervous! Playing kindergarten at home seems just the way to alleviate his anxieties. In Blue's Clues Kindergarten, Blue, Tickety, and Joe do just that, setting up classrooms all over the house.

This game lets young players show Periwinkle the early-education ropes, guiding him through math, science, reading, and time-telling drills in a cheery game environment. Players select rhyming fridge magnets to build language skills, eventually making poems of the words they identify correctly. Counting and adding activities in the sandbox make elementary computation a snap, while a poster of the solar system provides a gateway to fun and interesting facts about all the planets orbiting the sun. Children can adjust the difficulty level of gameplay, adapting each exercise so its degree of challenge is just right. Successful learning is rewarded with printable activity pages, providing opportunities for learning and entertainment away from the computer.

There are only so many ways to bundle up basic education drills, and the core content of Blue's Clues Kindergarten is not radically different from most preschool learning programs. Its tone is bright and friendly, though, making it one of the most genuinely playable games of its type. With appealing characters and well-designed activities, it delivers its educational content gently, mixing it with a solid dose of low-key humor. And for players who need a short break from the learning action, there is a hide-and-seek game. The prospect of tracking down a lurking Joe provides just the right breather for kids before they return to the task of showing Periwinkle what kindergarten is all about. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Lots of learning fun
My son started playing this game when he turned three. He loved it then, and still loves playing it at age four. I should say, however, that I believe the optimum age for this game to be between 2-4 years. Handily, there are different level settings, so children who are more advanced or less advanced in activities can still enjoy the fun. For example, my son does well in mathematics and reading, so the library and the play store are high level activities. On the other hand, hearing sounds and repeating them (the triangle goes 'ting', so you must then hit the triangle) is harder for him, so we use the easiest setting for the music store.

He has spent up to two hours playing in just the present store, picking out presents for friends within the money limit allowed. He loves choosing the wrapping paper and matching bows, as well.

As the game features many different activities (reading, mathematics, sound repetition, vocabulary, shape-sorting), it is a win for parents interested in educating their children in a fun way. I'm planning on purchasing it for my nephew, as well, and if I had more relatives with children, they'd be getting it for Christmas, too.

The main down side would be Joe, as compared to the beloved Steve, but he plays a very minor role, and is only seen when the child is switching between activity centers (library, grocery store, music store, bakery, present store). The other would be the lack of actual reading in the library. As my son can read, it would be more fun on the highest level if he could sort the books according to title, instead of just with the beginning letter. However, he still has a lot of fun with it, and the mathematics in the present store are great.

Pass, unless you really love shelves.
This Blue's Clues game looks like it was rushed through development. With the show's old host Steve gone, they now have to quickly replace Blue's old computer games so that the new host, Joe, is in them. Most of the simplistic activities have a recurring theme: taking and putting things off and on shelves. Here's a list of what to expect:

Activity 1: Go to the bakery and pick items off shelves.

Activity 2: Go to the library and put books where they're supposed to go, by matching the book with the letter on the shelf.

Activity 3: Go to the Toy Store and help customers buy presents by picking from a shelf full of items.

Activity 4: Go to the grocery store, and help Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper select groceries by taking food items off of ... you guessed it, shelves.

The only activity that is different, is a mediocre music activity, where you match what Purple Kangaroo does. Eh.

Sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it! Well, not really. The only reason this game will sell like crazy is because it has Blue in it. If it wasn't for that, no one would pay attention to it. The activities are simplistic and rapidly become boring due to the recurring and unimaginitive "shelf" theme. Worse, the program doesn't really explain anything to your child. It just jumps right in and says "Match the letter on the book, to the letter on the shelf." Your child may likely ask, "What's a letter?"

The show is good, but this game isn't. Pass, unless you really love shelves.

LALALALALALALALA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
La la land is a place I have been to many times in my life time. They have ponys you can sit on. And they dance! And sing! And poop! And giant slugs slither on you until you get really, really, really, really, really ,really ,really, really, really, really, really, really ,really ,really, really, really, really, sticky.And you can fly with dragons that speak Italian...And warrior bunnies attack with feathers made of soap.And Green Bay Packers fans wear cheese on there heads. Which bring flying monkeys that only eat cheese! And gwakamoli rains from the heavens.And you can grow a beard that climbs all the way around the earth and chokes zombies to death!!!(...) And sticky mummies walk around in circles until they burn holes in the floor!!! I JUST LOVE THIS BLUES CLUES GAME!!! IT'S THE BEST GAME I'VE EVER PLAYED!!!!!!!!!!!! THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END!

It was ok
I played with my almost four year old nephew with this and I found it very hard for him to follow. First of all, was he supposed to know when to click? I could hardly tell when the arrows were slighted changed.

Good, but not great
We've had this disc since my son was 3. Other reviewers have expressed the thought that the game is more suitable for toddlers. I don't entirely agree, particularly given that there are three distinct levels for each task.

The Grocery Store - level 1 directs children to put specific items in the basket. Higher levels direct children to items based on their relative position (e.g. the item below, or to the right of, bananas).

The Music Store - I admit that I find this one tiresome. The player repeats a pattern of beats on a variety of instruments. Each level increases the number of beats and instruments used.

The Bakery - Children choose items that are specific shapes. Level 1 uses only the most common shapes. Level 2 introduces lesser known shapes, like the crescent. Level 3 has the child look for objects that combine shapes - the task may be to find an item containing 1 circle, 1 triangle and 2 rectangles, which the child will find arranged as a cookie shaped like a little girl.

The Present Store - Here the child is asked to find one item that cost a specific number of "blue dollars". The number of dollars is displayed on the gift table and each item's price is displayed beneath it. The child places the item on the table and then counts out the appropriate number of dollars. In the higher levels, the child is given an amount, but they must find a combination of 2 or more objects that equal that total (probably the most complex activity in the game).

The Library - ok, I can't defend this one. It is ridiculously easy on any level.

All in all, it's not a bad game. It does move a little slowly and you do have to adjust the difficulty of each activity to the appropriate level for your child, but holds appeal for kids a variety of ages and gives them a chance to play with a favorite character. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Elementary Advantage 2003
Great Learning system, my son love it, he is in 1st grade and it just what we need to boost his curriculum and it much better that boring homework.

Disappointed
We purchased this program after buying High School Advantage and Math Advantage, but we were completely disappointed. We were hoping to get a program that teaches and tests in an interesting multimedia environment like High School Advantage and Math Advantage do, but what we got was a boring package of disks that do little more than test already acquired skills.

The Geography disk is just a trivia game and a non-working link to National Geographic online. The trivia game is cute but doesnt teach geography at all. Basically its testing existing geography knowledge.

The reading program is a cute game that is fun to play but doesnt improve reading skills anymore than a good book would. The Spanish program locks up my computer and wont run. The writing program is simply a text editor with a few borders and sounds add to a story you write. MS Word would be a better writing program as it has spelling and grammar correcting.

The spelling program is also a cute game that doesnt help to improve spelling skills at all. The typing program is fun and provides a simple (actually very simple) typing lesson, but is more useful for improving existing typing skills. The fractions program is another cute, but simple, game that does a small amount of teaching, but once again fractions skills must already be acquired to play the game.

The basic math disk is very similar to reading a math text. It is written on a boring page in plain type. It has very limited multimedia animations and a few exercises that are to be accomplished on a scratch paper. At least with Math Advantage and High School Advantage you can do your work on the computer.

Overall we found this product too simple and very boring especially for an active elementary school aged child. ... Read more

Product Description

Periwinkle is nervous about going to school and to help him overcome his fears, Blue and Joe transform Blue’s house into a pretend kindergarten classroom where the games are all about science, telling time, rhyming, art, creativity, math and more! Play Refrigerator Rhymes in the kitchen, tell time with Tickety, play a math game at the Sand Table with Shovel and Pail, and at Peri’s fort - it’s Super Science! Features the new Blue’s Clues™ host, Joe, who loves to play Hide-and-Seek throughout the game!

Features:

• Lots of surprises and educational clickables
• 3 difficulty levels that can be set to challenge each child
• Includes Print and Parent Areas with ways to continue the learning off the computer