Features

• Travel to exotic locales with Ms. Frizzle and the gang
• 3 educational games: Mars, Volcano, and Whales and Dolphins
• Ages 5 - 10

Reviews (9)

$16.99, That's All?
Three selections for $16.99!! Not a better bargain out there! Parents this is a steal... Your kids will have you wanting to learn while they explore these three selections. Promise you!

Whales, dolphins, volcanoes and Mars? Turn of the Cartoon Network and turn on your kids to something worthwhile!! You won't be sorry!

Another gem from Microsoft
I'd like to preface this by stating that my 6-year-old plays this package daily - after his homework. He installed it by himself, so my opinion is that those who say it's difficult to install need to look at their system resources. He loves the graphics, sound and the activities. I once read a review that this package is not user-friendly and I say, baloney. I say this because he doesn't ask for assistance when using this software. All he complains about is not having all the MSB titles. There is no main menu to show you how to navigate through the CD and many of the screens do not feature an "Exit" icon to allow you to exit the program or return to the main menu, but who cares? I want my six year old to figure out these functions for himself anyway.

He is not very PC-savvy but he knows the basics of PC's. And, he does use other software easily. I wonder if some of these negative reviews are making mountains out of molehills. I'm know I'm not overlooking something obvious here - so what's the problem?

obsolete software that doesn't work with win2k
these seem like very old titles, written for win/3.1 and possibly working on win/95, but incompatible with the modern microsoft operating systems. out of 3 titles, two failed to install on my child's win2k system at all. one installed, but didn't function right. its graphics are the 10 year old primitive 256 color 640x480 VGA, 2-dimensional and flat. the game's audio wouldn't turn on. i can only guess that the other 2 titles were even more antique. a major dissapointment, because science related titles for small kids are so rare and hard to find!

i have encountered other children's titles that were poorly written for win/3.1 or older versions of windows, and hadn't been updated in 10 years, which wouldn't install or run right under win2k, but these are titles published by microsoft itself!!!

great games
i ordered all the bonus packs (6 total software titles). and my 5 year old son loves them. they entertain him for hours. so much learning and fun on so many subjects! i highly recommend them.
that said, lets get on the the technical part. i had a lot of trouble getting them to install. some of them froze up. some of them wont autorun. and the Animals one we have never been able to play at all. it is like it "half installed". says it is there in programs. but wont open no matter what. so try to uninstall or reinstall and that wont work either. i have sent it back to the manufacturer and havent heard from them yet. my computer is almost 2 years old with windows ME and lots of ram, memory, big hard drive. and even some graphic upgrades done recently. even tried it on someone else's comp with same results.
but i still say the problems i am having are worth the fun my son is having with 5 games. and he doesnt even know there is a 6th game he hasnt been able to try yet.

This is how learning should be - FUN!
Our 5 yr. old son plays these games for HOURS (if we let him). He loves them so much that "computer time" has become a treat for him when he has earned a reward. These cds are packed with great information, which is presented in lots of fun and challenging games. Even "Dad" enjoys them. AND they are not as annoying/loud/hyper as many of the computer games that we have come across. You will be amazed how fast and how much your child will learn! ... Read more

Features

• Travel to exotic locales with Ms. Frizzle and the gang
• 3 educational games: Dinosaurs, Inside the Earth, and Solar System
• Ages 5 - 10

Reviews (9)

$16.99, That's All?
Three selections for $16.99!! Not a better bargain out there! Parents this is a steal... Your kids will have you wanting to learn while they explore these three selections. Promise you!

Whales, dolphins, volcanoes and Mars? Turn of the Cartoon Network and turn on your kids to something worthwhile!! You won't be sorry!

Another gem from Microsoft
I'd like to preface this by stating that my 6-year-old plays this package daily - after his homework. He installed it by himself, so my opinion is that those who say it's difficult to install need to look at their system resources. He loves the graphics, sound and the activities. I once read a review that this package is not user-friendly and I say, baloney. I say this because he doesn't ask for assistance when using this software. All he complains about is not having all the MSB titles. There is no main menu to show you how to navigate through the CD and many of the screens do not feature an "Exit" icon to allow you to exit the program or return to the main menu, but who cares? I want my six year old to figure out these functions for himself anyway.

He is not very PC-savvy but he knows the basics of PC's. And, he does use other software easily. I wonder if some of these negative reviews are making mountains out of molehills. I'm know I'm not overlooking something obvious here - so what's the problem?

obsolete software that doesn't work with win2k
these seem like very old titles, written for win/3.1 and possibly working on win/95, but incompatible with the modern microsoft operating systems. out of 3 titles, two failed to install on my child's win2k system at all. one installed, but didn't function right. its graphics are the 10 year old primitive 256 color 640x480 VGA, 2-dimensional and flat. the game's audio wouldn't turn on. i can only guess that the other 2 titles were even more antique. a major dissapointment, because science related titles for small kids are so rare and hard to find!

i have encountered other children's titles that were poorly written for win/3.1 or older versions of windows, and hadn't been updated in 10 years, which wouldn't install or run right under win2k, but these are titles published by microsoft itself!!!

great games
i ordered all the bonus packs (6 total software titles). and my 5 year old son loves them. they entertain him for hours. so much learning and fun on so many subjects! i highly recommend them.
that said, lets get on the the technical part. i had a lot of trouble getting them to install. some of them froze up. some of them wont autorun. and the Animals one we have never been able to play at all. it is like it "half installed". says it is there in programs. but wont open no matter what. so try to uninstall or reinstall and that wont work either. i have sent it back to the manufacturer and havent heard from them yet. my computer is almost 2 years old with windows ME and lots of ram, memory, big hard drive. and even some graphic upgrades done recently. even tried it on someone else's comp with same results.
but i still say the problems i am having are worth the fun my son is having with 5 games. and he doesnt even know there is a 6th game he hasnt been able to try yet.

This is how learning should be - FUN!
Our 5 yr. old son plays these games for HOURS (if we let him). He loves them so much that "computer time" has become a treat for him when he has earned a reward. These cds are packed with great information, which is presented in lots of fun and challenging games. Even "Dad" enjoys them. AND they are not as annoying/loud/hyper as many of the computer games that we have come across. You will be amazed how fast and how much your child will learn! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Microsoft presents Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Explores the Human Body, a fully animated, interactive multimedia science adventure for kids ages 6 to 10. Based on Scholastic's award-winning book series, this CD-ROM software is designed to entertain and encourage a sense of adventure and exploration, especially about science and technology. The Magic School Bus Explores the Human Body features the irrepressible science teacher, Ms. Frizzle, and her inquisitive class in a fascinating exploration of the human body. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Magic School Bus Explores the Human Body
I don't own this product, but I would like to. Why don't you
have in stock anymore? Is it possible to get a hold of it
somewhere else. I think my 5 yr old grandson also find this
one interesting along with the others that I've ordered from
you. Has the company stopped making it? If so, is it possible
to get it somewhere?
Thank You
Joy Phalen
...

Mother of inquisitive 4 year old
As with most MSB CD's, my 4-yr old found this to be a very exciting adventure. The CD takes you through all parts of the body. He has learned about all the parts of the body and the various functions they perform. In fact, as we eat these days he explains to me the whole digestive process. Only negative I, as the parent, found was you have to change the color format on the CD to 256 color in order for it to work at all (thus the 4 stars). Aside from that, I would highly recommend it!

Mom of busy child
My six year old daughter loves Magic school bus human body! She has always been interested in the human body and this is right on target. She got this as a Christmas present and when she work on this she is on the computer for at least 2 hours! I like the fact that it feels like you are traveling through the body yourself and even after you finish it tells you which part of the body you have explored!

Very disappointing
My son loves The Magic School Bus books and videos and is very interested in the human body, so we were very excited to stumble upon this product. Unfortunately, precious little information is actually given about the way the body works. It is mostly about navigating from one place to the other and even in that regard once you get out of the digestive tract, the travel patterns don't really makes sense/provide information. Save your money! ... Read more

Features

• Travel to exotic locales with Ms. Frizzle and the gang
• 3 educational games: Animals, Bugs, and Rainforest
• Ages 5 - 10

Reviews (9)

$16.99, That's All?
Three selections for $16.99!! Not a better bargain out there! Parents this is a steal... Your kids will have you wanting to learn while they explore these three selections. Promise you!

Whales, dolphins, volcanoes and Mars? Turn of the Cartoon Network and turn on your kids to something worthwhile!! You won't be sorry!

Another gem from Microsoft
I'd like to preface this by stating that my 6-year-old plays this package daily - after his homework. He installed it by himself, so my opinion is that those who say it's difficult to install need to look at their system resources. He loves the graphics, sound and the activities. I once read a review that this package is not user-friendly and I say, baloney. I say this because he doesn't ask for assistance when using this software. All he complains about is not having all the MSB titles. There is no main menu to show you how to navigate through the CD and many of the screens do not feature an "Exit" icon to allow you to exit the program or return to the main menu, but who cares? I want my six year old to figure out these functions for himself anyway.

He is not very PC-savvy but he knows the basics of PC's. And, he does use other software easily. I wonder if some of these negative reviews are making mountains out of molehills. I'm know I'm not overlooking something obvious here - so what's the problem?

obsolete software that doesn't work with win2k
these seem like very old titles, written for win/3.1 and possibly working on win/95, but incompatible with the modern microsoft operating systems. out of 3 titles, two failed to install on my child's win2k system at all. one installed, but didn't function right. its graphics are the 10 year old primitive 256 color 640x480 VGA, 2-dimensional and flat. the game's audio wouldn't turn on. i can only guess that the other 2 titles were even more antique. a major dissapointment, because science related titles for small kids are so rare and hard to find!

i have encountered other children's titles that were poorly written for win/3.1 or older versions of windows, and hadn't been updated in 10 years, which wouldn't install or run right under win2k, but these are titles published by microsoft itself!!!

great games
i ordered all the bonus packs (6 total software titles). and my 5 year old son loves them. they entertain him for hours. so much learning and fun on so many subjects! i highly recommend them.
that said, lets get on the the technical part. i had a lot of trouble getting them to install. some of them froze up. some of them wont autorun. and the Animals one we have never been able to play at all. it is like it "half installed". says it is there in programs. but wont open no matter what. so try to uninstall or reinstall and that wont work either. i have sent it back to the manufacturer and havent heard from them yet. my computer is almost 2 years old with windows ME and lots of ram, memory, big hard drive. and even some graphic upgrades done recently. even tried it on someone else's comp with same results.
but i still say the problems i am having are worth the fun my son is having with 5 games. and he doesnt even know there is a 6th game he hasnt been able to try yet.

This is how learning should be - FUN!
Our 5 yr. old son plays these games for HOURS (if we let him). He loves them so much that "computer time" has become a treat for him when he has earned a reward. These cds are packed with great information, which is presented in lots of fun and challenging games. Even "Dad" enjoys them. AND they are not as annoying/loud/hyper as many of the computer games that we have come across. You will be amazed how fast and how much your child will learn! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Hop aboard the Magic School Bus as it dives into an interactive deep-sea adventure to explore the wonders of the ocean. Kids can tour seven ocean zones, conduct science experiments, and follow clues to find sunken treasure. Drive the bus and voyage into the depths of kelp forests, coral reefs, and much more. Based on characters from the book series and TV show, Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean teaches key science concepts in a fun and age-appropriate way. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great fun with the Frizz
My daughter (age 6) loves the Magic School Bus television series and she loves the computer games also. These games mirror the educational series while adding a great deal of interactivity and fun/educational games for children. My daughter saves her allowance in order to purchase these titles on her own. They are great fun.

Spotty
This is not the jewel in the crown of the Magic School Bus CD series (Animals, for example is much better), but it does have some good features. In particular, the activity on ozone & the greenhouse effect is excellent- our 2nd grader really grasped the concept after playing with it for a while.

The plot, however, is to find Ms. Frizzle, which our kids found frustrating. You get clues by earning tokens from an arcade-type game- the only MSB title we've seen that requires you to play an arcade game in order to complete it. It may be that the Microsoft progammers figure that space=boys=arcade game, but our kids were annoyed about it. They were even more annoyed when they worked out from the 1st clue where she was and found out that you have to get all 3 clues anyway.

On the other hand, kids who like arcade games might be induced to learn a bit about the solar system.

MSB does the ocean... not as well as I'd hoped!
I am a MSB fan and am trying to get my young children interested too. The Ocean was the first MSB software we got, and I'm afraid it will be the last. It's ok, but I'm disappointed that the software doesn't load correctly (on 3 different computers and 2 operating systems (win98, XP)! None worked right!). It will start, but it is very difficult to navigate the first few times until you "learn" where things are. Finding out where to go and what to click on is trial and error for the most part. Maybe I just haven't "found" the good stuff yet, but I was hoping for better!

Dinosaurs Never Looked So Interesting...to a small child!
For the price. For the value. For the impact. For the utlility. For your child. Buy it....

Rainforest!!?
The rainforest comes alive with this MSB issue. Microsoft shows us why most of the cures for our maladies, etc. comes from rainforests. And, why we shouldn't keep destroying them. Kids learn all about the value of a rainforst. My seven year old played the heck out of this selection, and when we visited a real rain forest in Nov. 2003, he knew what to expect. And, of course, MSB helped... ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Ms. Frizzle missed her calling: she should work for NASA. Fromengaging games to fascinating facts to stunning photographic imagesfrom Mars, this interplanetary adventure doesn't miss a single detail.As the bus adeptly dodges satellites while it screams away from theSun, it's obvious that this will be anything but a normal field tripwith Ms. Frizzle and the gang.

Once the Magic School Bus settles, kids can play inside or venture ontothe surface of Mars. Both areas are cluttered with gizmos that yieldeither a game, an experiment, or a compelling fact. (Did you know thatMars's moons are named for the Greek words meaning fear and panic? Wedidn't.) There's a lot to learn here: kids can put objects likewatermelons and marshmallows into the Pressure-O-Meter to see whathappens to them in the atmosphere, or try to land a module on Marswhile coping with fuel loss and Martian gravity. There's even arover-building station that hones deductive skills as kids decide whether asolar panel or a battery will work best to power their vehicle duringthe Martian night.

Attention to detail is what launches Magic School Bus Lands onMars into the rarefied atmosphere of educational CD-ROMs thatentertain as well as they teach; new players can enter how old they areon Earth and learn their Martian age, then later play Mind over Mars, arobot-hosted game show that dishes up tough Mars-related triviaquestions and--better yet--elaborates on the answers.

As Ms. Frizzle zips about Mars's surface in her jetpack, we can't helpbut wish NASA would recruit the Friz to get all of us excited aboutspace exploration again. The woman has the right stuff. (For ages 6 to10.) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Poor Value for Money
As with MSB Whales and Dophins, this is not a full-fledged Magic School Bus CD, but is just an activity center. The Magic School Bus CDs fall into two categories: full-fledged exploration programs and activity centers. The full-fledged programs are excellent and represent good value for money. Three of my children (ages 7, 5 and 3) spends hours exploring with MSB Oceans, Animals, Solar System, and Dinosaurs. They are great. On the other hand, he is quickly bored with the Activity Centers, such as Whales and Dolphins, Flight, and Mars. They simply present one screen with things to click on.

Since a full-fledged MSB CD has half-a-dozen or more places to explore, the activity centers represent less than 1/6th the value of a full-fledged MSB CD. Don't buy them unless you get them for less than 1/6th the price of the full-fledged CDs.

Not a good MSB choice
My 5 year old daughter loves Magic School Bus. She has a few of the games (Human Body, Inside Earth, Dinosaurs, and this one). She plays the others repeatedly, but almost never plays Lands on Mars. Though I haven't studied the game myself, I suspect it just has fewer activities and less interesting activities than the others.

Picks up where MSB: Solar System left off!
All of the Magic School Bus series is wonderful but now they have gone in depth into one particular subject. My 7 & 9 year old love the programs and must have them the minute they come out! Lands on Mars is packed full of Trivia and Games, tells about Mars Missions and shows pictures! There is so much to do she won't be bored with it for months. Aside from the educational factors it is incredibly easy and fun to play, I usually try them out for an hour or two myself.

If you want to make learning fun for your child, you must look into these programs. As my daughters have in the past, I am sure if the time arises that they need research on Mars, Lands on Mars will be the first thing off the shelf! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Kids jump on board The Magic School Bus for another one of Ms. Frizzle's interactive field trips--this time to explore the Costa Rican rain forest. You'll explore seven ecological zones in the rain forest as you collect samples for the class science project. Watch videos, play games, check out multimedia reports, and hear fun facts about the rainforest. (Ages 6-10) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Magic School Bus Explores the Rainforest
I really like all of the Magic School Bus series. Kids can learn a lot about a subject and the dialog is very amusing.

Games have proved particularly entertaining
The magic school bus series is a great series. Once again Ms. Fizzle takes the children on a fun packed adventure.

We have never been to a rain forest, but my five year old found the games on this Microsoft School Bus product particularly entertaining.

A great CD from a great series. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Miss Frizzle gleefully leads a pack of kids to the red-hot edge of anactive volcano, to burn information into their curious brains about magma, a'a,and Krakatoa. Most parents would gladly let this wonderfully wacky lady taketheir kids wading in lava, and we heartily endorse the "learning is good" spiritof Magic School Bus, which is abundantly present in this fine fieldtrip.

However, we feel that the folks who design the Magic School Bus programswould do well to add some new shtick to their repertoire. Structurally, thisprogram is a mirror of other MSB offerings: kids can explore 10 activitiesinside of the school bus, or leave the bus and go volcano-side to learn factoidsfrom the Magic School Bus Kids and play a few more games. Though these programsalways emphasize freeform learning, the folks who design the programs cling tothis now tiresome "in the bus," "out of the bus" formula.

That complaintaside, the activities use real-life volcanoes, 3-D graphics, and multiplephotographic and video images of spewing lava and underwater steam vents.Visually, Magic School Bus Volcano Adventure is fantastic.

Some of theactivities inspire experimentation and learning. A "make your own volcano" labinvites kids to combine three amounts of gas with three thicknesses of magma,then renders the recipe's results: a volcano that either explodes or seepsdepending on the combination of materials used. "Dare to Compare" features fourreal-life volcanoes (Mount St. Helens, Krakatoa, Mauna Loa, and Eldfell) andcompelling graphics and information about what sets these volcanoes apart. Aworld map highlights volcanic activity around the globe. A site called "GreenMachine" allows kids to plant trees and watch them colonize on the stark grayflanks of a volcano. Then they can cause an eruption, wipe out the burgeoninglife, and start all over.

Kids can play volcano games with three levels: in"Operation Rescue," they use spatial skills to guide hot lava down a slope andaway from homes and cars. Speedy mousing and evasive maneuvers come into play in"Rub-a-Dub" as kids maneuver a submarine around steaming vents and lava tubes tocollect volcanic rocks. And a game called "Leaping Lava" could cause survivorsof Mount St. Helens to have flashbacks. Players must guide the Magic School Busacross multiple mudflows by hopping from log to log and avoiding burning lavapatches. During this one, the Magic School Bus theme music plays in a minor key.It's rather creepy.

Volcano Adventure will please most juniorvolcanologists. But if your child can already pronounce "pahoehoe" and knows thedifference between lava and magma, they'll quickly tire of having only theinside of the bus, or the rim of the volcano, to visit. (Ages 6 to 10) --AnneErickson ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wow, Volcanoes Rock Here!!
Microsoft keeps putting out educational software that rocks for kids. As a teacher, regular and special education, I welcome every issue Microsoft tackles. For several reasons. I know it's gonna be good. Educational. Compelling. Enjoying....

As a parent of a seven year old, I know what good software can mean to a child. Microsoft knows, too. You will...if you buy this issue.

a disappointment, but entertaining
My son is nuts for volcanoes, so this appeared a natural for him. It is somewhat informative and has some great images, but he ran through it in about an hour and shows no interest in going back to it. When you get down to it, most cd-roms are just multiple choice exams but without penalties for guessing wrong. We should not expect much more from them, and at the price that this cost, I could have taken him myself to a movie for a longer entertainment! Nonetheless, this one does introduce kids to the tools of scientists better than other magic school bus cd-roms I have seen, but it doesn't do much to teach anything about the way that scientists think and work.

My seven year old son now loves volcanoes
My seven year old son now loves volcanoes after playing with the Magic School Bus Volcano Adventure. He has enjoyed all the games which he has played repeatedly. Some of the games don't seem to be as educational as other Magic School Bus adventures, but overall, my boy loves it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Play a round of interplanetary hide-and-seek with Ms. Frizzle and her class aboard the Magic School Bus! In this exploration of our solar system, the Friz is hiding somewhere in Earth's neighborhood--as far away as Saturn, perhaps, or maybe as close as the moon. It is up to players to put together the clues that will lead to the elusive teacher's location. Luckily, the Magic School Bus is equipped with everything the quest will require--information on the planets, navigation tools for visiting these worlds, and plenty of clues to Ms. Frizzle's hiding place.The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System combines familiar characters like Liz, Phoebe, and Carlos with lovely interactive animations and hard scientific fact. The icing on the cake is a set of arcade-style game challenges. Jumping their way through a maze of platforms and prizes in low gravity, players must work their way through the obstacle course to earn a token they can trade for a clue.With so many diverse elements, the result is a fun-packed experience that is both entertaining and educational. Any child who is interested in planetary sciences will love this game.Aimed at children aged 6 to 10, The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System may have limited appeal for the less patient player. The cursor does not light up or otherwise indicate interactive hot spots, leaving players to click randomly around the screen in hopes of triggering an animation sequence or the next stage of the game. Additionally, game help is provided in the form of verbal instructions issued by Liz, and while some of these instructions are crystal clear, others are muddy and confusing. The game also lacks multiplayer and Internet options.Despite these minor weaknesses, though, The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System offers plenty of information about the planets orbiting the sun along with enough unadulterated fun to ensure that children will want to go hunting for the Friz time and again. --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Explore the Solar System
My 5 yr old has an interest in the Solar Sytem and found this game to be fun! He enjoys going to each plantet, although he hasn't been able to locate Ms. Frizzle, which is part of the click and find game. She gives good clues to which planet she's on but we still can't locate her. The graphics are great and the desciptions of the planets are perfect for 5-7 yrs old children. This is a must have if your child is interested in the solar system. Well we gotta go find Ms. Frizz!

If you are looking for "solar system", this is a good buy
The magic school bus series is brilliant. My son started with them when he turned four and each year he finds new ways of enjoying them.

The "Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System" takes the children through a tour of the nine planets. There are interesting facts and information about each planet and there is a game at each planet. The program is very professional, and follows school bus formula.

We found this to be not one of the better in the excellent school bus series. The games are very similar, all arcade type games, and consequently can get monotonous. However the solar system as a topic, does capture the imagination of many children, and the program is professional, and filled with facts and fun.

If you are looking for the solar system, this is a good buy. If you are looking for the magic school bus, you might consider one of the others in this excellent series.

MSB Solar System
This was by far the best program we have bought so far. Our 3 year old is obsessed with the solar system: planet locations, facts, etc. This program enabled him to "climb aboard" and travel to each one of the planets. While at each planet it also reinforced facts about each planet. Program is also very easy to navigate. A must for anyone interested in the solar system! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The ever-versatile Magic School Bus shines its high beams into thewatery world of whales and dolphins with this lightly educational and moderately entertaining CD-ROM. The format should be familiar to anyone who owns any of the other Magic School Bus programs: players explore inside the bus with Ms. Frizzle's guidance, or go outside the bus, this time into the briny deep, to learn more about whales.

This program dutifully provides a plethoraof whale factoids, but some of the activities lack inspiration. "CetaceanRotation" is a puzzle game with a fancy name. "Spot That Whale" is a simplisticpoint-and-click matching game where speed counts more than memory. Rescuing ababy beluga from a maze riddled with fishing nets and hungry orcas is quickwork. A drawing station with minimal creative options merely takes up space.Despite three levels of play, older kids are likely to churn through parts of this program like a blue whale churns through krill. Games that engage the brain a bit more include "Whale Scales," where players can compare the weight and length of cetaceans to other objects and critters (one blue whale equals 30,000 house cats) and "Spout Off," a game show with questions that will stump some parents. Other bright spots include gorgeous still photos, and video and audio clips of sea mammal wonders like humpbacks echo-locating and Dahl's porpoises arcing along the bow of the boat--all narrated in Ms. Frizzle's know-it-all trill, of course.

Graphically, MagicSchool Bus Whales and Dolphins looks better than some of the other MagicSchool Bus offerings, and the program ran quickly, with no glitches. But if your10-year-old wants some cold hard facts about whales for a research paper (like how many pounds, not house cats, a blue whale actually weighs), they may need to dive a little deeper than the Magic School Bus does in this program. (Ages 6 to 10) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (4)

excellent learning tool
My daughter is a dolphin fanatic. She has been in love with
these magnificent creatures since the age of 3 (she is now 7).
She is also very into science and loves the entire magic school
bus series. We have 3 magic school bus cdroms and this is by far her favorite. As with all of the magic school bus books,
videos and cdroms it teaches the children in a fun way.
they think that they are just playing, but they are learning.
This was proven when my son, then 3, told his whole pre-k
class about the differnces between toothed whales and baleen whales and also informed everyone that dolphins and whales use
echolocation to find food! This is a great game!

My 7-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter both love it
My two children play this together, have a lot of fun, and come up with interesting facts about whales and dolphins. I even saw the two of them looking at a book about whales and quizzing each other on the type of whale shown in the pictures. We thought it was a good value, and it convinced me to buy more of the MSB software.

Poor Value for Money
Don't be deceived. This is not a full-fledged Magic School Bus CD, but is just an activity center. The Magic School Bus CDs fall into two categories: full-fledged exploration programs and activity centers. The full-fledged programs are excellent and represent good value for money. My oldest (age 6) spends hours exploring with MSB Oceans, Animals, Solar System, and Dinosaurs. They are great. On the other hand, he is quickly bored with the Activity Centers, such as Whales and Dolphins, Flight, and Mars. They simply present one screen with things to click on. Since a full-fledged MSB CD has half-a-dozen or more places to explore, the activity centers represent less than 1/6th the value of a full-fledged MSB CD. Don't buy them unless you get them for less than 1/6th the price of the full-fledged CDs, which means don't pay more than [price] for them. They are not worth more.

MAGIC SCHOOL BUS IS A TV SHOW AND IN BOOKS AND ON SOFTWARE!
I watch The Magic School Bus every day and i have 2 Magic School Bus Books. But i did not know that The Magic school bus was on software! I love the Magic School Bus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Inside the Earth - Inside Your Child's Mind!
Scholastic's name's on this selection. Not for nothing....This is another one of Microsoft's gems. I know I said it before, but this is definitely a gem! Microsoft does NOT make bad educational software. There's something of value in every package they turn out. Ms. Frizzle shines again in this one. Parents this is the closest you want your kids exploring inside the earth. Come on and break out your wallet, or purse.

Eductational and fun
My 6 year old always prefers Magic School Bus programs over his other educational computer games. Just a warning: it won't compete with non-educational stuff if they have a choice.

great learning tool
My 7 year old son loves this game! Learning and fun all in one! What more could you ask for!

Great find!

My 5-year loved it!
My son learned so much from this game. I could not get him off the computer! He learned all about archaeology and uses words like gems and minerals in context. I love his enthusiasm. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Jump on board the Magic School Bus for another one of Ms. Frizzle'sinteractive field trips--this time to explore the Costa Rican rain forest.You'll explore seven ecological zones in the rain forest as you collectsamples for the class science project. Watch videos, play games, check outmultimedia reports, and hear fun facts about the rain forest. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great fun with the Frizz
My daughter (age 6) loves the Magic School Bus television series and she loves the computer games also. These games mirror the educational series while adding a great deal of interactivity and fun/educational games for children. My daughter saves her allowance in order to purchase these titles on her own. They are great fun.

Spotty
This is not the jewel in the crown of the Magic School Bus CD series (Animals, for example is much better), but it does have some good features. In particular, the activity on ozone & the greenhouse effect is excellent- our 2nd grader really grasped the concept after playing with it for a while.

The plot, however, is to find Ms. Frizzle, which our kids found frustrating. You get clues by earning tokens from an arcade-type game- the only MSB title we've seen that requires you to play an arcade game in order to complete it. It may be that the Microsoft progammers figure that space=boys=arcade game, but our kids were annoyed about it. They were even more annoyed when they worked out from the 1st clue where she was and found out that you have to get all 3 clues anyway.

On the other hand, kids who like arcade games might be induced to learn a bit about the solar system.

MSB does the ocean... not as well as I'd hoped!
I am a MSB fan and am trying to get my young children interested too. The Ocean was the first MSB software we got, and I'm afraid it will be the last. It's ok, but I'm disappointed that the software doesn't load correctly (on 3 different computers and 2 operating systems (win98, XP)! None worked right!). It will start, but it is very difficult to navigate the first few times until you "learn" where things are. Finding out where to go and what to click on is trial and error for the most part. Maybe I just haven't "found" the good stuff yet, but I was hoping for better!

Dinosaurs Never Looked So Interesting...to a small child!
For the price. For the value. For the impact. For the utlility. For your child. Buy it....

Rainforest!!?
The rainforest comes alive with this MSB issue. Microsoft shows us why most of the cures for our maladies, etc. comes from rainforests. And, why we shouldn't keep destroying them. Kids learn all about the value of a rainforst. My seven year old played the heck out of this selection, and when we visited a real rain forest in Nov. 2003, he knew what to expect. And, of course, MSB helped... ... Read more

Features

• Explore the world of dinosaurs with the popular show's characters
• Choose from 7 different locations in 3 prehistoric time periods
• Puzzles and games teach facts about prehistoric life
• Lots of cool pictures, graphics and sounds
• More than 20 fun multimedia reports

Reviews (20)

Great fun with the Frizz
My daughter (age 6) loves the Magic School Bus television series and she loves the computer games also. These games mirror the educational series while adding a great deal of interactivity and fun/educational games for children. My daughter saves her allowance in order to purchase these titles on her own. They are great fun.

Spotty
This is not the jewel in the crown of the Magic School Bus CD series (Animals, for example is much better), but it does have some good features. In particular, the activity on ozone & the greenhouse effect is excellent- our 2nd grader really grasped the concept after playing with it for a while.

The plot, however, is to find Ms. Frizzle, which our kids found frustrating. You get clues by earning tokens from an arcade-type game- the only MSB title we've seen that requires you to play an arcade game in order to complete it. It may be that the Microsoft progammers figure that space=boys=arcade game, but our kids were annoyed about it. They were even more annoyed when they worked out from the 1st clue where she was and found out that you have to get all 3 clues anyway.

On the other hand, kids who like arcade games might be induced to learn a bit about the solar system.

MSB does the ocean... not as well as I'd hoped!
I am a MSB fan and am trying to get my young children interested too. The Ocean was the first MSB software we got, and I'm afraid it will be the last. It's ok, but I'm disappointed that the software doesn't load correctly (on 3 different computers and 2 operating systems (win98, XP)! None worked right!). It will start, but it is very difficult to navigate the first few times until you "learn" where things are. Finding out where to go and what to click on is trial and error for the most part. Maybe I just haven't "found" the good stuff yet, but I was hoping for better!

Dinosaurs Never Looked So Interesting...to a small child!
For the price. For the value. For the impact. For the utlility. For your child. Buy it....

Rainforest!!?
The rainforest comes alive with this MSB issue. Microsoft shows us why most of the cures for our maladies, etc. comes from rainforests. And, why we shouldn't keep destroying them. Kids learn all about the value of a rainforst. My seven year old played the heck out of this selection, and when we visited a real rain forest in Nov. 2003, he knew what to expect. And, of course, MSB helped... ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Birds twitter, didjeridoos moan, and an excited Ms. Frizzlehits the high notes as she explains the science of sound and teacheskids to listen creatively. On the bus, kids can hear what different sounds do in differentlocations with the Acoust-O-Matic, play Name That Noise with MikeyMicrophone, or learn how sound travels in the Wild Waves experiment;there's even an ultrasound and an oscilloscope onboard. Outside thereare more activities, and the kids take the concert stage with variousinstruments they play and explain.

The program hums, roars, and ooompas right along. Sound is everywherein this inspired, informative bunch of racket: jets whoosh above in thesky, and thunderclouds grumble. Two ingenious touches are a microphonekids can drag about the set to record sounds (it even produces feedbackif you brush the cursor against it) and a pair of click-and-draggoggles that show how different sound waves look when they're laid overan instrument.

Don't buy this expecting a music theory class--there's not a trebleclef to be found unless you count the one on Ms. Frizzle's skirt--butfor a child who's all ears, curious about how tape recorders work andwhy bats squeak, it's sure to hit just the right note. (For ages 6 to10) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Magic School Bus in Concert
The Magic School Bus in Concert is a good game, except the voices are different than the hit TV show, and Arnold, Wanda, Tim, and Dorothy Ann aren't included in the game. I am 10 years old, and I collect Magic School Bus computer games. I would recommend this game for 6 to 10 year olds who want to improve their music skills.

Great for the Imagination
My seven year old seemed to enjoy this more than my 9 year old. Perhaps just because she enjoys music more. Still a wonderful game, allows players to create their own scores and teaches them about ultrasound. It definately allows them to put their imagination to work. Not so much an educational game but definately fun!

The memory game, Sound Off, was a little hard for her, but that would probably vary from kid to kid. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System features the irrepressible science teacher, Ms. Frizzle, and her inquisitive class in an out-of-this-world adventure. Kids can take control of the bus and explore the nine planets in our solar system, conducting science experiments and playing games at each stop. Based on Scholastic's book series, this CD-ROM is designed to encourage a sense of adventure and exploration, and an interest in science and technology. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great fun with the Frizz
My daughter (age 6) loves the Magic School Bus television series and she loves the computer games also. These games mirror the educational series while adding a great deal of interactivity and fun/educational games for children. My daughter saves her allowance in order to purchase these titles on her own. They are great fun.

Spotty
This is not the jewel in the crown of the Magic School Bus CD series (Animals, for example is much better), but it does have some good features. In particular, the activity on ozone & the greenhouse effect is excellent- our 2nd grader really grasped the concept after playing with it for a while.

The plot, however, is to find Ms. Frizzle, which our kids found frustrating. You get clues by earning tokens from an arcade-type game- the only MSB title we've seen that requires you to play an arcade game in order to complete it. It may be that the Microsoft progammers figure that space=boys=arcade game, but our kids were annoyed about it. They were even more annoyed when they worked out from the 1st clue where she was and found out that you have to get all 3 clues anyway.

On the other hand, kids who like arcade games might be induced to learn a bit about the solar system.

MSB does the ocean... not as well as I'd hoped!
I am a MSB fan and am trying to get my young children interested too. The Ocean was the first MSB software we got, and I'm afraid it will be the last. It's ok, but I'm disappointed that the software doesn't load correctly (on 3 different computers and 2 operating systems (win98, XP)! None worked right!). It will start, but it is very difficult to navigate the first few times until you "learn" where things are. Finding out where to go and what to click on is trial and error for the most part. Maybe I just haven't "found" the good stuff yet, but I was hoping for better!

Dinosaurs Never Looked So Interesting...to a small child!
For the price. For the value. For the impact. For the utlility. For your child. Buy it....

Rainforest!!?
The rainforest comes alive with this MSB issue. Microsoft shows us why most of the cures for our maladies, etc. comes from rainforests. And, why we shouldn't keep destroying them. Kids learn all about the value of a rainforst. My seven year old played the heck out of this selection, and when we visited a real rain forest in Nov. 2003, he knew what to expect. And, of course, MSB helped... ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean
Like all of the Scholastic games, this is an excellent game for children but this game may or may not work with Windows XP Home Edition. This is the only Magic School Bus series game that I cannot get to work on my PC. Note: All the other Magic School Bus games will work in the compatibility mode.

easy to run through, then it is done
My daughter ran through this one in about 2 hours. While there are some nice facts in it to learn and a few games, once you run through it, it's essentially done. She occasionally goes back to it, but knows that there is rather little to see on the excursion part. As such, it adds to the pile of played out software. And she is only 5.

Also, as with many fact-based science CD-Roms, there is hardly anything conceptual. With the exception of a few disjointed facts, evolution, pollution, and ecology - or even that life exists in a balance! - are neither introduced as concepts nor much mentioned. At five, my daughter is too young for this at a sophisticated level, but why not introduce these notions now? As it stands, she just gets disjointed facts from this rather than a taste of things to come or an enticement to dig further.

That is very disappointing. Nonetheless, the images are nice, as are some of the special effects. You just can't dig very far into it.

This is a great game!
I like this game because it teaches a lot of science about the ocean. My sister, who is 5 years old, likes it, but it is not her favorite. I learned about kelp forests and the open ocean. Kids who like the ocean and science will love this game.

Great Game for Magic School Bus Lovers
You are going on a field trip to the beach with the Magic School Bus Class. You look in the water and find a treasure map. You have to get the answers to the three questions in order to find the treasure. Along the way you can explore each zone of the ocean and play fun games that earn you fish cards. It is hard to get all the fish cards and I haven't even done it yet but I've started the second page. You can even print out your fish cards. Kids will have a lot of fun exploring the ocean and learning about sea life. You can also see animations by just clicking on a picture. This is a very easy game to use and I think you should buy it. If you don't you're missing out on something great. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth, is an interactive science adventure that takes kids on a geological escapade to learn about volcanoes, fossils, rocks, and minerals. Kids explore 6 terrains of the earth: a canyon, an underwater volcano, a giant fault, a deep cavern, a land volcano, and inside a crystal. The Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth is filled with eight games, four experiments, and six reports to keep kids playing and learning. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Follow that formula - solid, down to earth fun
The magic school bus series is brilliant. My son started with them when he turned four and each year he finds new ways of enjoying them.

The Magic School bus earth follows the tried and tested school bus formula. It takes the child through a canyon,a geode, the undersea, a volcano, a cavern,a rock fault, and of course the classroom. As usual there are puzzles and games and clickable facts at each location.

The experiments in the back are particularly good allowing the child to play with rock chemistry and activities such as making your own volcano. For some children geology will not be as magical as say dinosaurs, oceans and bugs, all of which are also highly recommended. But the content is good and if your child is already a rock collector, this CD is a must.

Many hours of contented learning, guaranteed. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean is an interactive science adventure that helps children learn about the wonders of the ocean as they join the Magic School Bus class to explore the seven ocean zones. Available for both Macintosh and PC platforms, this CD-ROM software is designed to entertain and encourage a sense of adventure and exploration, especially about science and technology. The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean teaches key science concepts in a fun and age-appropriate way. (Ages 6-10) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

same old thing: run through and it's done
I was very disappointed by this software. My daughter, at 5 on the young end of the age scale for this package, did virtually everything in it in just a few hours (three sessions). We now add it to the pile CD-Rom "run throughs": she may occasionally pick it up, but its originality is essentially exhausted. While there are some nice features in it - graphics, sounds, info - they are very very light. For what there is of it, the content is not bad.

Also, iMac users beware: every time we put it on, it screws up our screen - blanks out other applications, eventually freezing it in strange colors - and we have to reboot to play anything else. It also refuses to "eject" from normal commands and so we have to manually pull it out.

The best of a great series
The magic school bus series is a great series, and we have found this one perhaps the most entertaining of them all.

The magic school bus takes the child on an adventure of exploration, to a sandy beach, a deep ocean, a coral reef, a kelp forest, a tidal pool, deep see vaults and the open ocean. There are games and activities at each destination, and the child can go to the back of the bus and busy oneself with scientific experiments.

When my son was four he really enjoyed clicking around the ocean at the hundreds of click-able objects and busying himself with the simple activities. Now at five he has come back to it and has discovered that he has the co-ordination to play the more difficult games, and the understanding to laugh at the fun facts.

The information is rich and interesting, and we can build on the knowledge when we go to the coast or to the aquarium.

He has still to grow into reading the reports, collecting the fish cards and really understanding the scientific experiments. However the richness of the material means that he can put the CD away and return to it several months later and discover new facets and new dimensions. I think we have much pleasure and exploration left.

A great CD from a great series.

Really fun!
My 4 year old can't get enough of this game. He's been able to figure it out without much assistance and has really been enjoying it. However, the sound goes out occasionally and requires a reboot. Still, it's a great game! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Get ready for some high-flying fun with Ms. Frizzle and her inquisitive class as they discover the magic of flight. The Magic School Bus Discovers Flight Activity Center lets kids spread their wings and learn about flight, aircraft, and animals that fly. There are art activities, arcade-style games, and science experiments: kids can play games like Blaze Blasters, pilot a hot-air balloon, and earn lots of feathers for their flight cap. Players will learn science concepts through activities hosted by characters from the popular Magic School Bus TV show. The activities are designed to satisfy the demands of both education and entertainment. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Educational Software
My 4 year old daughter loves this software and I feel good knowing that she's getting a jump start on science.

There are simple video-game style games to play and lots of places to explore.

I recommend to to anyone! ... Read more