Features

• Explore fantasy worlds and engage your brain
• Three fantasy worlds: Undersea, Outer Space, and Dragon's Lair
• Nine different adventures with 54 I SPY riddles
• Designed for kids age 6-10
• For one player

Reviews (12)

I Spy will keep you busy for hours
I was looking for a non-violent computer game for my grandsons. I found this one and decided to check it out before I released it to them. I played, and played, and played. I really liked it.

I Spy Fantasy
My children are 6 and 8 and love this program! We are looking for another game for the next birthday. It has helped them cooperate and share. Wonderful!!

fun without violence
My 5 year old daughter plays this game again and again. I love that it is difficult enough to challenge her to think outside of the box. (Seeing the three on dice verses written out.)She is learning without having to play the usual educational games that are childish or annoying. This is also a game for me to play with her that doesn't require me to master a sword.

fun for all ages
I have bought more than 30 computer games for my 4 1/2 year old son over the last 3 years. I have to say that this one has the best graphics of all the games I have seen so far. My son has been into I Spy books ever since he was barely one year old (the board book version at first). I was afraid that this game might not live up to his expectations. However, it was that and much more. I get bored watching him play his other computer games sometimes, but I can actively participate in this one. I even installed it in my computer at the office so that I can play it when there is a lull at work. Excellent in terms of building their vocabulary as well.

Good, clean fun for all ages!
An excellent compromise between my son (age 7) and me. He sees it as a fun computer game, I see it as a rated-G brain-squeezing activity that we can do together. It's a great way to spend some time with your kids, doing something you'll both enjoy.

The graphics are beautiful and vivid. The game is very easy to maneuver through. It even increases in difficulty so you can keep playing again and again! All in all, it's good, clean fun for everyone. ... Read more

Features

• Teaches essentials skills like arithmetic and logic
• 11 engaging activities and 3 unique adventures
• 3 levels of play automatically adjust to child¿s progress
• Starring popular characters and voices from hit TV show
• Automatic help allows for independent play; for ages 3 and up

Features

• Solve real-world math challenges to make uniquely entertaining stores successful again
• 15 math activities and 10 math missions; 3 complete grades of math
• Arcade with 7 games to play; earn money to open your own arcade
• 3 levels of play automatically adjust according to your child¿s progress
• Automated personal education tutor; progress report

Reviews (2)

Great software
I bought this for my 8-year-old to spend more time practicing math. My son likes math and he likes playing this software. He asks to play it rather than needing to be prodded, as he was with the Math & Science Excelerator I bought for the same purpose. Even the neighborhood kids come to play it with him. I would also recommend it for kids having trouble with math as it puts the concepts into visual perspective, rather than just repeating equations.

Fantastic math software
Our family loves this program! It has a lot of content, bright graphics, and even a simulation game when kids do enough activities, which means they can open up their own arcade, buy games for the arcade, and manage it. This software has tons of activities that are all quite good. In terms of education, there are so many math concepts that the program explores. Very kid friendly software. A+ all the way. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

My 8 yr old loves I spy!
For those who say this is boring, maybe your kids should just stick to video games. My son is loving the books and the computer games. He conquers them pretty quickly and we have to buy more but hey, it's getting his mind working looking for hidden items. We went for an open house at his school a few months ago and the teacher picked up an I Spy book and said that it was the main thing all the kids fought over in class. We love all the books, computer games and the gameboy game that is out. Good investment for little thinkers out there!

Can't find 12th ladybug!
I really like this game but I am annoyed that I can't find the last ladybug in the find me game. I can find no game hint support sites either. Has anyone else had this problem? Is it a bug (ha ha) in the program? I have spent weeks looking but always find the ones I've already found. Can anyone out there help me? I am not a child, but my daughter can't find it either. Apparantly the game will not finish until all bugs are found because I have found all the treasures. Does this game not have more than one complete game to play? I thought it had 3 like treasure hunt.
Thanks,

Will Keep You Thinking....
My 6 year old daughter loves this game. It is not easy and keeps her thinking. I some times find some of the items hard to find but with persistance you will find them. It is never boring. The whole family enjoys this software.

Elementary Kids Love It!
I am a computer lab teacher in an elementary school. Last year, I used this software for quite a few weeks when my Kindergarten through Grade 3 students came in for activity period. Students in grades 4-6 would beg to get a chance to use the software when their assignment for the day was completed.

It was a stretch for Kindergarten to find some of the items, because they did not recognize some of the items in the riddles, but I made sure to point these out in lessons and then circulated to help them more.

It was exciting to watch as students became absorbed in this activity, and most of them grew in their visual and verbal awareness. Children in grades 1-3 could either click to hear the descriptions or read for themselves.

Yes, it is on the shelf this year, but will taken out to be used in two years. This year I bought I Spy Spooky Mansion for use, and next year hope to get the Î Spy Treasure software if I can find the funding.

I Spy School Days-big bore
My six year old great nephew completed all of the activities within two hours. He was moderately interested in the beginning and bored by the time he finished. I watched as he played, and thought they were boring, too. ... 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

Amazon.com Review

Pirate's plunder rewards players who discover all of the hidden objects and decipher the riddles in I Spy Treasure Hunt. But there's also a bounty of booty on the path to that treasure as players discover this captivating world where closer inspection invariably reveals a new surprise.

This program is based on the award-winning I Spy books written by Jean Marzollo and photo-illustrated by Walter Wick. From the very beginning, this program immerses players, just as the books do: as a train pulls into the station in the town of Smuggler's Cove, the point-of-view is from inside the passenger car, looking out the window. Once off the train, this quaint seaside town with a secret is yours to explore. Potential riddle spots reveal themselves when a cursor sweep causes an object to respond with movement and sound. A tackle box, a deserted ruin, and a lighthouse are just a few of the 20 spots ripe for discovery. Scenes change swiftly, considering the vast amount of detail each contains. When explorers find a riddle area, a cluttered panorama appears onscreen and a child's voice reads the sentence below that always begins with the phrase "I spy...." Then players must find and click on the objects listed in the sentence. This isn't as easy as it seems; for example, finding three "fours" sounds simple, right? But the task gets complex when one numeral is hidden in the grain of a wooden tabletop, the other is written out in letters on a menu, and the third is a pair of dice showing a three and a one.

Successfully finding all the "I Spy" items in a scene yields a scrap of a treasure map. But building the map doesn't automatically reveal the treasure--that'd be out of keeping with this game's complex character. There are three different treasure-hunting scenarios, and each requires gathering a completely different set of clues around the town of Smuggler's Cove. The attention to detail that the books are famous for is abundantly present here: sound permeates the different "sets," from waves breaking on the shore, to the slow tick of a clock in the general store. Find and click on a skull-and-crossbones--it scowls and growls. Find and click on an oil lamp--it flares up briefly and then goes out with a delicate puff of smoke. And no, you can't cheat by just holding down the mouse button and scanning over a picture hoping to hit a required item. I Spy Treasure Hunt is a wonderfully absorbing program that slyly sneaks in a vast amount of learning. Mapping, reading, rhyming, and problem solving occur incidentally as players are drawn into the mysteries of Smuggler's Cove. And it's the only program we've ever encountered that elegantly illustrates that "four" and "4" and "." + "..." all equal the same thing. (Ages 6 to 10) --Anne Erickson ... Read more

Reviews (39)

A Treasure to Find!
After playing I Spy Haunted Mansion at the Musuem of Science, my nephews and I purchased it at Amazon.com. It was a great game. But the Treasure Hunt is even better, and why....3 games. When you finish the first, you have two more to go. We love the I spy books, and even own a I spy board game. All my nieces and nephews play the PC game. Their ages are from 7-11. All have had fun with it. I've played too!! I love it. None of them have found it too easy. There are just enough complicated hidden treasures to make it the..."Auntie Lynn, can you help me find this?". I would highly recommend this PC game. I can't wait for the next!!

Game play over in 3 days
I am very disappointed in this product, especially after reading all the rave reviews.

My son recieved I Spy Treasure Hunt for Christmas and, within 3 days (one game each day) he played all the game scenarios. I disagree with the reviewers who state that although there are only 3 games, the games are all different. It is true that the clues (riddles) are different, and the player has to find different items to get to the treasure map. However, the pictures are the same in each game and are easily memorized from looking for the hidden objects in a previous game. Once the hidden objects are located, the treasure is easily found because there are only three treasure maps. The child will be able to know exactly where the treasure is depending which map is being constucted as riddles are solved.

Kids love the product theme, and the game has potential for being fun for all ages. I hope Scholastic updates this product to include more scenarios for longer-lasting gameplay.

Bottom line: Boring after 3 games. Not worth the money. However, Scholastic has a good customer satisfaction guarantee!

Great game
This is the best game of the three software titles, very challenging and fun. Both of my daughters love to play it and solve the puzzles. Good value for the money.

Fun Game!
This is a fun game for little kids. My grandchildren (ages 4, 7 and 8) totally enjoy it. Yes, they do eventually play all the games and hear all the clues, but when they've not played it for a while, they enjoy going back to it. It's colorful and a bit challenging when they first get it. It doesn't take long for the older ones to master it, but they still enjoy playing it. I'd recommend this game.

witty, educational and entertaining!
Good visual design, witty writing, well chosen music---a good exercise for the imagination! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

With brain-teasing graphics and puzzling riddles to solve, this spooky addition to the I Spy series will keep elementary-agestudents occupied for hours at a time. A skeleton host rewards players with a secret message puzzle piece upon successful completion of each riddle. Those clever enough to collect all the pieces can solve the bigger fun house mystery.

With ten different rooms ranging from an inventor's laboratory to a library--and text that is written entirely in rhyme--the world created here is utterly absorbing. No matter how many times you explore a room, there's always new details and creepy clickables you hadn't seen before. Particularly well done is the attic, where you can explore in the dark with only a flashlight to light your way.In the study, you can even create your own riddles to send to your printer!

This software concentrates on critical-thinking skills,problem-solving abilities, and acute observational techniques that are centered around a mansion. This software takes a well-loved series to a whole new level--it's perfect for the die-hard fan or as the first member of what we're sure will become a large I Spy collection. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (33)

A Family Favorite
My son is only three and a half, so my husband bought the game with the intention of saving it until our son was older. I got it out for him, and even though it is rated for ages 6-10, it is one of our son's favorites. Given that he can't read, I had to help him at first, but once I showed him where to click to get the riddles read to him, he could play independently (for hours on end). I keep two different user files -- one of a completed game so that he can make all seven ghosts (which requires completing the game); and one uncompleted, so when he completes puzzles the skeleton gives him new puzzle pieces. Other reviewers said that the game was not interesting once played through, but we have not found that to be the case. Our son was _more_ interested in the repetition once he'd got the hang of it. Also, of all the games we have, this is the most pleasant and interesting for the adult helping the child.

Great education and entertainment value
My son had loved the "I Spy Junior" game so I thought he might enjoy trying this challenge, recommended for ages 6-10. He's 5 but a very strong visual learner with great memory skills. The beauty of this game is it not only plays to his strengths but encourages building lesser skills with words on many levels. My favorite aspects: beautifully detailed graphics, a fun laboratory animation with 7 ghost experiments, and the concentration games which are a challenge at many levels. You get the sense that the creators enjoyed making this product. I find the best children's computer games (eg. Learning Company's Cat in the Hat series) reach parents as well making shared learning opportunities a joy!

My students enjoy it!
I am a pediatric occupational therapist who used this game as a fun way to develop eye-hand coordination, visual perception, thinking, and reading skills. They were so motivated! Unfortunately after you "win" the game that is all there is; not another more challenging level to explore.

Spooky Mansion...unrevisited!
Santa brought this game for my 6 yr. old for Christmas. She and I and her 3 1/2yr. old brother opened it the day after Christmas. It is very interesting with 10 rooms to explore and 26 riddles to decipher. After completing each riddle, you're given a piece to the final puzzle which in turn instructs you how to finally get out of the mansion. My daughter stuck with it for the first 13 riddles, and suprisingly my 3yr. old wanted to keep playing until the end. We received the "certificate of completion" that very day. When we signed back on to play a "new game", we were soooo disappointed - there isn't any new game. Same 26 riddles to solve. We'll have to wait a year or so, in the hopes that we'll forget where everything is. (Or just give it to all our neighbors, family, shool chums etc.). Obviously, the I Spy books have limitations, but the software could and should give many additional games/levels.

Very clever
Purchased for my grandson's 5th birthday. Incredibly clever, well designed, plays without a hitch on iMac. He played for over 2 hours the first time out of the box and is still loving it. The adults are fighting over a turn. ... Read more

Features

• Before Clifford's birthday celebration can start, Emily Elizabeth has to plan out 18 different activities -- everything from taking Clifford to the Dog Groomers to going to the Post Office
• They'll have fun helping Emily find her missing jewelry while sorting, counting and matching
• They'll also get to bake a cake, play a soccer game, and much more
• Adjustable skill levels
• Ages 4-8

Reviews (5)

LOVE it!
This is the best of the games I've recently purchased for my 4 year old. It's an adventure game in which the player must search various locations for specific items, people or tasks. Within most locations, there are little games the child must play to find the item in question.

The thing I really like about this game compared to some others: There are only a handful of locations and there is a map the child can access at any time to jump to the desired location. This makes game play soooooo much faster. As soon as I got the package open, my son took off with it and required no intervention from me to complete the game. He really enjoys playing it even now that he knows all of the "answers".

Clifford entertains!
My 4 & 5 year old daughters have been playing this one for a year now. It has never hit the bottom of the CD game pile! It is fun, while it teaches - which is the best part! You search for 4 jewels while you try to get things done for Clifford's party. There are games along the way as well as thinking adventures. One game involves sorting grocery items into their correct places on the shelves - which helps teach counting and spatial skills. There are plenty of activities to keep your child busy, and teach them something too! I highly recommend this one! Who doesn't love Clifford! "Woof!"

Play, play, and play again
My three year old daughter loves to play this game over and over again. She plays by herself now, only needing help the first couple of times she played. It has a lot of activities to keep her busy and she has a blast playing. It's definitely one of the best computer games she has.

Watch your child learn
Our son started playing this game when he was three and loved every minute of it. The game "teaches" logic and computer skills in the context of a story rather than with the curriculum of games like Reader Rabbit and Jump Start (nothing against those products, this is just different). Even though he has finished the game many times and understands the order in which you need to do things, our son likes to play the game over and over. I particularly liked a sorting game that requires the child to clean up the grocery shelves and put matching items on the shelf that has the correct number of spaces. We have given this game as a gift and would do so again.

Good for hours and hours
This is a little-kid adventure game which is similar in nature to big-people adventure games like Myst, but obviously much more simplified.
My 3 year old daughter loves this game. She needed some help when she first started playing, but now she can go to the computer, start the program, and play all by herself. She has solved the adventure many times and she still has fun with it. We have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of this game. ... Read more

Features

• Story-based math games for grades K-2
• Explore the city using real-life math skills
• Do fun activities to earn money to play arcade games
• Colorful graphics and fun sounds
• For one player

Reviews (3)

Highly Motivating Learning Tool!
I was impressed with the animation and graphics for this game and even more so the storyline and tasks that motivate kids to want to reach the goal - doing every task in the "city" (to help the merchants with math) so the arcade can open and the player can spend the money he or she has "earned" to play games. My daughter(5 yrs.)is so hooked and her math skills really improved. You can even track your child's progress. My only criticism is that it was a tad bit hard to navigate and figure out how close to the goal she was.

Engaging and makes practical math fun.
My four year old daughter loves this game and would play it every day for hours if I let her. She has really developed some advanced skills just by having a good time. Some of the games require more support from me than others, but overall she is able to do more and more by herself and is definitely learning. I usually type in a new name each time we play so she has to start over with all the math games before she can use the arcade. She loves it so that's no problem. One extra is that there are girl characters on the program, which I appreciate for my daughter.

Amazing software.
Excellent, challenging, fun software for kids! Get this for your first or second grader, and only if your kindergarten child is pretty advanced in math. Offers lots of practice and contains bright and fun graphics that draw kids in. The "mission" also helps keep them playing. ... Read more

Features

• Exploring Clifford's fun-filled neighborhood, children discover reading activities
• 7 adjustable levels that continually introduce new letters, sounds, and words
• Over 100 reading lessons; 15 printable activities; interactive and printable bonus books
• Kids practice reading aloud by recording stories in their own voice
• Progress report allows you to track your child's development; for kids ages 4-6

Reviews (1)

excellent
My daughter is almost 5 years old and loves this and all the scholastic games we have purchased since she is 2 years old. Very educational AND FUN and superior to other brands. ... Read more

Features

• 10 activities that sharpen thinking, counting, and language skills
• 3 adjustable levels to ensure children are comprehending
• Automatic help allows for independent play
• See and hear the characters and voices from the hit TV show
• For kids ages 4 to 6

Amazon.com Product Description

Every day can be a fun-filled learning adventure with the Adventure Workshop Preschool-1st Grade, featuring three award-winning educational titles for ages three to seven. Your child will love playing, learning, and just spending time with his or her favorite characters, and you'll love watching your child laugh and learn through colorful and clever activities that build valuable skills in subjects that include vocabulary, reading comprehension, addition and subtraction, logic, and art. Give your child a ticket to join this fun and exciting learning adventure.

The software bundle contains Little Bear Rainy Day Activities (join Little Bear for an exciting day of indoor fun with over 100 activities designed to strengthen creativity, thinking, and memory skills), Arthur's Computer Adventure (in which Arthur, D.W., and friends lead a hilarious adventure that builds critical reading, math, and logic skills with five learning activities and 13 surprises and puzzles), and Dr. Seuss Kindergarten (covering math to music, spelling to sorting, a full year of early learning skills in that unmistakably fantabulous Seuss style). ... Read more

Reviews (3)

mother of two busy boys
I purchased this package two years ago when my oldest son was almost 4 years old. He seldom played with Little Bear, liked the computer adventure with Arthur, but loved Dr. Seuss. This CD ROM alone has been paid for over and over. The features that are great for the children not only include the 7 areas of play (sequencing, measuring, matching, alphabet, spelling, grouping, and math..... plus other little things to do along the way), but the ability to change the level of difficulty within each area. There are 3 levels of difficulty for each area that allow the child to master a level then challenge themselves to the next level of difficulty. It is easy to move up or down a level during the game.

Follow along with your child so you know what they mean when they tell you they like "the Star Belly Sneeches" or "the Rumble Tub", and "Truffula Fruits" the best. The Dr. Seuss vernacular is another one of those things that makes this game unique.

We own about 15 childrens' CD-Roms and this one is by far the favorite. It is fun for the children while the parents feel like they are actually learning something. Our oldest child is on the verge of out growning it (6 years), but our second child, age 3, is right there to take his place.

Good Programs, Good Value
These are not my four-year-old daughter's favorite programs but she does choose them occasionally from her CD-ROM album. The graphics are not cutting edge crisp but are still good by 2003 standards. Parents should love the Dr. Seuss as it brought back a lot of nostalgia for me. My daughter's first book to read on her own was Green Eggs & Ham so it's fun for her to see Dr. Seuss on computer too. All three games are highly educational and a good value sold together. It seems the "Little Bear" title is much easier than the other two.

Loved the Dr. Seuss game
We have bought several CD packs for our 3 yr old daughter including: Living books: Grandma & Me, Brighter Child: The Muppets, Jumpstart: Numbers, Jumpstart: ABC's, and Jumpstart:Pre-K. Adventure Workshop: Preschool-1st grade seems by far the best. Arthur's Computer Adventure (part of this Adventure Workshop pack)is on par with Just Grandma & Me. Both are interactive stories that our daughter enjoys working with. She particularly likes the cashier section of the story.

Little Bear (also part of the Adventure Workshop pack) is a fun game. Our daughter really likes making cookies and dressing up various characters. But, by far the best, is the Dr. Seuss game. We really like this game because it is very educational. Our daughter really likes this game because she really likes the song and dance of the various Dr. Seuss creatures and the background story the games take place in. Unlike the similar Jumpstart games, the Adventure workshop games are challenging without causing her to feel frustrated if she hasn't mastered the task. Dr. Seuss has really helped our daughter better grasp counting and adding, recognize patterns, and identify letters of the alphabet. ... Read more

Features

• 3-in-1 set teaches reading, early math, problem solving, and creativity
• Discover entertaining reading activities with Clifford Reading
• Tackle riddles and various challenges with I SPY School Days
• Solve problems and play creative games with Huggly Saves the Turtles
• For kids ages 4 to 7

Amazon.com Product Description

This CD-ROM game is based on the award-winning I Spy book series. The game engages children with clever and colorful scenarios and builds learning skills through riddles, puzzles, and games. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Gotta love I SPY!
We love all of the I Spy software and books. This one was not a disappointment. All of the I Spy games are simple for the very young child... So long as they can click the mouse, they can play the game. Clues are read to you so that reading is not necessary. This particular I Spy game is NOT as good as the others in the series, however it is a must have for any I Spy fan!

Perfectly suited for preschoolers
My son just turned three and this program is perfectly suited to his skills. The six differect games within the program provide a good variety of activities. There's even one game where you can create you own I Spy page to print out. The oral directions are very clear and simple for little ones who cannot yet read.
I believe this game is time well spent on the computer. The program presents challenging thinking games and not just mindless flash. We also like the music that introduces and ends the program.

Very Cute.
This is a very cute set of games all based on the I Spy books. In one game the kids search for items just like in the book, in another game they sort objects into venn circles. My two going on three year old son enjoys playing this for about a half an hour at a time. This helps develop visual discrimination among other things.

Having said all of that, this is one of my least favorite computer games to watch him play. Compared to some of the others he has, I find this one to be a bit boring. But it's not me that is playing it. I'd rate it a high four or low five because of this one reason. Otherwise I think it's a fine set of games.

The pictures are excellent. The skills that children learn in these games are good pre reading skills and that is good.

Enjoy.

No legs
This game is great. My 46 month old really enjoyed it ... for about two or three hours, when she had played it out. There are a very limited number of "screens," and they don't even randomize their arrangement.

It's a shame, because the puzzles with the circles (think Venn diagrams from elementary school math) are a wonderful twist.

Therefore, I have to say the game "has no legs."

Does not Work on Windows XP
This game would not run on Windows XP out of the box. Scholastic support did not have a solution but I found it would run in compatibility mode.

My son loves the games and puzzles. This was a truly great learning game for kids. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

After a storm breaks the radio tower on Birdwell Island, Clifford the Big Red Dog and his master, Emily Elizabeth, decide to make music with friends Charley, Cleo, and T-Bone. Kids join them in the fun by making instruments, singing songs, sorting shells, dancing with the dogs, and more. The program's 19 age-appropriate activities challenge children (ages 4 to 6) to develop their memory, logic, and early-math skills. An automatic help tool allows for self-guided play, while all activities progress according to children's skill level. Once they've assembled all the instruments, kids get to create their own music with Clifford and his very big band. ... Read more

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

Amazon.com Product Description

Based on the I Spy book series by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick, I Spy Junior: Puppet Playhouse features puppets, games, and riddles to promote listening and problem-solving skills. An interactive story about a princess and a sneaky dragon strengthens rhyming and other word skills, a puppet-making workshop teaches kids to follow directions, and a magical animated tree helps promote early reading skills. Seven play areas in all offer a variety of fun learning activities. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Boring...
This was so heavily hyped, I had to have it for my five-year old twin girls. What a bore. They're either too old for it, or there is the outside chance that Scholastic really didn't put a lot of effort into this. It would bore a three-year old. Compare to Spooky Mansion or Treasure Island - can't compare with these gems. I'm 50 and play the latter two.

The best children's software I've seen yet
I have never taken the time to review a product, but I love this CD so much I felt I had to. It is the best software that I have bought for my kids so far. The colors, the characters and the graphics are terrific and even manage to hold mom's attention!! Never mind, that my daughter really loves it too. Another thing that was good about it is that it's teaching my daughter basic mouse skills and there are quite a few different activities to play so kids won't get bored easily. I'll be looking for more software from this company as I find that most of the stuff out there for kids is a big waste of money.

Not perfect, but very good
My 2 1/2 year old son has really taken to this. It's a really great idea and it's well executed. You have four puppet shows and three games. The graphics are very well done and very realistic, with no cartoon-like figures. Everything is a scan of a real object. The games are building your own puppet, building your own still image from a puppet show, and sorting. Sorting really is what early math is all about. I'm glad they have it.

The puppet shows are where you will spend most of your time. Each show is composed of four or five scenes which have a dozen or so clickable objects. A riddle appears at the bottom and you have to find the three or four objects that are in the riddle. When you click on a riddle object, it does something and advances the story. Each scene has two riddles and when you have gone through all the scenes, your done with that show. A kid might eventually learn the locations of all the objects in a particular show, but with four shows, it will take a while.

There is only one real problem I have with it, based on several sessions of lap play with my son. Because there are about a dozen objects in each scene, but you only need 3 or 4 for the riddle, the rest of the objects don't do anything when you click on them. I think every object should do something (wiggle, glow or zoom, at the very least) when it gets clicked, not just the riddle objects. This has led to my sons newest vocabulary word: "doesntwork". If not this, then at least the riddle objects from the first of the pair of riddles for a particular scene should still be active for the second of the pair. So, when you click on a riddle object from the first riddle, it should still do something, if not it's original action, when you are finding the objects from the second riddle. As it is now, my son tries to click on the objects which were just active in the previous riddle, but they "doesntwork".

But, overall, I'm pleased with it. There is no violent action and it is pretty exploratory and creative, as advertised.

A Decent Game for Kids Under 5
This is a good choice for children under 5. I was impressed that the graphics and game play were appealing, and utilized the latest features from Macromedia.

I get SO tired of childrens games that look and play as though they were made for a Windows 3x machine, circa 1994. This game will not disapoint. ... Read more

Features

• Create cartoons starring your favorite characters
• Make your favorite characters do whatever you want them to do
• Choose from over 19 characters, 40 backgrounds, and 50 props
• Add amazing sound effects and music; create your own titles and credits
• View cartoons you have made; e-mail your 3-D cartoons to a friend

Reviews (4)

This game is simply sad!!
This game sucks I'll tell you why!!!

1)There is only a few amount of lines to choose from so after awhile it gets really hard to make a story line. I thought you can make up your own lines!!

2)There isen't enough charactors in it,They only have about 5 charactors for every show.

3)The graphics suck really bad. Some of them don't look good in 3d.

The positive things about this game(^_^)

1)Thier is pretty good backrounds on this game and good props to use.

2)The most important charactors are in it.

3)You can put your own voice on it which I haven't tried.

After about a week it's not fun anymore!!!

For 3DMM Fans...
This game is far from 3DMM. Many of the features available allowed in 3DMM in here are not. Just a cheap wannabe is all this is.

creative minds
This software is awsome. It really lets you actually create your own cartoon. Bad at drawing, but have great cartoon ideas. No problem with this software. Everything's alredy drawn. All you have to do is make a script and something funny, and sit make and enjoy your own Nickoledeon comic! I recomend this to any mom's or dad's trying to find gifts for their children. And I recomned that all kids buy this. If you parents are still unsure, think of all the creative growth it gives us kids. Enjoy!

Finally
This is apparently the long awaited (well, for me, anyhow) follow up to 1996's "Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker", wich allowed you to make 3D movies with characters from "The Ren and Stimpy Show", "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters", and "Rocko's Modern Life". Hopefully this will live up to the original. Also, I suggest you get both (if you can find the original) is you want a little bit of nastalgia [...]. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

With brain-teasing graphics and puzzling riddles to solve, this spooky addition to the I Spy series will keep elementary-agestudents occupied for hours at a time. A skeleton host rewards players with a secret message puzzle piece upon successful completion of each riddle. Those clever enough to collect all the pieces can solve the bigger fun house mystery.

With ten different rooms ranging from an inventor's laboratory to a library--and text that is written entirely in rhyme--the world created here is utterly absorbing. No matter how many times you explore a room, there's always new details and creepy clickables you hadn't seen before. Particularly well done is the attic, where you can explore in the dark with only a flashlight to light your way.In the study, you can even create your own riddles to send to your printer!

This software concentrates on critical-thinking skills,problem-solving abilities, and acute observational techniques that are centered around a mansion. This software takes a well-loved series to a whole new level--it's perfect for the die-hard fan or as the first member of what we're sure will become a large I Spy collection. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (33)

A Family Favorite
My son is only three and a half, so my husband bought the game with the intention of saving it until our son was older. I got it out for him, and even though it is rated for ages 6-10, it is one of our son's favorites. Given that he can't read, I had to help him at first, but once I showed him where to click to get the riddles read to him, he could play independently (for hours on end). I keep two different user files -- one of a completed game so that he can make all seven ghosts (which requires completing the game); and one uncompleted, so when he completes puzzles the skeleton gives him new puzzle pieces. Other reviewers said that the game was not interesting once played through, but we have not found that to be the case. Our son was _more_ interested in the repetition once he'd got the hang of it. Also, of all the games we have, this is the most pleasant and interesting for the adult helping the child.

Great education and entertainment value
My son had loved the "I Spy Junior" game so I thought he might enjoy trying this challenge, recommended for ages 6-10. He's 5 but a very strong visual learner with great memory skills. The beauty of this game is it not only plays to his strengths but encourages building lesser skills with words on many levels. My favorite aspects: beautifully detailed graphics, a fun laboratory animation with 7 ghost experiments, and the concentration games which are a challenge at many levels. You get the sense that the creators enjoyed making this product. I find the best children's computer games (eg. Learning Company's Cat in the Hat series) reach parents as well making shared learning opportunities a joy!

My students enjoy it!
I am a pediatric occupational therapist who used this game as a fun way to develop eye-hand coordination, visual perception, thinking, and reading skills. They were so motivated! Unfortunately after you "win" the game that is all there is; not another more challenging level to explore.

Spooky Mansion...unrevisited!
Santa brought this game for my 6 yr. old for Christmas. She and I and her 3 1/2yr. old brother opened it the day after Christmas. It is very interesting with 10 rooms to explore and 26 riddles to decipher. After completing each riddle, you're given a piece to the final puzzle which in turn instructs you how to finally get out of the mansion. My daughter stuck with it for the first 13 riddles, and suprisingly my 3yr. old wanted to keep playing until the end. We received the "certificate of completion" that very day. When we signed back on to play a "new game", we were soooo disappointed - there isn't any new game. Same 26 riddles to solve. We'll have to wait a year or so, in the hopes that we'll forget where everything is. (Or just give it to all our neighbors, family, shool chums etc.). Obviously, the I Spy books have limitations, but the software could and should give many additional games/levels.

Very clever
Purchased for my grandson's 5th birthday. Incredibly clever, well designed, plays without a hitch on iMac. He played for over 2 hours the first time out of the box and is still loving it. The adults are fighting over a turn. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Complete junk -- doesn't work on windows XP at all
Despite the assurances in the description and packaging that this works with Windows XP,
it emphatically does not.

The science one crashes every 1/2 hour or so.
The Carmen Sandiego one locks up within 5 minuntes every time.
I'm so annoyed I'm not going to even bother installing the last one.

This is complete garbage software. I wonder if they do any QA at all.

Perhaps it works with Windows 95 or something, but it certainly doesnt work with windows XP.

My testing:
I tried it on two completely different windows XP machines: one 3 years old with pentium 2 processor running XP pro, and one 2 months old running latest and greatest pentium 4 and XP home. Neither works. Both show the symptoms described above.

I checked the websites for patches for this software, and none are available. ... Read more