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Edutaining Kids
.COM
Parents' Guide to Children's Products for Fun & Learning
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Edutaining Kids
.COM
Parents' Guide to Children's Products for Fun & Learning
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For the most part, the first
computer game starring Hamtaro, released near the end of 2003, is
age-appropriate for the popular television series' target
audience. Hamtaro: Wake Up, Snoozer has some educational value to boot. However, it is a
little confusing overall. Parents will need to read the game's
manual and help some kids out if they wonder what their goal is.
The graphics are gorgeous and won't disappoint. Little fans of the
show will notice the voiceovers for the little hamsters don't
match those of the show. We have screenshots and notes from the
game, which we rated a B, 
Playhouse Disney's Stanley is a
charming cartoon character with a powerful imagination and a
predilection for animals of all shapes and sizes. Now kids can
share his enthusiasm for the animal world in two adventure-style
software games by Disney Interactive. Playhouse Disney Stanley
Tiger Tales is a very cute extension of the show! And,
the latest title, Playhouse
Disney's Stanley: Wild for Sharks!, is just fantastic. See
our 
There
are currently three titles starring the
precocious preschooler, Caillou, and
they are really quite fun. Caillou Birthday Party and Caillou
Magic Playhouse share the same format: scenes from both the
animated and live-action video portions of the show are featured,
and kids play a number of fun early learning activities based on
the themes from the episode. The latest title, Caillou:
Four Seasons of Fun, is an exciting celebration of the
seasons--little Caillou fans will just love it!
If
you think a game based on the Powerpuff Girls might be low on
educational value, guess again. There are currently two PowerPuff Girls CD-ROMs
that are both fun and educational: Powerpuff Girls Learning
Challenge#1: Mojo Jojo's
Clone Zone and Powerpuff Girls Learning Challenge#2:
Princess Snorebucks. Kids practice reading, math, and mapping skills.
Both titles are excellent for children ages 6-10. Older games
starring the PowerPuff girls don't have the same educational punch
as these titles, so the learning challenges are definitely the
ones to buy for your kids if you're looking for quality time spent
at the computer.
We
just love SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month. Young fans
of the cartoon will too! This CD-ROM takes kids on a truly fun,
problem-solving adventure. Filled with "comic mischief",
this title is humorous and very "doable" for kids approximately ages
5 and up. We rated this title an A-. You can see why in our full 
There are
currently 
The
first software title starring Rolie Polie Olie has been released
by Disney Interactive. In this adventure-style program entitled Playhouse
Disney Rolie Polie Olie Search for Spot, kids need to find
Olie's dog, Spot, so that Pappy can give the dog a bath. Kids
explore the unusual house and play games along the way. Players
really feel like they are an integral part of the game. They are
invited into the house, and through each room to explore and
uncover games. The graphics and music are wonderful, and some of
the games are quite fun, but there are not enough of them. Also,
the title is confusing for the show's target audience.
The television
show, Dora the Explorer, in some ways mimics a computer game. So,
one would presume that the show would be a natural for the PC.
Dora has finally arrived on software. There are currently three
CD-ROMs based on the Dora the Explorer television show available.
The first is Dora the Explorer: Backpack Adventure, in which Dora
and Boots help return books to the library, and the second Dora software title is entitled Dora the Explorer: Lost City
Adventure. Of the two, we prefer the latter: this time around, children join Dora and Boots on an
adventure toward "Lost City", a hidden city where all
lost things are found! Cute math games are involved. We enjoyed
both software games, but we found them a little short. See our 
There have been two newer software releases based on the
well-loved segment of Sesame Street, Elmo's World. Unfortunately,
neither does the cute little monster justice. (See our 
Update: There are three new releases featuring Sesame Street
characters, and they do the license justice. Sesame Street
Toddler features excellent educational activities, fun
graphics, and...plenty of Elmo! Elmo's character is represented
perfectly. He laughs, jokes, asks questions, compliments, and more
in this cute, cute title sure to please Elmo fans. Elmo plays host
to games with identifying letters, making music, finding colors,
and more. Very sweet! 
See 
For babies, there's
Sesame Street Baby, a re-release of Sesame Street Baby & Me. This title is a
lapware program that requires parents to be on hand to navigate
through twelve different activities. Elmo is here in all his furry
red glory. Kids can "unwrap" Elmo's presents, copy his
actions, and more.
Our favorite
Blue's Clues titles now come in affordable bundles: 
Arthur
and friends have appeared in numerous software titles over the
years. For the best educational titles, you might choose one of
the curriculum-based titles that have recently been re-released
with minor improvements. They are all well-designed,
straightforward, and decent: Arthur's Preschool, Arthur's
Kindergarten, Arthur's First Grade, and Arthur's Second
Grade. For fun, we like Arthur's Camping Adventure that
involves using problem-solving skills.
Bob the Builder: Can We Fix It?
contains a lot of activities that will please some children.
However, it is unlikely to have much long-term appeal. Players
learn to sort and match, and improve their eye-hand coordination
and mouse/keyboard skills in activities that are fun for awhile,
but somewhat uninspired. 
