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Software and Games : Software Categories : Children's Fun & Learning : Ages 1-2
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Avanquest Software
What's the story in Balamory? Invite your kids to join Miss Hooly, Pocket & Sweet, PC Plum, Archie, Spencer and Edie Mcredie in virtual Balamory and they will learn as they play. Based on the popular BBC TV children's programme, the BBC Balamory CD-ROM opens with the colourful introductory song viewers know so well. Children are then presented with a variety of games to test basic pre-school and early years skills.For younger children (3-4 years) the favourite will no doubt be Josie Jump's Hide and Seek game, where they must find Josie in a field of people, then click on her to make her jump. Equally rewarding for the smallest players is Spencer's Colour Challenge, where youngsters use basic mouse skills and number recognition to match colours with areas of the drawing--a kind of virtual colour by numbers.
All players will love Edie's Delivery Dilemma, which involves Pac-Man-like gameplay as youngsters work against the clock, using the arrow keys to direct Edie's bus around the town and picking up fruit dropped by the delivery van so that Pocket & Sweet can sell it in their shop. PC Plum Investigates asks children to sort through the evidence that is all mixed up on the policeman's desk, so he can sort out his cases--tasks such as "click on the things that are the same colour as the sea" make this game accessible to most players.
Slightly older children, (4-6 years) might like to try Archie's Word Wonder, where they must fill in the missing letters on words so that Archie's Word Machine can produce words for Miss Hooly's stories. The only criticism here is that words are sounded out by name only, and not phonetically, but otherwise this is a fun, testing game. Children of school age will also enjoy Pocket & Sweet's Shopping Spree--a fun shopping game that involves helping Penny and Susie put together all their orders, then adding up the cost at the end. If players tire at any point, they can take a break with one of six Miss Hooly stories.
The production quality is superb: colours are bright and images crisp and the clips from the show run perfectly. Each game is introduced and narrated by the corresponding character from the show, with original voiceovers, and the games are fun, educational and pitched perfectly at the target age-range. There are three difficulty levels for each task, to avoid frustration and aid development. Help is on offer on every screen, and children as young as three or four years old, who possess basic mouse skills, will be able to play the easier games unaided, and the others with assistance. Instructions are read out and printed on-screen, so children can follow as they listen, thus developing valuable reading skills. Great thought has obviously gone into matching characters with tasks, and the variety of games played and skills tested makes this a fantastic all-round package. --Lucie Naylor
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Focus Multimedia Ltd
Every child is naturally curious and we all know that children like to play. The Jump Ahead Toddlers (ages one-and-a-half to three) CD-ROM has been specifically designed and produced to capture a child's imagination and to engage their attention by providing fun activities that will stimulate their young minds, making them want to play them again and again.Throughout, children are encouraged to learn letters and numbers, shapes and colours, learn about animals, to discover music and musical instruments, basic vocabulary, listening skills, mouse control, songs and rhymes, IT skills, hand-to-eye co-ordination and many more useful life skills. The music is bright and lively, the graphics are colourful and the whole is explicit, clear and easy to understand. The CD-ROM is easy to load and particularly helpful is a special mode to keep children from accidentally exiting the program. Help will obviously have to be given to the very young, as the program is aimed at children from 18 months to three years old, but before long, the child will want to do the activities by themselves. There is also a pamphlet that has basic information regarding installation and other technical hints and tips, which should be read before beginning.
This is one of a range entitled "Children", a range of "educational entertainment that not only keeps the little ones quiet, but teaches them essential core skills and tentatively introduces them into the realms of computing." --Susan Naylor
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Avanquest Software
Can We Fix It?. Of course we can, and with this BBC software package little builders will be better equipped than ever!. Featuring the chirpy Bob and his mechanical multitude of talented friends, this fun package is a mixture of educational encouragement and pure out-and-out fun.Once loaded, you are invited to move the cursor around Wendy's office to select your tasks: hover over the phone, and it rings with a plumbing job; go near the fax, and a job comes in for Roley. Keep moving around, and you will find enough jobs to keep little fingers and minds busy for hours.
In "Hedgehog Rescue", the aim is firstly to help Lofty the Crane build a tunnel to save the scared hedgehogs from crossing the road. Children must match pipe shapes to tunnel shapes, and construct the route. The next, more difficult game, involves Wendy herding the hedgehogs into the tunnel--easier than it sounds, since one particularly persistent hedgehog seems unwilling to go.
In "Travis' Race Day", choose between Scoop or Dizzy to a head-to-head around an obstacle-strewn track. Guide your challenger by mouse or arrow keys--again, not as easy as it sounds, and a great developmental aid for hand-to-eye co-ordination.
"Can We Build It?" involves knocking down an unsafe bridge, then using colour recognition to match the bricks to rebuild it. Roley needs a hand with unruly tarmac in "Bubble Trouble", when you must guide him over the bubbles to even out the road. And in "Scary Spud", you must move Spud around the screen to scare off the crows. But the crowning glory is "Wendy's Birthday", where guests first decorate her cake then join in the fun line dancing. Also included on each game is "Where's Pilchard?", a hide-and-seek game for the shy, blue cat.
Accompanied throughout by Neil Morrisey's narration and the superb music from the TV show, (also now a CD single), this package builds on many elementary educational skills to make little builders into fully fledged Bobs. And while it is not that quick to load (missing plug-ins are provided, but it may take some time) it is well worth the wait.
Testers of around two years old found this package fun and evocative of their favourite TV character, though they did require constant supervision and most of the games were beyond mastering. This is a superb educational aid and lots of fun. (Suitable for ages 2 to 6).--Lucie Naylor
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Avanquest Software
If your child is getting that Fimbling Feeling, try Fimbles Fimbling Fun, one of an excellent range of CD-ROMs and console games produced by the BBC. It includes lots of songs, stories and video clips from the popular TV programme. Let your child join the Fimbles and their friends for fun and enjoyment in a world of make believe.There are lots of learning situations, all designed with fun in mind. Objects must be found: a suitcase, a pebble, a feather, a shimmy shaker, and blue footprint, all of which lead to various activities, including a music game, a maze game, a collage, a suitcase game, stories, tickling games, songs and discovery sequence videos. All these wonderfully exciting activities will lead children to meet Florrie, Pebble, Ribble, Rockit, Roly Mo, and Baby Pom, and if any help is needed, Bessie is always on hand to tell children what everything on the screen does.
Also included are activities designed specifically for adults to play and do with children, so that the learning and fun can be developed after the CD-ROM has been switched off. These include printing out and colouring in, finding games, and more. All of the games can be played at different levels of skill and difficulty to cater for a range of abilities. The BBC has developed this CD-ROM in line with the national curriculum at the foundation stage, and recommends that it is suitable for children aged 2 years and above. Skills which can be practiced and developed include mouse control, listening, following directions, observation, cause and effect, and creativity.
Accompanying the package is a first-rate, colour instruction booklet which is extremely well set out and it should be read by parents or helpers before play is commenced. --Susan Naylor
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Softkey
This is another excellent product in the Reader Rabbit range, which supports the National Curriculum and is specifically designed to help children progress through each stage of their development, in this instance from 18 months to three years. All the games have been tested by children, parents and teachers, to ensure that the educational content and the make-up of the games is appropriate to this age group, while at the same time guaranteeing that they are effective and fun. The appropriate skills taught and practiced via this CD-ROM include learning the alphabet, counting, learning shapes and colours, memory skills, matching, patterns, mouse control, songs and rhymes, listening to music and sounds, early vocabulary and following directions. It is not necessary to click on the mouse to play the game, as touching the keyboard or a simple swipe on the mouse is sufficient. There are opportunities to print out lots of activities and songs and personalised certificates to support your child's learning. The accessible graphics make the program easy to use and the characters and stories are full of fun. The CD-ROM is also very easy to load--a rewarding experience for adult and child.--Susan Naylor
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Avanquest Software
Crafted with brilliant colours and the lazy-summer-day pace of the celebrated series, Teletubbies 2: Favourite Games delivers the goods for the toddler set. From the first scene, where the baby-face sun rises across the computer screen, kids will be entranced. Parents will like it too--mostly for the developmental skills the teletubbies teach.The CD-ROM is based around five games, including "Tuning In," "Gymnastic," and "Making Tubby Custard" (which features appropriately silly sound effects). "Hide and Peep" takes the traditional hide and seek game and adds bright red curtains. "Roly Poly" was a particular favourite; when you click on a teletubby it sends Laa-Laa, Tinky Winky, Dipsy, and Po rolling down gorgeous green hills.
A very big pointer triggers the game's actions, and children should be able to use it easily in developing computer skills. These games also help children to learn how to match (from the hiding game) and create ordered sequences (in the case of the custard game). In addition, the game designers have built in considerate additions for the recommended age group, two to four years old. For example, to quit the game parents need to hit the escape key--a good choice for little fingers that might otherwise click an exit icon by mistake. Charming and colourful--like the television show come to life--Teletubbies 2: Favourite Games will please and delight. --Simon Priestly
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Softkey
A great introduction to directed learning for toddlers, this is full of exciting sounds, shapes, colours, and beloved characters that are sure to delight any young fan of the Hundred Acre Wood. There are eight different areas for learning, all presented in a fun format of games and exploration. With 16 different skills to master, even the most precocious kids will find something to keep them busy.Especially entertaining are the parts of the program that deal with letters and numbers: children pop balloons to raise the characters higher, helping Pooh along the way. Another pleasant addition: the colouring book can be printed on regular paper, and there are Avery stickers and flashcards included.
From sing-alongs to opposites, all the activities are easy for toddlers to decipher, as icons are big enough to handle even for those just learning mouse skills. There are Pooh's house to explore, guessing games to play, and musical instruments to play--more than enough for a rainy afternoon or two. Kids will love it, and what they learn will please you too. --Jill Lightner
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Mindscape
Reader Rabbit Toddler is part of a curriculum-based system that is designed to keep children learning all through their elementary school years. Simple, brightly coloured graphics and classic sing-along songs make all these activities a sure hit with toddlers.This pack gets kids off to a great start with an introduction to letters and numbers, matching and patterns, music and mouse skills. In "Follow-Me Theatre", children take a physically active role with finger plays and singing along, while in "Baby Animal Bingo", sounds are matched to help parent animals find their babies. The characters of Reader Rabbit and his sidekick Matt the Mouse are funny and friendly--and always ready to help if your child needs a hint.
Because these characters are in every unit--all the way to sixth grade--and the basic format for each level is similar, children can dive right in to the new curriculum skills without the distraction of different graphic styles or character guides.
You will see quickly why this series is so often used in schools, and we are sure your toddler will love it as much as her future teachers already do. --Jill Lightner
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Avanquest Software
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Avanquest Software
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Softkey
If your children like the Teletubbies they will love this BBC software package. Players can choose which Teletubby they would like to be and move around Teletubby Land finding lots of exciting activities to do.The activities include hide and seek, find the object and musical clouds, and each activity has instructions on what to do and a time limit so your child doesn't get bored. You can also enter the Superdome where the characters can meet up with Noo-Noo (the hoover!) to make some mess with tubby custard and tubby toast.
This game has wonderful graphics and lots of colour and familiar sound; each Teletubby sings their own tune as they go about their business and the theme tune is played often. Play with the Teletubbies is great for children aged two to four, teaching colours, counting and co-ordination.
Younger players will require supervision and assistance, as they will need to use the mouse to play most games. However, the reward true tubby fans get will far outweigh the effort as they see their favourite Teletubby come to life before their very eyes.
To link the game to the TV programme the makers have added a number of short video clips of children going about daily life. This game is fantastic: they haven't forgotten a thing. --Lynne Bradding
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Softkey
This excellent CD-ROM has been produced by Disney in consultation with American educational experts, to enable pre-school children to gain an insight into the learning and understanding of letters, numbers, sequencing, phonics and colour. Based on a Winnie the Pooh story of a journey through the 100-Acre wood, the object of the exercise is to find certain characters so that they can attend a surprise birthday party. There are three levels of difficulty, and these are explained in the black and white users' manual, obviously aimed at older people, as the program is for two to four-year-olds. The information contained in the pamphlet is simple and straightforward and should be read before commencing. Remember, however, that this was produced for the US market, and consequently some spellings differ. Pooh's Print and Learn facility enables players to print stickers, ID cards, bookmarks, flashcards and workbooks connected with the skills learned in the games. Help Kanga cook with the alphabet, join the Party Spot with Pooh and Friends, Dream with Pooh, paint with Piglet, tin vegetables with Rabbit, make music with Tigger, help Owl with his family tree and at the same time monitor your child's progress in a chart that is updated as your child plays the games and indicates the time taken and the difficulty level. Skills covered in the various games include letter recognition, letter order and phonics, deduction, reasoning, sequencing, thinking skills, categorisation attributes--same/different, number recognition 1-20, counting 1-20, auditory discrimination, music appreciation and creativity, colours, colour theory and listening skills. All activities have been well thought out and will provide hours of fun. --Susan Naylor
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BBC Multimedia
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Europress
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Avanquest Software
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Avanquest Software
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Avanquest Software
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Softkey
Can educational software be more fun for a busy 10-month-old than rummaging around in kitchen drawers? Perhaps not but Reader Rabbit: Playtime for Baby does manage to capture infant attention with bright, happy images, baby-friendly audio and a format that responds well to chubby, not-so-coordinated hands.A game of tag between Reader Rabbit and Mat the Mouse ends with Mat hiding in a toy box. With Mat's help, each of the 10 toys in the box leads your baby into a new experience: singing, manipulating shapes, hide-and-seek, discovering body parts, reading storybooks and (oh joy!) rummaging in drawers. Your baby controls the action by hitting any key on the keyboard (or just hitting the keyboard as they are wont to do) or simply moving the mouse. No clicks required. The cursor is a big fat star that leaves a trail of twinkles and makes a magic-wand noise every time it moves. Brushing it against objects onscreen will elicit anything from a childlike giggle to a "ker-plunk" to the appropriate animal noise.
Our only criticism of this CD is that the artwork is slightly simplistic. It would be nice to see more depth and smoother movement, if only to make the CD more enjoyable for the adults who must guide their babies through it. Such subtlety probably doesn't matter to the scores of one-year-old consultants The Learning Company must have on their books. By developing personalised storybooks with pages that don't rip and farm animals willing to engage in endless games of hide-and-seek, the creators of this CD have managed to tap into your baby's wildest dreams. No cupboard locks in Playtime for Baby! (Ages nine to 24 months.) --Anne Erickson, Amazon.com
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Avanquest Software
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Avanquest Software
There are high-pitched voices galore exclaiming "Yoho" "Ahoy" in various combinations on this delightful CD-ROM. Aboard the pirate ship Rubber Duck, the seven seafaring friends have seven games to play and young fans won't be disappointed as the activities are stimulating and the characters are all adorable. Choose from the seven different games on offer, each takes only a couple of seconds to load and are more about enjoyment than competitive scoring. The Help screens are very useful and include the option to make each of the games hard or easy so that the challenge can be kept fresh as children get better at the game. The simple games and puzzles include "Toot with Swab" where players can make harmonious noises and direct the characters to blow over the top of bottles to play scales or form a tune. Another favourite is "Mop with Poop" where the player can direct Poop to clean up the dirty water Cat has spilt before Bilge makes his deck inspection. "Chairs with Grog" is a virtual game of musical chairs and is great fun.Swab will play some music. When Grog clangs his pot, the music stops and you have to dash to a chair! To do so click repeatedly as fast as you can on the nearest chair.
The quality of the graphics here is very high, the animation looks absolutely charming and the faces of the characters when they lose at musical chairs are especially heartbreaking! (Ages 2-6) --Rachel Ediss