Software and Games : Software Categories : Children's Fun & Learning : Ages 3-4

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Software and Games : Software Categories : Children's Fun & Learning : Ages 3-4

• BBC Balamory

  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

  
   

• Jump Ahead Toddlers (PC-CD ROM)

  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

  
   

• Favourites: Pingu - A Barrel of Fun!

  Avanquest Software

  
  Once again, the BBC has produced a superlative software package for youngsters aged between three and six years old.

  Though this is a fairly large age gap to bridge, the content on Pingu: A Barrel of Fun achieves it effortlessly. For the younger end of the age group, there are shape-sorting, number- and letter-matching, sound- and colour-recognition puzzles to crack. For five- and six-year-olds, the "hard" rather than "easy" skill option will give plenty to amuse. For example, in the easy letter game, players must choose the initial letter of a given everyday object, whereas in the hard version, players must spell the whole word. (Hover over the letter and you get the name of the sound; once you've placed it, the voice-over tells you the name of the letter--an extremely sound educational approach.)

  The sound game, a real highlight of the package, is an aural pelmonism, where players must match sounds to make the symbols disappear. In the harder version, the organ grinder plays a tune and players must match the sounds in the correct order. Though most sounds are everyday (telephone, cow, pig) there are some more exotic sounds (lion) that children may not recognise, but they can match them to the pictures shown.

  For older players, there is a selection of five games to choose from, each with an easy, medium and hard skill option. In "Ice Flow", you must get Pingu across the water without wetting him so he can deliver birthday presents: a kind of basic Pingu Frogger! "Snow Maze" is reminiscent of a simple Pac-Man, but the added bonus is picking objects up along the way that you can build up into your own original picture at the end. "Fish Tennis" is bordering on the surreal--a kind of elementary tennis reminiscent of the original Atari game, but with Penguins not paddles and fish not balls! "Building Blocks" sets players a puzzle not unlike those in the Krypton Factor--matching shapes together to build up an overall object within a template. In the easy version, each shape is cut into three pieces; in the medium version it is four or five pieces and in the harder one, seven or eight. The only let-down to the game section is "Music Time", a recording synthesiser which allows you to play nursery rhyme tunes, sing along or record your own composition. Though the idea is great, the mouse dexterity required to make it work effectively is probably beyond the target age group, and the resulting sound quality on a home PC is poor.

  That said, this is a minor blip in an otherwise fantastic package. It is easy to load, has great graphics that perfectly reproduce the TV programme, and while younger players may require supervision and help, they will still enjoy their favourite character, even if mastering the finer points of the package is beyond them. Whether your child is a fan of Pingu or not, there is plenty for him or her to get their teeth into. From early learning to elementary gaming skills, Pingu: A Barrel of Fun will definitely last the three years of the target age range and players will continue learning all the time. And, once your children has turned six, a simple and effective Uninstall option means your hard drive won't be clogged up forever. --Lucie Naylor

  
   

• Favourites Tweenies Ready to Play

  Avanquest Software

  
  Hey, hey, are you ready to play? It's time to come and play with the Tweenies software. Jake, Milo, Bella and Fizz are all waiting to improve your little one's writing, art, reading and listening skills, as well as develop early gaming talents.

  Tick, Tock, Tweenie Clock, Where Will It Stop?
  Immerse your youngster in the colourful and familiar Tweenies world, brilliantly represented in sound and graphics on your PC. Everyone will love "Messy Time", with the three different print and play games, as well as instructions on how to make finger puppets, masks, badges and spinners. Then there's "Doodles Mail"--write to the Tweenies via Doodles, receive a reply, and see little faces light up. Watch favourite characters during "Telly Time", and join in the action songs in "Song Time". "News Time" will test pre-school general knowledge and Tweenies trivia, while "Playtime" encourages early gaming skills with "Catch", "Flying Rocket" (an arcade-style game) and "Snap". Then, if you're sitting comfortably, there's the old faithful, "Story Time".

  Clear, colourful and easy to use, the Tweenies software will appeal greatly to children from the age of three, but there's plenty to keep the five- and six-year-olds happy as well. Language development, numeracy, creativity, elementary computer skills and good old-fashioned fun are all encouraged, and the whole package is designed to support Key Stage 1 in English, Art, Maths and Information Technology. Whether you select your own activities, or let the Tweenie Clock pick at random, child appeal is absolutely guaranteed. Though simple in principle, all the games and learning activities have the repetitive quality toddlers love and thrive on. This is every bit as good as the TV show with one major advantage--it lasts much longer. --Lucie Naylor

  
   

• Learning Ladder: Pre-School

  Avanquest Software

  
  
   

• Favourites Bob the Builder Can we Fix It?

  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

  
   

• My First CD-Rom: Getting Ready For School

  Avanquest Software

  
  
   

• Reader Rabbit: Toddler (18mths - 3yrs)

  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
  
   

• Fimbles Fimbling Fun!

  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

  
   

• Favourites Teletubbies Favourite Games

  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

  
   

• Bob the Builder Castle Adventure (PC)

  Avanquest Software

  
  Based on the ever popular TV series, Bob the Builder: Castle Adventure sees Bob and friends take a trip to a medieval castle where they embark on a series of fun activities and games. Taking its theme from the Knights of Can a Lot feature-length film, it has you and your child guiding Bob, Lofty, Wendy, Spud and all your favourite characters through 10 activities. Starting at the Gatehouse, there are four castle sections. These offer maze games, moat games, castle wall games and dungeon games. There are also clips from the film included in the software. You get to hear the voices of Neil Morrissey, Richard Briers and Brenda Blethyn throughout.

  The interface is child friendly, being colourful, clean and easy to follow. The software is developed in line with the National Curriculum Foundation Stage, with three different skill levels to cover a range of ages and abilities from three years upwards. To start the game you set up a player and have the opportunity to choose a shield. This enables you to have several players using the software without uncovering bonuses, or completing activities and therefore spoiling surprises for a particular child. The games themselves are straightforward, with clear instructions, but good fun. You can replay as many times as you like and when you have completed a task you earn a star. When all tasks are completed you unlock some additional activities. You can also print out a certificate for your child to say that they have helped Bob fix the castle. Nice job, Bob! --Heather Wilson

  
   

• Tweenies: Messy Time Magic (PC)

  Avanquest Software

  
  Messy Time Magic is one of a range of Fab-a-Rooney CD-ROMs and console games from the BBC, where the accent, as ever, is on fun and enjoyment

  The package has been developed in line with the foundation stages of the National Curriculum. There are different skill levels, catering for different abilities for children aged three years and above. Children can have fun being imaginative and creative, but the biggest asset of all (as far as parents are concerned) is the fact that there is absolutely no mess!

  All the games involve either making something on-screen, or producing a picture, which incidentally can be photographed when the photo icon appears. Six of the Tweenie characters play the games: Jake, Fizz, Milo and Bella, along with Izzles and Doodles, and the degree of difficulty depends on which character is chosen. Izzles is at level one (the easiest) and Bella is at level six (the trickiest), but don't despair--Max is always on hand and available to provide friendly advice.

  Use the eraser, wave the colour wand, make patterns, change sounds and take part in many other activities including "Recycling Fun", "Dot-to-dot Magic", "Window Wonder", "Baking Surprise", "Jungle Maker" and "Get Messy", which introduces Judy, who will show you how to print out. While playing the games it is also possible to access video clips from the TV programmes.

  Accompanying the CD-ROM is a wonderful colour pamphlet giving idiot-proof instructions for everything from installation to playing the games. Created with the kind of production values you would expect from the BBC, this well thought-out package will be loved by young Tweenie fans. --Susan Naylor

  
   

• Tizzy's Toybox V2 - early number and language activities for ages 3 to 6 from Sherston (Home User)

  Sherston

  
  This is one of Sherston's most popular titles ever and winner of a Practical Pre-school Silver Award! It's used in thousands of playgroups, nurseries and reception classrooms in UK schools.

  Ideal for early readers and non-readers getting to grips with a range of basic literacy and numeracy skills.

  The CD-ROM contains 12 simple interactive activities which, whilst fun to complete, will develop children's understanding of concepts such as sequencing stories, identifiying letter sounds, matching numerals with sets of items and much, much more.

  Each activity has three levels of difficulty allowing them to be used with a range of abilities.

  Re-versioned in 2007 to include two brand new activities, new graphics, narration and sound effects PLUS a Inclusion Tab to support children with special educational needs (for example you can choose to use the space bar rather than the mouse to make selections, or change the colour and size of the font).

  If there's only one early learning program you can afford to buy for your child, Sherston recommend it's this one!
  
   

• Junior Paintbox

  Greenstreet Online Ltd

  
  
   

• Clifford Learning Activities

  Knowledge Adventure

  
  
   

• Tizzy's Busy Week - beginner educational computer game for ages 3 to 5 from Sherston (Home User)

  Sherston

  
  Tizzy has just moved into a new house, but it's in a bit of a mess! Can your child use the computer mouse to help Tizzy tidy up? This delightful, interactive game is designed to teach and build confidence through fun activities and there's a new task for each day of the week.

  While helping Tizzy to organise her home, children will develop and extend their basic computer knowledge and mouse control skills and have a lot of fun in the process! The perfect starter for children working towards independent computer use.

  
   

• Dr Seuss ABC & Arthur's Thinking Games Double Pack

  Softkey

  
  ABC by Dr Seuss has to be one of the most entertaining ways for your child to learn about the alphabet. Derived from the timelessly popular Dr Seuss books with their special brand of humour, rhyme and illustration, this CD-ROM will provide endless fun and laughter, not only for the three- to seven-year-olds it is aimed at, but the parents too. Presented as pages of a book, the product is easy to use, animated throughout and highly interactive.

  In the section "Read Me", Ichabod and Izzy guide your child through the alphabet, introducing them to Aunt Annie's Alligator, the Fiffer-Feffer-Feff and many more. Each letter of the alphabet has its own page and is shown in both upper and lower case. A zany scenario develops using that letter consistently. Even the goodbye on each page reflects the letter being worked on--Adios, Farewell Friends, Next and so on.

  In the section "Play and Learn", the fun really begins. There are an amazing 400 alphabetical surprises hidden in the 26 pages of the ABC book and your child will want to find all of them! Mouse control will improve in this section as clicking almost anywhere produces mini sketches and songs. Your child will be enchanted by such sights as the barber playing boogie-woogie bass and the brief appearance of the Cat in the Hat.

  The soundtrack is excellent throughout and your youngster can sing along with Ichabod and Izzy to the catchy and well-known ABC song.

  Altogether this CD-ROM is a rare treat. (Even the animated credit titles under the Options menu are worth viewing.) It combines learning and fun in such a subtle way that it will be difficult for your child to distinguish between the two.

  Unique, unpredictable, stimulating, surreal--the extraordinary world of Dr Seuss will prove to be an unforgettable experience. --Tracey Hogan

  
   

• Bananas In Pyjamas: It's Fun Time

  Avanquest Software

  
  
   

• Here's Splodge! - early years adventure by Sherston (home user)

  Sherston

  
  Splodge, the lovable blue paint splat, accompanies children as they search the early years classroom for his missing friends, who have been scattered by the mischievous Peter Paintbrush. Along the way, Splodge and the children encounter a whole host of thought-provoking cross-curricular challenges, including mending the toy-making machine, creating the correct sequence to blow Billy Boat across the water tray, building a roundabout for the playground and decorating fussy Panda's cake. Windows PC compatible. Perfect for children aged 3 to 5 - educationally sound and fun!
  
   

• Engie Benjy: Time for Teamwork!

  Avanquest Software