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Edutaining Kids
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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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In the 16th installment of the award-winning adventure series,
Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek, Nancy is sent
to uncover a mystery in the Canadian Rockies where strange
incidents that could have international repercussions have
occurred. Chantal, the owner of the Icicle Creek lodge, requests
Nancy’s super sleuth abilities to help uncover the reasons
behind a series of strange incidents as well as the significance
of a mysterious lone wolf that appears at each incident. Players
assume the role of Nancy and go undercover as the housekeeper
and cook, to solve the mystery surrounding the lodge and
peculiar wolf. While undercover, the player is faced with
deciphering clues, snooping in rooms for hints about the guests,
exploring the outdoors and avoiding avalanches. Nancy must also
conquer a variety of outdoor activities that highlight the
game’s winter environments, including ice fishing, snowmobiling,
and snowshoeing. Ultimately, players need to unravel the mystery
and stop the sabotage before someone gets hurt.
Three new software titles from
American Game Factory deliver software fun and education to
children. Miss Spider: Scavenger Hunt is rich in content,
graphics, and educational value (full review coming soon).
Strawberry Shortcake and Her Berry Best Friends (see our full
review) offers a nice variety of "berry sweet" games to little
fans, most of which are age-appropriate and engaging. Garfield A
Tail of Two Kitties, based on the movie, is a multi-level
adventure game in which kids explore a castle and go on exciting
missions. All three games can be played in English or Spanish
(on the same disc).
,
or
Games
Just for Girls includes 5 previously released full software
games: Dora the Explorer Lost City Adventure (see
.
;
or the expansion pack: 
.
Nancy
Drew returns to the PC in July with Nancy Drew: Danger By
Design, an interactive mystery CD-ROM. As is always the case
with this long-standing series, this game doesn't use violence
or sexual innuendo to draw in the pre-teen and teen crowd. 
to
fly to Paris, assist Minette, and find out what’s fueling the
designer’s erratic behavior. Strange threats and unwelcome
guests arrive for Minette. Unsettling rumors connecting the
Moulin to an unsolved historic mystery distract Nancy from the
current task at hand. 
For
more than 60 years, children and adults alike have followed the
tales of Curious George – known for his insatiable
inquisitiveness and taste for adventure. The story begins as The
Man with the Yellow Hat travels to Africa in search of a lost
artifact and returns with some unexpected cargo — a precocious
chimp named George. The Curious George game allows
players to meet and interact with their favorite characters from
the animated film in this exciting and colorful game world. As
the fun-loving George, players can run, jump, climb and swing
through 12 action-packed levels including the jungle, museum,
and Big City. Players must also use the character’s skills,
which include crafty escapes and distracting performances, to
elude trouble and avoid one entertaining predicament after
another. Throughout George’s big adventure, players are
encouraged to be curious and explore the “Curious Objects” in
each environment – drawers to peek in, machines to activate,
trunks to pop open, and even chairs to bounce on! Interacting
with these objects awards players “Curious Points,” which enable
them to purchase items in the Museum Gift Shop including concept
art, scenes from the animated movie and accessories for George.
Curious George’s bonus features and challenging mini-games
provide players hours of replay beyond the main story.
for the PC; 
;
;
]
Crazy Machines: The Wacky Contraptions Game reminds me of
the old Incredible Machines software titles that were so popular,
and rightfully so. Rube Goldberg fans and puzzle gamers will have
a great time with this game. Players build wild and wacky
contraptions/machines in puzzle or freestyle modes. A bit of
physics is part of the whole experience. These are brainteasers,
and parents will not only be pleased their kids are playing the
game, many will want to join in on the fun. We are busy reviewing
this game, and we love it. A full review is coming soon.
]
In
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry is mysteriously
selected as the fourth competitor in the dangerous Triwizard
Tournament and must confront a fire-breathing dragon, rescue
friends from the icy depths of the Black Lake, and navigate the
twisting mysteries of a vast, enchanted maze. Players will
experience all the adventures of the movie - from the Quidditch
World Cup campsite to a heart-stopping duel with Lord Voldemort
himself. The magical world of Harry Potter comes to life with
in-game characters that look like their big-screen counterparts
for the first time and nearly a dozen cinematic locations that
mirror those in the upcoming film. Additionally,
AcademyAward-nominated actor Ralph Fiennes carries on his role of
Lord Voldemort from the film by lending his voice talent and
likeness to the game. In another first for the franchise, players
can join forces with friends to combine and cast spells
cooperatively creating more powerful magic than ever before.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all playable characters in this
action-packed game where magic is everywhere. The game plays
considerably differently than previous Harry Potter games in that it
is more challenging and there is less hand-holding.
,
,
]
and
a New Year's party are all possible with the bonus content in the
game. If your teenager doesn't already own The Sims 2, this
holiday edition would make a great holiday gift.
]
Math Blaster: Master the
Basics is now available. This new PC software from the
award-winning Blaster series gives kids ages 6-12 a fun way to
practice important early math skills by using challenging,
fast-paced video game play. This all-new title plays like a console game,
making it ideal for children who need extra encouragement to
practice math skills at home. Math Blaster:
Master the Basics delivers a tried-and-true learning system to
a generation used to console video games by combining fast-paced,
platform-style game play with state standards-correlated math
content.
In the game, robots are
running the galaxy, so players must fire up their energy gloves,
hop on their space cycles, blast through space and master their
math skills to save the universe and defend the human race.
They
will defeat the robots by solving addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division problems, zipping and zooming through
thousands of practice equations. Speed and accuracy will be
increased as they play through three action-packed worlds and
eight levels of math difficulty, gaining the confidence it takes
to master math basics. Besides gaining speed and accuracy of
basic math facts, players will also get to practice skills such as
recognizing fact families, solving problems, finding equivalents
and mental math. The software also offers automatic progress
tracking so parents and teachers can provide additional
instruction to help students gain mastery of specific concepts.
Based on the new direct-to-video CGI-animated Barbie movie,
Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus CD-ROM features games and
puzzles in an adventure that spans four enchanting lands. Pay
special attention to the system requirements for this one! It
requires a 3D graphics card in order to run well. Full review is
coming soon.
The
second title in the My Scene software series, My Scene
Goes Hollywood CD-ROM invites kids to work on a movie with
Barbie, Chelsea, Madison, Nolee, and Delancey. Players help finish
the script, design sets, and create hair styles as well as
fashions for the production. The graphics are fabulous, as you can
see from the screenshot at left. See our
and 
]
New
this September are two John Deere games for
Windows and Macintosh personal computers. Based on the
best-selling books by Parachute Publishing, Welcome to
Merriweather Farm game (pictured at left) will teach kids
about farm animals and equipment, while Busy Days in Deerfield
Valley (pictured below right) will show how to repair and
build a variety of farm structures. [See our
the
farm such as the barn, where they can interact with the animals,
as well as plant gardens, harvest crops and bring their goods to
the market. Busy Days in Deerfield Valley challenges kids
with a host of fun activities and assembles the same popular group
of characters from the John Deere book series. Whether fixing
bridges, building a library, playing in the playground, going to
the carnival, or helping characters find their way back to town,
players will enjoy the wide array of scenarios over and over
again.
or 
]
,
,
]
The
Nancy Drew series of software is revered and long-standing. This
latest title is the first of the series to feature a retro look
and feel in honor of Nancy Drew's 75th anniversary. Set in the
1930's, Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock is complete
with vintage cars, clothes, and dialogue. It's based on the first
Nancy Drew book in which Nancy races against the clock to save
17-year old Emily Crandall from financial and emotional ruin.
Release date: July 12th. Read our
]
Also from Kutoka, Creatures: Village is designed for
children ages 5 and up. Creatures: Village is an experiment
in artificial life where players hatch, play with, and breed their
own adorable virtual life forms called Norns. Norns are virtual
pets that require care and attention. Each one is unique and has
its own Creatures Digital DNAT, brain and biochemistry. The Norns'
behaviors are not pre-programmed. They make their own decisions
and learn from their mistakes so kids must help them by training
them to learn right from wrong. But just like real pets, this does
not mean they will always listen to their owners! The Norns live
in a colorful, bold and fanciful world that includes 15 exciting
themed play areas with tons of activities and fun things to do
from parachuting from an airship to baking a cake and even flying
through CloudLand in a magical sky boat. The Creatures: Village
world is a dynamic, living environment complete with weather and
seasons that affect Norns' daily activities. For example, flowers
bloom in the spring and trees lose their leaves in the fall. In
the summer, players can plant and grow lots of fruits and
vegetables but they need to make sure to stockpile enough food to
get their Norns through the cold season. Creatures: Village is a
true game for the young gamer where, without even realizing it,
players will be introduced to some of the notions of genetics,
biology and ecosystems, and they will also experience the
responsibilities that go along with taking care of another being.
at Amazon.com]
New
this month are two Reader Rabbit reading software titles:
Reader Rabbit Early Reading Learning System Ages 3-5 and Reader Rabbit
Learning System Ages 4-7. Each title includes 3 CDs as well as
flashcards and stickers. The main CD-ROM in each package is a new
interactive storybook CD-ROM that includes lessons in reading,
such as letter sounds and sight words, and educational games.
Another CD-ROM includes printables as well as a collection of
reading activities culled from excellent Reader Rabbit curriculum
titles from the past, such as Reader Rabbit Preschool. The third
CD is an audio CD featuring music for fun and learning. Reviews of
both titles are coming soon.
or 
at Amazon.com]
Hello Kitty! Bubblegum Girlfriends was just released at the end
of April. In this new game for the PC, girls join Hello Kitty and
more than 10 of her best friends for the "perfect playdate". The
program includes eight arcade-style games, such as Bubble Gum
Taxi, Pie Poppin' Dance, Crazy Cookie Race, Tea Cup Croquet, Cup
Cake Trampoline, Rainbow Garden, Beach Bubble Frenzy and Sky
Bubble Popper.
photos, and teachers love the project starters, templates,
and activity suggestions. This new version, Kid Pix Deluxe 4,
features new Teacher tools, new print options, bilingual (English
and Spanish) modes, and other enhancements that were a result of
teacher and student input. Kid Pix is definitely not just for
schools - it is a wonderful program to have at home. A full review
is coming soon.
