|  Kids
feel special right from the start: at sign-in, they choose from a
small selection of pictures to represent themselves, their
favorite color, age, birthday, and some personal preferences.
After they learn about the story line of the game (Periwinkle is
worried about going to school, so Blue is going to play school at
home to help her overcome her fear), they have a little cubby with
their name on it alongside those belonging to Blue and Periwinkle.
The
chalkboard displays the real-time day of the week (for example,
"Today is Friday!") along with a list of the activities
in the program. Rhyme Time involves finding 4 pairs of rhyming
words and then plunking them into a poem. A printable activity is
earned once successfully completed. The Book About Us
involves placing stamps on pages to depict a birthday celebration,
snacktime, favorite animals, and house/family. It has some cute
elements, but it is rather limited.  A
math activity is performed in the sandbox along with Shovel and
Pail. Kids sort Peri's collections of objects (like keys and toy
trucks), count them up, and then add or subtract them, depending
on the level. This is a cute activity. Telling Time with Tickety
is also quite charming. Tickety tutors children about her long and
short hands and gives lessons about telling time to the hour, half
hour, and quarter hour (depending on the challenge level
selected).
The
standout activity is Super Science. The planets and luminaries are
displayed, and each has a smiling face! In Facts mode, kids learn
interesting facts about each planet; and in Game mode, children
answer questions like "Who is the brightest one?" by
selecting a planet. This activity is multi-level and really quite
adorable. Kids earn
printable worksheet rewards for their efforts. Of course, at the
end of the game, Periwinkle is excited about going to school. Although
the graphics are impressive and the environment is encouraging,
there aren't enough activities in the final analysis. We
wish there were at least a couple more. The activities in the
program are decent, but more of them would have left us
considerably more satisfied with the game. See
more screens from the game, with our comments, in the screenshot
gallery.
[For more information, user
reviews, or to buy:
Blue's Clues Kindergarten
at Amazon.com]
Pros:
- Decent activities
overall, some of which are excellent.
- Warm, bright graphics.
- Multi-level activities.
- Nice intuitive design.
|
Cons:
- Not enough activities
overall.
|
| For Win/Mac |
By: Infogrames |
Ages 4-6 |
Published: 2002 |
|
|
