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 The message is clear in this new
Blue's Clues CD-ROM: "school is cool". While your child won't be
going to quite the same school as Blue and Periwinkle, this program makes a fairly good and
quite fun introduction to the whole preschool environment.
First off, children get their
very own "cubby" at sign-in. After this, kids are
introduced to Blue's school, where Ms. Marigold is leading circle
time. She points out the different things to do in the program.
This is where the program comes up a little short--although the
activities are fun and, in some cases, innovative, there is not a
whole lot of them.
If children choose to go to the
playground, they can do a logic activity at the water table. They
must try to navigate a boat to an island by using different
objects that will direct the boat correctly. This is an activity
that requires some thought and planning, and we are happy to see
an activity such as this one in a preschool program -- one that
doesn't underestimate a young child's ability to think logically
and plan ahead. Another good activity can be found in the garden
where kids go on a hunt for animals and objects. They are given
clues and when they find the object, they learn a little more
about it. On higher levels, some of the animals are hiding.
 The
painting activity itself is rather standard, but what kids get to
do with their completed paintings is unique and fun--children can
"share" their completed artwork with other characters in
the program (such as Purple Kangaroo, Magenta, and Joe). Joe holds
the actual artwork and then delivers it to the character kids have
chosen. What fun!
One activity has children
"caring for" Giggles the classroom bunny. They monitor
his happiness with a meter, and try to figure out what might make
him happy--a carrot, some more water, music, a ball. In the Music
Time activity, kids try to find the "musician" who is
playing the same rhythm as Blue. Who has a great ear for music?
Once all the animals have it right, children get to play
along.
Most of the activities feature 3
levels of difficulty. This program is enjoyable for the most,
although a little lacking in terms of things to do.
[For more information, user
reviews, or to buy: Blues Clues: Blue Takes You To School]
 See
more screenshots from the game, along with our notes here.
Pros:
- Clever activities in a
fun environment.
- Pro-social activities.
- Three difficulty levels
in many of the activities.
- Encouraging feedback.
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Cons:
- Too few activities
overall.
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| For Win/Mac |
By: Atari |
Ages 3-5 |
Published: 2003 |
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