Of the Dragon Tales software games released, this one earns our highest recommendation. Designed for children ages 4-6 (we feel 4-5 is a better target audience), Dragon Tales Learn & Fly with Dragons uses the helping-and-sharing philosophy of the television show and adds some clever activities that gently encourage children to think logically.

Children's mission? To help Cassie's siblings learn to fly. Each sibling (3 of them) needs to earn a Dragon Badge before training and learning to fly. Clicking on any of the little dragons transports children to a unique part of Dragon Land where they participate in some learning activities.  

In one game, kids help sort objects on shelves by extending patterns. In another, children use a net to collect horse flies and return them to their stables. Each stable is labeled with a numeral — the requisite number of horse flies the stable can house. There may or may not be a few horseflies in a stable, so that children not only reinforce counting skills as they play, they also do some early addition/subtraction (painlessly!).

A cute game requires children to draw on their memory skills. They are shown a row of objects (4-5 items, depending on the difficulty level). The items are then scrambled, and one of them falls off the shelf. Children need to replace the missing object. As levels advance, there is less hand-holding.

Another clever game is found at the Junk Pile. Children need to place objects, such as a soccer ball or paddle, into the pile. The game plays like a puzzle, as the objects' outlines appear in the mound of trash. However, the trick is that the objects need to be resized before they will fit!

True to their nature, Zak and Wheezie, the two-headed dragon, don't agree on which toy they want to play with. Children can solve this problem by finding toys that match both of the dragons' criteria! Zak might say, "I like toys with circles on them", and Wheezie might prefer a red toy. Kids need to find toys they will both like — that is, toys that match both descriptions.

The game is certainly not over after players have helped each dragon earn a badge. The colorful little fellows still need to learn to fly. A training course awaits each dragon. Children need to listen to instructions as they find groups of flutterbys (for example, "Click the group that has more than 3, and less than 5 flutterbys"), find shapes, and discern positions and measurements (the tallest, the one at the bottom, etc.). 

Finally, the dragons are ready for the relay (in the sky, of course!). Children lead the dragons through a course, trying to go as fast as they can and collecting dragon berries as they do. 

Once the mission is complete, children can play any activity again, and try to improve their score in the flying game.

Levels of challenge increase automatically as children play (they can't choose a level on their own). The program includes a fair amount of practice with colors, shapes, logic, and early math skills.

The activities are a mixed bag, ranging from mediocre to clever. However, the program is strong in replay value, easy to understand, and very appealing to young children.

Pros: Colorful graphics and easy gameplay. Offers decent practice in essential early learning skills, with emphasis on early math and logic. Multiple levels of difficulty.

Cons: Difficulty levels cannot be selected manually. Although most activities are creative, a couple are run of the mill.

Our Rating:   A-

[For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Dragon Tales: Learn & Fly With Dragons]

Reviewed June 2004

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