Crayola Undersea Adventures: Color Stories Interactive DVD, Screenlife Games, 2009; $19.99; www.screenlifegames.com; ages 3 to 4.

 

Requires: DVD player or PC, with crayons and coloring book. Kids are fascinated by life in the ocean. This DVD-driven creativity kit introduces them to some interesting facts through engaging stories with characters from the popular line of Undersea Adventures, while encouraging creativity and supporting their awareness of different colors, sizes and shapes.
 

Leapster2 Learning System and Dora the Explorer Camping Adventure: Explore Spanish Words, LeapFrog Enterprises, 2008; $69.99/Leapster2 and $24.99/Game; www.leapfrog.com; for ages 4 to 8. Requires: Windows XP or Vista, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher; or Mac OS X 10.4.8 or higher, and Safari browser; plus a CD-ROM reader and USB cord (included).
This Leapster2 handheld unit is the newest addition to the Leapster family of learning game systems. This year’s design is sleek and easy to hold. By connecting the unit to a home PC or Mac computer, parents can monitor what their kids are playing, the skills they are learning and the degree of mastery through the unique Leapfrog Learning Path system (available online at no cost). The Leapfrog Learning Path maps out and updates each child’s skill building in different areas, such as comprehension, listening, speaking, math and more. In addition to the NAPPA-winning Dora game, the current Leapster game library includes a wide variety of popular characters from Pixar, Star Wars and Nickelodeon.

Brighter Minds Media, 2008; $19.95; www.brightermindsmedia.com; for ages 4 to 6. Requires: Windows 2000, XP or Vista, or Macintosh OS X 10.3.9 or newer. With old pal Bob the Builder, the goal is to build five new habitats for the babies that have just arrived at Bobland Bay Zoo. While kids create their own story scenes and earn stickers, they’re learning to identify tools, organize and sort, develop memory and hand-eye coordination, identify shapes and colors, and exercise basic problem solving, planning and time sequencing. Even some of our older kid testers said, “This one is really fun!”

Splatster, Fisher-Price, 2009; $54.99; www.fisher-price.com; ages 3 to 5. 

 

This wireless “paint brush” controller works with a base that connects easily to a TV. Wildly fun, Splatster enables mess-free fun on the TV screen by inviting youngster to exercise their creativity in one of eight different studios that include stencils, faces, and spin art, as well as arcade-style games like “Feed the Monkey” and “Duck Wash.” Creations can be saved to USB Flash drives and printed from home computers.  Mom, Dad, and older sibs can try their hand at this fun new product from Fisher-Price, too.

“Our kid testers loved this one.”
– Judge
 

Curious George’s Dictionary, Houghton Mifflin and ScrollMotion, 2009; $9.99; www.scrollmotion.com; ages 3 to 5.

 

Requires: iPhone or iPod Touch. This simple application helps young kids learn letters and begin to recognize everyday words with simple illustrations featuring Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat. Among the more than 2,400 (and fast growing number of) games available for Apple’s smartphone and media player, Curious George’s Dictionary is a great little resource to stimulate young minds when they insist on playing with Mom’s or Dad’s iPhone/iPod Touch. 

Judge's Top Pick! 

Tag Reading System and the Little Engine That Could, LeapFrog Enterprises, 2008; $49.99 (Tag Reading System) and $13.99 (Tag-enabled book); www.leapfrog.com; for ages 4 to 7. The latest evolution of Leapfrog’s learn-to-read products is the Tag, a “fat pen” that brings audio interactivity to specially printed books via dot-enabled technology. Wherever the child touches the page, characters talk or the printed words or story are read aloud, complete with sound effects. Tag audio can be downloaded from the Web via the Leapfrog Connect Application and loaded onto the “reader.” Early Tag library offerings include classics such as The Little Engine That Could and Olivia, plus Activity Storybooks that feature popular characters. Parents can follow their children’s learning progress online by connecting the Tag reader to their computer to see which skills, stories and activities their child has engaged.

 

More winners from LeapFrog include:

Zoodles, Inquisitive Minds, Inc., 2009; free, premium memberships start at $7.95/month; www.zoodles.com; ages 2 to 8.

 

For parents concerned about unleashing their child, unprotected, on the Information Superhighway, this child-friendly browser offers educational content and includes controls that parents set to monitor their children’s online experiences through the Zoodles Dashboard. The site also includes a virtual toybox with online games, and features content from sites recommended by schools, such as FunBrain. 

Ice Age: The DVD Game, Screenlife Games, 2009; $19.99; www.screenlifegames.com; ages 5 and up.

 

Requires: DVD player or PC, with board and moveable pieces. This fun little board game is driven by on-screen puzzles, video challenges and mini-games that feature characters from all three of the popular Ice Age films. It cleverly supports development of kids’ listening and basic math skills while being just fun to play. 

FunKeyBoard & FunMouse, Chester Creek, 2009; $57.95; www.chestercreek.com; ages 5 and up.

 

Requires: PC or Mac. This colorful, standard layout keyboard with mouse is designed to promote letter awareness and typing skills with colored keys: vowels are red, consonants are green, punctuation and symbols are yellow, numbers are purple, and functions are blue. This keyboard is just plain fun to use, and brightens up the family’s PC or home office. One of our kid testers insisted that our judge take this home and use it – all the time! 
 

Text & Learn, LeapFrog, 2009; $21.99; www.leapfrog.com; ages 3 to 4.

 

This Toy PDA has a standard layout keyboard that’s bigger than anything mom or dad would use, thus perfect for little hands and growing minds of youngsters who want their very own “smart device.” While the screen graphics are simple black and white pixelated animations, the audio and games engage preschoolers in activities that promote letter and sound awareness, as well as everyday words. Leapfrog calls it the “toddler-safe PDA.” Indeed!