With the gift-giving season here, the November/December issue of Children's Software & New Media Revue offers some suggestions for software gifts for Windows- and Macintosh-based computers users.
Here is the list of computer software that reviewers liked for gifts, grouped by education levels. All are available for Windows; availability for Macintosh is noted where applicable.
Preschool-kindergarten
Bob the Builder: Bob Builds a Park (THQ). Helps children develop mouse skills.
Curious George Downtown Adventure (Knowledge Adventure) Win/Mac. Puzzles for youngsters.
Ollo and the Sunny Valley Fair (Hulabee Entertainment) Win/Mac. Sunny Valley, threatened by a giant rolling tomato, must be saved by kids on a scavenger hunt.
Early elementary
Barbie Sparkling Ice Show (Mattel). Pick costumes, choreograph routines and direct the skating.
Disney Learning Adventure Search for the Secret Keys (Disney) Win/Mac. Trapped in a haunted house, Mickey and friends wait for kids to rescue them.
Fisher-Price Rescue Heroes Tremor Troubles (Knowledge Adventure) Win/Mac. Children must rescue visitors and animals from an earthquake-struck amusement park.
PowerPuff Girls Mojo Jojo's Clone Zone (The Learning Company) Win/Mac. "Our testers were reluctant to stop playing," notes the review of this program designed to help with first-through-third-grade skills. The heroines fight Mojo the monkey in an effort to save Townsvile. Includes mapping activities, word games, and math problems.
Upper elementary
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Electronic Arts). Great for young kids and not bad for older ones as well. Solid graphics and a story line that is true to the book.
Hoyle Board Games 2003 (Sierra On-Line) Win/Mac. Eighteen favorite board games including backgammon, checkers, chess, and mahjong tiles. PDA plus: includes backgammon and mahjong tiles for Palm OS and Windows handhelds.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (THQ). Based on the animated film and the horse rescues in it.
Zoo Tycoon Dinosaur Digs, Zoo Tycoon Marine Mania (Microsoft). Expansion packs for the popular Zoo Tycoon zoo-building game. If giving as a gift, make sure recipient has Zoo Tycoon, or add it to the package.
Zoombinis Island Odyssey (The Learning Company) Win/ Mac. A challenging science-adventure game featuring the adorable Zoombinis.
Middle-high school
Age of Mythology (Microsoft). This simulation of Greek mythology, adapted from the popular Age of Empires, is based on gods from Greek, Norse and Egyptian civilizations.
Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand (Her Interactive). Help solve a mystery of Mayan artifacts.
PrintMaster Platinum 12 (Broderbund). Top-quality printing and paper-project design program.
Sid Meier's SimGolf (Electronic Arts). Design, build, manage and play golf courses.
The Sims Deluxe, The Sims Vacation, The Sims Unleashed (Maxis). The Sims Deluxe is the original game plus the Livin' Large expansion pack. Vacation and Unleashed are expansion packs (and therefore require the original game) for the original game.
For information, visit www.childrenssoftware.com.
- Lonnie Brown, New York Times News Service