Reader Rabbit Toddler [Old Version]

My favorite thing about Reader Rabbit Toddler is the method it uses for teaching little ones how to use the mouse. Making selections requires only moving the very large mouse pointer to an object on the screen, then holding it in place for about 5 seconds. A series of dots lights up, one at a time, with a pinging sound, to indicate that the object is going to be selected. This reduces accidental selections, and allows plenty of time to change your mind and move the pointer to a different object. (Clicking to select the object will also work, which our daughter caught on to very easily once she mastered the "pointing" part.) Within about 3 days, she was able to use the mouse to select and play the different games with very little help. After about a week, she could play completely unassisted, and had completely mastered pointing and clicking a short time later.

The software provides a wide variety of activities, all of which are launched from the same "home" location, which is very easy to return to when finished with an activity. The activities are cute, colorful, and very fun for this age group. Activities including a coloring book, which requires only rapid movement of the mouse to fill in the pictures; a music activity, in which Reader Rabbit does finger plays for various familiar songs; some simple games involving letters and numbers; and some animal matching games. (There are some others, but I can't recall them off the top of my head.) It seems to me that the primary focus of the software is to be cute and entertaining enough to keep a child's attention while helping them to learn fundamental computer skills necessary for using any software.

It has been about 3 months since our daughter first started using the software, and she has already moved on to other, more complex software (her current favorite is Jump Start Pre-K -- much better than Reader Rabbit Preschool.) I suppose that my only complaint about the software is that it didn't really "grow" with her ability, which would have made it last longer. Although, we probably would have gotten much more use out of it had we started using it when she was younger. (The box says ages 1-3, and I wouldn't hesitate to try it out with a 1-year old on my lap. I think a 3-year old would master it very quickly.)

I would highly recommend this software to anyone who wants to introduce their toddler to the computer.


No regrets on this purchase!   March 21, 2004
jaclynn (Landenberg, PA USA)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful

I bought this software based on others' reviews here. What a great buy! Our son turned 2 last month. We have an old iMac we gave him, and we thought we'd buy him Reader Rabbit to introduce him to computer use since he's taken an unhealthy interest in ours. The software installed easily, and by default makes itself start up when the computer turns on to save children from having to navigate program menus. The first time we sat our son in front of it he laughed and squealed and couldn't get enough of it. Since the software can be operated without a keyboard, we removed it (he was banging on it pretty hard), and he just navigates his way through everything with just the mouse. His favorite games are the Bubble Castle and the Fingerplay Theatre. Our son is behind in his language skills, and at the end of the first day (thanks to bubble castle) he could count to five! The best part though is the overwhelming cuteness of Fingerplay Theatre. He clicks a song, such as Twinkle-twinkle, and follows the rabbit's hand motions on the screen and then goes wild at the end clapping his hands and screaming YAY. I really could go on and on here, but let me summarize by saying after one week of Reader Rabbit, he knows more about colors, counting, alphabet and songs than he's learned in months of baby einstein videos. Best twenty bucks I've ever spent. Two technical shortcomings, but I'm reaching: There should be a "sleep" mode when he walks away from it and leaves it on, and possibly a way to disable the exit star (he sometimes clicks it by accident and inadvertently leaves the program).


My son loves this software!   November 6, 2002
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

This was my son's first software program and he loves it! We have now had it for over a year and he still likes to play it. This software helped him learn numbers, letters, shapes, animal sounds and matching skills. Completing an activity quickly rewards the child with a fun song or visual graphics, so it keeps him very entertained and motivated to keep playing. We've tried several other software programs and this one was definitely the most popular one we've tried, and also the one from which he learned the most.


Reader Rabbit Toddler   March 16, 2004
Bob Buchner (USA)
19 out of 21 found this review helpful

After a bit of research, we bought this as the first computer software for our 1 year old daughter, and she just loves it. It keeps her occupied and laughing for long periods. First she was fascinated by the keyboard banging and the reactions she could cause. By 16 months she had mastered the concepts of mouse clicking and dragging objects and moving around. By 20 months she was an expert in all the games, starts and stops the program herself, and navigates to where she wants to play. This program is also educational as well as fun. She learned her numbers, colors, shapes, animal sounds, songs in large part through this software. While she is now 22 months and has moved on to a bit more advanced programs, she still goes back and enjoys playing these games quite frequently. This was a most excellent purchase. It was a very positive experience for her, not much frustration, in fact she kept pushing us away when we tried to help and show her things, she wanted to figure them out on her own. The computer has easily become her favorite toy, and the family has to fight with her just to get time of their own. I recommend this without hesitation, it is better by far than anything else I've seen for a baby/toddler starter program.


GREAT program   October 5, 2003
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

My almost 2 year old daughter LOVES this game. It came reccommended to me and I am SO glad I purchased it. Actually I am searching for another program that is as good, but I am having no luck. My daughter is using the mouse all by herself to play the games. I actually can leave her alone to play for 30 or so minutes and she goes from game to game all by herself. (Granted we played several times together and she is a fast learner.) I love that the majority of these games are educational and fun!
I feel bad writing this on Amazon but you can get it for free, just for paying shipping and handling, at www.smart-estore.com/clac - that is where I got mine!