KNOWLEDGE ADVENTURE JumpStart Advanced Toddlers (Windows/Macintosh)

I strongly encourage for young children to a) buy a child's mouse and b) SLOW THAT MOUSE DOWN.


Fairly good program but others are better in comparison   April 1, 2005
J. Z. Memmott (Chihuahua, MEXICO)
23 out of 28 found this review helpful

I got this program about 1 1/2 years ago when my son didn't know how to use a mouse yet. The product info. said mouse-clicking wouldn't be necessary, so I thought Jumpstart Advanced Toddler would be a good starter program for him. My children have really liked it, but I have been a little disappointed. I would recommend Reader Rabbit Preschool over this program. Not only is it less expensive, but I think it is more educational and more fun for the kids. In short, here is a plus/minus list for this game:
+The kids like it.
+Fairly good graphics, fun songs, etc.
+Variety of activities with two different play levels.
+Mouse-clicking not required for many activities.
+For younger kids just learning this is a fun choice.

-Mouse clicking still required for painting/art activities, and on games where it is not required, the "feather" must be held over the chosen activity for several seconds or else it will not work. This doesn't work for children with a short attention span or who can't hold the cursor steady for a while. Sometimes I couldn't even get it to work myself unless I held it in just the right spot.
-Like some other reviewers have said, the duck's voice is a little annoying.
-WE seem to get a lot of errors with this game, especially if the kids leave it running and the computer changes over to a screensaver.
-The two levels of play have to be changed manually with each game. There is no "intelligence" in the game to move from one level to the other once the simpler tasks are mastered.
-There is no "point" to the game, so to speak. You just go and "have fun" at and around "grandma's house." It is the same every time and you don't build up to anything or "accomplish" anything like in Reader Rabbit where you are working toward a goal and advancing.
-Comes in a 3-CD set and CDs have to be changed to go from Art to Music to Schooltime. For little kids, this is a bit annoying or could possibly destroy the CDs if you have kids that try to do it themselves and aren't careful.
-Long annoying song/instructions at the start-up of the game every time, and also song and credits at the conclusion. Luckily these can be skipped by clicking the mouse. This may be standard with a lot of games for kids though.