This game lets young players show Periwinkle the early-education ropes, guiding him through math, science, reading, and time-telling drills in a cheery game environment. Players select rhyming fridge magnets to build language skills, eventually making poems of the words they identify correctly. Counting and adding activities in the sandbox make elementary computation a snap, while a poster of the solar system provides a gateway to fun and interesting facts about all the planets orbiting the sun. Children can adjust the difficulty level of gameplay, adapting each exercise so its degree of challenge is just right. Successful learning is rewarded with printable activity pages, providing opportunities for learning and entertainment away from the computer.

There are only so many ways to bundle up basic education drills, and the core content of Blue's Clues Kindergarten is not radically different from most preschool learning programs. Its tone is bright and friendly, though, making it one of the most genuinely playable games of its type. With appealing characters and well-designed activities, it delivers its educational content gently, mixing it with a solid dose of low-key humor. And for players who need a short break from the learning action, there is a hide-and-seek game. The prospect of tracking down a lurking Joe provides just the right breather for kids before they return to the task of showing Periwinkle what kindergarten is all about. --Alyx Dellamonica

Amazon.com Product Description
Periwinkle is nervous about going to school. To help him, Blue and Joe turn Blue's house into a make-believe kindergarten with games about science, math, rhyming, art, and more. Choose from five games with Blue, Joe, and friends, while three adjustable levels of difficulty match children's growth. Play Refrigerator Rhymes in Blue's kitchen, tell time with Tickety, learn math at the Sand Table with Shovel and Pail, and--at Peri's fort--there's Super Science. Loads of educational clickables and surprises await in Blue's Kindergarten. Plus, areas for printable activities and for parents let the learning fun continue away from the computer.