Type of Product
Humongous Entertainment educational game for children.
User Level
Has grade-specific activities in math, reading, writing, art, and creativity, for Kindergarten children, ages 5-7
years old.
Review
It is easy to install if you have Windows 3.1. With Windows 95, which I used, you don't need to run install. You
just put the CD in and sit back and enjoy. You are presented with a dialog box telling you that the program runs
best in 256 color mode. Also the program runs a test checking your CD ROM speed the first time you use it. There
is no Users Guide, but the cover on the CD package has instructions inside; and there is a very good Readme file
on the CD that provides you with all the information you need. It is so easy to use that you don't need anything
else.
Big Thinkers Kindergarten is not only fun but an educational tool as well. Children will really enjoy this program,
and parents do not have to worry that their child is spending time on only a time filler program without other
benefits.
This program introduces kids to Ben and Becky
Brightly, the Brightly twins, who guide them from room to room. The
twins morph, twist, and turn into a variety of entertaining objects.
They are done in a friendly, comic book style. As Ben and Becky lead
your child through six different rooms, he/she is tackling challenges
and collecting SmartStars. The activities help your kids to learn:
- First Letter Identification
- Measurement & Estimation
- Sequencing and Patterning
- Spelling & Phonics
- Time Telling
- Alphabet Skills
- Reading & Sentences
- Counting & Computation
- Geography & Directions
- Environmental Science
- Thinking Skills
- Spatial Perception
- Art Creativity
- Music Creativity
Children can have fun doing the following:
- Face Making--creating
a one-of-a-kind face for Ben;
- Twin Time Telling--watch
Ben's face turn into a clock face and tell time;
- Refrigerator Measurement--use
pickles, olives, carrots and other food items to measure Becky's height;
- Bird Perch Math--an
addition and subtraction game based on the number of birds perched on Ben and Becky's pole-like arms;
- Pick of the Litter--pick
up objects and decide whether they belong in a trash can or recycling bin;
- Fishy Words--pick
which fish has the missing first letter of a word;
- Find the Twin--find
Ben hiding somewhere on a landscape that includes mountains, trees, rivers and a volcano;
- Music Maker--play
with 8 different instruments and match musical patterns;
- Bubble Business--complete
the shapes and color patterns after Ben blows bubbles;
- Twin Skywriting--learn
letters and phonics while watching Becky morph into a plane and skywrite the alphabet;
- Things in My Shoe--identify
items that Ben pulls from his shoe and throws into the trees;
- Animal Food Maze--guide
Ben through a maze blocked by mounds of animal food and watch him change into the animal that will eat the food
blocking his path;
- Silly Stories--customize
mini-stories with zany words and funny endings;
- Which One Doesn't Belong--choose
which Becky doll is different.
Kids are rewarded by fun and laughter when they perform these activities but they
also earn SmartStars. SmartStars can be kept in a BrainBank. When enough stars are earned, kids can compete in
a SmartStar game to earn a SuperStar of Smarts certificate. Activities are divided into five main academic categories
and each category has a corresponding color of SmartStar:
Category
Mathematics–Blue
Language Arts–Red
Creative Arts–Yellow
Science/Social Science–Purple
Thinking Skills/Spatial Perception–Green
Personal Comments
This is a challenging package with a sophisticated look. It's all great
fun. It has excellent features. There is a shortcut to previously played
games. You can print screens and activities, and there are multiple
difficulty levels. The animation, graphics, and audio are first-rate.
There are lots of things to click on and watch and listen to. I enjoyed
playing it, for the review, of course! Then I had two volunteer reviewers:
Morgan, age 5 and Natalie, age 3. They are familiar with games and have
a collection of their own, but this was the first time they tried Big
Thinkers. I sat with them for approximately 5 minutes and gave them
minimal instruction. After about 2 hours, I came back and had trouble
getting them to stop playing. They had gone through all the rooms and
even earned enough SmartStars to play a SuperStar game. Morgan said,
"I liked finding Ben in the find and seek game." Natalie said,
"I liked everything."
System Requirements
Operating System: Windows 3.1 or higher
Processor: 33 MHz 486
Memory:8MB
Hardware: SVGA (640 x 480) 256 colors
Sound Card
Double-speed CD ROM drive
Other Goodies
There is a sheet of Becky and Ben stickers.
The CD has demo versions of the following:
Pajama Sam in No Need to Hide When its Dark Outside
Lets Explore the Airport
Putt Putt Saves the Zoo
Freddie Fish and The Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds
Freddie Fish 2 and The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse
Technical Support
Their Web site: http://www.humongous.com is an excellent source for information, games, reviews and whatever.
Price
$29.95
|