3dGameMan …to the point news and reviews !

There’s nothing ordinary about The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean! In fact, kids ages 6-10 years old will tell you there’s nothing ordinary about Ms. Frizzle, either. Join the wackiest science teacher on the planet in the best interactive field trip yet! Based on the hit PBS show, this software takes kids on a magical ocean journey that even the deceased legendary underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau may have been proud of!

Movie-quality animation, outstanding audio and sound effects, and a wide variety of science-based content make this software a good pick for teachers and parents who want their kids to explore an ocean of fun and learning. Best of all, you don’t need to don a scuba-suit to get the skinny on the deep sea! This sure beats the television version! (continue reading…)

If your child is having difficulty learning to read, The Reading Lesson stands out as an exceptional program aimed at children ages 4 and older.

Although perfect for using at home and home schools, this workbook/software combination could also be integrated into the primary classroom. If used in the classroom, at least one teacher and a few parent helpers (or aides) should be on hand to help individual children, as needed. The workbook and the software could also be used with an overhead projector, but I believe it would work better as an individual program or for one-on-one tutoring.

Although you can buy the book separately, I recommend buying the book and software combination. This gives you the opportunity to play the software first with your pre-reader, lesson by lesson, and then to work your way to the supplemental workbook for reinforcement. (continue reading…)

Transform a multimedia computer into the ultimate science laboratory for kids with this nifty hands-on science software. Perfect for home schools and classrooms, this CD-ROM provides sound science education to one child or extends well to group learning.

5th through 8th graders (ages 9 and up) can learn scientific inquiry and experiment, discover, problem-solve, hypothesize, collect evidence, compile data, and form conclusions by playing An Odyssey of Discovery: Science ( Mac/Power Mac CD-ROM) by Pierian Spring Software. (continue reading…)

Mia 2: Romaine's New Hat

The 3D animation is stunning! Kutoka  Inter active’s award-winning Mia 2: Romaine’s New Hat is an excellent example of why “edutainment” software clicks!

Combining movie-quality animation with realistic science activities, this software’s charming mouse, Mia, steals the show on a skateboard! She doesn’t even have her own television series….. yet! Nor, is she as famous as Nintendo yellow mouse, Pikachu, but she’s just as cute (and has a much better grasp of the English language!).

Kids ages 5 through 11 can play learning activities about the human body, the solar system, the weather, the water cycle, plants, energy and gravitational forces, animal habitats, properties of matter, fossils, electricity and magnetism, and more! Hands down, this CD-ROM is innovative and outrageous fun, even for parents and teachers! (continue reading…)

Ask any 4th to 7th grader about math word problems and you’re sure to hear some hesitation. Math Mysteries: Fractions is one of the titles in Tom Snyder Productions’ Math Mysteries set. This software takes the mystery out of word problems by creating an interactive mystery the whole classroom can participate in!

By playing “The Treasure of Balancing Rock”, kids step into a virtual Old West town in search of gold. Students can put on their detective caps and interview town residents while solving complex, multi-step problems involving fractions. (continue reading…)

Leapfrog Math Elementary 2 is a comprehensive math program for 1st graders which helps reinforce and enhance math skills learned in the classroom. Kids meet Lily and Tad, two frogs who double as tour guides, as they help them explore the very mathematical town of Frog Hollow.

Although you don’t have to purchase the entire Leapfrog Math series, kids who played Leapfrog Math Elementary 1 (for kindergartners) are eager to advance to the second CD-ROM in the series, Leapfrog Math Elementary 2. Already familiar with navigating the software, my 5-year-old son, Timmy, enjoyed this program immensely. (continue reading…)

I’m stranded on a deserted island which just so happens to have access to electricity (OK, so it’s not Gilligan’s Island but can I still be Ginger?). Of course, I’d never go anywhere without my multimedia computer. Since I travel light, I’ve only decided to take five favorite CD-ROMs with me….one of which is Kid Pix Studio. Here’s the skinny! (continue reading…)

When it comes to teaching kids how to read, the folks at Knowledge Adventure put on a good show. In fact, Jump Start 1st Grade Reading treats kids to a carnival of fun and games which helps reinforce newly acquired reading skills.

Perfect for kids ages 5-7 years, Jump Start 1st Grade Reading is an “edutaining” adventure into vocabulary, phonics and reading comprehension. As a parent of a young reader, I know that although it’s important to learn how to read, it is equally essential that kids comprehend what they’re reading. Your child will love Jump Start 1st Grade Reading, especially if they’ve played Jump Start 1st Grade and have already met Frankie, the dog. (continue reading…)