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Blue's Clues Preschool

Blue's Clues Preschool

List Price: $19.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not as good as the other Blue titles...
Review: Our 3 yeat old son doesn't care for it... he asks for the old 'Steve' games... like the art one and Blue's Birthday party. It's not Joe's fault here, it's just that the game is pretty basic and does not offer many choices.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Pass, unless you really love shelves.
Review: This Blue's Clues game looks like it was rushed through development. With the show's old host Steve gone, they now have to quickly replace Blue's old computer games so that the new host, Joe, is in them. Most of the simplistic activities have a recurring theme: taking and putting things off and on shelves. Here's a list of what to expect:

Activity 1: Go to the bakery and pick items off shelves.

Activity 2: Go to the library and put books where they're supposed to go, by matching the book with the letter on the shelf.

Activity 3: Go to the Toy Store and help customers buy presents by picking from a shelf full of items.

Activity 4: Go to the grocery store, and help Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper select groceries by taking food items off of ... you guessed it, shelves.

The only activity that is different, is a mediocre music activity, where you match what Purple Kangaroo does. Eh.

Sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it! Well, not really. The only reason this game will sell like crazy is because it has Blue in it. If it wasn't for that, no one would pay attention to it. The activities are simplistic and rapidly become boring due to the recurring and unimaginitive "shelf" theme. Worse, the program doesn't really explain anything to your child. It just jumps right in and says "Match the letter on the book, to the letter on the shelf." Your child may likely ask, "What's a letter?"

The show is good, but this game isn't. Pass, unless you really love shelves.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Solid Toddler/Preschool computer game
Review: This is only the second computer game we've gotten for our daughter, who is 2 1/2, but we are very happy with it so far. The game is very simple, but engaging for a toddler/preschooler. The educational content is standard preschool fare: simple counting, letter/number recognition, shape/color matching, etc. However, the best thing about this game is that it really allows a little one to learn basic computer skills like controlling and clicking the mouse. The editorial review mentioned that the mouse clicks had to be very precise, but I found this game to be more forgiving in this regard than our other game, which is intended for younger kids.

I also like the fact that we can play two ways. The intended way is to work on Ms. Marigold's checklist by visiting places in town and completing tasks. The other way is just to explore the street and click on things. Each thing on the street does something funny when you click on it. This flexibility is a great feature for toddlers, who -- on a whim -- might get discouraged by the game and just feel like observing, or might be motivated to complete the whole checklist from start to finish!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Solid Toddler/Preschool computer game
Review: This is only the second computer game we've gotten for our daughter, who is 2 1/2, but we are very happy with it so far. The game is very simple, but engaging for a toddler/preschooler. The educational content is standard preschool fare: simple counting, letter/number recognition, shape/color matching, etc. However, the best thing about this game is that it really allows a little one to learn basic computer skills like controlling and clicking the mouse. The editorial review mentioned that the mouse clicks had to be very precise, but I found this game to be more forgiving in this regard than our other game, which is intended for younger kids.

I also like the fact that we can play two ways. The intended way is to work on Ms. Marigold's checklist by visiting places in town and completing tasks. The other way is just to explore the street and click on things. Each thing on the street does something funny when you click on it. This flexibility is a great feature for toddlers, who -- on a whim -- might get discouraged by the game and just feel like observing, or might be motivated to complete the whole checklist from start to finish!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hours of Fun
Review: This was my 3 year olds first computer game that she can completely play on her own. She can spend hours playing this game. I particularly like the different levels of difficulty. She loves her Blue's Clues

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Go with the "old" Blues Clues programs
Review: We were so excited to see a new title released with Joe in it. We quickly oredered this for my 3 year old twins and when it arrived we were very diappointed. The kids quickly bored of it and don't even ask to play it anymore. When asked if they want a Blues Clues with Steve or Joe in it they say "NO JOE!!". Stick with the older Blue's Clues, my twins love Blues Art Time activities.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: We've had this disc since my son was 3. Other reviewers have expressed the thought that the game is more suitable for toddlers. I don't entirely agree, particularly given that there are three distinct levels for each task.

The Grocery Store - level 1 directs children to put specific items in the basket. Higher levels direct children to items based on their relative position (e.g. the item below, or to the right of, bananas).

The Music Store - I admit that I find this one tiresome. The player repeats a pattern of beats on a variety of instruments. Each level increases the number of beats and instruments used.

The Bakery - Children choose items that are specific shapes. Level 1 uses only the most common shapes. Level 2 introduces lesser known shapes, like the crescent. Level 3 has the child look for objects that combine shapes - the task may be to find an item containing 1 circle, 1 triangle and 2 rectangles, which the child will find arranged as a cookie shaped like a little girl.

The Present Store - Here the child is asked to find one item that cost a specific number of "blue dollars". The number of dollars is displayed on the gift table and each item's price is displayed beneath it. The child places the item on the table and then counts out the appropriate number of dollars. In the higher levels, the child is given an amount, but they must find a combination of 2 or more objects that equal that total (probably the most complex activity in the game).

The Library - ok, I can't defend this one. It is ridiculously easy on any level.

All in all, it's not a bad game. It does move a little slowly and you do have to adjust the difficulty of each activity to the appropriate level for your child, but holds appeal for kids a variety of ages and gives them a chance to play with a favorite character.


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