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© St. Petersburg Times, published November 19, 2001
Disney Winnie the Pooh Kindergarten
SYSTEMS: Windows, Macintosh
MAKER: Disney Interactive
PRICE: $19.99
This well-crafted program focuses on teaching kids ages 4 to 6 a variety of skills, including basic spelling, simple math and memory. A special bonus is the music section, which allows the child to create a musical instrument, learn to play it using the keyboard or mouse, then record and save the finished composition. The sounds are a cut above many children's programs, and the interface is easily mastered. A favorite in our household was the language drill in which Tigger, standing on a stage, acts out sentences that use verbs chosen by the child. Another bonus: Some drills teach basic French and Spanish vocabulary. I wouldn't use them as a substitute for teaching the languages, but the games amount to an excellent exposure.
SYSTEMS: Windows, Macintosh
MAKER: Disney Interactive
PRICE: $19.99
The big-eared one himself hosts this narrative-style game, in which Mickey (and the player) must find lost magical items before the Sorcerer returns to his castle. The back story is set up well, and bright colors and excellent sound should capture young players' attention. But a flaw of the narrative format in a children's program is that attention spans sometimes don't last long enough to complete the story. At times, we found it difficult to back out of a particular game within the story line. Still, the games do what any learning program aims to do: make learning seem like play. The software also includes voice recognition ability. But like many computer users, we don't have a microphone and couldn't test it. Even without that feature, as long as your child is mature enough for sustained activity, this one's a winner.
SYSTEMS: Windows, Macintosh
MAKER: Disney Interactive
PRICE: $19.99
Disney puts this collection of fun arcade-style games in its "creativity" collection, rather than the "learning" category. That's a good choice: The games may strengthen hand-eye coordination, but probably not much better than most computer arcade games. However, this game might appeal to younger users more strongly than most; the main character is a calf-roping doll from the popular Toy Story series. And with excellent animation, the games are truly fun. The player helps Jessie herd aliens, ride around barrels and lasso runaway toys. As a bonus, the package includes a separate "digital coloring book." It's similar to many such programs, but it's always nice to get an extra feature aimed at unleashing your child's creativity.
-- CHRISTOPHER AVE, Times staff writer