It's hard to imagine camping and computers in the same sentence. This playful set of six outdoor-themed games, however, is one of the few nicely designed computer activities that deals with science and the out doors. Children start by typing in their name and then choosing a cartoon buddy to play with. This buddy shows up in several of the activities, for instance, in an engaging log race in which kids must steer a log down a river to win. There's also a well-designed campfire sing-a-long with five enjoyable camp fire songs. As each song is played, children see the words, in a follow-the-bouncing-ball fashion. Not only is this a nice way to learn some songs, but it's a good language experience as well. Other activities include a concentration game, cave painting and a dot-to-dot game based on constellations. A sub-theme to the program is the collection of 60 different animals, found hidden as clickables in the scenes of each activity. As children search, they are told facts about each item they find. For example, we are told that bats hang upside down, and that raccoons are nocturnal animals. Children found these mini lectures to be on the dry side, especially when they couldn't be interrupted. The good news is that the quality of the graphics and music is enough to hold a child's interest. Overall, this is a solid CD that children will enjoy. The program can keep track of multiple children, although teachers will need to monitor the printing- there are lots of printing opportunities and this function can't be disabled.
Teaches: science, animals, nature facts, music, logic
Age Range: 4, 5, 6, 7 Copyright © 2000 Children's Software Revue
Amazon.com Product Description
Exploring the great outdoors has never been so much fun. Little campers meet Ranger Rudy; discover wild animals; earn ranger badges; and learn about plants, safety, science, and the environment. In this forest of fun, your child's natural curiosity will lead to trail after trail of exciting exploration in the great outdoors. (Ages 4-7)
