JumpStart Toddlers and My Learning Scrapbook

by Vivendi Universal

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 9.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004THQH
• Item model number: 71086
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 5, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,639 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

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The graphics are adorable in this revamped program where children visit Grandma Duck's magical garden. There they'll discover original songs, brightly colored screens and eight activities that introduce numbers, shapes, colors and more. Each activity can be played with either the keyboard or the mouse, and no clicking is required.

Our initial experience with this program left us wondering about its usability. Moving from one activity to another seemed awkward. After just a few times playing, however, our crack team of "toddler quality control experts," quickly became used to the navigation, although still needed some help from their parents.
Teaches: early learning: colors, shapes, numbers, memory, music
Age Range: 18 months-3 years

Amazon.com Review

Toddlers explore a bright garden world where they can make snails count and critters with instruments play the Blue Danube Waltz. Their playmate is an engaging duckling named DeeDee, who's visiting her grandmother. DeeDee's gran has a heck of a fun place: there's a Treehouse of Shapes, a Numbers Pond, a Garden of Colors, a Musical Waterfall, a forest full of Peek-a-Boo Animals, and ABC Toadstools in the garden. Go inside and there's Gran, all set to play Picture Playtime. All seven activities can be initiated and played with a sweep of the mouse or by hitting random keys--no clicking required. Parents should plan on guiding younger toddlers around this program. DeeDee's explanations are no substitute for seeing Daddy do it.

JumpStart Toddlers sneaks the learning in everywhere. While you're counting in the Numbers Pond, sweeping the feather cursor over a lily pad makes a letter of the alphabet pop out, and DeeDee cheerfully interrupts her counting to utter "A!"(or whatever the letter is). Letters also appear like subliminal advertising behind the Musical Waterfall. Music is everywhere on this CD-ROM as well; each activity has a corresponding song, belted out in DeeDee Duckling's Broadway best.

We occasionally find JumpStart's characters a bit cloying, but whoever designed DeeDee gave her some of the very same qualities that make toddlers so endearing. DeeDee fidgets, rubs her nose gleefully, and chews on the ends of her bonnet ribbons.

The Learning Scrapbook that comes packaged with this CD-ROM is simply a series of printable templates that parents can use to build a baby scrapbook in that cutesy JumpStart graphic style. (Ages 18 months to 3 years) --Anne Erickson

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More watching, less playing, April 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: JumpStart Toddlers and My Learning Scrapbook (CD-ROM)

I bought this title for my 21 month old. He has a few other CD's and has been spending time at the computer for almost 6 months.

Jump Start Toddlers is basically a good program - the graphics, sound and content are entertaining and kept my sons attention. However, the program is more geared towards "watching and learning" than it is interaction. I would describe Jump Start Toddlers as more of a "video" than an interactive game. Most, if not all, of the activities require significant involvement on my part. The "pointer" is a small white/yellow feather that is difficult to see at times and you really never know which end of the feather to point at the action you want to click on. In addition, once in the program, I had a hard time figuring out what to do next. All of this means the parent must "play" the game while the child watches (for the most part). I would think an older child (3 to 4 years) would get more out of this title.

I would highly recommend Reader Rabbit for Baby and Toddler over this title hands down!

On a positive note, the program installed in minutes (Windows 2000 Pro), I have had no problems using the program and it is certainly educational.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jump Start Toddlers - the right path to home education!, July 27, 2000

By 

Lieolani Ann Sheetz (BEAVERTON, OREGON USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: JumpStart Toddlers and My Learning Scrapbook (CD-ROM)

I am a domestic engineer. I have 2 children under age 5. I have purchased the Jump Start for Toddlers software program and it changed our lives. The software was quick to install and easy to learn. The kids picked up on the music, interactive characters that talk to your children to encourage them to do a task or to simply remind them what to do next. The environment is kid-oriented and the activities are simple as 123, ABC. We liked it so much and the kids grasped on it so fast, that we purchased the additional series.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great start for beginning computer users, August 12, 2002

By 

"luvtws" (Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: JumpStart Toddlers and My Learning Scrapbook (CD-ROM)

At around 2 years old my son began showing interest in computers. His dad is an IT Administrator so our son was around computers all the time. Also, he was (and still is not) interested in learning the traditional way (through books, play, etc.), but rather through computers. We were NOT disappointed with this piece of software! Through this program my son has learned most of the alphabet, shapes, numbers and colors. We have had this one for about six months and he has not lost interest in it.

However, there are some things that I was not pleased with. First, this product is recommended for children 18 months-3 years. It would probably be more suited for children 2 1/2 to 4 simply because it requires basic knowledge of how to use a mouse and the program does NOT teach this skill. Also, the concepts it teaches (letters, numbers, shapes, colors, music, animals, memory skills, etc.) are more geared toward the preschool crowd. Second, the layout is "busy" and it is hard to see all of the different entrance areas (even for me an adult). Finally, another minor complaint (it is very minor) is that the duck's voice can get annoying after 15 minutes or so for me, but my son enjoys it so this is tolerable.

Overall, I highly recommend this software, however, for children over the age of two.