Saturday, June 20, 2009

JumpStart Review

My 4 year old loves playing games on the computer. But, there are so many options out there, and unless I'm sitting right next to him, I'm afraid of what he may be playing. So, he's restricted to a hand full of sites to navigate on his own.
He recently had the chance to try out JumpStart 3D Virtual World. JumpStart offers adventure-based games geared towards kids 3-10. The activities are intended to be both educational and entertaining. Within the JumpStart site, there are various worlds that you can upgrade to for $7.99 a month, including StoryLand (for ages 3-5), Adventureland (for ages 5-7), and FutureLand (for ages 7-10).

My 4 year old loved that he could personalize his character, and tried to make the avatar look just like him. He found the 3D world easy to navigate once we got started. And even though I try to be nearby when he's playing on the computer, I felt confident that I could walk away without hearing, "Mommy, I need your help" every 5 seconds.

He reported that his favorite part was "flying a spaceship to collect things" and that he "loved going to the arcade." Overall, he really enjoyed playing, and I liked that he was able to play on his own with confidence. I also appreciate the fact that there is a forum to read or ask questions. It made things so much simpler when we had a concern.

If you think your kids would enjoy the site too, be sure to check out JumpStart.com. JumpStart will also be coming out on Wii soon, and I have a feeling we just might have to try it out!

4 comments:

Cascia Talbert said...

I love Jumpstart. They have wonderful educational programs for kids.

Anonymous said...

We'll have to check them out my daughter would love it :)

Stacy Uncorked said...

That sounds like something that would be right up the Princess Nagger's alley! :)

Staci said...

We just purchased the JumpStart CD ROMS for my 3 1/2 year old and he LOVES to play! I was SURPRISED at how well he navigated the mouse (he had never used one before). I love how he can do it "all by himself" and needs very little help from me! What great software!! I would love to try out the Wii version! I know that would be a HUGE hit!!