My daughter (aka Chatty) and I were recently offered the opportunity to try out a set of brand-new video games for kids ages three and up: Smart Girl's Playhouse and Smart Boy's Gameroom. We aren't too big on gaming here; the only console Chatty owns is a Leapster that the Ex got her for her birthday this past spring. I was willing to give the games a shot, however, when the PR contact for game creator UFO Interactive Games offered to send us a DS Lite to borrow while testing out the games. He convinced me that unlike the Leapster and other such products, the Nintendo DS offers the opportunity for youngsters to keep going with their console as they develop. I put in a couple of calls to my Ma, who is into video games and discussed the issue - she told me how many games are available for the DS ranging from child to adult, and loved the idea of these two games, which are rated E for Everyone and are specifically created for the youngest kiddos to safely enjoy.Chatty has spent the bulk of her time playing the Smart Girl's Playhouse game so far and she highly recommends it. Being six, going on seven, years old, she's well beyond the Baby Einstein concept of educational media. This game seems to be a good middle ground. It's primarily meant for preschool-aged children to play with their parents, but Chatty has enjoyed tackling it by herself. One point that some American parents might find goofy, but that our family actually finds endearing, is the very Japanese influence of the graphics and characters. I used to have a close friend who was Japanese and offered Chatty and me many opportunities to view Japanese media, including videos that have since been returned. Chatty instantly recognized the artistic similarities and loved them, especially the meal-making game with sushi and other goodies.
One of her other favorites is feeding the animals - she likes to try to feed as many as possible and see what they'll say (they'll tell her they are full, are still hungry, etc). The number/counting games are a smidge below her, but then, the games are meant more for the preschool set. If nothing else, they are a great pop quiz for her on math skills. I can definitely see why Smart Girl's Playhouse has won awards, including kudos from iParenting Media.
Suffice it to say that I'm now more convinced of the idea of allowing Chatty access to, or a gift of, a Nintendo DS system. I've let her put it on her Christmas list - it's not on our budget, but if someone else decides to go for it, the first thing I'll do is spring for games from UFO Interactive. They've proven to me that they offer a line of family-friendly, non-violent games that fit in with our educational goals for the kids.
(Disclaimer: no monetary compensation was offered to, or received by, the author of this review or Know More Media, the blog host. This is not a sponsored review. This review is (c) 2007, Melonie Kennedy, and originally appeared on the Momma & More blog. It is mirror-posted on Workerette.com in the interest of providing information to women who may seek ideas for gift-giving or children's media.)
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Tracked on: November 27, 2007 6:27 PM | Permalink to Trackback