JumpStart Frankie's Field Trip PreK-1st - NR
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this educational title allows kids to practice problem solving, phonics, telling time, etc. While the box suggests that it's appropriate for ages 3 to 6, the game is best played by kids in kindergarten and first grade. If parents want to explore this title with preschoolers, they should be ready to help, because some of the instructions, mechanics, and content are too challenging for the littlest ones. Even with older kids, parents will need to help them learn how to use the DVD controller.
Families can talk about which field trip destination was their favorite and why. What activity did you like best? Which did you like least?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jinny Gudmundsen
JumpStart computer software has helped educate a whole generation of kids. Now this respected educational software brand is expanding into TV DVD games --interactive games that kids play using a television, a DVD player, and the DVD player's remote control.
The verdict? So far, so good. JUMPSTART FRANKIE'S FIELD TRIP PREK-1ST manages to be both entertaining and educational. It's a visual delight, with crisp, boldly colored animations that are cute and entertaining.
To start, kids climb aboard a school bus for a series of four field trips led by Frankie the Dog. Embedded within the field trip are many learning games.
For example, to teach navigation, Frankie gives kids clues about what direction they should go. At each intersection, kids use the arrow keys on the DVD controller to direct the bus. Frankie's hints might include a reference to following a fence along the road, or to turning toward a pond.
Kids also face many problem-solving situations. When they arrive at each of the four field trip locations, they are given four clues to help them to determine where they are. At the post office, for instance, kids find a truck with a bell that rings, a huge stack of packages, a bag full of letters, and a machine that sells stamps. Thereafter, kids are shown a map with pictures and word labels of all the locations. They must select the correct one.
Other problem-solving games include sorting the post office's packages by color and shape and navigating through a maze at the farm. At the fire station, kids play an arcade game involving pushing the up or down arrows to jump over or duck under objects obstructing their progress.
Kids also practice phonics, telling time, and following directions to create scrapbooks. Additional learning is introduced through songs.
The controls are set up to ensure success. If children don't answer correctly, the program either tells them to try again, or it eliminates the wrong answers. If kids don't interact, the DVD story continues anyway.
For the most part, this DVD game does an excellent job of using the limited DVD technology to create an interactive learning environment for children. It even saves the child's progress at certain points.
Unfortunately, most DVD controllers have numerous buttons, not just the "Enter" and four directional arrow buttons used in this game. Since young children love to push buttons, parents may need to help with controller use. Most of the extraneous buttons on the controller will simply not engage, but if kids push either the "Stop" or "Power" buttons, they'll lose their progress.
Parents may also want to check out JumpStart's educational PC games, such as Reading With Karaoke and Study Helpers Math Booster.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual Content |
 |
 |
||
Violence |
|
 |
||
Language |
|
|
||
Message |
|
|
||
Social Behavior |
 |
 |
||
Commercialism |
|
|
||
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
 |
||
Educational ValueKids practice problem solving, phonics, telling time, etc. |
|
|
||
