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Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year's Celebration

(2009, Computer Software - Preschool, Rated EC, Play it on: Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 3, age appropriate for kids over 3; suggested age 4.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0

  • Common Sense says

    Virtual Chinese New Year with perfectly designed games.

In this game kids can:   be creative, improve hand-eye coordination, play music

Why We Rated This on for Ages 4 and Up

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    Knowing that the majority of players would be preschoolers, the developers planned the controls perfectly. They are easily learned and easily executed, with minimal opportunity for frustration.

  • Educational value:

    Aside from the important early-education concepts used in many of the levels (recognizing shapes and colors, following a rhythm, listening and following instructions, understanding emotions based on facial expressions, and more), the game also offers a lot of factual knowledge about the Chinese New Year holiday and its cultural traditions.

  • Messages:

    The game imparts the following positive messages: Celebrating one's heritage and culture with family and friends is fun and important. Helping out in preparations makes a celebration more enjoyable. If a friend is sad, you should try to cheer him or her up. Being creative is rewarding.

  • Role models:

    Kai-Lan is sweet, respectful, empathetic, and friendly. She eagerly assists her grandfather in shopping, cooking, and preparing for the festival. She loves to learn about and take part in her culture's traditions.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    The booklet contains three pages of ads for other Nick Jr video games.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year's Celebration was written by Christopher Healy

Parents need to know that this incredibly well-made preschool game is both entertaining and educational. Players are made to feel as if they are truly taking part in both the preparation for and celebration of a Chinese New Year festival. Children over six will likely find the game far too easy, but for the intended audiance or preschoolers or kindergartners, Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year's Celebration is perfectly set up.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the benefits of learning about other cultures. What other cultures are your children interested in? Is there a holiday that your family does not celebrate that your kids would like to learn more about? Do you think is it important to be in touch with ones cultural roots?
  • Parents can also discuss the importance of emotional intelligence. How can you tell when a person is happy, sad, or angry? How can or should you alter your behavior to accommodate the emotional state of another person?
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More on Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year's Celebration

What’s the Story?

In NI HAO, KAI-LAN: NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION, Kai-Lan, the young Chinese-American heroine of her own Nick Jr animated series, helps her friends and grandfather prepare for a Chinese New Year festival. They go through every step of the holiday. Preparation involves such activities as shopping for food, preparing traditional dishes, coloring and cutting out paper lanterns, and practicing a song with a band (which they later perform). When the celebration begins, they take part in a dragon boat race, a parade in which they carry floats, a dance, and a fireworks show. They even help clean up afterwards.  Close

Is It Any Good?

Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year's Celebration is one of the best DS games created for preschoolers. The dawn-to-night format, which begins with Kai-Lan waking her friends and ends with her washing dishes (which is actually fun), is genius. Not only does it make kids feel like they're really taking part in this marvelous cultural celebration, it also spices up the gameplay with a lot of variety. Helping the grandfather shop for ingredients is a sort of I Spy game, while helping him prepare the meals calls for Cooking Mama-style gameplay. The fireworks display involves tracing shapes with the stylus, while rowing in the dragon boat race becomes a rhythm game. It's all super-easy, but as the average Kai-Lan fan is still learning the alphabet, that's exactly how it should be. Close

Publisher’s Details

Released on 11/5/2009, price $29.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: EC (for no descriptors)

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