Madagascar Preschool Surf n' Slide
Fun arcade-style game with a bit of learning for young kids.
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Madagascar Preschool Surf n' Slide
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Madagascar Preschool Surf n' Slide combines an arcade-style game with a bit of preschool learning content, and features characters from the Madagascar movies. Kids steer their favorite character down a water slide; when they get to the end, they have to answer a few questions by tapping into basic recognition skills. Kids earn stickers and collect points. The stickers are used in a sticker book, and the points can be redeemed on the Jumpstart website (with a parent account/login).
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What’s It About?
In Madagascar Preschool Surf n’ Slide, kids first choose a character and a rug to slide on. When sliding, they collect stars to earn points and try to avoid other obstacles. Once they reach the end, they answer a series of questions that earn them a sticker. The game automatically goes into the next round. To see all their stickers and points, kids have to quit the game, but can easily return.
Is It Any Good?
If kids are a fan of the Madagascar movies, they may like seeing their favorite characters some more here. At the same time, parents may like that the game includes some educational content. The game part is pretty simple: Kids slide a little slider on the bottom to navigate, or they can switch the setting to tilt the device. The slide is pretty straight, so even if kids don’t navigate at all, they will make it to the end, but just may miss some points.
As for the quiz at the end, it covers appropriate subjects like shapes, letters, and numbers. The shape questions are a little trickier -- some preschoolers may not have heard of a hexagon, and some of the shapes are hard to distinguish from one another (the rectangle doesn’t look that different than the square or oval from the circle, for example). Still, the app is a fun experience young fans of the movie will enjoy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Take basic shape recognition a step further by pointing out what makes each shape different, such as the number of sides or round shape.
Incorporate counting into everyday activities, such as setting the table (How many forks do we need?).
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
- Subjects: Language & Reading: letter or word recognition, Math: numbers, shapes
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: applying information, thinking critically
- Release date: October 4, 2012
- Category: Educational Games
- Publisher: Knowledge Adventure
- Version: 1.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 3.2 or later; Android 2.2 and up
- Last updated: July 13, 2020
Our Editors Recommend
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Fully stocked app with games, stories, video, and art.
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Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Entertaining "threequel" has some mild violence, innuendo.
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The Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns Again! (Wii)
Use the uDraw tablet for wacky comic adventures.
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