Parents' Guide to

Animal Genius

By Jinny Gudmundsen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Seamlessly incorporates learning into fun gaming.

Game Windows, Mac 2008
Animal Genius Poster Image

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Animal Genius stands out from other children's games because it seamlessly integrates learning about 25 animals into captivating gameplay. Young children play the games because they're fun. As an added benefit, kids learn a tremendous amount about animals. And children as young as age 5 can enjoy this software because almost all of the game's instructions and reading have voice-overs. But, parents of young children may want to steer their preschoolers away from choosing to be the lion in the maze game, because when the lion pounces on a zebra, it roars and you hear it crunching the zebra's bones.

This software is a variation of Animal Genius originally released on the Leapster in 2006 and then reconfigured for the Nintendo DS in 2007. Both of those previous versions were excellent, but this format is even better because it plays on a bigger screen, which allows kids to see the animals' characteristics in greater detail. Animal Genius is educational software at its best.

Game Details

  • Platforms: Windows, Mac
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Scholastic
  • Release date: August 22, 2008
  • Genre: Educational
  • ESRB rating: E
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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