Dora's Cooking Club

Common Sense Media says

Fantastic, fun math game baked into a cooking sim.

Age(i)

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

Quality(i)

 

Learning(i)

(i)
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Dora's Cooking Club gallery

What parents need to know

Positive messages

The many positive messages of the game include overt ones about learning math skills and about math being fun, but also more subtle ones about being a great helper for your parents and teachers.

Positive role models

Dora eagerly assists her parents, grandmother, and teacher in putting together a variety of meals for a big feast. She does chores happily, excited by the chance to help.

Ease of play

The game controls are all super simple, very easy for preschoolers to handle without parental assistance. And all instructions are spoken aloud -- no reading required.

Violence & scariness
Not applicable
Language
Not applicable
Consumerism

The game is a tie-in to the Dora the Explorer TV show -- and all its many licensed products.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Dora's Cooking Club is a game that, on the surface, let kids participate in the preparation and cooking of virtual recipes, but which is really a math game in disguise. For the majority of the "cooking exercises," kids will be presented with challenges that involve numbers and counting. The app is incredibly well-designed for use by preschoolers and kindergartners.

What kids can learn

Subjects

Language & Reading

  • following directions

Math

  • counting
  • fractions
  • patterns

Hobbies

  • cooking

Skills

Communication

  • listening

Engagement, Approach, Support

Engagement

Learning Approach

Support

What kids can learn

Subjects

Language & Reading

  • following directions

Math

  • counting
  • fractions
  • patterns

Hobbies

  • cooking

Skills

Communication

  • listening

Kids can learn arithmetic basics, such as numbers and patterns, as well as a few more advanced concepts, such as fractions. Players assist Dora and her family in putting together a series of recipes -- a plot that accentuates cooperation, respect, and helpfulness. Every cooking step involves a game intended to challenge young children mathematically. All directions are spoken aloud, so reading isn't required -- but good listening is. Dora’s Cooking Club nicely blends math lessons into colorful cooking games.

This Learning Rating review was written by Christopher Healy

Parents say

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Kids say

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What's it about?

Dora's Cooking Club lets kids join the young Nick Jr star as she assists the various adults in her life in preparing and cooking delicious dishes for a big village feast. In Cooking Mama style, kids have to chop veggies, stir soups, top pizzas, and so on. In between those more straightforward cooking tasks, there are others, all involving food, that test kids on their early math skills. They may be sorting cookies into numbered groups or measuring out different amounts of ingredients.

Is it any good?

QUALITY
 

If Dora's Cooking Club was simply a kitchen sim, it would still be a good one -- colorful and fun with great, easy controls for very young kids to handle with ease. But it's more than that -- it's also a math game. And that added value raises it from good game to great. The number challenges are woven right into the recipes, letting kids move from cooking to math seamlessly. It's a very appealing game that will draw kids in with its colorful, positive vibe (and licensed characters, of course), and will keep them interested and having fun as they practice their arithmetic.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about cooking together for real. How can spending time in the kitchen help bring a family together? Why is cooking a good skill to learn?

  • Families can also discuss the importance of math. Why do kids need to learn math? When and how do we use math in everyday life?

Game details

Platforms:Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
Price:$29.99
Available online?Not available online
Developer:2K Play
Release date:October 27, 2010
Genre:Preschool
ESRB rating:E for (No Descriptors) (Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi)

This review of Dora's Cooking Club was written by

Christopher Healy

About our rating system

  • ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
  • OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age.

Find out more

Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

Find out more

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Parent of a 6 year old Written bymadsmooney1214 June 4, 2012
AGE
3
QUALITY
 
LEARNING

doras cooking club

Families can talk about cooking together for real. How can spending time in the kitchen help bring a family together? Why is cooking a good skill to learn? Families can also discuss the importance of math. Why do kids need to learn math? When and how do we use math in everyday life?
What other families should know
Great messages
Great role models
Too much consumerism
Easy to play/use
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Parent Written byGranny reader March 26, 2012
AGE
2
QUALITY
 

Granny reader on Dora

OH MY! I absolutley LOVE this game! I gave it to my 4 year old grandson (he is adopted) and is african american. He loves this game, and so do I. It shows great amounts of diversity! I snuck in some time on my couch and played this game. It was most delightful indeed! I recommend this book to all boys and girls of all colors and ages!
What other families should know
Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
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Kid, 11 years old July 6, 2013
AGE
2
QUALITY
 

Nothing But Juvenile Junk

I watched Dors The Explorer as a young kid, so I should know that this is for babies.
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