JumpStart World Kindergarten
By Jinny Gudmundsen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Masterpiece in children's tech is fun and brainy.
Add rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this game.
Where to Play
Community Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Terrible Service.
Report this review
What’s It About?
Upon entering JUMPSTART WORLD KINDERGARTEN's personalized 3-D gaming world -- where waterfalls flow, butterflies flutter, and virtual friends are always available -- kids pick a character to represent them while they play, using the computer's arrow keys to control movement. Then they set off on missions suggested by other characters they meet: For example, they may need to find floating red orbs (a clever way to get players to explore the world), interview other characters to solve a mystery, or buy something from the game's vending machine to help another character. Gems, the currency within the JumpStart world, are earned by playing learning games in either the Math Arcade or the Reading Arcade. There's so much to explore: discovering a new path, bouncing on jump pads that send you flying across the world, taking a ride down a massive slide, swimming in a lake, talking to other characters, painting pictures, acquiring (and playing with!) pets, trying educational games, and much more.
Is It Any Good?
JumpStart World Kindergarten connects to the Web to send updates about kids' progress and receive new content based on how they're doing -- but parents don't have worry about their children's safety, because their children are never playing online. Every time kids enter this beautiful world there's something new to find: Seasons change, holidays are celebrated, educational games change, and new areas open as more content is added.
The initial boxed product (also available in a downloadable version on the software's Web site) costs $20 and contains the first two (out of 12) content installments. Those "starter" installments include more than 30 educational games and missions for kids; after installing the software, parents will receive regular email progress reports and tips. Additional installments are $8 each, with each new segment building on the skills already learned.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the game's world is different each time they play. How does that happen? Which buddy do you like best? Why? What are your favorite areas to play in? Have you used your earned gems to buy a pet? What is your favorite way to move around the world? What have you learned while playing this game? Do you think about learning things while you're playing, or is it just about having fun?
Game Details
- Platform: Windows
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: Knowledge Adventure
- Release date: May 18, 2007
- Genre: Edutainment
- ESRB rating: E
- Last updated: November 4, 2015
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Play
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate