I know that there’s some controversy about screen time–TV, video games, and computer–especially for preschoolers. That said, my children both watch educational TV (and if I’m being honest, since my second child is so much younger than his big sis, he also watches her nine-year-old non-nutritive TV as well).
They both love computer games, and could navigate the computer easily shortly after celebrating their third birthdays. Computer games are fun, they are educational, and they keep them quiet. What more could I ask for?
If, like me, you like to let your children indulge in computer games, or if you’d like to start your preschooler off with some fantastic activities on the computer, here are two new games that my four-year-old son has been enjoying:
Mia’s Reading Adventure: The Bugaboo Bugs
This game by Kutuoka looks gorgeous, featuring TV or movie-quality 3D animation. In fact, when Kyle wants to play this game, he asks to watch “the movie” on the computer. There are two ways to play–either individual games, which I pull up for him, or the adventure which is more like a video game, which big sister Amanda prefers. The game says it’s appropriate for Kindergarten through grade three. My son just turned four and knows his letters and sounds, so there are some pre-reading games that he can play with my (or big sister’s) help, such as rhyming words or filling in a missing letter in a word. My fourth-grade daughter also enjoys it (although she says she’s just helping her brother play), and finds the adventure portion to be a challenge, so I’d say that age range is appropriate.
The game focuses on literacy skills such as sight word recognition, phonics, rhymes, spelling and more, as Mia enlists the help of the player to help rid the old Victorian house where her family has lived for generations of the Bugaboos before they all get exterminated.
This is another amazing game using 3D technology. It is geared for ages 3 to 5, and my computer savvy 4-year-old picked it up fairly easily, but I can also see that it will provide hours of challenging fun.
This is an adventure type game, where the preschooler navigates through the world. There are some features which will appeal to some kids, especially if they are reluctant to play the “educational” portion of the games:
- on each visit to Preschool World (or as many times as they desire), players can change the clothes of their virtual self and also change hair color, skin color, and other features.
- upon completion of one of the games, players receive special deliveries into their mailbox
- the player can also personalize his house–selecting the windows, doors, roof and color.
Kyle loves these special features that help make the game his own, so much so that he’s probably not noticing that he’s learning number and letter concepts, vocabulary, critical thinking skills, and so much more which will help get him ready for school.
This 4-disc game requires a lot of memory (1.4 GB), and runs on Windows XP or Vista, but in spite of its mass, it has run quite easily on my computer.
Hi There!
Thanks for the share, I believe the kids will love this. They also have their own favorite, http://thecolor.com. Happy Holidays!!:)
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Thank you so much for entering me. I would love to have this for my son, he is so into learning and loves to sit on our lap at the computer right now and this would be perfect for him!
I would love to win this for my grandchildren. Thanks for having this great contest!
Love the educational computor game; keep them coming; many thanks sW
my son is 4 he would really enjoy this!thanks!
The girls love being on the computer and I let them when it’s educational. We’d love to be in the drawing!
Reading is just around the corner for us
This would be perfect for my son. Thanks for the opportunity to win it.
This would be a huge hit with my nephew. Thanks for the chance to win!
Would be great for my granddaughter 🙂
I hope I win this one!
We’ve been wanting to try out some computer games for my daughter.
What a great prize!
Thanks for the great prize..In time for the Summer
Hope I win this for my youngest son.
looks like a great one!
My kids would love these!
Perfect entertainment when Mom has something she needs to get done.
I’ve been looking for computer games for my littles that aren’t just mindless, and these look like they would fit! Thanks!
What a great learning opportunity for my two young sons. Thank you for the opportunity to win this!
This would be awesome!
I would love to win this for our son who will turn 3 in December. We also have one on the way that would benefit from it also. Thanks for the chance to win it!!
count me in please 🙂
Great learning opportunity! I want to win! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
love to win this
Great stuff for kids!
love these both, thanks!
These look like great games!
This would be great to have for when its time for my daughter to learn to read.
Very cute!
Great for my granddaughter, enter me.
Sounds like a great idea. Count me in please.
Thanks for making a great site!!
Please enter me into the contest!!
4 the twins
My nephew would love this!
My almost 4 year old would love this pc game.
Sounds like fun. Thanks!
My 6 year old is just starting to read and is so proud. These would be great for her! Thanks.
My son has just been introduced to the computer…This would be perfect!!
My son would love these – thanks for the giveaway!
hope to win for my grandkids looks so fun thank u
hope to win for my grandkids looks so nice thank u
so cute!
this would be perfect for my daughter!
Great games from a great company and as a teacher, I will be sure and recommend these!
Sweet niblets!
These sound great!
The jumpstart cds are wonderful. I would love to win this.
my daughter could really use these, she is bummed because she missed our cut off date here for kindegarden and will need to go back to preschool for another year. She’s so smart and loves my computer. This would be an awesome surprise for her
my three year old loves using the computer and is such a smarty. He would love this.
Mias reading adventure looks darling, and we love anything in the jumpstart series…
My son (6) & my daughter (3) both love computer games…they both sound great to me.
I’d love to win this for my grandkids also!ty 4 the contest!:)
I’d love to win this for my grandkids!
count me in
The boys would have lots of fun with these!
Perfect for my little ones.
I love learning software
Would love to have this for my little one.
enter me please
I would to love to give this to my nephew.
These would be a great gift for my little boy.
I love educational material of any kind for the kids
I would love to win this for my daughter!
would be an awesome thing to win
We could use this
I haven’t yet introduced my preschooler to the computer. what a fun way to teach him!
with these rainy stormy days we are having could use this so the can play
My granddaughter would love it.
enter me
What fun! My little guy would love these!
tfisher83 AT myexcel DOT com
look like fun!
Please enter me in this awesome contest. My nephew would love this!
The more kids read, the more they expand. Would love to win
My son would love either of these.
If they are going to play on the computer, they may was well be learning in the process. Good prize!
Great prize,please enter me.Thank you for the contest.
Awesome games for learning!
Love those educational games!
how cute. would love this for the grandkids. thank you!
just to cool
My great nephew would love this.
enter me
wow
this sounds great, I do not have any games for the computer
Enter me. My Grandkids would love this.
Great prize, My kids would love this.
Please enter me!
The games look great and a lot of fun. Thanks for the chance.
Jennifer
My sons loves playing online game i am sure he would love either of these.
Hmmm . . . I’d love to give something like this a try.
Two of my sons are just at the right age for this. Sounds like something they’d learn a lot from.
My son really loves practicing his computer skills…I would love to give these a try.
owatz (at) telus (dot) net
I would like to win this. My neices and nephews would really enjoy it.
My daughter has just started on the computer so these would be a great addition to games for her to play.
I’d LOVE to win this and play with my kids.
I would love to have either of these games for my Daughter, or both 🙂 I like to put learning in with playing, and with this game it looks like my Daughter would have fun doing both…. Thanks, Christine
My grandson would love this!
My kids can type better than the can write because of these games. thanks for the chance.
my Little Guy loves computer time
Too funny…my daughter and I were just looking at Mia’s Reading Adventure in the Mac store the other day! I think it would be a great learning tool (and she thought it was pretty neat too). We’d love to win these!!
My daughter is going to be starting kindergarten so this would be great for her!
I am always looking for products that will give my children a head start.
These sound great – thanks!
I’d love to win Mia’s Reading Adventure! My 6 year old is really into reading right now, and during this summer break, she is into computer games, so this would really be a big hit! Thanks for offering this – it’s a great giveaway!
~Tanya
the4moyers(at)msn(dot)com
This would be great for my nephew. Thanks for the chance to win.
This would be alot of fun. I love the description and would definately enjoy the games.
These games are right up my son’s alley. Right now he is really into educational activities like education computer games, flash cards, and board games. He would love these!
We’d love to have a copy!
I blogged your contest on Prize-A-Tron too!
http://www.prizeatron.com
I blogged this giveaway at http://acontestblog.com/index.php/2008/5-minutes-for-mom-play-and-learn-giveaway/
I’d love to win Preschool World for my son.
My triplets would LOVE these games and it would give me a little free time!!
This would be great for my daughter!
this would be a great thing for my son and i to do together when the baby takes a nap. count me in…thanks!!!
What a wonderful prize!
I would love to win for my daughter
these look very cool – I would love to win!
haha so cool include me
cool prize, count me in please!
My daughter loves doing the computer she feels so big shes 4 and loves to learn i am not kidding either she loves to read and sound out words it is so much fun with her because you can see it in her eyes how proud she is when she hears good job and it really sweet
these look great.
Great Sweeps! Thanks!!
count me in! they would love this!
My sons love computer games
my kids would love this!
These games would both make learning fun. Thanks.
Woo hoo my son loves to play any kids of video computer game so if we win these they will be put to good use
my son would love this and so would I.
I would love to win a set! As a homeschooler, I always try to supplement their learning with educational games in addition to their deskwork. We all know how well a computer can hold their attention – all the better if they learn something while playing! 🙂 And what a great tool to reinforce what their learning during school time.
Thanks ladies!
I am getting ready to start my toddler on preschool learning games on the computer and would love these. I am sure my new problem would be getting her off the computer!
please count me in
My grandson would love this
my kids both enou the computer, they would enjoy either one, thanks
My son is just getting started on the computer and he loves it. I’m always looking for new and exciting products to hold his intrest as we learn about letters so this would be perfect.
oh these would be perfect for a rainy day!! Please enter me too!
These are great prizes! Count us in.
Perfect for my 4 year old!!
My son already likes to look at the computer screen! I know he would love this game soon! Thanks!
My grandson would be so pleased with this.
My daughter loves computer games!!
love it, my kid would love it too, thanks
Those look great! My son is addicted to Blues Clues…
Fun!
Please enter me to win the games. I’ll link on my blog.
This would be a great tool to help them learn the keyboard.
I would love to win this, my son is so crazy about the computer right now! And anything new he can learn, he just soaks it up!
Blogged HERE!
Please enter me
Sounds great. Count me in.
this would be super for my daughter
This sounds like a great learning tool! Thanks!
My kids would love this.
Nice prizes
My daughter loves playing games on the computer!
My kiddos would have sooo much fun with these!
This would be a great tool to help them learn the keyboard.
I’m in
Please enter me and thanks!
would love to win
great for my kids
like to win this
I would love this for my son!
My neice’s name is Mia, I would love to win this for her. Thanks!
My four year old grandson is not allowed to touch the computer at his house, but I let him play with mine. It would be fun to have one of these games for when he visits.
My oldest son loved this series, I know my 3 and 5 year old would too. Please enter me!
I’m educating my young boys at home and this program would be great for us!
We blogged here:
http://kristiniac.blogspot.com/2008/06/thursdays-tantallizing-finds.html
enter me…my grandkids love doing things on the computer.
I think my daughter would really like these games. Thanks!
This would be great for my kids!
Please enter me. It won’t be long before my toddler is ready to start using the computer.
I would love to win this for my little girl.
Enter me please. Thanks!
hey thanks
Great prize to keep our minds active this summer.
jump start has great learning SW
This would be great for both my kids.
This is a great prize. Thank you
Thanks.
sweet contest
My son could really use this!!!
Please enter me!
Wow, what a cool prize.
my two girls would love to play the games on the computer
I still can’t get the button to work
This would be perfect for me b/c i have a 5 yr old and a 3 yr old. It would be amazing entertainment for the summer!
Thanks so much for the opportunity.
I think these are great! I make sure my children get the same amt of screen time everyday..be it computers or the tv. They certainly have learnt tons from these venues!
These would be an awesome addition to our computer library.
we have 3 preschoolers in the house and this would be great for learning!
Hi! I would love to win a set for my 6 year old nephew. Please enter me in your drawing. I always appreciate it…..Thanks,Cindi
we would love to win!
thanks so much!!
moore.g at insideconnect.net
My little girls would love these. Thanks so much for this fabulous giveaway!
These would be fun to participate in with my grandkidlets!! I think they would love to play on the computer!!
please enter me
These would be great for my kids.
my daughter would love these
These would be great for my 3+ grandson! When he comes to visit he wants to use grandma’s computer and I don’t have much for him to do on it. This sounds perfect!
MY DAUGHTER WOULD LOVE THIS SHE LOVES TO PLAY ON THE COMPUTER
WE would love to win this thanks
This is my favorite website!
My daughter would love this!!
My post with the button is here:
http://www.livinwithme.com/2008/06/fabulous-giveaways/
so cool
neat prize
i love it
enter me please
my kids would go gaga for this
This looks wonderful for my oldest son.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
We love computer games and jumpstart is one of our favorites. Please sign me up for the games!
I would love to have this. Thank you,Anne
really like to win
Would like to win
my kids love computer games, i like the ones they learn from!
Would love to win!
The bugaboo one looks really cool!!
I would love to win!
My kids would love this prize
I would love this for my toddler! This would make a great Birthday gift for when he turns three in August!
I know that my grandson would just love this prize. I hope that I can win it for him.
Great products!
My oldest son has the jumpstart world for second grade. My youngest (preschool age) loves it and wants to play but the content is too advanced for him. He has done some of a Kindergarten version of this – but again it’s not preschool level. I was thrilled to see that a preschool world exists and would definitely be interested in winning. Thanks!
Our son would enjoy this. 🙂
Looks like lots of fun – my 3.5 year old would love it!! Please enter me!!
This is such a fun day. Thank you so much.
The one on the right is my grandson, Noah. He’ll be 10 tomorrow.
(http://6justmyopinion.wordpress.com)
Perfect for my little one 🙂
My little one is starting to get into the computer I let him play on PBS with me of course so he would love something like this Thanks I have your button on my side bar!
Thanks for another great contest:)
My niece is in love with the computer right now. She loves to play games and watch shows and type and anything else she can do on it. She would love these games.
These look wonderful – my Little Guy loves computer time!
Thank you for the ideas. My two toddlers watch a lot of PBS during the day. It’s all educational so I think it’s okay. They havn’t mastered the computer yet!
My grandson could use these as he will be starting school when it starts back. and he gets rather bored with the games we have now.
Would live to be entered I know some children that would make good use of them.
soooo fun. these would be great! thanks!
I let the kids play games, obliviously or I wouldn’t have entered the Wii contest. But I like to keep it limited at the same time. I love the jumpstart games but since we got the mac it doesn’t work because it isn’t compatible. Do you know if the other game will work on our computer? This is the one big downfall of the mac that I’ve found so far.
http://momfor4.blogspot.com/
I have blogged (for an extra entry) about this contest over at my blog since I have always admired what you offer not only in great giveaways, but what you have to say!!!
I completely believe that our kids need to continue reading and writing and learning over the summertime to keep their brains working (plus, it makes them ready for the following school year).
I’d so love to win this learning program for my little girls (Patience 6 and Piper5).
Perfect for my kids!
Great Prize !!
Looks great…so excited to be getting to the SUMMER DAY fun!!! 😀 Whoohoo, count me in!
This is a great contest.
So very perfect! My kids both love computer games.
My son would love this!
I too think that there is some value in educational programming and computer activities. I haven’t tried either of those but I bet my 4 year old would love them!
I sure hope I win thanks
This looks wonderful. My son is crazy about the computer already and he is only two!
My 4 year old would love this! She likes to play on the computer but I don’t have any age appropriate games. These sound perfect!
My kids would love it! Please enter me!
Great prize, playing and learning are the best combo! Thanks for the chance!
This would be great for my son. He’s been messing with the computer because he is curious. We currently don’t have any computer games for him so this would be a great start! I would love for him to be having fun while learning! Thanks for the giveaway.
Fun! My children love playing on the computer.
I have a computer genius in training who would just love to have these.
Thanks!
Have two little ones that would love this. Thanks.
gkstratos @yahoo.com
My 3yo would love this. Please enter me for the contest.
Thanks for the great giveaways!!!
There are so few games geared to this age group that actually are any fun. I think Ally would love this.
I want to win!
Count me in for this one! Sounds awesome!
I’m in.
count me in~
These would be awesome for my neice. 🙂
Both of them look neat.
My kids love to play computer games when we let them. We mostly use the free Playhouse Disney games online, so I’d love to win this!
What great games. Both of my kids would love them. Count me in!
very cool. my son will be 4 this year~ he would LOVE this. thank you 😉
ooh – looks neat…my button’s up!
thanks
My son loves playing computer games, but we don’t have many. This would be great for us!
We would put them to good use.
oooh! count me in! I think my twins are just about ready for something like this–and this one sounds great.
DD would just be in love with something new on the computer! I really appreciate the reviews as it is so hard to just go choose something without another mom’s opinion! Thanks! 🙂
as usual, awesome giveaway!
I would love to have these for my children! They love playing on the computer and I love having great games for them to use. Thanks!
This sounds like a neat way to supplement/reinforce a pre-schoolers’ letters and numbers learning.
My daughter would be thrilled with either of these! Thanks for the giveaway!
My kids would love either. My daughter is just now getting excited about playing on the computer. Thanks.
Count me in
Please!
My son would love either of these. He’s starting to get bored with Caillou, the only computer game we have for him. He could use a new challenge!
Sometimes I’ve got stuff to do, and the only way to get my not-at-all-independent child to play without me is to give her a game to play on the computer. This would be awesome! Thanks! I’ll spread the word…Erica, gumbi1313 at msn dot com