Sesame Street Learning Series: Toddlers Deluxe
© 1997 Creative Wonders (The Learning Company)
Three previously released Sesame Street titles are included in this set: Art Workshop, Letters, and Numbers. The Letters and Numbers CDs suffer from a hard to use navigation system but still offer a few entertaining activities for Sesame Street fans. Art Workshop is the best of the bunch. In Sesame Street Letters, kids can explore Sesame Street where they play What's My Rhyme? with Big Bird and Shape-A-Matic with Burt and Ernie. They can also read a storybook with Snuffy or sort trash with Oscar. There's a nice range of content, but kids found the program somewhat awkward to navigate. The graphics are relatively low in resolution and instructions are not interruptible. While the program was cutting edge when it was created, it doesn't quite stack up to today's standards. In Sesame Street Numbers, Elmo is the host of the activities on Sesame Street. Kids can play a paper clip hunting game with Bert and Ernie, count to find presents for Elmo, add and subtract objects with the Count and play a hiding game with Big Bird. The program is entertaining but has quite a few weaknesses. Navigation through the program is awkward, transitions are slow and the graphics are grainy. In the four sections of Art Workshop, kids can play with stickers, fill in 18 coloring book scenes and dress characters in costumes. There is no way to add text, and the selection of stickers is limited. Painting is straightforward, with a look and feel similar to Kid Pix but with less flexibility. Costumes, our testers' favorite activity, lets children dress up different Sesame Street characters with a variety of shoes, shirts, hats and toys— an excellent exercise in symmetry and spatial relations. Access to the printer can be disabled which is handy in school settings. Its simple design makes Art Workshop a great starter program.
$30, Win 95, Mac OS (CD-ROM)
Teaches: art, creativity, letters, numbers, computer skills, shapes