Fisher-Price My Very First Little People Play House

$20, Win 3.1, Win 95, Mac OS (CD-ROM)

Teaches: matching, counting, logic, mouse skills

CTR Review

Thoughtfully designed for children with developing mouse skills, this CD offers six entertaining and educational games. The software gives grown-ups two easily adjustable onscreen mouse settings. Younger children can respond to the program with a click or key press. To serve snacks to the Little People characters for example, children simply click or touch the keyboard and a cupcake or brownie will be placed on a plate. Children with mouse skills can point and click to make their specific selection in the usual way. Young preschoolers, 2 1/2 to 4 years, loved helping the puppy cleanup by putting toys away according to instructions and also enjoyed helping him find his bone in the yard. The favorite activity was serving sandwiches, brownies and cookies to each of the Little People. Kids can also match shoes in a concentration activity, count fish in the bathtub and identify characters with familiar careers such as firefighter, veterinarian and teacher. The program could have provided more levels, "smarts" or activities to maintain the interest of kids at the upper end of the age-group. It also should have been faster to respond to kids' actions, especially considering that it is designed to teach mouse skills. Even with its limitations, however, boys and girls aged 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 adored the program. They loved the characters and themes. One little girl even burst into tears when she had to stop playing.