Dr. Seuss Toddler
© 1999 The Learning Company
The activities and graphics are adorable in this Seuss program aimed at one- to three-year-old toddlers, but the CD requires more listening than is appropriate for this age group. Seven colorful activities are hosted by The Cat in the Hat and teach numbers, letters, shapes, colors, matching and mouse control. Children can learn their ABCs with Fox in Socks, make music with the Seussville Band and play a shape matching game with the Little Cats in Hats. No mouse clicks are expected— kids can just move the mouse and something happens onscreen. A second CD features a printable "workbook" with coloring pages. Despite all its positives, we question the program's suitability for toddlers. Each activity has a lengthy Seussian-style poem introduction, which makes for a rich language experience but also has kids waiting and listening before they can play— a challenging task for this age group. Another developmentally questionable facet of the program is its goal-directedness. As kids play the activities, they are rewarded with stamps for hats that they can color and print out. While this is a manageable task for a three-year-old, younger children are better served with more open-ended, exploratory activities. Our conclusion? This is a great program for children from two and a half to three years of age, but not the best option for younger toddlers.
$29.95, Win 95, 98; Mac OS (CD-ROM)
Teaches: numbers, letters, shapes, colors, matching, mouse control