ActivePOINT: Barney's Counting Party

$16.99, Smart Toy

Teaches: reading, counting, one-to-one correspondence, music

CTR Review

Note: The ActivePOINT line has eight titles, as of 2005. Following is a review of one of these titles. This large, 18 page, color picture book has LeapPad-like electronics built right into it. The story features characters from the Barney & Friends TV show, as they prepare for a party. Children help by counting balloons, playing a piano, and so on. While the story is fair by common children's book standards, the interactive component is weak at best. First, a child must touch a star to register each page -- not good for the intended age range. Next, children are limited to exploring just the right page (the left page is not part of the grid system). To keep children in the interactive zone, the stylus tether is intentionally short, making it frustrating for left-handed children. The biggest flaws, however, are the shallow games and missed learning opportunities for labeling objects. Another ActivePOINT title features Elmo. Runs on four AAA batteries.