by The Learning Company
3489 days in the top 100 Platform:
Windows 2000 / XP, Mac
(174)Buy new:
23 used & new from $2.99
(Visit the Bestsellers in Children's Software list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)
"Not too long ago, Zoombinis enjoyed the good life. Though they all looked slightly different--different eyes, noses, hair, feet--such differences meant nothing to the Zoombinis. And so they lived happily on Zoombini Isle, making small, useful products, which were prized the world over." So begins an unsuspectingly addictive CD-ROM, featuring uncommonly fun reasoning games that require serious problem solving and math-thinking work. Yet the perils that face this cheerful society are not as fearsome as the amount of time you'll potentially spend on this pursuit. Beware the chubby, chattering Zoombinis if you don't want to get hooked to your computer for at least 90 minutes a session!
Adored by educators and parents alike, Zoombinis Logical Journey challenges children to employ such basic fundamentals of mathematical thinking as organizing information, reasoning of evidence, finding and making patterns, and systematic testing of hypotheses. The journey follows four puzzle-filled trails, each exploring related mathematical ideas. The fundamental data and variables for all this work are the variations in the Zoombinis' features. Their "feet," for example, can be shoes, skates, whirligigs, or coiled springs (the sound effects for these items are particularly great), while their "eyes" may be heavily lidded, enhanced by eyeglasses, blocked by dark shades, or limited to just a single eyeball. Sorting and arranging these variables in order to solve puzzles requires concentrated effort from the players, and the game rewards them well with inventive scenarios that evolve in fabulously curious ways as skills are gained. This may not sound like much, but when Arno the Pizza-Eating Tree Troll, who has been yammering for the perfectly topped pizza his entire lifetime, suddenly demands a perfectly topped ice cream sundae, too, it is a staggering, giddy surprise.
The product is full of so many little joys, it's hard to demand improvements. Still, it'd be a great thing if version 2 would feature something other than the monotonous, ping-ping-ping soundtrack that's featured here. But that's minor. In the end, the creators' promise that this CD-ROM will "encourage kids to develop a lifetime habit of associating fun with learning" is dead-on. (Ages 9 and older) --Jean Lenihan
Learn important life skills and more as you lead the Zoombinis to freedomProduct InformationTravel to a remarkable new world and treat your brain to an outlandishly fun and challenging adventure. Diabolical Bloats have seized Zoombini Isle and it will take a clever mind to help the Zoombinis navigate their way to safety. Standing between you and your destination are twelve perilous puzzles with four levels of difficulty each. But beware this is no ordinary challenge. Zoombinis’ captivating gameplay features math without numbers. Solving Zoombinis puzzles uses the process of mathematical thinking. This process includes organizing information reasoning with evidence and testing systematically. Dive into the exciting and wacky world of the Zoombinis and develop information-age logic skills used in writing computer programs organizing spreadsheet data and searching for information on computer networks. Skills LearnedAlgebraic Thinking Data Analysis Graphing and Mapping Logical Reasoning Pattern Finding Problem Solving Statistical Thinking Theory Formulation and Testing Product FeaturesPrintable activities. Sharpen your skills even when you’re away from the computer. 12 perilous puzzles with 4 levels of difficulty each. Play again and again! With puzzle reformulation it’s a new game each adventure! Helpful puzzle clues and a handy practice mode build confidence every step of the way. A detailed Parent’s Guide explains the innovative educational approach behind each puzzle. Logical Journey supports the math standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Windows Requirements Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP Pentium 200MHz+ processor 32MB RAM 50MB free hard disk space * 8X CD-ROM drive Monitor resolution 800x600 minimum 24 bit color Windows compatible sound card speakers mouse * An additional 7MB of disk space may be required to install Adobe Acrobat ReaderMacintosh Requirements Pow