by Brighter Minds Media, Inc.
Platform:
Windows, Mac
(11)Buy new:
22 used & new from $1.09
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Third in the series of programs based on the Caillou PBS TV series, this title bases its eight multilevel activities around the four seasons. Unfortunately, it's one of the poorest programs we've come across in a long time. The license and theme are strong-- children help little Caillou get dressed for the weather, collect items for a nature book, sing songs and print out things to make away from the computer. Other activities include letter- matching, rhyming games and counting challenges. Sadly, almost every one of these activities is fraught with design and content flaws. The obstacle course race is timed, but you can't make Caillou ride his skateboard faster, and the scale balancing game makes no sense even after you listen to the directions several times. The dressing and "what's wrong with this picture" activities are too rigid and give children very ambiguous choices (Why is a snow shovel okay in the spring picture but not a rake? Why can't there be a squirrel in a spring picture?). It's one thing to be directive when you provide kids with clear-cut right and wrong answers, but another thing altogether to present them with ambiguous options and then "punish" them for not being able to read the software designer's mind. Shame, shame, shame! All this and lost clicks, too. Run away from this one as fast as you can.
Caillou Four Seasons of Fun is a fun set of educational activities that helps children understand the four seasons!