Amazon.co.uk Review
Can educational software be more fun for a busy 10-month-old than rummaging around in kitchen drawers? No. But
Reader Rabbit Playtime for Baby does manage to capture infant attention with bright, happy images; baby-friendly audio; and a format that responds well to chubby, not-so-co-ordinated hands.
A game of tag between Reader Rabbit and Mat the Mouse ends with Mat hiding in a toy box. With Mat's help, each of the 10 toys in the box leads your baby into a new experience: singing, manipulating shapes, hide-and-seek, discovering body parts, reading storybooks and (oh joy!) rummaging in drawers. Your baby controls the action by hitting any key on the keyboard (or just hitting the keyboard as they are wont to do) or simply moving the mouse. No clicks required. The cursor is a big fat star that leaves a trail of twinkles and makes a magic-wand noise every time it moves. Brushing it against objects onscreen will elicit anything from a childlike giggle to a "ker-plunk" to the appropriate animal noise.
The only critique of this CD is that the artwork is simplistic. It would be nice to see more depth and smoother movement, if only to make the CD more enjoyable for the adults who must guide their babies through it. Such subtlety probably doesn't matter to the one-year-old consultants The Learning Company must have on staff. By developing personalised storybooks with pages that don't rip and farm animals willing to engage in endless games of hide-and-seek, the creators of this CD have managed to tap into your baby's wildest dreams. No cupboard locks in Playtime for Baby! (Ages 9 to 24 months.) --Anne Erickson, Amazon.com
Product Description
Reader Rabbit Playtime for Baby introduces children nine to 24 months to singing, dancing, words, parts of the body, movement and more. Ten printable activities provide developmental exercises for your baby to practise while away from the computer. Any movement of the keyboard or mouse brings an instant response of colors, sounds and motions. You and your child can interact by moving the mouse or by pressing any key, and an instructional video for parents shows easy ways for you and your baby to use the computer.
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