Childrens Software Review of:
BLUE’S 123 
TIME ACTIVITIES 

The minimum system requirements are Windows 98/95 on a minimum Pentium 90 machine. It uses 16 MB of RAM and you will need at least a 4x CD Rom. With these requirements it should not be hard to fit this program into most anyone’s library. It will also run on Macintosh PowerPC’s with 80 MHz, System 7.5.3 and 16 MB RAM. 

To test this software I enlisted the help of our household expert. . . my 5 year old daughter, Sara. The program brought two of her favorite pastimes together, Blues Clues and computer games. We both sat down at the computer and I popped the CD into the drive and followed the simple setup instructions. After this was complete I was literally pushed out of the chair by Sara as she took over the computer. As I have done many times before when trying out new software, I sat back and watched as my child maneuvered her way around the program. The few questions she asked were because she did not listen to the on screen voice instructions. This program includes all the characters that one would see on Blue Clues. Besides Steve and Blue you will see Magenta, Tink, Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper, Bell, Shovel and Pail, the Felt Friends and Baby Bear. 

The game starts with the host "Steve" (the only non animated character) standing in front of a digital backyard fair. He explains how to get started and then the child "enters" the fair. The first activity is where the child enters their name. They will be playing for Blue Dollars that they can redeem for "special" prizes. The games that are involved are - Basic Addition and Subtraction, Weights and Measurements, Pattern Recognition, Pattern Parade, Mother May I and the Prize Tent. 

Basic addition and subtraction is under the guise of a train ride. The child must add or subtract items to help Tink construct a train ride. My first impression was that Sara sailed through this activity with ease and a sense of boredom. The train moves slow and the child has time to fidget around while waiting for the train to deliver the specific parts.

Bell helped Sara with the weights and measure part of the program. Bell asks the player to find the heaviest or lightest objects and put them on the scales. Sara spent some time on this activity since she is fascinated by how much things weigh. Although this activity did not challenge her much, it did entertain her enough to keep her interested. 

Pattern Recognition was done by playing a card game with Baby Bear. It also incorporated counting skills into this game. Since Sara enjoys games of all types, I expected her to spend more time on this activity than she actually did. After figuring out what the object of the game was, she quickly went on to another activity. 

Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper invited Sara to help them sort snacks for the fair. This was done by placing a particular shape onto a shelf that matched the shape of the snack. This game was entertaining but just didn’t capture the attention of my astute child. This game is more for the smaller child to help them learn their patterns. 

The next step was to recognize and complete patterns with the Felt Friends. This is a simple game but as the game progresses it gets a little bit harder. It helps a child to put shapes in the order that they should be (i.e. ABC, A_C and so on). This game seemed to capture her attention very well and she played it for a long time, earning several Blue Dollars. 

Shovel and Pail took us on a journey into the world of number counting and adding with a game of Mother May I. This simple addition game proved to be the most challenging activity that Sara encountered. The verbal narration of the game was very positive to it’s player, encouraging the player when a wrong answer was selected as well as complimenting them when a correct answer was given. Sara completed this activity and quickly went to spend her Blue Dollars in the prize tent. 

The prize tent is where the child learns to evaluate how much "money" they have and how to spend it. They are to buy items needed to make a prize such as the wheels or steering wheel of a car. After they buy all the items Blue assembles the prize and hurries to show it to Steve. Sara had a lot of fun adding up her dollars and spending them here. 

After all activities are completes and Blue shows her prize to Steve, the player can enter the fair again to earn more dollars. All games can be played as much as the player wants, but as they play each game gets a little bit harder. This is where it can get interesting to see how much your child learns as their game progresses. That’s why it is important that as a child signs into the game they keep using their same player number so that the computer remembers their status. However, since the sign in screen is fun for the child in that she can change how her name looks or the colors of their name, this may be a daunting task. 

I would say that this game is a winner for all children in the 3 to 6 year old range that the box recommends. It truly is a welcome addition to my child’s library and it keeps her coming back time and time again. 

The game can be bought at any of the Superstores. It can also be bought from the website of Humongous Entertainment.  It retails for $19.99 but some of the stores have sales that can save a few dollars. You can also contact Humongous Entertainment at 1-800-499-8386.