Disney
Online has just launched their new preschool online subscription service,
Playhouse Disney Preschool Online. This interactive online service
features preschool-appropriate interactive games starring familiar characters
from Disney’s Playhouse TV lineup.
The content
focuses on a mixture of preschool skills, such as numbers, letters, matching,
and also sequencing and logical thinking skills. At first, there are only
three games available, but there is new content added every two weeks, for a
total of 26 additional themed content packs.
To begin,
parents install the online service, and then choose a character for their
child. Then, it’s off to the games! As of this review, there were three games
available at first, with the theme of “Braver Behavior.” Stanley, Jojo and
Mickey each have a story to tell about being brave. In Mickey’s game, kids
listen to segments of his camping story, and then answer the questions about
what he just narrated. No reading skills are required; kids simply click on
the correct picture that corresponds to the question just asked.
JoJo’s
Circus requires kids to pop balloons matching a certain number, and Stanley’s
adventure involves learning about lions on a safari. Kids will take pictures
of lions and other animals by using the mouse as a camera.
Mickey’s
story is the same every time, with the same questions. Stanley’s adventure is
also pretty much the same, with kids finding the lions in the first two
levels, then seeing how many animals in general they can click on in a set
time limit. However, there is no “beat my last score” feature to this
activity. JoJo asks for different numbers during the balloon popping activity,
and then offers a timed sequence similar to the one in Stanley’s adventure.
The graphics
are typical Disney, which means they’re great. The games all look like their
TV counterparts.
These games
are designed very well, and focus on appropriate preschool and kindergarten
skills. The activities are charming and gentle, and let kids play at their own
pace. These are good quality preschool games that compare well to other
offerings in software programs. However, the subscription price is $49
annually, the worth of which is hard to judge from just this preliminary look
at the service. There were only three activities available for my review
account, but the parents’ page lists a different theme (Family Matters) than
the one I have available (Braver Behavior) and has seven activities listed, so
I’m not sure of the initial number of activities offered for first-time
participants. A year’s subscription to Family Fun magazine is offered for free
along with the online service, and there are also printables available on the
site.
While the
three beginning activities are good, they are all short, and two of them are
repetitive. The service promises new content every two weeks, and if there are
three or more activities for each new theme, AND the past content is still
available for the duration of the subscription, then this will be a good
value. In contrast, a software program will typically have an average of
around 10 activities, all of which are usually randomized for optimum replay
value, which doesn’t appear to be the case for this online service. The cost
of these software programs usually averages around $20.
Parents
wanting to try out this service before committing to the payment plan can sign
up for a seven-day trial to test out the games for free, but they will have to
remember to cancel before the seven days are up, or their credit card will be
automatically charged.
Overall, I
liked this online service, but each family will have to judge for themselves
whether the cost is worth the product or not.
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Gameplay: 7.5
The online
activities are fun and appropriate for preschool children. However, they are
repetitive and should have been randomized for optimum enjoyment.
Graphics: 9.0
Definitely Disney
quality!
Sound: 8.0
The sound
affects, voice acting and music are all good.
Difficulty: Medium
The game has
automatic leveling for different abilities.
Concept: 7.0
The content is
pretty much the same as other preschool offerings, but is well-designed and
implemented.
Overall: 8.0
The content that
was tested for this review offered a good mix of preschool skills and fun
learning, but the worth of the overall product was hard to evaluate from the
sampling done for this review. I liked the product, and believe that if all
the content is available for the entire subscription period, then this is a
good value. Parents are advised to try the seven-day trial period and judge
for themselves.
