It seems unfair to point this out given the lousy spring weather we've had, but summer is just around the corner.
That means the kids will be out of school soon. And they'll be SO bored, whining about how there's nothing to do.Parents, prepare now! Arm yourself with computer software that can be pulled out at strategic (read: hair pulling) moments to keep the kids entertained and their brain cells stimulated.
One program worth a look: Bill Nye the Science Guy: Stop the Rock! from Pacific Interactive.
Nye is the hip, bow-tied scientist from the Disney-sponsored PBS children's television show. Like the show, the CD-ROM program is a well-crafted blend of science and sassiness that's perfectly tailored for pre-teens. Parents will appreciate the way Stop the Rock makes science education so painless.
Here's the plot: A deadly meteoroid is hurtling toward Earth. A network of supercomputers called MAAX could stop the rock but decides it would be much more interesting to see what happens when the meteoroid plows into Earth.
But there's one hope left. With the doomsday clock ticking, budding scientists can attempt to jumpstart the computer by solving seven Earth Science riddles.
Nye serves as head scientist, consulting with players as they solve the riddles and submit answers to other staff at Nye Labs.
The lab is equipped with 17 interactive science devices, such as the Nyesmograph, Fault Finder and Morphmaster 5000. They've got wacky names but are based on real scientific principles, according to Pacific Interactive.
What's more, the game is laced with 20 learning concepts from National Research Council's National Science Education Standards.
Pacific Interactive did a fine job of mixing superb graphics with video clips to give this program a high-quality look that will appeal to kids.
Stop the Rock is available in a hybrid disk that works on PCs and Macs. It costs about $40. For product information, call Pacific Interactive at 800-688-1520.
Looking for a product to ease your preschooler into computer use? Humongous Entertainment's Freddi Fish line is perfect.
The company has two new arcade-style games in its Freddi series: Freddi Fish and Luther's Water Worries and Freddi Fish and Luther's Maze Madness.
In Water Worries, players help Luther zap bubbles drifting to the ocean's surface to stop the water from draining out and leaving sea creatures high and dry. The game has 100 levels, which get progressively more challenging.
In Maze Madness, players work through 50 mazes to gather sea kelp seeds Luther accidentally scattered. A custom level editor allows kids to create their own mazes. Both games offer single player or two-player options.
The Freddi Fish series is definitely for beginners. Children are simply required to click a mouse button or a keyboard arrow to play the games.
Both programs are available in a hybrid disk that works on PCs and Macs. Each costs $14.95. For product information, call Humongous Entertainment at 800-499-8386 or visit (http://www.humongous.com).
WHAM! POW! The How to Draw the Marvel Way program from Cloud 9 Interactive will be a SMASH!ing HIT! with the budding artist/cartoon fan in your house.
Marvel, of course, is the comic book home of the some of the universe's most famous cartoon figures: Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and the X-MEN. The super-heroes are the creations of artist Stan Lee, who guides aspiring artists through the program's 90 interactive lessons on how to draw cartoon figures.
It's set in an artist's studio, complete with a drafting table loaded with lessons and a layout table from which the artist can select pre-drawn figures to print and color. The cartoonist-in-training also can print comic book covers, trading cards, banners and posters.
There's also a computer with biographical files on superheroes and a radio loaded with golden oldie songs and news updates. And once they've created a few drawings, kids can display them in a multimedia on-screen slide show set to music.
While the lessons are presented on the screen, children are instructed to do their drawing on paper using the same techniques real artists do. A game about a mystery villian who is destroying comic book pages is woven through the lessons, and adds a second interactive layer to the program.
For children ages 10 and up. The hybrid disk works on PCs or Macs. The program is $34.95 or online for $20 plus shipping and handling. For product information, contact Cloud 9 at 888-ON-CLOUD9 or visit www.cloud9int.com.