Education

Games of Math 4: Division and Fractions

Games of Math 4’s six minigames blend math drills with arcade action. From winning footraces by solving problems to writing a math-centric advice column, it’s hard to get bored. When the games are done, the two practice modes are almost as fun and are easily customized. Parents can select which numbers to work with, set quiz limits, and even turn on remainders and long division for advanced training. Missed questions can be retaken or printed to worksheets for further practice. Multiple children can be tested and tracked individually, and password protection lets adults block printing, access to student records, and more. We wish the minigames were as customizable as the practice sessions, but Games of Math 4’s features and polished design add up to a winner.

We knew math was important, but who knew it was fun?

Games of Math 4: Division and Fractions
COMPANY: Help Me 2 Learn Company
CONTACT: helpme2learn.com
PRICE: $19.95 for the downloadable home edition
REQUIREMENTS: 500MHz or faster processor, Mac OS 10.3 or later

Creative, dynamic games make math fun. Customizable, flexible practice modes. Password-protected controls for adults.

Games could benefit from greater customization.

GeoEdu

GeoEdu is a world atlas and customizable geography quiz, but neither is done well. Wading through the cramped, text-heavy, dated interface feels more like navigating a dry database than exploring an educational application. The atlas offers both too much and too little information, summarizing numerous international organizations in detail, but offering small, simplistic maps and little data about cities or languages. Quiz features offer extensive customization, however, and you can easily organize territory information in custom lists to cover specific topics, such as all countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean. But even these useful features are hampered by an interface that makes GeoEdu feel too much like homework.

GeoEdu's heart is in the right place, but its interface is in 1999.

GeoEdu
COMPANY: GeoEdu
CONTACT: geoedu.info
PRICE: $10
REQUIREMENTS: G4 or better processor, Mac OS 10.3.9 or later, 1024x768 display resolution

Flexible quiz customization lets you fine-tune geography drills.

Busy, confounding interface. Simplistic maps.

TuxMath

Arithmetic and arcade games make for strange bedfellows unless you’re playing TuxMath, a free game featuring the lovable penguin mascot of Linux. TuxMath revolves around two main games--the first is modeled after Missile Command and has you saving penguins from a comet storm. Each comet is labeled with an arithmetic problem you must solve in order to blast it to dust. The other game, based on Asteroids, tests your ability to solve factors and simplify fractions while blasting asteroids in space--requiring a surprisingly challenging combination of coordination and math-solving abilities.

TuxMath includes a number of different exercises to test your skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and a fast-paced, two-player hot seat variation adds a competitive element. Where TuxMath comes up short, however, is in actually helping kids develop these arithmetic skills--it is better for reinforcing the lessons they’re already learning in school.

Fun gameplay and delightful graphics, for the low, low price of nothing.

TuxMath
COMPANY: Tux4Kids
CONTACT: tux4kids.alioth.debian.org
PRICE: Free
REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 10.4 or later

One- and two-player games. Lots of different arithmetic skills to drill.

No tutorials, just lots of review.

Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom

In Crystal Kingdom, preschool kids guide Dora the Explorer and friends through seven light math, matching, and memory puzzles to defeat the greedy king, learning un poco de español in the process. The minigames reinforce listening, memorization, and basic math and language skills at multiple difficulty levels. Bright colors, peppy animation, and enthusiastic voice acting (including constant spoken instructions) carry kids through the game, and the inclusion of printable coloring book pages as prizes is a nice touch. An arcade mode lets kids revisit their favorite minigames any time, and six save slots let junior explorers help Dora without erasing each others’ achievements. There are no surprises here, but no gotchas, either.

One miffed monarch is no match for Dora.

Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom
COMPANY: Nova Development
CONTACT: novadevelopment.com
PRICE: $19.95
REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 10.4 or later, 512MB RAM, 1GB free disk space

Fun educational games for kids ages 2 to 5. Bright, engaging art and animation. Encourages learning Spanish.

No major complaints.

Bob the Builder: Can-Do Zoo

Can-Do Zoo’s lengthy story mode takes preschool- and kindergarten-aged builders through seven minigames to help Bob build a zoo for the animals of Bobland Bay. Kids will match shapes and colors, put blueprints in sequential order, complete patterns, and perform other gently educational tasks. Each offers children three levels of difficulty and plenty of feedback and encouragement, even when their answers are wrong. Audio instructions accompany every activity, and three save slots mean multiple children can learn at their own paces. When the zoo is finished, a free-play mode lets kids enjoy their favorite minigames anytime. As a bonus, virtual stickers are awarded for completed tasks and can be arranged on colorful backdrops, but it’s too bad these scenes can’t be printed or saved to enjoy later.

Activities are controlled with just the mouse, and most don't require precise aiming.

Bob the Builder: Can-Do Zoo
COMPANY: Brighter Minds Media
CONTACT: brightermindsmedia.com
PRICE: $19.95
REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

Gentle, low-stress, educational games. Appealing, simple art and animation.

Sticker-album feature is too limited.