So, when I come across a site or network that I think my kids might like, I jump on it, and get them to try it out. Many times, my efforts have failed because either the site is poorly designed, or just too far below their experience level. Then, a lovely, joyful feeling came into this techie mama wannabees heart, when I found JumpStart.com They have created a visually appealing and entertaining virtual world for kids ages 3 and up! Sweet!
There are wonderful characters such as, Frankie the Dog, CJ the Frog, and many others, that will guide your little gamer through the virtual world. Sometimes, one of them will direct you to visit another character to get more information. Each one has their own activity that they will facilitate. Oh, and the way that the player navigates through the world is by directing their avatar, or Jumpee, in the direction they want to go. Each child that you register will create their own Jumpee to look however they want!
When my 3 year old son was playing, the world was customized to meet his needs. The focus was on shapes, letters, numbers, etc. He loved sending his Jumpee around to pick up the letters on the ground, and going to the Jump Pad to get to another area quickly. Or, we could click on the map to see other places we could go. He explored StoryLand where he went to the Dressing Tent, and the Fishing Hut. My older boys really liked building the robots and making them dance, and racing at the Speed-O-Drome. And, they have been back to play without any prompting from me. To a mom, that says that it is something that they really enjoy. I will admit, I tried the racing, too, but I wasn't nearly as good as they were!
In the Movie Theater, there are songs for little ones on video, but my favorite is the video on Embryology. Yes, embryology, the study of embryos. It is about frogs and how they develop, set to a rap. It is AWESOME! I really do love it. The song about regenereation is pretty cool, too. It shows animated crabs that get angry with one another, one loses a claw, but, gloriously it grows back. Go check them out after you sign up, and don't forget the video about beavers, too.
Not only is it fun for kids of all ages, there is fun for parents, too. Visit the discussion boards to see how other parents are using the virtual world with their children, what has and has not worked well for them. Or, read past issues of the JumpStart Times, the JumpStart Parent Newsletter. When you join JumpStart, you will get issues delivered to your inbox. The topics are timely and very well written. I got a couple of really great bedtime ideas that had never occurred to me!
Download some wallpaper for your computer that the little ones will recognize from their very own virtual world, and they will want to go back time and time again. There are so many things to do, and so much to entertain them, that they will not even realize that they are learning. They will gain such a feeling of accomplishment every time they succeed at a game.
JumpStart has really gone the extra mile on this site. It is not limited to shapes, sizes, letters, numbers. They have made science lessons fun and entertaining, the games help develop a sense of cause and effect. I am sure that there is so much more that my family has not yet seen. I guess we will just have to explore some more!
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