|  No
doubt about it, Blue's Clues television is top dog edutainment.
The show broke ground with its interactive approach to television.
Steve, the host, involves kids by asking questions (often with
obvious answers), pauses, then a few unseen children chime in with
the answer. This encourages children to call out the answer.
Problem-solving is the backbone of the show, and viewers are
encouraged to be actively involved and to engage their critical
thinking skills as well.
Blue
on the computer takes this interactivity further. To date, there
are two Blue’s Clues adventure-style software titles on the
market that closely mimic the format of the show. Children need to
hunt for the pawprint-marked clues by navigating through Steve’s
house, into his garden, and more. Along the way, they play games
and early learning activities. Because these hunts are not
entirely easy, preschoolers will definitely need some help.
Available titles are Blue's Birthday and Blue's
Treasure Hunt.
 Activity-based
software programs featuring the lovable pooch are plentiful.
Whether your child wants to explore the alphabet, reading, art, or
math, there’s a Blue’s Clues program for her! This way, kids
can “play” with their favorite characters, and learn a few
things at the same time. Blue’s ABC Time Activities
has kids recognizing and reinforcing both upper and lowercase
letters, searching for animals in an "animal safari"
while paying close attention to the creatures' beginning sounds,
and completing puzzles of letters and shapes. In Blue’s
Reading Time Activities, kids are exposed to plenty of words
along with activities that reinforce early reading skills. Blue's
Art Time Activities lets kids explore their creativity through a
variety of directed activities, and Blue's 123 Time Activities
pairs pre-math learning games with the
fun of interacting with favorite Blue's Clues personalities.
Two
new software titles featuring the lovable cast are due out in
October.
The
Nick Jr. website features
some fun--and free--games based on the show. There’s an archive
of previous games, and new ones added often.
A
GameBoy Color Blue’s Clues game--Blue's Alphabet Book--was released last year. It’s
very easy to play – and of course, easy to bring with you
wherever you go too.
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