So now that I've decided on downloadable games, where do I go to buy them? Stephanie wanted games for kids ages 2~12, so I made up a list for her of games, prices, and recommendations.
Giggles Baby: Nursery Rhymes 6-24 months $19.99
(ALASC Great Interactive Software for Kids Spring 2009)
Bob the Builder Can-Do Zoo Rated E $6.99
(ALASC Great Interactive Software for Kids Spring 2009)
Dora’s Carnival Adventure Rated E $6.99
World of Goo Rated E $6.99
(ALASC Great Interactive Software for Kids Spring 2009)
Nancy Drew and the Phantom of Venice Rated E $6.99
(ALASC Great Interactive Software for Kids Fall 2008)
I Spy Funhouse Rated E $6.99
(ALASC Great Interactive Software for Kids Spring 2008)
JumpStart Advanced Preschool, JumpStart Advanced Kindergarten, JumpStart Advanced 1st grade, JumpStart Advanced 2nd grade, JumpStart Advanced 3rd grade
$14.99
(ALASC Great Interactive Software for Kids Spring 2008)
Thomas and Friends: Special Delivery Rated E $19.99
So I had Giggles for the babies, JumpStart for Edutainment Pre-K through 3rd grade, Dora and Bob the Builder for younger girls and boys, Thomas the Tank Engine because he is a local favorite, World of Goo (one of my personal favorites!) and Nancy Drew for the older boys and girls, And I Spy because it was a favorite from the older computers. I couldn't bring back Barney or Magic School Bus, but I Spy was still around.
I purchased 5 licenses for the Giggles game, and the JumpStart Games, though neither one of them required a license key or any sort of activation. I would rather cover my bases though. The Thomas Game specifically allows for you to install the game on five different computers with one license, so only one license was needed there. (It does require activation, so they are going to hold you to that five computer limit. No cheating!) The Big Fish Games site is awesome. Not only are their games only $6.99 a piece, but when I emailed them to inquire about multiple licensing, their tech support cheerfully replied that I only needed to buy one copy and I would be able to reinstall on all five of my children's computers. Hooray! Big Fish Games does have a client window that pops up underneath their games, but with SteadyState I was able to block the client from popping up, and the games still run just fine. (You wouldn't necessarily need to block the client from running, I just preferred they access the games from the desktop icon, and not through the client.)
(Just a note: Since you are downloading the entire game, many of these files are ridiculously big. Even if you have a fast internet connection, these downloads are going to take some time, so just be patient. The lack of disk-switching will be well worth it in the end!)
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3 comments:
Hi Emily,
Great post -- I'm sure it will be referred to many times over! I'd not heard of Kiddix before, but I'll be checking it out. My kids have Edubuntu on their machine at home as well as Windows for some of the older kids' games. It's got gcompris, tuxpaint and some other fun stuff as well. Other games you might want to check into for them is Frozen Bubble (only on Linux & Mac, & as addictive as crack!) and Super Tux Cart, which is available for Linux, Mac & Windows.
I've never thought of this, but it's a great idea! We normally use a virtual drive to avoid using the CD, but this is much much simpler.
Tammy
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