Description:
Aimed at preschoolers and kindergartners, Blue's Art Time Activities is one of the best creativity programs we've seen. Incredibly easy to navigate and perfect for independent exploration, this CD-ROM is appropriate for kids of all skill levels, whether they're computer novices or young graphic artists. By helping Blue and friends participate in The Really Big Art Show (sponsored by Blue's school), players learn basic art fundamentals such as color mixing, design, and layout. Along the way kids meet up with a cast of colorful characters including Chalk Girl and Marky Marker, Color Drops, Blue's new friend Periwinkle, and Al Luminum, the Mayor of Recycle Town--and, of course, Steve and Blue. Chalk Girl lives in a geometrically challenged Chalk World, where children can manipulate shapes with rotation tools, click and drag them to complete murals, and store their creations in an art portfolio. Chalk creations magically transform into lively animations as kids complete their unique artwork. Once their masterpieces are created, players can tell the world about The Really Big Art Show by creating a stylish invitation at the craft table. Here kids help Marky Marker decorate an invitation using virtual paint, glitter, gems, and feathers while adding borders and learning layout and composition. A handy eraser and a variety of brushes and stickers heighten the fun and the creative options. Playing the multilevel playground color game is an excellent way for children to learn about primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Here they'll mix and match colors along a hopscotch path, while taking turns seeing who makes it to the finish line first. Wonderfully animated Color Drops teach kids how to make colors such as purple, orange, green, and brown, and they can earn up to 10 ribbons for their efforts. Recycle Town is yet another creative place to explore. Children check out blueprints and follow instructions like young architects. After reading the blueprints, kids go on a scavenger hunt and collect the necessary items to construct a cool diorama. Using glue and scissors has never been this neat and easy! This program also introduces Blue's brand-new friend, Periwinkle the cat. Kids can help her illustrate a variety of tiny storybooks in one of the CD-ROM's best activities: players use crayons and stamps to fill in the pages of each book, then save their work and print it for away-from-the-computer fun. Finally, it's time to get the show on the road. Once kids complete all the activities, Steve asks them to choose one of their favorite projects for The Really Big Art Show; they can also select one of the ribbons to place on their prized artwork. Two paws up for this blue-ribbon software program. (Ages 3 to 6) --Tina Velgos
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