Great Interactive Software for Kids List
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Frequency: Semi-Annual
Award Information
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Generation Cures: Caduceus
2010 - Selection(s) Travel back in time to a world of myth and fantasy. Caduceus takes children on a journey to master alchemy and save the land of... |
2010 - Selection(s) | |
| Zoodles 3.4.4
2010 - Selection(s) Zoodles offers a wide range of games for children ages 3 - 10, from math and reading games to adventure games and typical computer games... |
2010 - Selection(s) | |
| Disney Online Kerpoof Studios
2010 - Selection(s) Kerpoof Studios offers a variety of creative and interactive games. Children can create cards, drawings, movies, tell a story, and much more. There are new... |
2010 - Selection(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Animation-ish
2009 - Selection(s) FableVision, , PC CD ROM Windows and Mac Compatible (Windows 2000/XP or Vista, Mac OS X 10.4 or newer), disk required to run. Age... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| ItzaBitza
2009 - Selection(s) Watch art come to life in this simple drawing game for the earliest readers. Kids draw shapes like houses and paintbrushes, then the computer animates... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| Bob the Builder: Can-Do Zoo
2009 - Selection(s) Created by Brighter Minds Media, , PC CD ROM Windows and Mac Compatible (Windows XP or Vista, Mac OS X 10.3.9 or newer), disk... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| Left Brain/ Right Brain 2
2009 - Selection(s) Based on brain research, Left Brain/Right Brain 2 will train both sides of your brain and challenge your non-dominant hand. It will strengthen your mental... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| Crazy Machines 2
2009 - Selection(s) Viva Media, , PC CD ROM Windows Compatible (Windows XP or Vista), disk required to run. Ages: 9-14. Collections: Public Library, School Library, Home... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| Professor Layton and the Curious Village
2009 - Selection(s) Join Professor Layton while he investigates the village of St. Mystere! This game is an adventure through the village with over 100 brainteasers and puzzles. ... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| Giggles Baby: Nursery Rhymes
2009 - Selection(s) Leveractive, , PC CD ROM Windows and Mac Compatible (Windows 98 or newer, Mac OS X 10.1 or newer), disk required to run. Ages... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| Zula World
2009 - Selection(s) Based on the PBS cartoon The Zula Patrol, this safe site teaches kids about science, math, and astronomy in a fun way. For ages... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| Goosebumps HorrorLand
2009 - Selection(s) Scholastic, Inc., , Nintendo DS ($19.99), Nintendo Wii ($29.99), Multiplayer, Rated E 10+. Ages: 10-14. Collections: Public Library, Home. The game is based on the... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy
2009 - Selection(s) Her Interactive, Inc., , PC CD ROM (Windows XP/Vista), disk required to run. Rated E. Collections: Public Library, School Library, Home. $19.99. Nancy is... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| Pixton
2009 - Selection(s) Pixton Comics Inc., , online. Ages: 9 and up. Collections: Public Library, School Library. Fee-based license. When kids join this online community, they can... |
2009 - Selection(s) | |
| World of Goo
2009 - Selection(s) Brighter Minds Media, , PC CD ROM Windows and Mac Compatible (Windows XP or Vista, Mac OS X 10.4 or newer), disk required to... |
2009 - Selection(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Mastering Elementary and Middle School Math
2008 - Selection(s) Mastering Math uses audio- and video-powered lessons to make learning math fun. It will assist children in their understanding of both core and complex math... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| JumpStart Advanced Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade World Premium Edition
2008 - Selection(s) Packed with kid friendly games and fun adventures, this program is challenging and yet allows kids to explore and try new things. Emails are generated... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Nancy Drew and the Phantom of Venice
2008 - Selection(s) Nancy's latest mystery takes her to Venice, Italy, where a phantom thief has the authorities baffled. Cooperating with the local police, Nancy must conduct surveillance... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| KONAMI Kids Playground: Alphabet Circus
2008 - Selection(s) Children refine motor skills on a dance pad designed for toddlers that allows them to coordinate movement with alphabet activities. Letter knowledge, an early literacy... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Animal Genius
2008 - Selection(s) Animal Genius is a collection of trivia and puzzle games. It starts out five different environments, and you, the player, must fill the environments up... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| KONAMI Kids Playground: Dinosaur Shapes & Colors
2008 - Selection(s) Children refine motor skills on a dance pad designed for toddlers that allows them to coordinate movement with shapes and colors. Primary colors (red, blue... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes A Day!
2008 - Selection(s) Brain training with over a dozen activities for children to improve memory, teach self-control and heightens creativity. For children, the brain age check isn’t as... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek, Her Interactive
2008 - Selection(s) In the wilderness of the Canadian Rockies, there have been several suspicious accidents at the Icicle Creek Lodge, and guests' sightings of a mysterious white... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| BookFlix
2008 - Selection(s) BookFlix fosters children’s love of reading through an interactive online database. It pairs fictional and non-fiction books that are structured around nine different categories, some... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| World Book
2008 - Selection(s) Elementary and middle school students will find World Book Online a valuable resource for all of their homework and school projects. In addition to the... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree
2008 - Selection(s) Do you want to make your brain bigger and weigh more? Now, you can when you play Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree. Players are also... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Beep
2008 - Selection(s) This CD-ROM is filled with activities specifically geared toward early elementary school age children and requires little to no reading. Children can choose from one... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Chessmaster Grandmaster Edition
2008 - Selection(s) Chess players, girls and boys alike, will not look at the game the say way again with this comprehensive but fun tutorial. Game modes range... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| GollyGee Blocks: 3-D Modeling for Kids
2008 - Selection(s) Have you ever felt limited by the constraints of the real world when playing with blocks? GollyGee Blocks allows you to build anything you want... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Cooking Mama: Cook Off
2008 - Selection(s) Try your hand at cooking, and then challenge a friend to a cook off! Cooking Mama: Cook Off lets you dice, chop, and mash your... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
2008 - Selection(s) First there was LEGO Star Wars, now there is LEGO Indiana Jones! The legendary archaeologist comes to you in the LEGO style video game. Each... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Discover Bach
2008 - Selection(s) So you think you know your instruments? Train your musical ear while learning about the music and life of J.S. Bach in this unique multimedia... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| LEGO Indiana Jones, The Original Adventures
2008 - Selection(s) First there was LEGO Star Wars, now there is LEGO Indiana Jones! The legendary archaeologist comes to you in the LEGO style video game. Each... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Get Puzzled!
2008 - Selection(s) Get Puzzled is a collection of hundreds of puzzles of all types at all levels of difficulty. Using the handheld Leapster console, kids from ages... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| Mastering Elementary School
2008 - Selection(s) This 2-disc DVD-ROM set provides enriching lessons based around Elementary School curriculum covering the topics of Math, English, Literature, History, and Science. Users learn by... |
2008 - Selection(s) | |
| I Spy Funhouse Animal Genius
2008 - Selection(s) Have fun while increasing your expertise at pattern matching! Search for objects in any of the eighteen I-Spy riddles - when you touch the correct... |
2008 - Selection(s) |
| Title | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Sid Meier's Railroads
2007 - Selection(s) Kids who love trains, and teens who are looking for an easy-to-understand business simulation to conquer alike will revel in the world of model and... |
2007 - Selection(s) | |
| Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island
2007 - Selection(s) One can easily become engrossed in this game. The story revolves around the mystery of ‘your’ missing grandfather. You have to travel the country to... |
2007 - Selection(s) | |
| 1701 AD
2007 - Selection(s) Strategize in the golden age of exploration in the 17th and 18th centuries by building, trading, exploring and declaring battles on land or sea. Ask... |
2007 - Selection(s) | |
| Anime Studio, E-Frontier
2007 - Selection(s) A complete animation program for creating 2D anime and cartoons for print, video, web design, fine art, comics and education. Character templates can be manipulated... |
2007 - Selection(s) | |
| Big Brain Academy
2007 - Selection(s) Fifteen games, three difficulty levels and grades from A+ to F- purport to boost your brain power. Choose from Practice Mode to Test Mode and... |
2007 - Selection(s) | |
| Collage Machine
2007 - Selection(s) Look, Mom, no sticky mess! Collage Machine allows users to create a collage from hundreds of included images, letters and numbers. Options to drag, drop... |
2007 - Selection(s) | |
| Crazy Machines 1.5
2007 - Selection(s) Crazy Machines 1.5 has more gizmos, gadgets, & whatchamacallits than its original version. This edition to the original wacky contraptions game will have you inventing... |
2007 - Selection(s) | |
| KaleidoDraw
2007 - Selection(s) A fun and easy way for beginners to explore the art and science of patterns and symmetry. From a wide palette of colors and images... |
2007 - Selection(s) | |
| Kaleidopix
2007 - Selection(s) With over 60 different patterns to choose from, you can create your own kaleidoscope with Kaleidopix. In addition, you can import your personal pictures or... |
2007 - Selection(s) | |
| Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave
2007 - Selection(s) Nancy goes to Hawaii to be a research assistant for eccentric entomologist Dr. Kim Quigley. It doesn’t take long before she is embroiled in a... |
2007 - Selection(s) |
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The Great Interactive Software for Kids Committee recognizes that electronic resources are integral to a child's growth and knowledge both in the schools and in public libraries. They are not only an increasingly important information tool but they also promote the natural tendency of children to explore and learn by fostering self-motivation, a sense of accomplishment, and individual decision making.
Library services for children should include access to computers and other developing computer technology. Children's collections should contain software programs, and interactive digital forms. Overall these programs should be balanced in subjects, age ranges, levels of difficulty, and type of programs.
The Great Interactive Software for Kids Committee works to identify high-quality multi-platform computer programs and digital media currently available.
Specific Evaluation Considerations
In terms of content, a program, digital download, or console game should be accurate, non-stereotyped, non-violent, and age appropriate. That is, the same criteria used to judge the content of other materials, e.g. books, should also be applied to software.
Electronic media and software should use the full sound, graphics, and memory capability of the computer, console, or platform to completely and imaginatively meet its goals.
The purpose of the program, console game, or download, whether explicitly stated or implied in the structure, should be clearly defined and match its stated goals.
Furthermore, software or multi-platform media should be well paced, user controlled, and allow for easy internal movement. When appropriate, there should be a large and random item pool. On-screen directions facilitate use of the program. It is very important that it acknowledges correct answers and provides help for users who give wrong answers. If the program is on going, it should allow users to save work from one time to the next. A variety of levels of difficulty enhances the program. Where appropriate, the program should allow for either single or multiple users.
If necessary, manuals should be packaged with submissions or available online for download. They should be clear and precise, attractive, illustrating sample screens. The publisher should offer upgrade options, information on copy protection, and network licenses and requirements to run, including whether the program can run with or without the disk in the hard drive.
Programs and digital content which are simple drill-and-response usually, do not fully utilize the capabilities of the computer will not be considered by this committee.
Potential Subjects
There is a great variety in the subjects appropriate for software for children. Language arts programs can emphasize letters, words, and sentences or creative writing. Interactive fiction seems particularly suited to the computer. Other successful programs are based on mathematics, science and technology, history, geography, music or art and drawing.
Independent of the subject matter, digital media, console games, and software can emphasize logic and conceptual skills, such as reasoning, sorting or problem solving. Other programs allow users to create or manipulate databases or use the item pool to construct and print a product. Programming or keyboard skills are taught by some software.
Age Guidelines
The committee recognizes the following characteristics of children at different ages. These are general guidelines and individual children or groups of children may differ. These characteristics are stated here for purposes of clarification.
Preschool children (ages 2-4) require a program that is very interactive and may require the assistance of an adult.
Primary children (ages 5-8) often need the assistance of an adult, especially to get started, and some beginning knowledge of reading is helpful.
Intermediate children (ages 9-12) need little adult assistance and have good reading skills.
Junior high students (ages 13-14) require no adult assistance and can benefit from challenging adult-level content.
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To submit works for consideration by ALSC's Great Interactive Software for Kids Committee:
Review the terms and criteria for the Great Interactive Software Committee to see if your work is eligible. If you are unsure if your work is eligible, please go ahead and submit it to the committee.
Submit one copy of the work with a completed to the Chair and, if possible, a copy of the work to each committee member so that all may have a chance to review it prior to the deadline.
Also send one copy of the work to the ALSC office with a completed (Attn: GISK Submission, 50 East Huron, Chicago, IL 60611-2795).
GISK lists are created semi-annually. Deadlines for submitting works are May 1 and December 1 of the publication year.
