First there was Millie, a calculating cow. Then Bailey, a baseball-capped feline who dabbled in literature. Both transcended their low, relatively humble positions on the food chain to host entertaining yet subversively enriching multimedia software programs for kids - Millie's Math House and Bailey's Book House.
Now there's Sammy, a presumably venom-free snake who presides over Sammy's Science House by Edmark. This accommodating reptile promises pint-sized epiphanies on such natural phenomena as the order of things and the wonders of nature, weather, and biological taxonomy.
Music plays cheerfully while an array of activities await junior mouse jockeys. All of them are engaging, some more than others. Highest on the scale is the "workshop," where budding handi-people learn to follow a blueprint while constructing various projects. Also very hands-on is the make-a-movie component - a preschool version of film editing. Then there's "Acorn Pond," a virtual field trip to a pond, where a stern voice identifies wildlife. And you can also tinker with a "weather machine," but the possibilities are limited to three variables - there are no tornadoes or even thunderstorms. Finally, there's a feature that encourages junior biologists to identify traits in the animal world.
Edmark promises that spending time in Sammy's house "gives kids the start they need to develop a positive attitude toward science and a curiosity about the world." In my observation, most kids already have that curiosity. The nice thing about Sammy's Science House is that it doesn't kill the urge, but nurtures it.
Sammy's Science House, for Mac and PC, CD-ROM or diskette: US$35. Edmark Corp.: (800) 426 0856, +1 (206) 556 8400.
STREET CRED
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