Bob The Builder

Bob the Builder is in the house.

MY house, to be exact.

My computer, to be even more exact.

The good folks at Parent Bloggers Network sent out an email announcing the new Bob the Builder: Can Do Zoo computer game, and I could see my computer time drifting away even as I read the email.  I knew that if I said yes, I was saying goodbye to my own screen time because my kid was going to be so excited to play.

I was right.

We’ve had the game a week, and I think my kid has played it every day.  He’s almost four, you see, and very interested in computer games, but often frustrated by the ones aimed at bigger kids.  There are great games online, but it’s too easy for him to click away to other sites and pages, so I’m not a big fan of that option.

Bob is great because the game is self-contained on one CD.  It installs quickly and easily, and then the CD is not needed — which is important if you end up at Grandma’s house without the other game CDs.  (Not that that’s ever happened to me.  Oh, all right.  Not that that’s happened to me today.)  The game has several levels, appropriate for young threes up to fives or so, and the game gets more interesting and challenging at higher levels.  At almost-four, Widget easily mastered the easy and medium levels.

There are many different sub-games available, teaching skills like matching, counting, colors, and sequences.

We’ve enjoyed playing the game this week … and I suspect we will for a long time to come.

But maybe next time we’ll install it on Daddy’s computer.