Setting up the accounts for my son and daughter was very easy. All I had to do was install a quick plug-in and go. Once we were logged in the kids could create their own Jumpee character (customizable avatars for the game). The game is both easy and intuitive to play, and both kids 5 and 11 picked it up quickly. There are also great audio prompts to help pre-readers (or even slow readers) out along the way. This was very helpful because my daughter likes to "do it herself" without my help. The games feature things from raising dinosaurs to building race tracks and playing math games.
One of the things I like best is that not only is it both safe and educational but the kids can do it themselves, with little or no help from me. I think this is very important now days when kids are starting to use computers at a much younger age. My daughter at 5 can do almost as much as her brother does at 11. They just pick up on things so quickly, especially when they are as easy to follow as the JumpStart games are. These are games you can feel good about your kids playing online, they aren't shootem' up games they actually are fun learning games. I don't even think they realized just how much they were "learning" while playing them. It was a win-win for me!
In addition to the online world there are 4 downloadable 3D worlds that are included with the membership and the JumpStart Blog that is full of information for parents.
About The Jumpstart.com Worlds:
There are many places to explore once you launch the game. The first is an area called StoryLand, aimed at 3-5 year olds. Children can also explore AdventureLand and MarineLand, designed for kids in kindergarten to second grade. In addition, children in 3rd to 5th grade may be interested in checking out FutureLand, geared towards older children. We also just launched our most popular area, the Enchanted Sanctuary, where kids can hatch and raise their own dragons!
Here's a screenshot of one of my (I mean our) favorite games, Punk Punk Drop. I love this type of game so we had to "take turns" on this one. : )
Win it: One lucky reader will win a 3-Month Membership to Jumpstart.com. This giveaway will end March 18th at 10 PM EST. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If no response, a new winner will be chosen. Open to residents of the US.
Giveaway CLOSED - Congratulations to the winner (Cricket) you have been notified via email.
Mandatory Entry:
*Follow me via any method listed on my blog (GFC, Twitter, Facebook, Networked Blogs, Email) 1 entry for each method you follow by.
• Tweet this giveaway (may be done once per day - please leave a comment with your tweet status) RT #win a 3-Month Membership to Jumpstart.com from @smtilton http://bit.ly/az5Dls (Ends 3-18) #Giveaways
Disclosure: I was provided with a JumpStart membership at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.
