Welcome to this week's edition of COMPUTING WITH KIDS. This Internet magazine is written by Jinny Gudmundsen, the editor of Computing With Kids Magazine (formerly Choosing Children's Software magazine). Every week on Fridays, you will receive a copy of this ezine. Here is this week's column: If you are interested in subscribing to this weekly ezine, just click here—it only costs $20.00/year and you will receive 52 issues a year! Since this is an online magazine, we will deliver each weekly issue to your email account every Friday. Each weekly issue will contain a review of something new in children's technology media. Here is a sample review:

By Jinny Gudmundsen

Our list of the best kid games of 2011 includes games for all ages from age 4 to age 12, spanning all video game platforms. For the first time, we have a preschool game on Kinect (Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster). Educational games that are equally as fun are popping up on the Nintendo DS (The Magic School Bus: Oceans and Team Umizoomi). Revered and iconic characters are returning in new games (Kirby Mass Attack, Super Mario 3D Land, Skylanders Spyro's Adventure and Professor Layton and the Last Specter). Two Lego games provide hilarious re-enactments of classic movies (Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 and Lego Pirates of the Caribbean). The list even has a kid-friendly MMO (massively multiplayer online game) that is full of zany platforming puzzles (Monkey Quest).

Here's this year's best:

FOR AGES 4-6

Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster Published on December 9th, 2011

By using Kinect, kids get to play games with the Sesame Street Muppets without having to use a controller. This magical gaming experience has kids jumping, wiggling and running in front of the TV to interact with a variety of friendly monsters. In the process, preschoolers will learn about friendship, working together, facing fears and how to solve problems.
Summary Age  4 - 7 Platform  Xbox 360 with Kinect Price  $49.99 Category  Preschool Grade  ISBN  Company  Warner Bros. Interactive

Team Umizoomi Published on December 9th, 2011

Based on a Nick Jr. TV show of the same name, this cute math game let's kids join the two pint-sized heroes and their robot friend on an adventure to find missing parts to a rocket ship. Using early math concepts, kids will explore over 25 learning games, which adjust to the kid's ability as he or she plays. This is a great pick for your youngest gamer.
Summary Age  4 - 6 Platform  Nintendo DS Price  $29.99 Category  Math Grade  ISBN  Company  2K Play

FOR AGES 7-9

The Magic School Bus: Oceans Published on December 9th, 2011

Kids join Ms. Frizzle's class to go on an adventure under the sea. By exploring six different locations in the ocean, kids are exposed to and play with all kinds of underwater creatures. The game does a great job of combining fantasy travel in the Magic School Bus with fun educational mini-games that teach facts about underwater animals.
Summary Age  5 - 9 Platform  Nintendo DS Price  $19.99 Category  Science Grade  ISBN  Company  Scholastic

Monkey Quest Published on December 9th, 2011

This massively multiplayer online game is perfect for kids who have tired of "Club Penguin." In this world, you are a monkey who goes on hundreds of quests to save the world. The world is exciting, funny and beautifully displayed in 3D. It looks and plays like a console platforming game. Whole families can enter this world and play together.
Summary Age  8 - 14 Platform  Windows Mac Price  $9.95 Category  Video Games Grade  ISBN  Company  Nickelodeon http://www.monkeyquest.com

Super Mario 3D Land Published on December 9th, 2011

The famous Italian plumber is back to save Princess Peach from kidnapper Bowser -- this time in 3D. The use of depth, where you can move in the foreground as well as the background, creates a fresh spin on the classic platform-puzzling that is at the heart of this widely popular series of games.
Summary Age  8 - 99 Platform  Nintendo DS Price  $39.99 Category  Video Games Grade  ISBN  Company  Nintendo

Kirby Mass Attack Published on December 9th, 2011

Cute, pink, blobby Kirby gets split into 10 mini-Kirbys in this side-scrolling, platform-puzzling game. You adventure to rescue all of the little Kirbys and, in the process, save Kirby's planet. Game play is unique, because you are in control of a group of characters instead of just one.
Summary Age  8 - 99 Platform  Nintendo DS Price  $29.99 Category  Video Games Grade  ISBN  Company  Nintendo http://www.kirbymassattack.com

FOR AGES 10-12

Skylanders Spyro's Adventure Published on December 9th, 2011

What makes Skylanders special is that it is more than a video game. It comes with a special portal device and 3 action figures. By placing an action figure on the portal, the character morphs into the virtual game world. Kids will quickly learn that to defeat the darkness that is trying to overcome the luscious, magical Skylands, they will need to switch between the action figures, because each has unique abilities. This adventure story is beautifully written and filled with age-appropriate humor; and while there is violence, it is the mild "E10+" variety.
Summary Age  10 - 14 Platform  $69.99 (for Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo 3DS), $59.99 (for Win/Mac) Price  $69.99 Category  Video Games Grade  ISBN  Company  Activision

Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 Published on December 9th, 2011

For Harry Potter lovers of all ages, this game delivers a tongue-in-cheek recounting of the major events in the last four Harry Potter movies. With plenty of collectibles, interesting puzzle play and great humor, this magical romp gives all wannabe-wizards plenty to wave their wands at.
Summary Age  10 - 99 Platform  $49.99 (for Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PS3), $39.99 (for Nintendo 3DS), $29.99 (for PC, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS). Price  $49.99 Category  Video Games Grade  ISBN  Company  Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Lego Pirates of the Caribbean Published on December 9th, 2011

Available across all consoles, this Lego'esque rendition of the four "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies is hilarious fun to explore. This adventure offers plenty of swashbuckling action, as well as great environments to puzzle through. With treasure to find as well as other collectibles, players can spend hours refining their pirate personas. Yar!
Summary Age  10 - 99 Platform  $49.99 (for Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PS3), $39.99 (for 3DS) $29.99 (for Windows, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS). Price  $49.99 Category  Video Games Grade  ISBN  Company  Disney Interactive

Professor Layton and the Last Specter Published on December 9th, 2011

Available across all consoles, this Lego'esque rendition of the four "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies is hilarious fun to explore. This adventure offers plenty of swashbuckling action, as well as great environments to puzzle through. With treasure to find as well as other collectibles, players can spend hours refining their pirate personas. Yar!
Summary Age  12 - 99 Platform  Nintendo DS Price  $29.99 Category  Puzzles Grade  ISBN  Company  Nintendo

All software is judged on a five star scale by looking at the following five factors: educational, fun, ease of use, value, technical.

Jinny Gudmundsen is the Editor of Computing With Kids magazine. If you have questions or comments, please write to: jinny@ComputingWithKids.com.

© 2012 Computing With Kids jinny@ComputingWithKids.com