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> Results: Bob the Builder: Bob Builds a Park
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An afternoon of puzzles and mini-games with the popular BobIs Bob the Builder popular with children because the show is better than other programs, or is it because of deft merchandising and marketing strategies? That's probably a question with no single right answer, but it's obvious the plan of Bob's creators is bearing grand fruit. Children love the show's friendly characters and there's no lack of precedent for youth interest in the vehicles of all sorts, including construction trucks. That gives an edge to Bob Builds a Park, which thankfully takes advantage of the television license for better rather than worse.  Bob Builds a Park features ten activities based on an outdoor park theme. The master plan is to help Bob get the park ready for a public opening. The activities are hardly unique and you've likely seen variations of them in other kid games, but they do offer a decent variety and are simple enough for kids to finish on their own. The documentation doesn't recommend an age range, but children 4 to 5 years old should be able to understand the more rudimentary of the mini-games with some guidance, and children versed in reading and computer use should have no problems navigating it. Here's a brief breakdown of the types of games in Bob Builds a Park, so you can decide if they're appropriate for your children and their interests: 1. Bob's Park Planner (a clip art applet that lets players create and print pictures of parks) 2. Skateboard Track Repair (simple timed platform game where Bob must fix broken parts of a skateboard track) 3. Skateboard Stunts with Spud (Spud skateboards on the track, players can time a button press to make him perform stunts). 4. Dinosaur Discovery (simple puzzles of dinosaur skeletons) 5. Pets Corner (matching game where players herd animals to the correct pens) 6. Squirrel Run (pathing game where players build columns to fill elevation gaps in a path to allow squirrels to cross) 7. Crazy Crates (maze running game where players search for crates) 8. Crazy Golf (simple three-hole golf game) 9. Bob's Band (a music constructor using the sounds the construction vehicles make) 10. Fireworks Finale (a reward for completing all the game's activities, players choose fireworks colors then watch an animated display of them firing) The activities are entertaining and do have exercise some spatial, artistic, and logic skills. The lack of a traditional academic approach focusing on the alphabet or numbers makes the game perhaps less useful as an augmentation to school subjects, but more accessible for preschoolers. If the game has any faults, it's that it only saves the player's profile and how many activities they've completed. Players can't save the songs they created in Bob's Band, or the pictures of parks they've designed. They can print pictures of the parks, however, and completion of the game awards a printable certificate. In addition, Bob's Band is a wonderfully creative activity, but could have used a tutorial about the basics of making music. But in general, for the audience Bob Builds a Park is shooting for, the developers have hit the target and this is a fine game for parents and their children to share. Features: Ten activities of varying types, familiar faces Publisher: THQ Genre: Child activity Ages: 3+ ESRB Rating: E- Everyone 
The Kid Factor is high here, as you'd expect for a Bob the Builder game. My son, at 3.5 years, struggled with a few of the concepts in the mini-games, but otherwise found the game enthralling. He is getting better at navigating with the trackball on the PC, and Bob Builds a Park smartly uses large buttons and dialog boxes that give both visual and audio feedback. If your child can't read, but can listen, he or she can mouse over the Yes button when the game asks, "Do you want to play again?" and learn which button to press by listening for the "Yes" or the "No." As with the television show, the game's feedback to the player is gentle and encouraging and the game is void of anything offensive. The developers apply the Bob the Builder license well, and the music, art, and theme all fit the product well.
Kid Factor by Bernie Dy
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