Caillou: Magic Playhouse Reviews (Windows)

Discuss Review + Want + Have Contribute

This program is well done for the most part. The video clips are short and interesting, the activities are valuable and entertaining, and the design of the program works rather well. Congratulations and instructions are sometimes excessive, however.

Many of the activities are typical preschool fare—adequate, but they could have been so much better. For example, in one, children create silly stories by choosing the subject, the place, and objects found in the story. The result isn’t visual—rather the words are highlighted but without corresponding animation to help bring the story alive.

As in the companion game, voices are clear and the script isn't too repetitive. Explanations for activities come in both verbal and textual formats, with buttons and icons named aloud as the mouse cursor touches them. Caillou: Magic Playhouse is a good mix of entertainment and educational teaching, with aspects geared to both pre-school children as well as early learners needing practice or reinforcement of skills.