Educational

Following on the heels of Dreamcatcher Interactive's educational arithmetic game Learn Math comes Learn Geography, a self-explanatory title designed specifically for elementary-aged children. Gamers can choose to play as a girl or a boy as they learn the basics of geography by using the touch screen and stylus to do exercises, participate in training, and take on a variety of lesson-based mini-games. ~ All Game Guide

Designed with preschoolers in mind, Storybook Workshop offers kids and parents an interactive way to experience 16 classic children's stories, fairy tales, and songs. The game includes a USB microphone so children can read along to classic stories from Hans Christian Andersen, Aesop, and the Brothers Grimm, and special effects let users hear their recorded dialogue played back in the voice of a robot, a fairy, or a giant. A sing-along room lets youngsters croon to such classic songs as "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and "Old MacDonald Had A Farm," while the "Play & Learn" mode helps children learn language, numbers, and shapes, and rewards them with virtual stickers. Kids can also use the Wii Remote to create their own paintings thanks to Storybook Workshop's included virtual easel. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Based on the best-selling book about a dolphin that was injured in a fishing accident, Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again is designed to be an interactive way to help children learn about wildlife and embrace one another's differences. Winter's story is read to young gamers by the book's authors, punctuated at key points by photos, animation, and micro-games. Player can tap on certain words to get definitions and pronunciations, and a number of collectible photos and pages are interspersed throughout the text, letting creative gamers make their own book in the free-play coloring book mode. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Junior Classic Games is a collection of activities designed to be an enjoyable way for kids to improve their learning skills. There are 30 different memory, observation, music, letter, and puzzle mini-games to try, and multiple difficulty levels help provide a challenge to gamers of various ages. ~ All Game Guide

Svelte television workout guru Jillian Michaels makes her handheld debut with more than a dozen different exercises in Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 for the DS. Players follow the lead of Michaels' as she takes them through a pre-determined routine of push-ups, abdominal workouts, running, and other exercises in "Jillian's Training" mode. Those looking to customize their regimen can specify which activities they want to do, and when they want to do them, in "My Training" mode. The "My Diary" feature keeps track of each user's schedule, progress, and Body Mass Index, and gamers can unlock helpful tips about diet, fitness, and wellness. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

My Virtual Tutor: Reading is an educational series designed to enhance a child's skills in five key areas: phonics, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, and phonemic awareness. Each entry for the DS handheld includes a selection of eight animated books. A bespectacled female tutor will help and encourage your child's reading by hosting various interactive activities. Your child can listen to the stories, take quizzes, draw and color pictures, and more. Statistics are also tracked over time so parents can monitor their child's progress and skill development. My Virtual Tutor: Reading Adventure's content is based on the "Foundations to Literacy" program licensed from the University of Colorado's Center for Spoken Language Research. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

My Virtual Tutor: Reading is an educational series designed to enhance a child's skills in five key areas: phonics, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, and phonemic awareness. Each entry for the DS handheld includes a selection of eight animated books. A bespectacled female tutor will help and encourage your child's reading by hosting various interactive activities. Your child can listen to the stories, take quizzes, draw and color pictures, and more. Statistics are also tracked over time so parents can monitor their child's progress and skill development. My Virtual Tutor: Reading Adventure's content is based on the "Foundations to Literacy" program licensed from the University of Colorado's Center for Spoken Language Research. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide