Educational software: Arthur’s Thinking Games

Sometimes I think that Tobin was born knowing how to use a computer. Perhaps he learned while he was in my womb during those nights I was up at 3am surfing the web and playing games, unable to sleep because of my acid reflux problems. I don’t remember at all teaching Tobin how to use a mouse, how to minimize windows and open new ones, or close out programs when he is done with them. I remember having to teach some of those things to Steve, but I don’t remember ever teaching them to his little brother. I also do not recall teaching Tobin how to change my keyboard mapping to French, but much to my chagrin, he somehow has managed to do that a time or two as well!

Tobin decided he did not feel like working on any of his workbooks for school this morning. I offered instead to let him play one of his educational CD-ROMs. He has a handful of Blue Clues games, a Dora the Explorer game, a few Reader Rabbit CDs, and an Arthur disc. Today he chose to play his Arthur one entitled Arthur’s Thinking Games.

He really isn’t all that familiar with the Arthur television show or the books yet, but he really likes the Arthur-themed computer game. I think part of the appeal for Tobin is the background settings to some of the games is a bit different than the other educational games he plays: a castle with a dragon, some Roman ruins, and a pyramid with some mummies. The mummy game in particular sparked an opportunity for discussion with Tobin on the ancient Egyptians which was coincidentally also the topic of Steve’s history lesson this morning. Steve easily took over the discussion with Tobin, and we had a very nice homeschooling moment. It was a great way to start out week two of our school year.

Tobin plays a logic game on the computer.