These games are all accessible via KidZui’s free, kid-safe web browser by typing “Dinosaur Train” in the search bar.  Pick the top left option, called “Dinosaur Train.”  Once there, you’ll want to click on the train with the word “Games” on it.

In all, there are eight games on the Dinosaur Train site, most of which have been designed to appeal to the very youngest computer users, those who are just learning to use a mouse.  However, a few games do have some great educational value as well, making them enjoyable (and beneficial) to kids as old as kindergarten-age.

Hatching Party

Your kids help hatch and feed a baby dino in "Hatching Party."

NOTE: This game requires use of a webcam and a printer.

After kids print the special dinosaur egg, they then hold it up to their webcam to help the dinosaur egg hatch.  Once hatched, kids will need to continue to hold the egg and play a counting game or feed their dinosaur.

Age-appropriateness: Kindergarten-aged kids will have the coordination necessary to keep the egg in front of the webcam long enough to hatch and interact with it.

Hungry Hungry Herbivore

Help your dino eat the plants while avoiding other dinos on the path.

In this simple game, kids will control a blue dinosaur down a road, eating plants while avoiding other dinosaurs.  Simply click the dinosaur to move him forward, and move the mouse left and right in order to maneuver him around the screen.

Age-appropriateness: Young kids just starting to learn computer and mastering the mouse will love helping their dinosaur cruise down the road.

All Aboard!

Your kids are the conductor on the Dinosaur Train!

Help the conductor take the dinosaurs to their appropriate eras on the dinosaur train.  After kids help find empty seats for different kinds of dinosaurs, they’ll then collect their tickets and feed them.  When the game’s over, kids can print out a color-able conductor badge.

Age-Appropriateness: Young kids will be able to follow the clear verbal directions from the conductor, but older kids will love the dino-education value.

Flying with Buddy

Count along as Buddy grabs the shells.

Use the mouse to help Buddy swoop down to collect shells.  He’ll keep a running tab along the way, which helps kids with basic addition and subtraction.

Age-Appropriateness: Great for pre-schoolers who can easily control the action, but will also benefit from the game’s commentary.

Pteranodon Fishing!

Catch as many fish as you can before time runs out!

Point and click to catch as many fish as you can in the time allowed.  After you’re done, a counting lesson recaps how many fish you caught.

Age-Appropriateness: Simple controls make this great for three- and four-year-olds just starting out on the computer.

Field Guide!

Learn about all kinds of dinosaurs in "Field Guide."

These dino flash cards give kids the lowdown on 50 different types of dinosaurs, from the turtle-like Adocus to the giant flying reptile Zhejiangopterus.  Each flash card not only comes with the correct pronunciation, but also shows how many “kids tall” a dinosaur is, what they eat and also includes another fun fact about them.

Age-Appropriateness: Kids and grown-ups of all ages can learn something from the Dinosaur Train Field Guide.  If your kid is into dinosaurs, this is a great online game to play together and talk about the facts that you are learning.

Dino Tracks!

Kids help complete the patterns in "Dino Tracks."

In this pattern game, kids are presented with a sequence of tracks, and given three different dinosaurs to choose from in order to complete the pattern.  In Free Play mode, kids can make and print their own dino-track sequence.

Age-Appropriateness: Pre-kindergartners will love flexing their pattern power.

How Big are You?

Take a guess at how big the dinosaurs were by comparing them to other animals.

This estimating quiz game presents kids with a drawing of a dinosaur, and a representation of a modern animal, such as a dog, cow or alligator directly below it.  Kids must guess approximately how long the animal is.

Age-Appropriateness – Right answers don’t seem to matter here, but pre-kindergartners and kindergartners should be able to have the most success in their guesses.

Are your kids dino-fans?  Do they enjoy Dinosaur Train?  Let us know in the comments below!

Johner
KidZui Gamer

“Family Game Guy” Johner Riehl is the founder and editorial director of FamilyFriendlyVideoGames.com and FamilyFriendlyApps.com, sites dedicated to offering families easy-to-understand information about family-friendly games and apps.  He lives in San Diego with his wife Christina and three sons.

Must everything be child-proofed? Not so!

Back B.K. – you know, Before Kids – besides sleeping in, going out whenever I wanted, or eating an entire hot meal without getting up to get something for somebody, I enjoyed collecting midcentury modern furniture. I got lucky and managed to acquire some original, fairly significant pieces before it got really popular and prices shot through the roof.

As a result, our house is chock-full of furniture that would be difficult, if not impossible to replace. Sort of gnarly for parents with two kids under five, huh?

I remember vividly one dinner at a local cafe where I sat, hugely pregnant and chowing down, as a well-intentioned and extremely forceful family member looked me in the eye and informed me in no uncertain terms that my furniture collection “would have to go” before the baby arrived.

“That stuff just isn’t kid-friendly. What you need is softer, more comfortable furniture you don’t care about. It’s their home, too, and  children should have unrestricted access to it.”

I sat smiling but silent, and quietly refused to discuss it. As a result, that mandate was repeated to me no less than 12 times that evening with increasing fervency and volume. And yes, I counted. Counting helped me keep from yelling “Oh shut up already!” at the top of my lungs.

It was then I knew two things: First, my parenting style was going to be mine – whatever it ended up being. And two, I was unwilling to compromise beauty simply because I was having a baby.

Long story short, I still have every single piece of my collection. It’s still in great shape, five years and two rambunctious kids later. There are some tricks to it, though, such as….

With some simple ground rules, your prized collections can be safe from wild children.

Setting Furniture Rules for Kids

Amazingly, these work! What a concept, huh? Yeah, I was pretty impressed with myself for inventing them. Seriously, though, our furniture rules are simple:

1. No eating or drinking on any furniture that isn’t meant for dining. (Added benefits of this rule: Cleanup happens in one space and we eat together at the dining table more often.)
2. Artwork happens only in the artwork area, unless special permission is granted.
3. Jumping, bouncing and sliding is okay only where it’s okay. (We’re good with beds, for example, but our airplane chairs? Not so much.)
4. No naked bum-bums. ‘Nuff said.

…and:

Setting Furniture Rules for Adults

Shocking, right?!  I think the adults need rules to live by more than kids. I know I do.

1. Your stuff is probably going to get thrashed. Deal with it.
2. Your stuff is 10 million times less important than your kids. If they do destroy your stuff, chillax: a) it’s just stuff and b) they didn’t mean to.
3. Furniture can be reupholstered. Wood can be refinished.
4. Stay true to your maxim: Beautiful things are meant to be used /  worn / loved.
5. Keep a full bottle of Resolve handy at all times.

As a result of standing my ground – and also letting go – I now have delicious mental snapshots. What a treasure – those memories of nursing my babies by the golden light of a Nelson saucer lamp. (The girls now call it ‘The Spaceship’ and pretend they are robots from outer space.) My daughter wrote her name for the first time bathed in the reflected light of the fiery orange Panton Cone chair upon which she sat, her hair all golden and her tongue between her lips in concentration. And our home is ours, with our own rules, own parenting styles – and two little girls who are generally quite well-behaved and joyful people.

But most of all, besides living with design and color that inspire me daily, I hope that deep within the lush soil of my girls’ subconscious a design acorn is being planted, to fruit as it will through the special conditions of personal experience.  I am thrilled to see them beginning to express themselves; design and art are two such wonderful ways to do that, providing lifelong sources of inspiration, healing and release.

Maybe for you it’s something besides furniture – a vintage car, perhaps? Or, like a friend of mine, a ceramics collection?  We would love to hear about your collections and what steps you took toward child-proofing them.

Tamara
KidZui Mom

Tamara Tuttle is a writer and photographer who runs a design agency and lives in San Diego with her husband, attack cat and two woogumses.

One advantage of my age is that I really enjoy listening to other moms and dads discuss how they parent using this or that method, what works for them and what doesn’t. I especially love hearing about what doesn’t, because these stories are usually hilarious and something to which I can relate.  I also appreciate the honesty.

Whatever method being used for the parenting issue du jour, there is one thing no one ever seems to talk about: assessing young children’s behavior.

How is my kid doing?

This question is pretty much the heart of parenting. It’s something most thoughtful parents do everyday, but is rarely something talked about until there is an issue. Which seems odd until you calculate the number of hours you spend worrying and realize: Worrying is just the neurotic version of assessment.

Yeah, But How Do You Really Know?

You want the clicker? Well come on, then, Mommy. Go ahead, MAKE MY DAY...

How do you track your kid’s development and identify issues? How can you identify a problem or issue? Do you compare your kid to a sibling or other kids his or her age? (Natural, but likely inaccurate and besides, it feels a little weird.) Listen to other parents? (Choose your parenting mentors carefully!) Use reference material to make a determination? (Yay, Internet!) Do you talk to a professional? ($$$) Or just go with your gut? (Is she just tired, or really having trouble managing her emotions in public / a picky eater / being stubborn / having issues with reading?) And the answer is: There is no single answer. (C’mon, you knew that already!) But it’s really true that you’ve got to go with whatever parenting research combination works for you and your kid. That said, I’ve found taking the time to listen to your gut will rarely steer you wrong.

Acceptance Is The First Step

All of that said, it is our job as parents to see the issues and not deny them. Your kid is not an angel, prince or princess. It seems many of us are given rose-colored blinders at the birth of our kids. How many parents do you know who make excuses for their kid’s bad behavior? I certainly have; it’s nearly a reflex. In my experience, the trick is to control that reflex, stay conscious, make the effort to remove the blinders and be honest with yourself – about your kid and also about how you model for your kid. My kids, for example, turn obnoxious when I’m overwhelmed, distracted or angry – and because I get angry when overwhelmed (something I’m working on), it creates a perfect storm situation. Not good. For the longest time, I couldn’t figure it out, you know – because of the rose-colored blinders. It turns out that hey – the girls really weren’t “tired!” And yes, as a matter of fact, it really WAS my fault.

Knowledge Is Power

But in my situation, knowing that it’s a pattern, I’ve been able to break it. It has also enabled me to stop similar situations from happening with other people who care for my kids – which has been hugely empowering. What a relief to be able to say with conviction, “Actually, no. That behavior is directly related to your personal stress,” and remove my kid from that situation to huge, provable success. Boo-yah!

Not every issue is so easily rectified. But if listening has taught me anything, it’s that there are as many solutions as there are kids and issues. The challenge is figuring out the problem (if there is one) – but you can’t do that if you won’t first accept that your widdle woogums has one.

What about you? Can you relate? Got any stories you want to share? I’d love to hear ‘em.

Tamara
KidZui Mom

Tamara Tuttle is a writer and photographer who runs a design agency and lives in San Diego with her husband, attack cat and two woogumses.

Although there are only a few Backyardigans games online on Nick Jr.’s website, every one that is there is of high quality and a great choice for kids.   Our own pre-schooler loves playing with the Backyardigans Trick-Or-Treat Dress-Up Game year round.

These games are all accessible via KidZui’s free, kid-safe web browser by typing “Backyardigans Games” in the search bar and selecting the “The Backyardigans Games” option.  Although there a couple different options that seem as if they may fit, this choice will get to the page that has the most Backyardigans game options.

If your pre-schooler is playing games online, you need to make sure they check out the Backyardigans games.  Here’s a closer look at what they’ll be able to play.

Backyardigans: Trick-Or-Treat Dress Up Game

It's Halloween all year long in Backyardigans: Trick-or-Treat Dress Up.

This game lets players explore their creativity by dressing up the Backyardigans characters in Halloween costumes.  Essentially, kids can place Pablo, Uniqua, Tasha, Tyrone or Austin where they want on a Halloween themed background, and can then mix and match Halloween costumes and other decorations on them.  What’s really cool about this one is that after their done, kids can choose to print out their scene in either color or black and white, meaning that after they’re done on the computer, they can spend a few more minutes coloring their creation in real life.

Recommended Ages: 3-6

Backyardigans: Mermaid Matching Game

Practice those memory skills in Backyardigans: Mermaid Matching Game.

This is the classic memory game with a twist.  Instead of finding two objects that are the same, instead kids need to find pairs of items that go together, like shoes and socks or peanut butter and jelly.  Three different levels of difficulty add more cards.  Once kids play all three, a printable cut-out activity is available.

Recommended Ages: 4-6

Backyardigans: Robin Hood the Clean

Make a game of scrubbing the dirt away in Backyardigans: Robin Hood the Clean.

Based on a Backyardigans episode of the same name, the Robin Hood the Clean online game invites players to scrub away dirt and grime from a dirty city in order to unlock the keys to the village’s cleaning supplies.  This game utilizes the mouse, letting kids point and click and the area they want to clean.

Recommended Ages 4-6

Backyardigans: Pirate Adventure

Using the mouse, kids will navigate a pirate ship through obstacle-infested waters, gathering pirate treasure along the way.  As the levels progress, the action speeds up.

Recommended Ages: 4-6

Backyardigans: Tale of the Mighty Knights

Chase King Pablo's pet egg in Backyardigans: Tale of the Mighty Knights

Requiring two hands on the key board, the Tale of the Might Knights Backyardigans game is best only for older and more coordinated kids.  Kids will need to run and jump as they chase King Pablo’s pet egg, which has grown legs and wings and is trying to get away.  Some of the jumps can be a bit tricky and may require a parents help.

Recommended Ages: 5-6

Backyardigans: Mission to Mars

Explore the Martian landscape with Rover.

This is another game that’s based on a real-life Backyardigans episode. In this lengthy online game, players must explore the Martian landscape in their rover (who they’ve cleverly named Rover).  Rover must jump over holes, blast away rocks, and periodically stops so kids can remember coded sequences in order to progress.  There are three levels in all, and this one takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Backyardigans: Adventure Maker

Create your own adventure with the Backyardigans Adventure Maker.

This game is very similar to the Trick-Or-Treat Dress-Up Game, in which kids can select a scene and then choose to place the Backyardigans and various items wherever they’d like.  Settings include the Backyardigan’s Backyard, the Tower of Power and other places that kids will recognize from the show.

Recommended Ages: 3-5

One last thing worth noting: There are a couple selections (Super Spy Adventure and Backyardigans Racing Adventure) that won’t work within the Kidzui browser because they require a special program called 3DVIA to be installed.  If you or your kids want to play one of them and are having trouble, just steer them towards one of the ones we highlighted.

If your kids enjoy the Backyardigans games, let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

Johner
KidZui Gamer

“Family Game Guy” Johner Riehl is the founder and editorial director of FamilyFriendlyVideoGames.com and FamilyFriendlyApps.com, sites dedicated to offering families easy-to-understand information about family-friendly games and apps.  He lives in San Diego with his wife Christina and three sons.

These games are all accessible via KidZui’s free, kid-safe web browser by typing “Handy Manny games” in the search bar and selecting the top left option.  Once there, you’ll be able to access 16 different ways to play along with Handy Manny.  Let’s get to work – muy rapido!

Many of the Handy Manny online games on Disney Jr. are built to be accessible to very young kids, around three and four year olds.  Luckily, a lot of these games offer differing levels of difficulty to provide a challenge to older players.  However, there are a few games that are too difficult for pre-schoolers but are great for kindergarten-aged Handy Manny fans.

One thing nearly all of the online Handy Manny games have is a healthy dose of positive reinforcement from Manny.  He’s always telling players they are doing a “great job” or “you’re really good at this” as they perform tasks in-game.

Manny’s Pit Stop Shop

Vroom Vroom! Help Manny build a racecar!

After a brief video clip from the TV show, players can customize a racecar step-by-step, choosing tires, paint style, number and paint colors.  Once done, kids can print out a photo of their completed racecar.

Handy Manny Tool Tip:  Don’t be afraid to use the skip button.  Each step is explained via video as the car is being decorated, and while this is helpful for three and four year olds, it can also be annoying. 

Manny’s Big Crane Game

Kids must use a crane to move blocks from one side of the screen to the other.  The blocks have a puzzle image on them, so it’s really a matter of moving blocks until the puzzle picture is complete.  Kids are helped along by the block being tinted green or red before it’s placed.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: Make sure your printer is full of paper ink when you’re done with Manny’s Big Crane Game.  After kids put together their puzzles, they can print out an activity when done which consists of nine separate pieces of paper that can be cut and folded into blocks.

Handy Manny Carnival Games

This collection of games starts with a video clip from the TV show.  Then, kids have a chance to help three different tools play a game that could be found at a carnival.  Timing is most important in this one, and after completing each game, kids win a carnival prize.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: If you’re looking for simple controls, this is the game for you.  Each of the Handy Manny Carnival Games is controlled by pushing any button on the keyboard

Clang!

Making music with Clang!

Unleash your child’s inner Mozart! Kids will click tools to “make music” from the various sounds each tool makes.  If they want, they can choose from one of three different Handy Manny tracks to play along with.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: Clang! is all about freeform creativity, as there are no specific objectives for players to complete.

Fix-it Fetch

Help Fetch chase down the bouncing balls.

In Fix-It Fetch, kids will use arrows to help Manny’s robot dog move left, right, up and down to fetch bouncing balls.  There’s the option to use the keyboard arrows or use the mouse to select the onscreen arrows to control Fetch.  The trick here is timing the bounces just right so the balls land in Fetch’s mouth.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: Play Time and Game Time modes lets kids choose whether to play with a time limit or not.

Flicker Lights the Way

Kids help Manny use his flashlight Flicker to make his way through the greenhouse in order to reach the power generator, collecting stars along the way.  This one uses the arrow buttons on the keyboard for controls, but also lets players click on onscreen arrows with the mouse.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: Between hallways, players must use the mouse to look around a room for a key.

Manny’s Garden Gallery / Manny’s Mini Garden

In this art program, players use different brush sizes or create colored rectangles or circles to make a garden.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: In the gallery mode, kids can view other’s pictures, and when they’re done, either print or submit their own to Disney.

Motorcycle Reunion

Kids need to paint a curvy road to connect Manny with his tools.  It’s up to kids to show Manny which way to go. Once complete, kids can watch a video clip from the show.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: This is definitely one of our family’s favorite online Handy Manny games.  Kids will love seeing Manny ride his motorcycle along the path that they created.

Toy Factory

Kids can choose a toy and then many different accessories to decorate the toy with.  Kids will need to decide to glue, screw or hammer the accessories on to their toy.  Once complete, kids can print out a picture of the toy they’ve helped build.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: Press “Animate” to see your toy move as you’re putting it together.

Hop Up, Jump In!

Bounce those tools across the screen in Hop Up, Jump in!

This one takes a bit more coordination, as players will use their mouse to position a bouncy spring underneath Manny’s tools as they attempt to jump from one side of the screen to another.  In the game mode, kids will try and see how many they can get into the toolbox in one minute.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: Practice mode lets kids work on mastering the precise mouse movements necessary for success in “Hop Up, Jump In!”

Manny’s Piñata Birthday Bash

Help the tools fill up Manny's piñata.

Manny’s Piñata Birthday Bash starts with a video clip that showing that Manny’s tools have made a piñata for him for his birthday.  Players are helping the tools stuff the piñata, and kids are given treats and toys in list form, and asked to choose them to put in the piñata.  For example, kids will see and hear terms like “red rabbit” and “conejo rojo” when they need to pick the red rabbit.  After the piñata is filled, kids will need to solve math problems to determine where to hit the piñata.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: We love the learning concepts that are incorporated into this game, and highly recommend Manny’s Piñata Birthday Bash as a great educational online game for kindergartners and up.

Manny’s Puzzle Pipes

Help the water flow through the pipes by picking the right pieces that fit the gaps, and choosing the right tool to turn the valve.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: There are two levels of difficulty, easy and difficult, and the harder option presents players with more pipe shapes.

Pat’s Picture Puzzles

Great variety of scenes in this online drag and drop puzzle game in which pieces are scattered around the screen.  Luckily, although mixed up, they are in the correct orientation.  The Beginner Mode has 9 pieces and Advanced Mode has 12 pieces, and there are nine different Handy Manny puzzle pictures in all.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: Pressing the hint button helps show the completed puzzle.

The Right Tool for the Job

Help Manny choose the right tool for the job!

Tied into Handy Manny’s School for Tools, kids must listen and observe to Manny describe a job he wants to do, and then choose one of three choices to determine which is the right tool for the job.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: Hover over the job and the tools with the mouse to hear their descriptions repeated.

Watch Out, Mr. Lopart

Help clear the path for Mr. Lopart as he carries a high stack of packages to the post office.  He needs to avoid banana peels, puddles and sleeping chihuahuas, and players need to pick the right tool for the job to clear each one out of his way.  Mops, brooms and bones will need to be selected and dragged in order to help Mr. Lopart arrive safely.

Handy Manny Tool Tip: Older kids will need some quick coordination to apply the right tool to the right item in order to make it disappear.

World Music with Manny

Kids are treated to a sample of music from a certain region, such as India, Israel or South Africa, and then must choose the right record that is playing that kind of music.

Good and bad: We love how this game challenges kids to listen in order to get the right answer.

Are your children Handy Manny fans?  If so, we’d love to hear what they – and you – think of Disney’s Handy Manny games.

Johner
KidZui Gamer

“Family Game Guy” Johner Riehl is the founder and editorial director of FamilyFriendlyVideoGames.com and FamilyFriendlyApps.com, sites dedicated to offering families easy-to-understand information about family-friendly games and apps.  He lives in San Diego with his wife Christina and three sons.

Boxing Boo-Boo Bear

How do you explain to your one and four-year-olds that they need to lock their precious stuffed animals into cardboard boxes? That men are coming to carry them away? That they need to say goodbye to their rooms, their old life? Yikes. Our answer: Straight up, with some extra lovin’ that included play-acting, lots of ‘helping’ and props.

A cardboard box: A better gift than anything you could put in it.

Finding the New Normal

‘Kids are nothing if not flexible.’ That’s my mantra for trying times, or when I feel my momma skills aren’t at their peak. Let’s just say I said that mantra a lot during our move. Crushing deadlines and dealing with the unexpected are givens, but throw into the mix the need for my two girls to participate and ‘help’ (cough-cough)? S-t-r-e-s-s!

So, to deal, I set up a loose moving plan. Some of it worked, plenty didn’t. Here’s what worked:

- Books. There are loads of great books to help kids understand the concept of moving. In a fit of parental guilt, I think I bought most of them. The kids gave four stars to: Boomer’s Big Day and Moving House. We started reading these months before we moved. You know, about a thousand times each.

- Talking. I was a one-woman PR machine, touting the good stuff that would happen with the move. The only stuff they cared about? What new animals would live in the yard and the color of their bedrooms. Lesson learned.

- Stickers. When it came time to pack up their stuff, I tripled the time I thought I’d need and had the girls pitch in. They made “beds” inside the boxes for the stuffed animals to sleep in, and decorated the boxes with loads of stickers so they could track them during the move. Meanwhile, I was able to pack without stopping every two minutes. Ka-ching!

- Saying Goodbye. Like the world’s lamest version of Goodnight, Moon, we gave the kids some extra time to see the old house empty and say goodbye. “GOODBYE ROOM.” “GOODBYE REFRIGERATOR.” “GOODBYE LIGHT SWITCH.”

- Habitrails. First thing in the new house, I made the kids’ beds. This calmed them right down, because they could see their spaces. Then, despite desperately wanting to unpack and get settled, I took the time and a bunch of empty boxes and together we built a huge maze. I added some blankets and pillows, a DVD player and a few toys, and guess where they spent all of their time while we unpacked? I know, I know: I’m a genius! Downside: The maze is still in our living room.

The Giant Box Fort - still hogging valuable living room real estate.

- Prepare for Tantrums. I had to accept that all of the preparation in the world wasn’t going to change the fact that the kids would freak out. And boy, did they. We dealt with a couple of doozy tantrums, some bad cases of The Cling-ons (relentless requests for attention and cuddle-time), and they slept in our bed for a couple of nights. Not too bad, overall.

While I shudder to think of how things might’ve been had we not prepped for it, I don’t think there was any permanent damage to their little psyches: After all, kids are nothing if not flexible.

What about you? Any memorable moments during your move with kids? Do tell!

Tamara
KidZui Mom

Tamara Tuttle is a writer, photographer and professional insomniac who never thought she’d have kids, but did anyway. Twice.

Entering our building's courtyard.

That's us up on the third floor (we're behind the tree!)

We kicked off the month with a move into a brand new office.  We haven’t moved far – you can still find us in the beautiful La Jolla area of San Diego – but we’ve traded in our 8^th floor suite for a roomy office in a cozy little business park.  The building encloses a pretty courtyard adorned with a fountain, trees and benches that prove to be a relaxing spot for lunches and outdoor meetings. Hop in the elevators and head up to the 3^rd floor to find the KidZui office!

Doorway to fun!

Welcome to KidZui!

So that’s something new for us, but don’t worry, we’ve got something new for all of you too!  We’ve been hard at work the past few months on an exciting new product that we’ve just launched.  KidZui is proud to present:  Zui.com!

Zui.com takes all of the wonderful content from KidZui – the exciting games, funny videos, cute pictures and awesome websites – and presents them on a website that kids can access from anywhere there’s an internet connection.  The Zui.com interface is the perfect match for your child’s endless curiosity.  Search for just about anything – let’s use “dogs,” for example – and Zui.com will return an continuously scrolling list of pictures, videos, websites and games related to dogs.  Intermingled among those results are related categories that kids can click in order to explore even more fun stuff – Funny Dogs, Dog Tricks, and The Dog Whisperer are all just a click away.  Whenever I open Zui.com, it’s not uncommon for me to get sucked into exploring for 10, 20, 30 minutes at a time.  It’s just fun!

Presenting...Zui.com!

Wait, did I say Zui.com can be accessed from anywhere?  Yep!  Those of you who are brave enough to share your mobile devices with your kids will be glad to know that they can visit Zui.com on smart phones and tablets.  All of those great websites, videos and pictures are a mere swipe and a tap away!  I’m afraid we can’t promise that all of the games will work on mobile devices (Apple devices won’t support our collection of Flash-based games, I’m afraid), but don’t worry, there’s still plenty of fun to be had.  Teachers, too, may be excited to know that Zui.com will work in their classrooms, libraries and computer labs.  And of course, you can access Zui.com from any computer with an internet connection – no download required!

Fans of KidZui, worry not – Zui.com is not meant to replace the KidZui browser.  Instead, our new site is meant to be more of a companion to KidZui.  While we promise that all of the content on Zui.com is kid-friendly, we don’t intend for it to be the secure online portal that KidZui is (and will continue to be).

We end our theme of “new” in the happiest of ways.  Congratulations to our KidZui Mom, Sophia, who welcomed a beautiful baby girl into her family last week!  All of us at Team KidZui send our best wishes to Sophia and her family, and we look forward to welcoming her back to our team of mommy bloggers in the coming months.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, and if you happen to take a look at Zui.com, shoot us a comment or an email.  We’d love to hear your thoughts on our new site!

Dustin
KidZui Gamer

Dustin is KidZui’s customer support guru and social media contributor.  When not answering questions about KidZui & Zui.com, he can be found on the racetrack with his car or honing his woodworking skills.

The show appeals to kids ranging from two-years-old up to six, and the online games on Nick Jr. based on the show also appeal to kids within that age range.  There are 20 Blue’s Clues games online on Nick Jr. Blue’s Clues website, including games that require exploration, educational offerings, storybooks, art programs and more.  Since the show has been around so long, there are also a couple of the games you can access via the Nick Jr. site also don’t seem to do much, so we’ve categorized all the choices for families below.

These games are all accessible via KidZui’s free, kid-safe web browser by typing “Blue’s Clues” in the search bar and selecting the ‘Blue’s Clues Games & Activities.”  Make sure you remember the apostrophe!

Artistic Games

Color with Blue

Kids can unleash their inner Rembrandt by coloring with Blue

This very basic coloring program offers kids three different pictures and 10 different colors.  Coloring is of the “fill-in” variety, meaning if you point to an area, then it will be automatically filled in with whatever color you are using.

Parent Tip: Be prepared to have some printouts, since the “print” button is the same size as all the color buttons, and is in the same general location.  Kids will definitely push it.

Doodle, Doodle, Guess & Draw

This one is part game and one part art program.  For the “Guess” portion of the game, use your mouse to click on the picture that you think Doodle is drawing. For the “Draw” part of the game, click the arrows at the top of the game to choose the object you want to color.

Blue’s Puppy Maker

Kids will love the chance to create their very own puppies with Blue’s Puppy Maker.  And when they’re done, they can have Blue check out what they did and add an “autograph.”

Exploration & Fun Games

Joe’s Scrapbook Journey

Explore Joe's scrapbook for clues.

Players can choose from 10 different scrapbook pages to play a guessing game in which players are presented with three clues and must “guess” where Joe really is.  But in reality, the game doesn’t offer many choices, and instead presents players with the right answer after giving them time to think about it.  This is great for younger players and for parents who are sitting and playing along with their kids.

Blue’s Clues Ghost Hunt

This is one of the more engaging Blue’s Clues games on Nick Jr.  Blue must explore a mansion, using a flashlight and following footprints in order to find her friends.

Do the Blue

Boogie down with Blue!

No keyboard or mouse required for this one.  Kids simply need to dance along with the moves Blue performs on the screen.  This is another great game for 2 year olds.

Blue’s Mix ‘n Match Dressup

Kids can either dress Blue however they want, or help Magenta find items that match based on the patterns being used.

Blue’s Birthday Party Dress-Up

Help Frederika from Blue's Clues get dressed up for her birthday party.

For Frederika’s birthday is here, players must help her choose an outfit and decorate.  Kids are selected with choices sequentially, starting with dress and party hats, and moving onto balloons and streamers.

Educational Games

Polka Dot’s Bubble Puzzle

This one requires a bit of coordination, but will help kids familiarize themselves with letters and spelling.  Blue will think of a word, and players must click the letters in the falling bubbles in order to spell it.  Don’t worry, it’s no big deal if they choose the wrong ones.

Blue’s Gold Clue’s Challenge

Kids must find Gold Clues that have been hidden in three different places: Numbers Kingdom, Alphabet City, and Shapes Forest. Find them by playing the games. At the end of each game, kids get a jigsaw puzzle.  And what’s great is that this is very replayable – there are 15 different sets of clues and jigsaw puzzles for kids.

Blue’s Checkup

Time to give Blue a check-up!

Blue is at the doctor’s office, and kids must play the role of doctor’s assistant, choosing the correct tools for what Dr. Maya wants to do

Blue’s Matching Game

Everyone loves a matching game, and this one features Blue’s Clues characters like Tickety, Magenta and Periwinkle.  There are three levels of difficulty, ranging from Level 1 with 6 cards to Level 3 with 20 cards.

Blue’s Music Maker

In this memory game, kids must remember the order in which one of four different instruments is played, and repeat the pattern back.  After each successful pattern, one more instrument is added on to the end.

Interactive Stories

Blue Answers Your Questions

Time to give Blue a check-up!

Kids get a chance to “interact” with Blue by asking a pre-selected question such as “What’s your favorite thing about birthdays?”  After making their choice, they’re treated to an animation of Blue answering the question they chose.

Blue’s What’s In The Box?

Everyone wants to know what’s in the box, so kids will follow along as Blue’s Clues characters use their imagination to determine what’s really in there.  As the story unfolds, pointing the mouse at onscreen objects will cause them to react.

Blue is My Name & Goodnight Bird

In these stories, blue words can change into pictures, giving kids who are learning how to read an idea of how words are spelled.  Both feature characters, voices and songs from the show.

Periwinkle’s Disappearo

Kids can interact with Blue by listening to him answer their questions.

Kids must collect three clues to figure out where Periwinkle made the toy disappear to as part of her magic trick.  Exploring the scenery objects is a big part of the fun, especially as kids search the background to find what they’re looking for.

Where Do Slippers Sleep?

In this curious story, words appear on the screen as the narrator reads.  As kids journey to discover “Where Do Slippers Sleep?”, they must answer a few other questions along the way.

Johner
KidZui Gamer

Johner Riehl is the founder and editorial director of FamilyFriendlyVideoGames.com, a site dedicated to offering families easy-to-understand information about family-friendly games and Apps.  He lives in San Diego with his wife Christina and three sons.

These games are all accessible via KidZui’s free, kid-safe web browser by typing “Max & Ruby” in the search bar and selecting the “Max & Ruby Games” option.

As with other online games on Nick Jr., music, voices and sound effects are incorporated into the games, so playing feels like an extension of the TV show.  Outside of letting kids feel like they are participating in an episode of Max & Ruby, not every game has a reward, although a few have do have printables that are unlocked once you complete them.

No Keyboard Controls Necessary

There are six games total in Max & Ruby, and they all contain great narration and clear explanation of the instructions.  There’s no keyboard necessary for these Max & Ruby games as all utilize the mouse; the character follows wherever the player points or where kids point and click, depending on the game.  This makes all the games accessible for very young kids who are just starting to use the computer, though some of them still do require precision.

For 3 to 4 year olds

Collect items to perform a variety of figure skating tricks.

Figure Skating with Ruby
In this game, Ruby must skate around the rink to collect hearts and stars while avoiding obstacles, including her hockey-playing brother Max. An indicator on the bottom of the screen tells players what they need to collect.  Each “group” of items represents a trick.

One of the tricky parts of Figure Skating with Ruby is that the portion of the rink that’s visible to you is much smaller than the full pond, so players will need to do lots of exploring.  But we really like how the skate tracks you’ve made remain on the ice, which can help kids remember where they’ve been – and where they haven’t.  There is a time limit in Figure Skating with Ruby, so players will need to hurry.

Help Ruby score as many goals as possible before time runs out.

Ruby’s Soccer Shootout Game
Kids will use the mouse to guide Ruby around a soccer field, as they try and kick the ball into the goal.  Max’s toys make it a bit difficult to succeed, because if Ruby runs into one of Max’s toy robots, she’ll lose the ball.   Dribbling the ball is actually really simple, because once Ruby reaches the soccer ball it sticks to her.  Once Ruby reaches the goal, she still needs to shoot the ball past the goal, which takes some timing and coordination.  The goal of Ruby’s Soccer Shootout Game is to score as many as goals as possible within the time limit.

Help Max lead the parade of toys to the toy box!

Max & Ruby’s Toy Parade Game
Grandma’s coming over, so Max needs to pick up his toys!  In Max & Ruby’s Toy Parade Game, Max must make a toy parade in order to get all his toys back in their chest, but he needs to be careful not to bump into the toys or the parade.  The game starts out by asking kids to collect five toys, but slowly ramps up in difficulty, making it harder to avoid running into furniture or the parade itself.  If Max runs into the parade, some of the toys will scatter.  After each level is complete, there’s a nice exercise in counting to see how many toys you child has collected, and at the end of the game kids are told how many total toys they put away.  This is one of the Max & Ruby games that provides a printable coloring page to players at the end.

Knock over all of Max's toys to win!

Max & Ruby Toy Bowling
In Max & Ruby Toy Bowling, players must help Max play an indoor bowling game in which he throws a beach ball to knock down his toys as they race by.  We have to admit, we don’t necessarily encourage this type of indoor play in real life (throwing balls in the house), but allowing kids to do it on the computer may provide a nice outlet for them without the fear of anything breaking.  Kids are given a choice right off the bat to play Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3, which are described as Easy, Harder and Hardest.  The increase in difficulty has to do with how fast the cars are moving.  Players use the mouse to point at Max and move him left or right, and clicking on him will make him throw a ball at his toys.  This game does requires a bit of coordination to make sure player is clicking Max in order to release ball at the right time, but it’s also the game that’s easiest to eventually complete by just mindlessly clicking.

For 2 and 3 year olds

Where's Max? Help Ruby find him!

Max & Ruby’s Where’s Max
This is a hide-and-seek game with Max that’s designed for the very youngest computer users.  Max is hiding in different parts of the house, and players must look around and click when they see him.  His hiding places are very obvious, as his bunny ears are usually sticking out wherever he is hiding, so older kids may not find this one to be much of a challenge.  Where’s Max is definitely a cute and fun game for kids who are just learning to use the mouse, and we like how at the end Max his so tired, he falls asleep in his last hiding place!

Dig through Max & Ruby's wardrobes and dress them up however you'd like.

Max & Ruby Dress-Up
This is another simple game that allows kids to explore and create rather than accomplish a specific goal.  Kids can choose whether you want to dress up Max or Ruby and, after choosing, will enter their room and select different clothes to dress them up.  There are all sorts of choices, like capes, hats, shirts, buttons, dresses, scarves, boots and more.  Players decide when they’re all done and satisfied with their dress-up job, and if they want they can choose to print it.  Two year olds who can use a mouse love being able to pick and choose Max & Ruby’s Dress Up outfits!

Do your kids have a favorite Max & Ruby game?  Let us know in the comments below!

Johner
KidZui Gamer

Johner Riehl is the founder and editorial director of FamilyFriendlyVideoGames.com, a site dedicated to offering families easy-to-understand information about family-friendly games and Apps.  He lives in San Diego with his wife Christina and two (soon to be three) sons.