
From the creators of Math Blaster series of educational children’s games, Knowledge Adventure has recently launched their first browser-based virtual world at JumpStart.com. Thanks to the wonderful people of Knowledge Adventure, I was offered a chance to review JumpStart and share my thoughts with you.

When it comes to online sites, I’ve always emphasize the importance of safety before I would let my kids use them. I’m happy to see that JumpStart offers a completely safe and secure online environment for kids age 3-10 to interact, explore and learn.
You can access JumpStart via Macs as well as PCs. Upon logging in, there are a few areas to explore such as:

Storyland which is meant for ages 3 to 5 years, comes complete with 5 virtual worlds – JumpStart Town Square, Pet Land, The Beach, The Jungle and The Neighbourhood. Kids get the opportunity to create their own painting with various colours and patterns, learn to match alphabets, watch movies, build their own virtual house, dress their avatars and more.

Adventure Land for kids 5 to 8 years of age – Kids are invited to explore a mysterious island off the coast of JumpStart. Each player needs to learn the skills, speed and moves to survive on Training Island and subsequently put their newly gained knowledge to good use in Lost Island. This is definitely a mission that entertains the kids as well as challenges their minds.
The fun does not stop there. Arcade style games such as Buggy Racer, Dodge Boat and Sound Bop are also available at JumpStart. For the older kids (3rd to 5th Grader), they will be thrilled to know that Future Land will be launched soon. Nevertheless the best part is, it’s not all about the kids, there is also a section called “Fun for Parents” which includes a discussion board and Jumpstart Times - a monthly newsletter which touches on issues important to parents.
I am not done checking out JumpStart as there are just so many challenging activities available which allows kids to explore and try new things. One thing I am confident with is the fact that I can safely let my kid have fun on his own as I can receive email updates which enables me to track my kid’s progress.
Having won numerous awards such as iParenting Media Award – Outstanding Product 2007, Mom’s Choice Awards 2008 Silver Recipient, JumpStart is definitely a 3D gaming and learning platform that I would not hesitate to recommend to parents. Check out the adventure for yourselves!