This construction game for Windows, Mac and Wii lets you drag-and-drop sticky blobs to construct structures that look a bit like carbon molecules. You quickly learn which structures work best to solve a particular problem. On one puzzle, you must construct the highest tower using the fewest possible parts. Another presents you with a spinning set of teeth that requires a curved structure.
There’s a lot of different ways to solve the same problem, making this game addicting. Content includes 15 different varieties of blobs, each with different properties; enough to keep things interesting. Note that a Wii-Ware version is available, as a download. This is a fun way to introduce building dynamics to young science students. Created by 2D Boy (www.2dboy.com) for Brighter Minds Media. Winner of the 2010 KAPi Award. Teaches: science, creativity, building, physics, forces, potential energy. Brighter Minds Media, Inc. www.brightermindsmedia.com, $20. Best for ages 7-up.
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A sample interaction between two characters
Rereleased in 2008 and sold at retail, this cartoonish scavenger hunt-style program lets you drive Putt-Putt (a car) around the paths in three zoo regions (the jungle, the arctic and the grasslands) in search of six missing baby animals. As you explore, you find special items necessary to help the animals. For example, a rope found in an arctic snow bank must be taken into the jungle and lowered down a waterfall to rescue a trapped lion cub. Freeing a stranded hippo requires building a bridge of uniquely shaped icebergs and finding a shovel to clear away an avalanche. Unless the necessary special items are found, the animals remain lost and the zoo cannot open. Testers aged three and four became frustrated in their first few plays, and required adult assistance. Older children (and adults) loved the program.
Especially enjoyable are the multilevel activities found around the zoo. In Animal Tag, kids must pay attention to detail as they match special animals that pop up at random from the Savannah. Other activities include six different information stations offering interesting animal facts like “hippos eat 100 pounds of grass for five hours each night”. There’s also a water-slide maze game that’s just for fun and a camera option for printing out pictures of each animal. The program was first released in 1995, setting a new standard for excellence in interactive design. Today, this game still makes a welcome addition to any home library. Note that the graphics can look grainy on large screens. Teaches: problem solving, logical thinking, animal facts, shapes. Humongous Inc. www.backyardsports.com, $18. Best for ages 3-7.
Beautifully illustrated, peaceful, and at times hard to use, this one player Wii title is an excellent example of how to use a game console to tell a story. 
Originally released 20 years ago (1989) for the Super NES system, this year’s edition contains 40 levels of sidescrolling play, set in a good vs. evil theme. There are also 15 types of blob transformations, plus bonus levels to unlock.
In the story, Blobolonia is under the rule of an Evil Emperor. One blob — colored white — has escaped, and meets a boy to help him on a quest to free his brothers and sisters. The bad blobs — all black — (make your own conclusions) can send you back to the start of a level. Developed by WayForward Technologies for Majesco. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.