Gold Medal: Highest Rating "must-play must-buy"
Reviewed by: Cynthia A. Sorrels

Description:

IBM and Crayola have introduced the Magic Wardrobe to expose girls to women in history through art. How successful have they been? Very, according to the girls at my house. We just spent an afternoon printing, coloring and playing with paper dolls, talking about what it would have been like to live during different periods of time. And yes, my 4 year old can say "Nefretiti" although she had never seen a paper doll!

This title even gives some glimpse into what life has been like for women through the ages - read news profiles on famous women in each era, or read girls' diaries from each time period andwrite your own entries. Facts are presented for 12 historical periods, including Ancient Egypt, American Pilgrims, and Ghana, Africa.

Features:

Color and decorate clothing. Print in color or black/white and use crayolas. Read and write girls' diaries from the different time periods. Visit 12 historical periods, read the news to find profiles on famous women, and create paper dolls!

Parent/Teacher guide suggests additional learning activities.

Reactions:

This title is targeted towards girls ages 6 to 12; however, our 4 year old daughter loves it and spent an afternoon choosing clothes and colors while we read to her about famous women. Magic Wardrobe was designed to give girls a chance to explore the roles of women in society throughout the ages. Cutting out and playing with the paper dolls was lots of fun as well! The box came along with some "Star Brite" crayolas and two paper dolls printed on stiff paper. We didn't experience any technical problems while running the program and installation was a snap.

Pros:
Ages 6 to 12.
Design, color historical clothes and backgrounds.
Includes colors and stamps in online coloring pages.
Read and write diaries.
Visit 12 historical periods.

Cons:
None noted.

FOOTNOTES Appeal: Girls of all ages.
Originality: Not applicable.
Graphics: Bright and beautiful...kids choose their own colors in the coloringbook area.
Audio: Include some music from each period and country.
Longevity: Paper doll enthusiasts will love it.
Interface &Usability: Very easy to manuever.
Packaging & Docs: Excellent.
Bugs & Problems: None noted.



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