In Jack's colorful house, kids can learn a variety of preschool skills, including the alphabet, color and shape recognition, and the position of the world's continents. There is also a dress-up game, paint modules (with printing capabilities), and an activity where kids can make the seasons change by clicking their mouse. Kids can also prepare, plant, and tend a vegetable garden and harvest the produce. Testers liked the gentle, no-pressure pace of JACK'S HOUSE and its wide variety of activities. However, they felt the program needed more on- and offline help and had little replay value. "Kids ages six and up will run through Jack's whole house and front yard in one or two sittings," said Harvey Jacobs, father of six-year-old Jeffrey Jacobs of Potomac, Maryland.

SCORES
Overall: 78
Fun: 78
Ease of Use: 80
Replay: 78
Education: 78

FAMILY FEEDBACK
Suggested Ages: 3 to 7
Shelf Life: 2 months
What They'd Pay: $23

(FAMILYPC, OCTOBER 1996)