Here's the acid test for evaluating kids' software. It's the Museum's most distinctive question: does the software use technology to add a new dimension to the learning experience ... something kids couldn't get in any other way?
The Sim series from Maxis is a good example. Kids 10 and up are ready for SimCity or the newer SimTower, especially if you help them get started. Younger kids can start with SimTown. These computer models of real-life situations let kids step into different roles, experiment with decision-making and experience the consequences of their choices. And these are experiences that kids can only have with the computer.
Take a look at the previews of Casper Brainy Book or Ocean Planet Smithsonian in the Reviews section of this site for examples of titles that fail to meet the Museum's high standards for the best kids' software.
