The navigation around the software has been designed to be as simple as possible. Large icons take children directly to and from the games and there is also a nice chunky cursor.
The most engaging game of the four available is Old MacDonald's Farm.
Children can explore the farm environment by getting objects and animals to move and make sounds. Some objects react if the cursor rolls over them, for example the frogs and lily pads in the pond. This is great for early computer-mouse skills. It also encourages children to make up their own sound patterns. Other objects only react when clicked, and these have a short animation and sound effect.
The other three activities are suited to slightly older children and tend to be a bit dry. In Picture Songs you are invited to listen to a song that each mouse has made. Each song is made up of musical phrases and children can create their own songs by dragging musical instruments on to the music machine. The Mouse Piano is a song player with four songs available to play. Children can also click the keys on the piano to make their own music using a range of different instruments. The last game is Mouse Dancing.
This involves word recognition through selecting different body parts and seems to have nothing to do with music!
An accompanying booklet provides installation instructions, explains each game and gives further ideas to extend the activities into nursery play.
The CD is relatively inexpensive (12.99) and is probably worth buying just for the MacDonald's Farm game.
Mouse Music: D2 digital by design ltd (01204 366677, www.themouseclub.co.uk)
