JumpStart 1st Grade (1995)

JumpStart 1st Grade is a personal computer game created by Knowledge Adventure in 1995. It is sometimes referred to as Jumpstart 1st Grade Classic Version. It was later replaced by JumpStart 1st Grade (2000).

In the game, the player explores an interactive schoolhouse full of educational activities. Frankie is the school mascot in charge of guiding the player around.

Playing activities earns the player points, which can be traded in for milk caps. There are four skill categories in this game: math, reading, nature, and time. Each time the player earns 100 points in a category, they can choose a milk cap from that category. There are 30 math caps, 30 reading caps, 20 nature caps, and 20 time caps, for a total of 100 caps to collect.

Characters

 * Frankie
 * Mrs. Flores - The homeroom teacher.
 * Miss Pickles - The cook.
 * Milk Cap Mouse

The Classroom

 * Music in the Mouse Hole - Click on the mouse hole to go to the Hole in the Wall Club. There are five instruments to choose from on the left side of the screen: guitar, flute, violin, trumpet, or voices. The jukebox can play five different songs: "Hickory Dickory Dock," "Old MacDonald," "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider," "The Wheels on the Bus," and "It's Raining, It's Pouring." Click on the record button to make your own tunes. Click on the mice to play different notes. Each mouse sings or plays a different note on the music scale, and they are arranged from highest to lowest. When you are done, click on the play button to hear your song.
 * The Tick Tock Game - This game is like a board game. You move a playing piece across a series of tiles. Each tile has an hour on it, starting with 6 AM and ending with 9 PM. An analog clock will spin to an hour. You have to click on the tile that matches the time that the clock has. The first player to reach 9 PM wins. This game has a two-player mode.
 * Reading is Fun-damental - Pick a story to read. The stories are read out loud to you, and you can click on the pictures to see something happen. Sometimes at the end of a story, you will be asked a question about what you read. If you get it right, you'll get some points.
 * Master Memory Game - Play a memory match game on the computer. Flip cards and try to make matches. You have to match the pictures and words that go together.
 * Paint Set - Create your own pictures. Click on the paint globs to change colors. You can use a paintbrush to draw or a paint can to fill entire areas. You can also choose a background and stickers. Click on the cloth to undo your last action. When you're done, you can choose to save your picture or throw it away.

The Lunchroom



 * Serving Up Fractions - Help serve the students their lunches. Listen to what food the student is asking for and how much. They will give the amount in a fraction. Place the food in the area on the food tray that has the correct fraction.


 * Vending Machine Victory - Help Frankie get food from the vending machine. Frankie will ask for something. Click on the button below the correct food or drink. The vending machine will tell you how much it costs. Use Frankie's money to insert the correct amount in exact change.


 * Adding It All Up - Click on the students' lunch foods to see how much each one costs. Then add up the total using the cash register.


 * The Pizza Picker Game - Pick pizzas for Frankie. Frankie will ask for a pizza of a certain size with certain toppings. Look at the pizzas on the counter, and pick out the one that he has asked for.


 * Measure for Measure - Follow the instructions in the recipe to make various yummy treats. You have to use the correct measurements that are in the recipe. If you make a mistake (including adding a teaspoon of something when it asks for a tablespoon, even if you are trying to be equivalent in ingredients,like attempting to add three teaspoons for a tablespoon), the Glop Monster comes out!

Field Trips



 * Field Trips - Take the bus to the zoo or the beach. First, you have to use the map to plan the route you want to take. When you have decided on a route, the bus will begin traveling. Along the way, you will sometimes come across Mrs. Flores driving a truck. You will have to momentarily stop and answer the question that appears on her truck. After you arrive at either the zoo or the beach, you can click around to see various animations. At the beach, there is also a radio that can play songs.

The Playground



 * Math Marbles - The marbles have numbers on them. Look at the equation that the marbles form. Use your marble to knock out the marbles that make the equation false.


 * Frankie's Dog House - Help Frankie find the items buried in his sandbox. Frankie will ask for a specific item. Move the detector around the sandbox with the mouse. When it starts beeping, it means you have located an item. The detector will give a clue about which item is buried there. Keep moving the detector around the sandbox until you find the correct item. When you find the correct item, click on the spot to dig it up.


 * The Milk Cap Game - Here, you can use milk caps to earn points towards getting more. Knock over the stack of milk caps. For each milk cap that lands face up, you can answer a question. You get ten points for each question you get right. The questions can belong to any of the four categories- math, reading, nature, and time. You must have at least one milk cap in your possession to play this game.

Songs

 * 1) JumpStart First Grade
 * 2) Zero is Nothing
 * 3) My Week at Sea
 * 4) If You Were My Friend
 * 5) Vegetable ABCs
 * 6) Reading is Fun
 * 7) Frankie's Theme Song
 * 8) Mrs. Flores' Theme Song
 * 9) Ms. Pickles' Theme Song

Educational Concepts

 * Vocabulary and Spelling
 * Letter Sounds and Phonics
 * Comprehension
 * Visual Discrimination/Memory
 * Literature
 * Numbers and Counting
 * Addition and Subtraction
 * Geometry
 * Money Value
 * Fractions
 * Other Math
 * Geography
 * Science
 * Time

Trivia

 * This game contains the vocal talents of Mark Beckwith of Razzle Bam Boom and Glynnis Talken Campbell.