JumpStart Kindergarten (1997)

Jumpstart Kindergarten is a game released in 1998. It teaches a kindergarten curriculum. It is an updated version of JumpStart Kindergarten (1994), and in 2002 it was replaced by JumpStart Advanced Kindergarten.

In the game, the player can explore and play in a kindergarten schoolhouse. The class is taught by Hopsalot the rabbit. The objective is to play activities and win stars. When the player collects four stars, they can visit the petting zoo, and take a photo of an animal of their choice. The photos will appear in their photo album.

There are three difficulty levels for each game. The player can also access a progress report to see how they're doing.

Characters

 * Hopsalot - Hopsalot is the kindergarten teacher. He is very friendly and helpful. He has a garden out back where he likes to plant flowers, fruits, and vegetables.


 * Jack - Jack is a mouse who lives in the school. His best friend is Roquefort.


 * Roquefort - Roquefort is a mouse who lives in the school. His best friend is Jack.


 * Bebop - Bebop is a hamster who lives in the school. He likes to play hide-and-seek.


 * Gopher - The gopher is a mischievous troublemaker who hangs out in the backyard. He tries to eat from Hopsalot's garden.


 * Squirrel - The squirrel hangs out at the jungle gym. It really loves balloons.


 * Bonnie Bunny - Bonnie Bunny appears in the clock game. She shows what a typical kindergartner does at different times of the day.

Right Side of the Classroom

 * Bulletin Board - The Bulletin Board has a calendar with all the months of the year. You can click on the different months to see pictures and learn about the holidays.


 * Clock - The clock shows what a kindergartner does at different times of the day. Click on the numbers to see what Bonnie Bunny does during each hour.


 * Radio - Listen to eight different songs.


 * Puzzle - Help uncover a picture by clicking on the pieces.


 * Photo Album - You can view the pictures you took at the petting zoo here. Click on a photo of an animal to see it do something.


 * Bebop's Home - This is where Bebop hangs out. You can play a hide-and-seek game with him. If you click on him, he will disappear, and leave behind a clue for you to find him.

Left Side of the Classroom

 * Chalkboard - Hopsalot will read a sentence. Then you have to click on pictures on the chalkboard to recreate what he said.


 * Blocks - Help Jack and Roquefort unscramble the blocks.


 * Dolls - Help Jack and Roquefort arrange the dolls in the correct order.


 * Paint Set - Create your own pictures.


 * Classroom Closet - Click on different objects to learn about them.


 * Pattern Blaster - Play a video game with Jack and Roquefort. You have to help Brie the mouse get from one side of the screen to the other by filling in the blocks with missing shapes. Shapes will fall from the top of the screen, and you have to move them over the block with the same shape.

Backyard

 * Hopsalot's Garden - You can play two games here. In "Gopher Fun - The Counting Game", Hopsalot will ask for a certain number of a kind of plant. You have to pick the correct number of plants that Hopsalot asked for. Every now and then, the gopher will appear to steal a plant. In "Wacky Water - Making Patterns", Hopsalot will grow a series of plants that form a pattern. When he is done, he will ask you which plant comes next.


 * Jungle Gym - Help the kindergartner get the balloon at the top of the jungle gym before the gopher does. Follow a series of balloons on the jungle gym according to what Hopsalot says.


 * Tricycle Game - Help the tricycle rider reach the finish line. Move the rider up and down the lanes. You will comes across puddles and boxes with pictures on them as you go. You have to choose the correct picture that has the beginning sound that Hopsalot specifies.


 * Picnic Area - Click around to see different animals and things.

Educational Concepts

 * The Alphabet
 * Alphabetical Order
 * Word Pairs
 * Phonics
 * Rhyming
 * Visual Discrimination
 * Sorting by Size
 * Comprehension
 * Listening
 * Numbers
 * Counting
 * Sequences
 * Time

Deluxe Release
In 2000, JumpStart Kindergarten was re-released as part of a Deluxe 2 CD Set. The game JumpStart Around the World was included with it.