LeapFrog Explorer Learning Game: Hello Kitty: Sweet Little Shops

LeapFrog Explorer Learning Game: Hello Kitty: Sweet Little Shops is a math-oriented game that engages kids by having them help out Hello Kitty's friends in their shops. Each shop features different math-related activities, such as sorting products by shape and color, estimating the number of items in a bundle, or completing orders using charts. It covers estimation, graphs, charts, grids, number recognition, sorting, and comparing quantities. With a wide range of shops -- ice cream, pasta, cheese, flowers, baked goods, etc. -- it's fun to explore the two-level mall. Each time Hello Kitty and the player help a friend, the heart meter fills a bit more. Kids can try to fill the heart meter before wrapping up for the day. When they complete tasks, they can also earn stickers to decorate their own pictures in the Photo Booth activity. The signs outside each shop can be customized as well.

With most of the activities, learning is well-integrated into the gameplay. For example, kids may need to find the right box configuration (shown as a grid) for a set of cupcakes or candies. Once they do, they pack the box and wrap it (with a sticker) for the customer. They will collect orders using a chart that tells them how many of each item a customer has requested. There are a lot of activities, and kids have some freedom to move about and play the games they like best. Skill levels ramp up as kids display mastery, keeping things interesting and appropriately challenging. Teachers can track a child's progress using the LeapFrog Learning Path. The ability to customize shop signs and create photo art adds to the fun and appeal over time, and helps give the mall a personalized feel.