Richard Scarry's Busytown Best Christmas Ever

Copyright: KBkids.com

 

Richard Scarry has been a classic for generations. This latest CD adventure is extremely Christmas specific, so may not suit your overall, year-round buying scheme. On the other hand, kids in the 3-7 age range can never get enough Christmas this time of year, and will enjoy visiting Busytown at Christmas time.

Huckle and Lowly Worm will introduce your youngster to all of the usual Busytown neighbors. A stop in the bakery will find them helping decorate gingerbread houses and cookies. Your child can join in the fun and print out his or her creations. There is no frosting for the cookies, but their are plenty of candies and tidbits to decorate your houses and cookies with.

In the card shop, your children can decorate Christmas cards, make gift tags, or small tree ornaments. There are not a lot of 'crafty' options here. You are limited to the Richard Scarry characters, and some basic decorations and sayings. On the other hand, this is for very young children who don't need a million options.

The bookstore is a place where your child can sit with Huckle's father and their friends and listen to one of two Christmas stories. These are Richard Scarry stories, and as such are rather wordy. Kids love these stories and their familiar characters, however. Just don't expect these to be great 'learning to read' activities.

Aside from these three 'shops' your child can visit, several other things will happen during his or her visit to Busytown. They will be invited out to the tree farm to cut down and decorate the town's Christmas tree. Santa's sled will also arrive, announcing that Santa needs some extra help in his workshop. Hot spots around the town will activate carol singing friends, and other Christmas hustle and bustle.

This is not a program which will keep your youngsters busy forever, and the Christmas theme does limit it's replayability. Don't expect a program with tons of activities, and lots of learning experiences. If you are looking for a good Christmas oriented program for your youngsters, and don't expect year-round play, they will enjoy this program. This might be a fun addition to your house during the months of November and December.

Bottom Line: A fun, holiday specific activity for younger children. Not state of the art, but something to 'get them in the mood' of the holiday. A better purchase before Christmas arrives than an under the tree gift.

Ratings: (based on KBkids.com's 4 star rating system)

Overall: 3

BrainGain: 2

FunFactor: 3

EasePlease: 3

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