Sit Down and Get Comfy!

If your children are anything like ours, they are constantly trying to get on your computer-banging the keys, turning it on and off, getting grubby prints on the screen...you know the drill. Now, with the insertion of a USB cable, your child can actually use your computer, without disaster ensuing. In fact, he or she will probably learn something! Comfy is an educational learning system that quickly and easily hooks up to your PC. Load the CD onto your desktop, and wham! Endless amounts of fun.

The software ranges in skill level and age. Hailey and Noel have First Steps (beginner 1-3 yrs.), Let's Imagine (intermediate 1-3 yrs.), and Birthday Party (Advanced 1-3 yrs.). After playing with this for a few weeks, Let's Imagine seems on par with Noel's age and skill level (20 mo.). I think he'll enjoy Birthday Party more in a few months. Honestly, he just seemed bored with First Steps after just a few times using it (this parent also found the characters a little irritating).

I like the "keyboard" with it's big, colorful buttons, each of which makes something new happen. Your child can pound away on these and you don't have to fear it breaking. The one thing I don't like is the "telephone" that's attached to the keyboard. Noel has picked it up and dropped it a few times, and it came apart at the seams. I did manage to get it back together, but he (and I) can't really figure out how to "talk" to the characters. It just seems like an unnecessary feature. My one other complaint is the plastic overlay that comes with the other software sets. You're supposed to lay this over the top of the keyboard and it corresponds with the new game & characters. However, Amy & I have both discovered that our kids would rather just rip this right off and continue to press the buttons that are already there. My thought is that perhaps the buttons could be a bit more generic so that this piece wasn't necessary.

Overall, I like the Comfy, and Noel sure does LOVE it. He climbs up into his chair every day and waits patiently to play on it. I do think I would probably wait just a few more months (when he's 2 or older) to introduce it though. Because kids this age have a hard time understanding and following instruction, I don't know that I would really recommend it for a child under two. On the other hand, he has definitely learned a lot from the Comfy, including shapes, colors, and new songs! This fun & educational learning tool is something I would definitely recommend, for children that are just a bit older than mine.