Barbie Riding Club - PC

Kids feel like they are really riding a horse in this new addition to the Barbie CDs. Not only is it the best horseback riding simulation available to children, but it's also the best of the Barbie titles released so far. After signing in at the Riding Club, kids pick one of four horses who are waiting in the stables. After choosing names for their horses, children can head out to the trails, or stay and feed, groom and saddle their ponies.

The program includes some nice options that keep things interesting. A bulletin board in the stable posts Adventure Missions. Children may be asked to find a key or other object hidden somewhere on the trails, or to follow a series of clues that lead to a wild horse. Testers enjoyed the flower-sequencing and apple-sorting games but had trouble with a frog-hopping activity in which they must clear a path by jumping frogs over each other. The best part of the program is riding the horses.

Using the mouse or keyboard, kids can easily ride fast or slow, stop, jump over objects and steer to the left and right. A map takes them directly to points of interest on the trails, or kids can ride at their own pace to their destinations. Once in a while, one of Barbie's riding buddies challenges children to race. Depending on how fast kids ride, they'll win a first or second place ribbon.

Older children enjoyed going on the missions and the younger testers loved to ride and race their horses. The theme of a secret wild horse was very appealing to all, and kids were thrilled when they had a chance to spot it. Aside from wishing for a few more grooming options like mane and tail decor for their horses, testers ages three-to-eight loved the program and played it repeatedly.

• Teaches: logic, memory, horses
• Age Range: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Copyright © 2000 Children's Software Revue