Bears

YMA recommendation

Approved as non-violent media, with caution. Slapstick comedy; Risk of imitative behaviour

Most suitable age range:

2–7 (although younger children will require parental assistance to play)

Availability

Format: PC and Macintosh (Computer). (Type: Edutainment)
All items on the list of non-violent computer games are available either through the Internet or for purchase or hire. Click here for some ideas of where to look for them.

About the game

Year of production	1997
Classification advice
Rating	Unavailable
Consumer advice lines	Unavailable

Other information
Country of origin	New Zealand
Production Company	TT Design

Synopsis

Little bears, Ted and Floppy take you on a tour of their house where they live with their friends. Players can listen to the Bear Orchestra, read an interactive story, play in the garden, change the seasons, and play hide and seek. Many of the features are educationally structured.

Points to consider

Words of caution

There is a very small amount of slapstick comedy within the game, including:

throwing snowballs
standing on hoses

Children under the age of 8 can sometimes be confused or disturbed by this type of comedy. In addition, children may try to imitate such actions and be surprised if their recipient’s response is negative.

Positive aspects

Whilst the game’s instructions are confusing and it has a limited scope, children will enjoy the story feature as well as the ability to change the seasons, or listen to their favourite nursery rhymes (which can be printed for later use). On the related website (www.bears.co.nz) there are some excellent resources for parents and teachers to use.

Questions to ask

Parents may wish to ask their children if they understand the consequences of rough or comic play, for example:

Do you think it would hurt if that happened in real life?
Is it safe to play with water?