Letting Kids Stir Things Up in the Kitchen

CD-ROM

Cook’n for Kids. DVO Edutainment. Windows 95 & Macintosh. $29.95. (888) 462-6656; https://www.DVO.com/ Ages 8 to 14.

Chock-full of useful, easy-to-digest information, this is a fun but serious introduction to good nutrition, cooking and dining etiquette basics, with plenty of recipes to learn and print out and party-planning theme tips. Video clips, color photos and audio illustrate the action, whether it’s beating eggs, sifting flour, setting the table or identifying pastry brushes and basters. A matching game is a utensil tutorial, and another game tests users in every category; the rewards are secret recipes and, with a set number of correct answers, a certificate that can be redeemed for a “Cook ‘n for Kids” apron.

Recipes in meal, snack, beverage and sweets categories include kid-pleasers from “Good Ol’ Chili” and “Tuna Train Cars” to “Grasshopper Flip” and “Gorilla Poop Cookies” (chocolate and oats). Video clips of a dad and daughter help users navigate, but they’re quickly dispatched with a click of the mouse if they wear out their welcome.

My Disney Kitchen. Windows 95 & Macintosh PowerPC. $30. Ages 3 to 7. This one’s just for fun, although there are real recipes to print out. Food, dishes, pots and pans, napkins, silverware and cleaning supplies are depicted. In this play kitchen setup, kids can open drawers, shelves, cupboards and the refrigerator and cook up all kinds of pretend meals. They can boil up some spaghetti, fry some hamburgers, use the popcorn maker, make sandwiches, brew a cup of tea or blend some carrots. Accidental or deliberate messes can be cleaned up with a sponge or a magic mop; water the window box and watch flowers grow; click on the recipe box and get recipes for real snacks and meals; or see a short cartoon.

Pancakes, cake baking and cake decorating are other play activities, and neighbors Mickey and Minnie pop over for a bite. It’s easy to navigate and to pick up objects, although sometimes it’s difficult to get containers to pour. The action takes place in a sunny kitchen with decor options; a radio plays music and announces kitchen safety tips; and Mickey and Minnie call up on the phone if they smell something burning.