KUBI

  KUBI is a new children's software for Windows and Macintosh. It includes 5 inventive activities that encourage kids to explore their creative sides and to challenge their spatial skills. With the first activity of Kubi, the child is equipped with a palette of colorful paint that can be placed on an on- screen board. With this board as his canvas, the little artist can create pictures, patterns, words and anything a child can imagine. 2 of the activities are puzzles. One of these puzzles simulates a "slide puzzle" whereby the child must slide slices together to form a whole picture. The 2nd puzzle is made up of layers and the challenge is to place the layers in the correct order to build a picture. Remaining, are 2 games that involve matching an original picture, which is on the left of the screen, with a copied picture on the right of the screen that the child is required to copy by "painting" the blank canvas to exactly match the original. Kubi, a downloadable software, costs $20. A free demo (a "Try Before you Buy" version) available to you.