To Tickle The Tykes

So you thought the dozen or so CD-ROMs that came with your new multimedia computer were more than you would ever need? Well, not if you have kids. Chances are their holiday wish lists will include more than a few way-cool software titles they've seen at school or their friends' homes. That's O.K.: The best of this year's "edutainment" titles are richer in sound and graphics, including video snippets, and packed with enough activities to keep kids intrigued for months or longer. And who knows? If you pick titles skewed toward education with a little fun along the way, they may even learn something.

The problem confronting you, Mr. or Ms. Claus, is that this year, there are thousands of titles to choose from, and--just like books or audio compact disks--many of them are pure dreck. I've sorted through dozens to come up with a list of some of the most engaging. There should be something here for everyone on your shopping list. With some exceptions, they're about $40 each.