As pre-school children get older, they take a lot of amusing. Boredom sets in quickly and parents are stretched to provide diversions with stimulating and educational content.

Play and Explore Year 1 from GSP is full of fascinating features designed to keep tiny children amused for hours and help them to prepare for their first year at school.

Although aimed at pre-school children, the software provides an introduction to early maths skills, number recognition and matching pairs, shapes and spaces.

It also looks at vocabulary, matching words and pictures and reading and spelling by means of "educational" games.

I have some reservations about just how educational they really are.

The developers claim that Play and Explore Year 1 can aid hand-eye coordination, improve speed of reaction and help a child to understand instructions.

Some of the games will certainly do this but others are not quite so good.

Overall, I was reasonably impressed with the software but thought one or two of the games were a little too advanced for a pre-school audience.

The games are excellent and well presented but tinies do not really need to be confronted by a gruesome, red-eyed shadow monster, no matter how nicely it is drawn and packaged.

Price: £9.99.

Contact: 01480 496600.

Feel good factor: 6 out of 10.