# JumpStart

JumpStart (known as Jump Ahead in the United Kingdom) is an educational media franchise created for children, primarily consisting of educational games. The franchise began with independent developer Fanfare Software's 1994 video game JumpStart Kindergarten. The series was expanded into other age groups and beyond games to include workbooks, direct-to-video films, mobile apps, and other media under the ownership of Knowledge Adventure, which later assumed the name JumpStart Games.
A JumpStart online virtual world was officially launched in March 2009, offering a blend of educational content and entertainment experiences. JumpStart Games later ended support for both their JumpStart and Math Blaster series and the studio was closed in July 2023.

## History

The origin of the JumpStart franchise can be traced back to its inaugural game, JumpStart Kindergarten, developed in 1994 by the independent developer Fanfare Software and published by Knowledge Adventure. This marked the inception of a series aimed at merging education and entertainment. Fanfare Software, recognized for developing JumpStart Kindergarten, along with subsequent titles such as JumpStart Preschool and JumpStart 1st Grade, was acquired by Knowledge Adventure in 1995. This acquisition expanded the franchise's scope, enabling it to include higher-grade levels and subjects, fostering its educational growth.
The franchise embraced the digital landscape with the launch of JumpStart 3D Virtual World in 2009. This marked a significant shift, allowing the franchise to expand into online worlds, mobile apps, and other digital formats. Notably, the introduction of features such as Progress Reports and Adaptive Learning further personalized the learning experience for individual players. The franchise's flexibility and commitment to merging education with entertainment contributed to its relevance in modern learning methodologies.
JumpStart discontinued the JumpStart franchise, with support ending in June 2023. The studio was closed afterwards in July. Despite its closure, the legacy of JumpStart endures as a pioneering example of edutainment. The franchise's innovative approach to integrating education and entertainment continues to influence the educational media landscape.

## Plot and gameplay

The gameplay of the JumpStart series revolves around blending education and entertainment in a cohesive manner. Each game features interactive tasks embedded within engaging narratives, encouraging players to assist animated characters in solving challenges. The focus is on creating an enjoyable and goal-oriented experience that promotes both learning and entertainment.
Players engage in various activities that align with school curriculum requirements, aiming to reinforce academic concepts in an enjoyable and memorable manner. Each game within the franchise typically encompasses a storyline where players interact with characters and the game environment to progress through challenges and activities. This narrative-driven approach motivates players to participate and explore while learning.
The JumpStart series covers a wide range of subjects, including math, language arts, science, and geography. The games require players to solve problems, complete puzzles, answer questions, and perform tasks that align with grade-level expectations. Progress is often tracked within the game, allowing monitoring of advancements and accomplishments.
The franchise's educational goals are reflected in its gameplay mechanics. Players actively engage with content, applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills to overcome challenges. The narrative serves as a vehicle for delivering educational content interactively. The franchise aims to make learning dynamic and engaging for young learners.
JumpStart games use various mechanics, including interactive quizzes, puzzles, exploration, and problem-solving activities. These mechanics are intertwined with educational content, creating an environment where learning occurs while having fun. The games incorporate reward-based systems to incentivize progress and achievements, enhancing player engagement.

### Educational goals

The core philosophy of the JumpStart franchise revolved around merging education and entertainment to create engaging learning experiences. JumpStart utilized a three-fold approach to cater to different audiences and learning goals:
* Grade-Based Products: These products covered curriculum topics specific to a single year of elementary or secondary school.
* Subject-Based Products: Focusing on specific topics, these products provided in-depth learning experiences.
* Learning Products: These offerings introduced foundational concepts while immersing players in new interactive worlds.
The franchise incorporated educational methodologies such as JumpStart Assessment Technology, JumpStart Adaptive Learning Technology, and JumpStart Tutor Technology. These techniques aimed to customize skill levels, adapt difficulty levels based on player abilities, and provide assistance to overcome obstacles. Through collaboration with children's advisory teams, educators, and experts, JumpStart aimed to balance educational content and gameplay, fostering an effective learning environment.

## Products in the franchise

| Games | Platforms, release years and versions |
| JumpStart Kindergarten | DOS (November 14, 1994 - V1.0) Mac, Windows (July 3, 1995 - V1.2) Mac, Windows (November 24, 1997) Mac, Windows (August 26, 1998 - V2.0) Re-released as JumpStart Kindergarten Deluxe Mac, Windows (2001 - V2.6) Rebooted as JumpStart Advanced Kindergarten (aka JumpStart Advanced Kindergarten: Fundamentals) Mac, Windows (2002) |
| JumpStart 1st Grade (aka Jump Ahead Year 1 in UK) | Mac, Windows (July 3, 1995) Mac, Windows (December 2, 1996 - V1.5.0) Re-released as JumpStart 1st Grade 2000 Mac OS 7, Windows 95 (August 24, 1999 - V2.5) Re-released as JumpStart 1st Grade - Frankie's Treasure Hunt Mac, Windows (June 21, 2000 - V2.6) Rebooted as JumpStart Advanced 1st Grade Mac, Windows (2002) |
| JumpStart Preschool | Mac, Windows (August 28, 1995) Re-released as JumpStart Preschool Deluxe Mac, Windows (August 26, 1998 - V2.1) |
| JumpStart 2nd Grade (aka Jump Ahead Year 2 in UK, working title JumpStart Adventures 2nd Grade) | Mac, Windows (March 25, 1996 - V1.1) Re-released as JumpStart 2nd Grade Deluxe Mac, Windows (May 5, 2000) Rebooted as JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade Mac, Windows (2002) |
| JumpStart Toddlers | Mac, Windows (March 11, 1996) Mac, Windows (June 21, 2000) Rebooted as JumpStart Advanced Toddlers Mac, Windows (2005) |
| JumpStart Pre-K | Mac, Windows (September 2, 1996) Rebooted as JumpStart Advanced Pre-K Mac, Windows (2003) |
| JumpStart Advanced Readers | Mac, Windows (2004) |
| JumpStart Advanced Math | Mac, Windows (2005) |
| JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain | Mac, Windows (December 2, 1996 - V1.0, V1.2.0) Mac, Windows (August 26, 1998 - V1.1, V1.2, V1.4, V1.5) Re-released as JumpStart Advanced 3rd Grade Mac, Windows (2003) |
| JumpStart Adventures 4th Grade: Haunted Island | Mac, Windows (December 2, 1996) |
| JumpStart Adventures 5th Grade: Jo Hammet, Kid Detective | Mac, Windows (October 15, 1997) |
| JumpStart Baby | Mac, Windows (August 26, 1998) Mac, Windows (June 21, 2000) |
| JumpStart Adventures 6th Grade: Mission Earthquest | Mac, Windows (October 19, 1998 - V1.2) Re-released as JumpStart Adventures 6th Grade Deluxe Mac, Windows (July 25, 2000 - V1.2.0) |
| JumpStart Adventures 4th Grade: Sapphire Falls | Mac, Windows (December 3, 1999) Re-released as JumpStart Advanced 4th Grade Mac, Windows (2003) |
| JumpStart Advanced Preschool (aka Frankie Pet Friends in UK, formerly known as JumpStart Advanced Preschool: Fundamentals) | Mac, Windows (September 4, 2002 - V3.0) |
| JumpStart Advanced Preschool World (aka JumpStart Advanced Preschool - Welcome to Storyland) | Mac, Windows (September 11, 2002 - V3.0) |
| JumpStart Advanced Animal Field Trip | Mac, Windows (November 6, 2002 - V1.0C) |
| JumpStart 3D Virtual World: My First Adventure | Mac, Windows (July 2, 2008 - V1.01C) |
| JumpStart 3D Virtual World: The Legend of Grizzly McGuffin | Mac, Windows (August 13, 2008 - V1.01C) |
| JumpStart 3D Virtual World: Trouble in Town | Mac, Windows (September 3, 2008 - V1.01C) |
| JumpStart 3D Virtual World: The Quest for the Color Meister | Mac, Windows (October 22, 2008 - V1.01C) |
| JumpStart Spelling | Mac, Windows (October 21, 1998) |
| JumpStart Typing | Mac, Windows (October 15, 1997 - V1.0) |
| JumpStart Kindergarten Reading (aka JumpStart Reading for Kindergarteners) | Mac, Windows (November 11, 1996 - V1.0) |
| JumpStart 1st Grade Reading | Mac, Windows (August 12, 1997) |
| JumpStart 2nd Grade Reading | Mac, Windows (February 10, 1999) |
| JumpStart 1st Grade Math | Mac, Windows (December 16, 1997 - V1.0) Mac, Windows (February 10, 1999) |
| JumpStart 2nd Grade Math | Mac, Windows (December 16, 1997) |
| JumpStart Spanish | Mac, Windows (November 24, 1997 - V1.0) |
| JumpStart Spelling | Mac, Windows (October 21, 1998) |
| JumpStart Music | Mac, Windows (October 21, 1998) |
| JumpStart Numbers | Mac, Windows (October 21, 1998 - V1.0) |
| JumpStart ABC's | Mac, Windows (October 12, 1999 - V1.0c) |
| JumpStart Phonics | Mac, Windows (October 12, 1999) |
| JumpStart Kindergarten Math | Mac, Windows (February 10, 1999) |
| JumpStart Artist (aka "Art Discovery") | Mac, Windows (2001) |
| JumpStart Languages | Mac, Windows (2001) |
| JumpStart Explorers | Mac, Windows (November 28, 2001) |
| JumpStart SpyMasters: Unmask the Prankster | Mac, Windows (2001) |
| JumpStart SpyMasters: Max Strikes Back | Mac, Windows (2001) |
| JumpStart Animal Adventures (aka "Jump Ahead Frankie Animal Adventures" in UK) | Mac, Windows (November 6, 2002 - V1.0c) Mac, Windows (2002 - V1.0d) |
| JumpStart Study Helpers: Math Booster | Mac, Windows (2005) |
| JumpStart Study Helpers: Spelling Bee | Mac, Windows (2005) |
| Jumpstart World: Preschool | Mac, Windows (2001) |
| Jumpstart World: Kindergarten | Mac, Windows (2001) |
| Jumpstart World: 1st Grade | Mac, Windows (2001) |
| Jumpstart World: 2nd Grade | Mac, Windows (2001) |
| Jumpstart World: Pet Playground | Mac, Windows (2006) |
| JumpStart Preschool: Magic of Learning | iOS, Android (2016) |
| JumpStart Punk Punk Blitz | iOS (2010) |
| JumpStart Deep Sea Escape | Nintendo DS (2011) |
| JumpStart Jet Pack | iOS, Online (2015) |
| JumpStart My ABC Book | iOS (2013) |
| JumpStart Art Studio | iOS (2013) |
| JumpStart Roller Squash | iOS (2013) |
| JumpStart Blast-Off: Math | iOS (2013) |
| JumpStart Pet Rescue | iOS (2013) |
| JumpStart Blast-Off: Early Reading | iOS (2014) |
| JumpStart Junior | iOS (2016) |
| JumpStart Dino Adventure Field Trip | Game Boy Color (2000) |
| JumpStart Wildlife Safari Field Trip | PlayStation (2001) |
| JumpStart Pet Rescue | Wii (2008) |
| JumpStart: Escape from Adventure Island | Wii (2010) |
| JumpStart Get Moving Family Fitness | Wii (2016) |
| JumpStart Crazy Karts | Wii (2011) |
| Jump Start Baby Book | Mac, Windows (2000) |
| My Learning Scrapbook | Mac, Windows (2000) |
| JumpStart Around the World | Mac, Windows (2000) |
| JumpStart Adventure Challenge | Mac, Windows (2000) |
| JumpStart Reading with Karaoke (later renamed JumpStart Phonics Read & Rhyme) | Mac, Windows (2005) |
| World of Jumpstart | Mac, Windows (2014) |
| JumpStart Magic & Mythies | Android, iOS, Kindle, Windows (2015) |
| JumpStart Buzzwords | Online (2000) |
| JumpStart: PreK-1st Grade: Frankie's Field Trip | iDVD (2013) |
| JumpStart Power Prep 2nd Grade | iDVD (2014) |
| JumpStart Power Prep 3rd Grade | iDVD (2015) |
| JumpStart Power Prep 4th Grade | iDVD (2015) |
| JumpStart Jukebox | VHS (2003) |
| JumpStart Kindergarten: Why Did the Bus Stop? | VHS (2000) |
| JumpStart Preschool: Who Left the Juice in the Caboose? | VHS (2000) |

### Compilations

| Year | Title | Games |
| 2003 | JumpStart 1st - 3rd Grade Learning Playground | JumpStart Kindergarten Math (2000) JumpStart Kindergarten Reading (1996) JumpStart Explorers (2001) JumpStart Animal Adventures (2002) JumpStart SpyMasters: Unmask the Prankster (2001) JumpStart SpyMasters: Max Strikes Back (2001) JumpStart World: Preschool (2001) JumpStart World: Kindergarten (2001) JumpStart World: 1st Grade (2001) JumpStart World: 2nd Grade (2001) JumpStart Advanced Toddlers (2003) JumpStart Advanced Preschool (2002) JumpStart Advanced 1st Grade (2002) JumpStart Advanced 2nd Grade (2002) JumpStart Advanced 3rd Grade (2003) JumpStart Advanced 4th Grade (2003) |
| 2003 | JumpStart Advanced Kindergarten | JumpStart Advanced: Kindergarten Fundamentals (2002) (original, 3-disc, V1.0 and V2.0) JumpStart Advanced: Animal Field Trip (2003) (V1.0 and V2.0) JumpStart Advanced: Arts and Crafts (2003) (3-disc, V1.0 and V2.0) JumpStart World: Pet Playground (2006) (V1.0) Kid Keys: The Magical Typing Tutor (2001) (V2.0) Kindergarten Essentials (2003) (V3.0) JumpStart Blast-Off: Early Reading (2014) (V3.0) JumpStart Blast-Off: Math (2014) (V3.0) JumpStart Artist (2001) (V3.0) JumpStart Languages (2001) (V3.2) |
| 2000 | JumpStart Home Learning System | JumpStart Kindergarten (1994) JumpStart Kindergarten (1998) JumpStart 1st Grade (1995) JumpStart 1st Grade (2000) JumpStart 2nd Grade (1996) JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain (1996) JumpStart Adventures 4th Grade: Haunted Island (1996) JumpStart Adventures 4th Grade: Sapphire Falls (2000) JumpStart Adventures 5th Grade: Jo Hammet, Kid Detective (1997) JumpStart Adventures 6th Grade: Mission Earthquest (1998) JumpStart 1st Grade Reading (1997) JumpStart 2nd Grade Reading (1997) JumpStart 1st Grade Math (1997) JumpStart 2nd Grade Math (1998) JumpStart Typing (1997) JumpStart Spanish (1998) JumpStart Music (1998) JumpStart Numbers (1998) JumpStart Spelling (1998) JumpStart ABC's (1999) JumpStart Phonics (1999) JumpStart Around the World (2000) JumpStart Adventure Challenge (2000) |
| 2000 | JumpStart Early Development | JumpStart Baby (1998) JumpStart Baby (2000) JumpStart Toddlers (1996) JumpStart Toddlers (2000) JumpStart Preschool (1995) JumpStart Preschool (1998) JumpStart Pre-K (1996) |

## Reception
### Critical reception

JumpStart Study Helpers Math Booster and Spelling Bee were notable for allowing users to edit the math problems or words used in gameplay. Carolyn Handler Miller of Digital Storytelling: A Creator's Guide to Interactive Entertainment, wrote that the series "found just the right balance between storyline and other demands of educational titles". The series has reputation for providing "safe, age appropriate" games for children. The Houston Chronicle praised the series for "offer[ing] many and varied academic activities, plenty of play-oriented pursuits, incentives to spur and reward achievement and all the interactive trimmings – cool characters, great 3-D graphics and snappy sound effects", describing the World Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade as superlative pieces of educational software.

### Commercial performance

Knowledge Adventure made $35 million in sales in 1994 by selling titles such as JumpStart Kindergarten and Bug Adventures.
JumpStart Kindergarten was the 8th most popular title in the CD-ROM category in the Washington, D.C. area in the week ending on October 14, 1995, and 9th in the week ending on May 4, 1996. Throughout 1997, JumpStart Toddlers took in over $4 million. In the first half of 1997 four of the top five educational titles for Windows were JumpStart products, while four of the top ten DOS/Windows home education titles were JumpStart. Two of the top selling retail CD-roms of August 1997 were JumpStart products (5th and 6th), after Microsoft Windows 95 upgrade, Norton Utilities, Myst, and Viruscan. JumpStart 1st Grade (3rd), JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade (4th), JumpStart 2nd Grade (5th), JumpStart Kindergarten II (6th), JumpStart Preschool (7th), JumpStart Adventures Fourth Grade (8th), JumpStart Toddlers were within the top-selling educational software across 13 U.S. software retail chains in the week ending on September 19, 1998. Jumpstart Preschool (2nd), Jumpstart First Grade (3rd), Jumpstart Kindergarten (7th), and Jumpstart Second Grade (8th) were among the top-selling home-education software across 13 software retail chains in the week ending on May 1, 1999.
By 2002, the series sold over 13 million units.
As of 2025, the JumpStart series remains available for purchase on the ZOOM Platform.

### Awards and nominations

As of 2017, the series won over 300 awards.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 1998 | JumpStart Spanish | Parent's Choice Gold Award | Won |
| 1999 | JumpStart Adventures 6th Grade | Parent's Choice Gold Award | Won |
| 2000 | JumpStart Phonics | Computer Educational Title of the Year | Won |
| 2001 | JumpStart Languages | Parent's Choice Silver Honor | Won |
| 2003 | JumpStart Study Helpers: Spelling Bee | National Parenting Seal of Approval | Won |
| 2005 | JumpStart Reading with Karaoke | National Parenting Seal of Approval | Won |
| 2005 | JumpStart Reading With Karaoke | Parent's Choice Silver Honor | Won |
| 2007 | JumpStart World: Kindergarten | Parent's Choice Recommended | Won |
| 2007 | JumpStart World: First Grade | Parent's Choice | Won |
| 2007 | JumpStart World: Second Grade | Parent's Choice Recommended | Won |
| 2007 | JumpStart World 1st Grade | iParenting Media Award | Won |
| 2007 | JumpStart World 2nd Grade | iParenting Media Award | Won |
| 2008 | JumpStart World Kindergarten | Silver Recipient | Won |
| 2008 | JumpStart Advanced Preschool World | Toy Man Award of Excellence & eChoice Award | Won |
| 2008 | | Toy Man Award of Excellence & eChoice Award | Won |
| 2008 | | Toy Man Award of Excellence & eChoice Award | Won |
| 2008 | | iParenting Media Awards | Won |
| 2008 | JumpStart World Kindergarten | The Toy Man Award of Excellence | Won |
| 2008 | JumpStart 3D Virtual World: The Legend of Grizzly McGuffin | National Parenting Seal of Approval | Won |
| 2008 | JumpStart 3D Virtual World: Quest for the Color Meister | National Parenting Seal of Approval | Won |
| 2008 | JumpStart 3D Virtual World: Trouble in Town | National Parenting Seal of Approval | Won |
| 2008 | JumpStart 3D Virtual World: My First Adventure | National Parenting Seal of Approval | Won |
| 2008 | JumpStart Advanced Preschool World Premium Edition | National Parenting Seal of Approval | Won |
| 2008 | JumpStart World | National Parenting Seal of Approval | Won |
| 2011 | Jumpstart.com | National Parenting Seal of Approval | Won |
| 2012 | Jumpstart | National Parenting Seal of Approval | Won |
| 2013 | JumpStart 3D Virtual World | 2013 ON for Learning Award | Won |