Nick Jr. starlets Dora and Kai-Lan are taking care of lost pets and finding them good homes at their Pet Shelter. Kai-Lan’s grandfather and Dora’s cousin Diego the animal rescuer are here to lend a hand, too. Now your child can help them all care for puppies, kittens, bunnies, and birds in Dora and Kai-Lan’s Pet Shelter for Nintendo DS.

Every day in the game, Diego will bring in lost animals that need to be taken care of before being adopted by a loving family. Watch the top screen to see a thought bubble so you know what the pet needs. Give it water and food when the pet is hungry. Give it a bath when it’s dirty and brush it when the pet’s fur or feathers are messy. Sometimes the pet will need a checkup to make sure it is healthy. Then you check its eyes, ears, and mouth, use the stethoscope, and put a bandage on any boo-boos. When the pet wants to play or go potty, take it out to the backyard. All the games and activities use the touch screen, stylus, and microphone to play.

When a family is ready to adopt a pet, Kai-Lan’s grandfather will give a description of what pet they are looking for, and you must pick the best fit. After a family takes home a pet, they’ll donate coins to the pet shelter, which you can then spend on pet treats, toys, and outfits to play dress up with the pets. During the next day, you can choose to have one of the adopted pets come over for a play date, too. You can even earn awards and pictures for taking care of pets!

Kid Factor:

Virtual pet simulators and pet vet games are very popular, but some may be a little too hard for very young kids. So for them, this game is a great pick because it’s easy to control and play, and reading skill isn’t required. There are plenty of things to do, so your child won’t get bored too quickly. They’ll learn basic skills like number sequences and color matching, as well as pet care basics. Heck, even I learned something while playing (soap isn’t good for birds’ feathers). Dora and Kai-Lan’s Pet Shelter is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews