JumpStart Games of the 90s: Find Your Grade-Level Adventure
JumpStart, from Knowledge Adventure, organized itself around grade levels from the start, with a new mascot-driven world for each one.
Grade-based titles
- JumpStart Kindergarten (November 1994), originally developed by Fanfare Software before Knowledge Adventure acquired the studio in 1995
- JumpStart Preschool (July 1995)
- JumpStart 1st Grade (1995)
- JumpStart Toddlers (Spring 1996)
- JumpStart 2nd Grade (1996)
Try the original JumpStart Kindergarten
JumpStart Kindergarten Classic, a reissue of the 1994 original discussed above.
Check price on Amazon →Mascots and locations
Each grade-level title used its own setting and cast of animal characters as guides through the activities, rather than one consistent mascot across the whole series.
Activities and minigames
The games mixed short subject-specific minigames (math, reading, science) around a loosely connected storyline set in each title's location, a structure that stayed consistent as the series expanded to more grade levels.
Edition identification
Since each JumpStart title is tied to a specific grade band in its own name, the most reliable way to identify which one you played is simply the grade level and school year it was aimed at, rather than character or setting details that vary title to title.
Frequently asked questions
Who made the first JumpStart game?
JumpStart Kindergarten (November 1994) was originally developed by Fanfare Software, which Knowledge Adventure acquired in 1995.
Does JumpStart use one consistent mascot?
No. Each grade-level title uses its own setting and cast of animal characters rather than one mascot across the whole series.
What was the first JumpStart title aimed at preschoolers?
JumpStart Preschool, released in July 1995, followed the original JumpStart Kindergarten from the previous year.
Sourcing and corrections
Release years and development details for the JumpStart series were checked via web search against sources including Wikipedia in September 2026.