Fisher-Price Time To Play Pet Shop turns the dream of owning a pet shop into an educational game designed for young children. Instead of following a traditional storyline, it invites players to open and run a pet shop filled with furry, feathered, and aquatic companions. Tailored specifically for ages 4 to 7, the experience combines simple exploration, pet care, and musical activities.
At the start, child guides Emily and Ben help the player set up the business by selecting animals—such as dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, and other creatures—for the shop. The shop itself then serves as an interactive menu for accessing various tasks. Players can feed, bathe, and groom the pets or visit the vet station to treat an animal in need. They can also design an aquarium and change their animal selection, encouraging them to try different combinations and revisit activities.
The game focuses on direct actions suitable for children who are still learning to use a comp...
Fisher-Price Time To Play Pet Shop turns the dream of owning a pet shop into an educational game designed for young children. Instead of following a traditional storyline, it invites players to open and run a pet shop filled with furry, feathered, and aquatic companions. Tailored specifically for ages 4 to 7, the experience combines simple exploration, pet care, and musical activities.
At the start, child guides Emily and Ben help the player set up the business by selecting animals—such as dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, and other creatures—for the shop. The shop itself then serves as an interactive menu for accessing various tasks. Players can feed, bathe, and groom the pets or visit the vet station to treat an animal in need. They can also design an aquarium and change their animal selection, encouraging them to try different combinations and revisit activities.
The game focuses on direct actions suitable for children who are still learning to use a computer: players select objects and areas of the shop to discover what to do. A bag of food leads to feeding time; a bathtub leads to grooming; and a first-aid kit opens the vet activity. A cockatoo introduces sing-along songs, while animations, sounds, and animal reactions bring the setting to life. The goal is not so much to overcome difficult challenges as it is to experiment, care for animals, and play at running a small business.
Beyond entertainment, the activities aim to familiarize children with the basic needs of various animals while fostering a sense of responsibility and imaginative play. Promotional materials highlight over 40 creatures, six activities, and five sing-along songs, as well as printable coloring pages. This way, the visit to the shop can continue away from the screen with drawings and creative projects.
Released in 1998 as part of Fisher-Price’s children’s line, *Time To Play Pet Shop* is an educational title that was distributed on CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh. Knowledge Adventure is credited as the product's developer and publisher, although some historical catalogs attribute development to Funnybone Interactive and list Davidson & Associates as the publisher. In any case, the game reflects the style of late-90s educational CD-ROMs: a colorful interface, standalone activities, and learning integrated into the gameplay, without the pressure to complete a campaign or compete against other players.
