Hobbies And Interests
'Hot Dog Bush'
President George W. Bush needs assistance keeping his hot dog stand afloat in "Hot Dog Bush," accessible at the 2DPlay site. "Career" mode requires players to reach monetary goals to advance to the next day, and takes players through five locations: the Bronx, Yankee Stadium, Central Park, Times Square and Wall Street. In "Speed" mode, players try earning as much money as possible in one day, with no monetary target.
Customers relay their order via thought bubbles, with players clicking on food to cook it on the grill. The food glows when cooked to perfection; players click on buns to place hot dogs and hamburgers on the counter, and click on the food to drag it to the buns. Players add any necessary garnishes and serve the completed order to the customer. Any burnt/non-usable food goes into the trash bin (and costs players a few dollars). Customers walk off in a huff if players do not serve them in a timely manner. Should customers try to sneak off without paying, players click the customer to force her to pay. Customers pay less money if players do not serve exactly what they ordered.
Hot Dog Bush
2dplay.com/hot-dog-bush/hot-dog-bush-play.htm
'Hot Dog Stand' PC Games
Sunburst Technology's "Hot Dog Stand: The Works," available for Mac and Windows systems, shows kids how the business world operates. Available as a free trial download at the Sunburst site and recommended for grades 5 and up, this educational simulation game lets players manage their own concession stand in a sports stadium. Kids make daily business decisions, such as deciding whether to operate the stand on a given day depending on the weather forecast; deciding the quantity of items to order; and choosing prices. Following stadium events, players check their results and address any areas of the business that may need adjustments before the next event, such as pricing and types of foods to sell. Sunburst's "Hot Dog Stand: Top Dog," also available for Mac and Windows systems, adds competition to kids' hot dog stand entrepreneurial adventures. Kids compete against three computer-operated rival stands, using market research to get a look at their rivals' strategies.
Role-Play Games
Kids take turns playing hot dog vendor and customers in role-play games. If kids want to "sell" food that "customers" can eat, they may use a playset such as Wham-O's "Snack Time Gummi." In addition to using the food cart as a small stand, kids use the Gummi set's cooking tools and mold snacks in the form of French fries, hamburgers, hot dog and pizza. Kids use Gummi snack mixes in cherry, orange, root beer and watermelon flavors, and set different prices for each item (with items' price dependent on flavors and popularity); "customers" pay in play money. To add competition to the role-play game, kids invite family and friends to play "customers" and see whose stand earns the most play money. Should kids not want to go the Gummi route, they may use Little Tikes' "Backyard Barbecue Get Out 'n' Grill" to "cook" food. Kids can serve hot dogs and hamburgers courtesy of of Little Tikes "Backyard Barbecue Grillin' Goodies."