HOLIDAYS : Toying With Computers : Presents that teach while entertaining are among software stores’ best sellers.

Most kids wince at the mention of “educational toys”--playthings thinly disguised to teach everything from geom etry to French literature.

But you may be able to outsmart your child with several new educational computer games on the market. The games are packed with arcade-style action, vivid graphics, intriguing story lines and mysteries that lure children through solving math, science, engineering and reading problems.

Just tell them it’s a new form of Nintendo.

The following list of game software, all of which area computer software stores say are best-sellers, includes prices that may vary among stores. Consider software for children who are at the lower end of the suggested age range, maximizing the game’s use and value. The use of a mouse is optional.

* MetroGnomes’ Music, subtitled “The Sing-Along Game that Enhances Music Discovery and Creativity,” is great for budding musicians eager to explore tone variations, musical phrases, rhythm, timing and composition.

The skills are taught by elfin creatures who populate GnomeTown and boast a repertoire of 27 children’s songs. Correct answers are rewarded with graphic, on-screen displays that feature quirky sounds. Wrong answers are given another chance, often with assistance from the elves who are adept at interacting and at cajoling players to explore the world of music. Lyrics to sounds are included; sound card is optional.

The Learning Company. Ages 4 to 7. IBM compatibles. $49.95.

* Science Adventure, Knowledge Adventure and Sports Adventure all feature an on-screen globe that users can whirl to pinpoint selected topics. A digital textbook is included for reference. Science Adventure, written by the late Isaac Asimov, takes players to sites of great scientific discoveries. Ages 5 and older.

Knowledge Adventure covers geography, the arts, sciences and literature. Ages 7 and older. Sports Adventure provides trivia and biographies for football, baseball, basketball, hockey and tennis. Ages 7 and older.

Knowledge Adventure. Requires EGA or VGA color cards. IBM compatibles. $79.95 each.

* Where in America’s Past Is Carmen Sandiego? That’s the newest offering in the popular Sandiego line which includes Where in the World, Where in the USA and Where in Europe. The action revolves around tracking down the international thief Carmen Sandiego and her band of rogues. Only the right historical answers will allow access to the wily Sandiego.

More than 1,500 years of history will eventually pass through your child’s brain after playing these games, the manufacturer claims. It’s no wonder the line is used in some school systems nationwide. The program comes with a paperback copy of The New American Desk Encyclopedia. Your child will need it. New deluxe editions of the games feature enhanced graphics and more complex clues.

Broderbund. All ages. IBM compatibles, Apple II and Macintosh. $31.95 to $55.95.

* SimEarth, SimCity and SimAnt, sold by Maxis, give players the power to create a planet, city and organize an ant colony for battle. SimEarth (ages 10 to adult, IBM compatibles, Macintosh color or monochrome $69.95) challenges players to create ecosystems. SimCity (IBM compatibles $49.95, monochrome Macintosh $49.95, color Macintosh $79.95, Commodore $49.95) challenges players, who act as mayor-city planners, to create cities or solve problems of built-in metropolises--such as San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.

SimAnt players organize and manipulate an electronic ant colony, acting as the community’s central intelligence. Players must avoid hazards--insecticides, lawn mowers, kids with magnifying glasses--to invade and displace a red ant colony that resides in a nearby house.

IBM compatibles, Macintosh, Amiga. $59.95.

* Out of This World begins at the bottom of a murky pond on an alien world--that’s after that nasty nuclear experiment you were working on went awry.

Survival is the name of this game, which has received good press from numerous computer gaming magazines. Although winning this game entails staying alive while drawing on logic and reasoning skills, you can continue playing without starting over should your life support system fail.

Seamless animation fronts more than 60 vivid backgrounds as players maneuver through the twists and turns of surviving on an alien planet. Some caution for the faint of heart: The action gets a bit ghastly at times (watch out for those sharp stalagmites) but you can always punch a few buttons to remove yourself from the action.

Innerplay. Ages 12 and older. IBM compatibles, Amiga. $59.95.

* Super Solvers Treasure Mountain challenges children to win back the magic crown of Treasure Mountain that was stolen by the Master of Mischief. Children get practice in reading, math, science and solving logic problems during the adventure. Players must capture elves, solving their riddles to obtain clues that identify where the treasure and crown are hidden. The treasures increase in value as players’ skill level increases.

The Learning Company. Ages 5 to 9. IBM compatibles. $49.95. Other programs in the Super Solvers series are similar in design: Midnight Rescue! Ages 7 to 10. IBM compatibles, $49.95. Macintosh, $59.95. Outnumbered! Ages 7 to 10. IBM compatibles, $49.95. Macintosh, $59.95. Ancient Empires. Ages 10 to adult. IBM compatibles. $59.95.