Stanley's Mom wants him to get ready to go to the beach and Stanley has to collect some beach items; hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, water bottle, and his tiger swim tube, Theodore (which he suspects his brother has taken). He's also looking for some stickers he has misplaced, and the player is encouraged to click on everything and visit every room in the house to find all the missing items. As he uncovers animations and plays games, the player will sometimes be directed to Stanley's "Big Book of Everything", which he totes around in a wagon along with the items he finds. This book has a page and at least one animal for every letter of the alphabet except X - each page tells a few facts about the animal and offers a printable picture. As the player uncovers Stanley's stickers, they will appear in the book as well. Sometimes Stanley will seize upon an object the player has clicked and use it in imaginative play; for instance, finding his bear slippers makes Stanley pretend to be a bear reaching for a hive full of honey, and upon finding a cardboard tube Stanley puts it on his nose and pretends to be an anteater. These play scenes are accompanied by interesting tidbits about whatever animal he is being.

Gameplay uses the mouse to point and click. Stanley's pet goldfish travels everywhere with him and offers encouragement and gentle reminders when needed, and will recap the player's latest accomplishments for him. There is a Parent's Area where adults can access information about the lessons their child has played through, a list of facts about animals in the game, and some ideas about reinforcing the lessons learned.

The mini-games are basic and simple and serve to further Playhouse Disney's "Whole Child Curriculum", addressing child development in seven areas, and incorporating social lessons as well as typical preschool skills.

• Stanley's Giddy Goat Game - a memory game, where the player must follow a father goat's safe path up a mountainside
• Stanley's Leaf Feast - the player must click on a specific size and colour of leaf to "feed" the giraffe
• A-Maze-Ing Mouse - moving the mouse to guide a mouse to Stanley's water bottle
• Antelope Antidote - move Stanley stealthily from rock to tree to antelope, while the antelope isn't looking
• Stanley's Trunk Facts - answer animal questions to find the code for a lock
• Snakes at Stake - move Stanley through a tree by choosing numbers; landing on a leaf will send him backwards and roots will let him climb upward
• Parrot Pairing Paradise - match parrots by colouring
• Stanley's Monkey Dance - follow the pattern of moves the monkey makes
• Crocodile Style - jump from crocodile to crocodile to cross the river

There are a few mini mini-games as well - the player may be asked to pick out the "bucket that is not big and not little" from a lineup of three, to find the last letter of his own name, place flowers in same-colour vases, or find the leaf a caterpillar is under.