Software (and Appropriate Input Device) For a Toddler? 417
An anonymous reader writes "I have an 18-month-old who loves bright screens (TV and computer), loves loud noises, and loves to mash buttons. He targets my laptop with the button-mashing, and I sort of hate having to tell him 'no' when he wants to explore a computer. I was wondering if anyone knows of some fun (and maybe educational) age-specific PC software that also comes with an age-appropriate input device. I've seen those big-button devices in retail stores that seem to just hook up to the TV, and I've also seen some PC software that requires keyboard/mouse input, which does not seem like the right input device for a toddler."
Anonymous Coward (Score:3, Insightful)
Just buy, beg or borrow an old electronic keyboard. Much more fun for an 18 month old. (Was for mine)
(Musical) Electonic Keyboard (Score:3, Interesting)
Seconded. Especially a virtual analog synth that has friendly knobs which will immediately affect the sound being produced when tweaked.
Or, you could go for a real analogue synth like the Korg Monotron [korg.com], a tiny, simple true analog synth able to create all kinds of neat sounds.
None of these things will have the bright screen to draw his eye, but they are far more intuitive and engaging for a young mind: pushing different keys and twisting different knobs will effect a definite and immediate change in the sou
Re:(Musical) Electonic Keyboard (Score:4, Interesting)
My grandmother had an old Hammond C3 [wikipedia.org] - later on, my great grandfather passed and one of the things that was left was a pair of old Yamaha synths. Similar to the DX7 but not those... I can't find them by image, so meh.
I've turned into a hobbyist composer and musician. I especially love playing around trying to create my own patches.
Fisher-Price (Score:4, Informative)
Check out your local Wal*Mart like store for stuff like this Fisher-Price [amazon.com] edu-toy. My nephew has something a little less complex (and more appropriate, possibly, for your situation) but I cannot remember the name of it, only that it's from Fisher-Price. (:
This might be helpful [bizrate.com], too.
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Call me me weird, but the first thing I thought of when I read this was a specially reinforced ASR-35 Teletype (maybe ASR 33?) keyboard they had at Standford's Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences (IMSSS) for Koko the gorilla [koko.org]. Although she knew Ameslan [wikipedia.org], they also taught her to use a keyboard with pictures on the keys (apple, ball, etc.). I only met her once and wasn't there when this happened, but the first time they showed her how to use the keys she apparently enthusiastically made h
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Nah, just get a cheap USB keyboard and small mouse. For a while, you won't even have to plug them in ;).
Your kids want to imitate you, let them.
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So... the two year old knew his dad's iTunes password and re-entered it several times during multiple trips to the app store and managed to get a bill instead of a receipt for six hundred dollars?
Your friend was pulling your leg. If he sees this, expect to be laughed at.
Well... (Score:4, Funny)
His actions are highly unusual, get him in to an autism specialist immediately.
With early treatment he has a chance of leading a semi-normal life. Good luck!
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
And by the way, how the HELL have you let him live 18 months without making him a Slashdot account?
Re:Well... (Score:5, Interesting)
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Already a lost cause. See above.
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It's not as CUNT funny as Tourette's.
Leapster (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Leapster 2 or new one (Score:2)
I'll second this, leapster is fun and it's somewhat educational. I know 4 kids with em, they love the games and it's all math and letters.
Please reconsider (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:Please reconsider (Score:4, Insightful)
I second this. Kids that age need to learn how to play with phisical things, computers can come later. As a father of two I know what I'm talking about.
Re:Please reconsider (Score:5, Informative)
Regardless, no matter how a child is raised, it is mostly important to be involved with their day to day actions. Watching them soak up information and apply it is a huge testament to how incredible they are, which is also why it's important to remain involved and direct them.
Re:Please reconsider (Score:4, Interesting)
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I second this. Kids that age need to learn how to play with phisical things, computers can come later. As a father of two I know what I'm talking about.
I had both as a kid. I had toys like 'Construx' (sort of a plastic version of Erector sets) and an Atari 800 computer. My advice would be to not go to either extreme. I think one of the things that helped my creativity is that I didn't get a lot of toys growing up so the ones I did have I had to make-do with. I think this forced me to use my imagination more. (I think watching shows like Muppet Babies helped, too...) I make 3D models for movies, now. I think my interests in video games and building my
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This reminds me of the people who hold up the retail value of their home theater setup as some measure of their own intelligence in audio reproduction. "This $500 wooden volume knob definitely improves my stereo's sound playback. Take my word for it, I have a thousand dollar Marantz Reciever and blahblahblah..."
Not saying anything about you personally, but lots of people who know nothing about raising children still have them.
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The best toy for a kid that age is a good sized cardboard box. Nothing else comes close when it comes to stimulating their imagination, curiosity and social development. If you for some reason are opposed to cardboard boxes: How about some real world open ended interactive toys like blocks, teddybears, a tricycle, a pail and a shovel, some toy cars or a ... gasp... big red ball?
+1.
And don't forget - turn off the TV, put down the laptop, and interact as a human. Toddlers don't need computers, they need messy tactile 3D objects and people to interact with. Computers (and TV) should come later, when social and physical skills are developed.
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Another mod up for this; an 18-month old has no need to be using a computer! My 22 month old likes building with plastic bricks - I help her out suggesting and starting a structure e.g. a house for her duck teddy and she carries on working out where stuff fits. Being a girl she also likes throwing tea parties for the teddies and changing and feeding a doll.
She also likes the bright screens of laptops and TVs, but when she does watch TV like Peppa Pig and Something Special (not sure if you get those in USA
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Re:Please reconsider (Score:5, Insightful)
Numerous studies have shown detrimental effects to child brain development associated with the early introduction of television and computers. No, you can't get around these detrimental effects by using "age-appropriate" or "educational" shows and games. Apparently, something about the *medium*, not simply the message, is causing these negative impacts. Perhaps it's the pacing of the material, the quick transitions, or the sugary over-the-top positive feedback that they get for completing even the most simple task in an educational game. For me, I don't need to know exactly what is causing the negative impacts - I see no serious side effects associated with withholding computers and television for now.
I know you might thing that you're helping your child out by letting him get an early start on computers, but keep in mind that some things are much easier for someone to learn at a particular age. For example, I always have to bite my tongue when one of my friends tells me with great pride "It's AMAZING! My two year old already knows how to use a mouse!!!" I always *want* to say "Were you really under the impression that he was going to have a problem picking that up?" Honestly, people, it's a MOUSE. It's DESIGNED to be easy to use. I think it would take a 10, 20, or 30 year old with no training about a minute to figure it out and an hour to master it, and they'll understand the full context and purpose of the mouse and the computer - things that the 2 year old couldn't possibly comprehend. Controlling a mouse isn't something that your child needs a "head start" on.
You could attempt to teach your 2 year old the periodic table, but I think we can all agree that he'll pick that up just fine when it's time to study Chemistry in high school. Maybe it's time to focus on how to dig holes, stack blocks, and chase you around the house instead?
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You forgot to mention that it's very important that the children have physical activities so that they'll tire themselves.
If they are not tired physically, they tend to resist sleep, and as a parent, you'll never get a rest either.
For young children (I'd say below 10), it's very important that they sleep their complete nights.
As they'll age, sleep will reduce.
Using electronic devices reduces a lot the amount of sleep, because it keeps your brain awake.
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Don't go ASKING for them. You'll learn quickly that there's plenty of room for blue balls in a house with a new child. :)
Keywhack.. (Score:5, Informative)
Both my kids started out with a great little app called Keywack. [holymackerelsoftware.com]
I took an old Mac Classic [ebay.com] sitting in my basement, ran Keywack and the kids loved it. Never trashed the computer either, which I was sure they would do.
Keywack runs on anything, Win/Mac/Lin, and helped me get my kids learning about tech at around 18 months. The fact they are both capable programmers (one a senior in high school, another im middle school) might have something to do with their early comfort level, or it might not. But give it a try...
Re:Keywhack.. (laptop not advised) (Score:5, Funny)
If you leave this [flickr.com] unattended...
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I like Alpha Baby [sourceforge.net] for the same purpose. For older kids, I have a list [hydrogenproject.com]
Try a (Score:2)
Don't (Score:5, Insightful)
18 months is waaaaaaaaaay to early to introduce stuff like that.
Let the toddler be a toddler. All that baby Einstein-esque crap has been proven to be nothing but trouble for your child's NORMAL development.
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Agreed. This kid isn't trying to "explore a computer" he's just doing the kinds of things an 18-month-old kid does -- bang on some stuff, make some noise, etc. This father is really just engaging in some wishful thinking if he thinks it's more than that. Then again, isn't everyone's child a prodigy?.
Re:Don't (Score:5, Interesting)
I've always found the American preoccupation with "giving the child a head start" strange. I live in Finland, and our older kids are six now. They have just started preschool, and will start primary school next year. Here most kids learn how to read at seven. Before that interaction and focus skills are taught through play and simple exercises.
Despite learning reading this "late" the Finnish school system still manages to give you a world class education.
I firmly believe that play is the most important thing for kids to do. Is the situation really so bad in schools elsewhere that we have to take away the spontaneous play of early childhood just to keep our kids from "being left behind"?
Keyboard Overlays (Score:2)
Several years ago we had 3 or 4 different pieces of software that each came with a keyboard overlay. The overlay was a big, fancy plastic "toy" that strapped over the keyboard. Interacting with the toy would press specific keys that the software would react to.
One of them was Thomas & Friends Railway Adventures Playset [amazon.com]. I must admit it was pretty cool. It requires a standard external PC keyboard, so it won't work on a laptop keyboard or any funky ergonomic ones. Just your plain jane keyboard.
Speakin
is a keyboard entirely out? (Score:2)
Do you just mean you don't want them mashing the keys on a normal keyboard?
You can get giant-key kids keyboards like this [amazon.com], you can also get trackballs like this [amazon.com]. Of course, if you go for a more unusual input device you may run into the problem of not being easily able to find software that will play nice with it (unless you also want to fiddle with key mappers).
seconding the giant trackball, software.. (Score:2)
No one has recommended gcompris [gcompris.net]?
Free software is made of win.
BabySmash! (Score:4, Informative)
I've been using BabySmash! from http://www.hanselman.com/babysmash/ [hanselman.com] with my 7 month old since she was around 2 months old.
She can press any key on the keyboard to get sounds and shapes/letters. She absolutely loves it.
I'm now looking for software that is slightly more advanced, but there seems to be a lack of games in this age range...
Every parents' problem (Score:2, Interesting)
I was thinking about getting a used rugged laptop and putting a very simple console editor on it, since my 18-month-old does seem to like what comes out when he bashes the keyboard, and there's enough to do with ASCII.
OTOH, he also likes to play simple games, like tux racer. The main problem is that the software is designed to receive precise input. Any program that can't be quit, paused or otherwise disabled would do the job of letting him explore. I was planning to put together a couple of simple games fo
Playtime (Score:4, Interesting)
We used to let my son use the computer a lot. He seemed to enjoy it, but we noticed that that was all he did. For the past few months we have completely banned him from the computer. Since the banning (and getting over the initial withdrawal) he has been much happier most of the time. I would recommend giving your kids toys (blocks are the best thing in the WORLD no matter the age of the child) and let them play with them.
Re:Playtime (Score:5, Insightful)
If only there was some middle ground between letting him play with it all the time and completely prohibiting him...
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Totally.
"I sort of hate having to tell him 'no' when he wants to explore a computer."
This set off a red flag in my head. Learning how to say no is important. Otherwise they'll walk all over you.
iPod touch/iPad (Score:3, Informative)
An iPod touch or an iPad aren't bad options.
The interface is about as intuitive as you can get, and there are child-friendly apps available. My 21mo daughter loves to play with the touch screen, and can figure out that she needs to touch the icons to get it to do stuff. A friend's slightly older daughter does about the same with their iPad. Both are also synced with a computer, so it's difficult for them to do irreparable damage. Purchasing music/video from the device requires you to enter your iTunes password, so it's not likely they'll be able to buy stuff either.
The downside is that they're fairly expensive, so if your kid is big on jelly-fingers or throwing things, it might require keeping a very close on them.
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Duke Nukem Forever (Score:3, Informative)
Just buy him a copy of Duke Nukem Forever. It'll be age appropriate.
Keep children under 3 from all tv (Score:5, Informative)
Numerous studies indicate that is is best to keep children under 3 away from all tv's, including dvd's, normal tv programming, movies, video games,etc... and to limit video exposure only increasing allowed hours per day gradually as the child gets older.
No tv under 2, limit to under 2 hours for 3 year [kidshealth.org]
No tv under 2 [umich.edu]
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Humans older than 3 benefit similarly from no TV, too.
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I don't think it's worth setting up something elaborate for an 18 month old, all they really need is something that looks like a computer so they ca
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In spite of the superficial similarities of having a display and being 'something electronic', TV is vastly different to a computer from a mental stimulation and interaction perspective. TV is basically mindless zone-out hypnosis for entertainment. Computers *can* be, but can also be complex, stimulating challenging forms of mental puzzle-solving and skills development.
Life is not about mindlessly following little "rules" about what is "supposed to be" age-appropriate or not, it's about thinking about it fo
Re:Keep children under 3 from all tv (Score:4, Insightful)
A little bit of both... (Score:2)
First, as a couple people have said: A cardboard box. Maybe 3 or 4 of different sizes. And some wood blocks.
Second, I'll stop insulting your intelligence and assume you already have that covered. An iPad. I don't have children (I hate them), but my cousin has 1, another on the way, and he's mormon so he's got 2 dozen nephews and nieces. He's also way more tech-savvy than I am, and the iPad serves him great for this. Load it up with educational cartoons (Barney, Sesame Street, Bob the Builder) and 2 or
I learned my alpabet from a commodore64 (Score:2, Informative)
starting age 2½, it was an expensive machine when I was young, but under supervision. What matters most is spending time with your child ad teach him/her LOVE, and yes, he should learn the meaning of "no", it's important, you know better than him/her, electronics (tv, computers) can wait a couple of years.
Some classical music playing in the background (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Some classical music playing in the background (Score:4, Insightful)
> I'm sure computers are the same.
No, because computers are interactive.
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It's not the interactivity, it's the lack of wide, strenuous movements. Considering how rapidly children develop and grow until about 4 years of age, they should be as active as possible to develop and strengthen. Plus if they sit around a good chunk of the day, when it's time for bed, they're still going to have a shit-ton of energy to burn off, and you're going to have a bitch of a time putting them to sleep.
Antique! (Score:2)
Why not just get him an antique? Kiddo can't hose the OS install on a Apple II or a Commodore 64, and they're pretty indestructible.
At $20-40 on eBay, they're cheap too.
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At $20-40 on eBay, they're cheap too.
I take it you haven't actually checked the prices that the Apple II goes for on eBay lately. They definitely aren't cheap. Sure, you can get an Apple IIe somewhat cheaper, but they still aren't in the $20-$40 range for working models. I don't think Commodore 64s are either.
VIdeo games and pinball fit loud noises / mash but (Score:2)
VIdeo games and pinball fit loud noises and mash buttons!
Touch Screen (Score:2)
Perception (Score:2)
It's probably not a computer he's excited about, just the bright light and the feel of the keyboard. Some have said "my son has always been interested in harvesters", while all the boy saw was just a nice big, colorful object.
iPad (Score:2)
The iPad is pretty much toddler safe. They can bang away on the screen, touch it and get a response, and play around in apps pretty easily. What's more, it wipes clean pretty easily after they get their drool infested hands all over it. The only thing you need to be careful of is the home screen... They will definitely hold their fingers down and put your icons into "jiggle mode," and if you're not careful they can easily delete apps. Just supervise them while they use it and make sure they don't do an
Buy a sacrificial computer and rewire the mouse (Score:2)
0. Buy a sacrificial computer. Keyboard and optical mouse can be $10 each.
1. Take a mouse and wire all buttons so they all are "left buttons".
2. Now open a browser to pbskids.org by default.
3. Also set your desktop up to accept a single click to "open" icons on desktop
4. And go from there
Your toddler will first have fun for days on pbskids. Will discover the desktop after that. You can sprinkle it with some icons of interest.
Notepad or some other text editor. (Score:2)
Sesame Street First Steps (Score:2)
It has different sections, based on what you want the kid to do. So for example, you can enter the "Keyboard" activities section, and the adult would drive the mouse and control the activity while the kid would be able to mash the keyboard and make things happen on the screen. To give you a taste of what it's like, imagine hearing the song "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and each key press causes a star to appear on the screen.
My kid love
Build it yourself (Score:2)
the iPad should be "Fisher Price" (Score:2)
My 2yr old LOVES his ipad.
And the rate of which I've seen him learn new skills with it then further refine those skills is amazing.
There are heaps of good free and pay for games and learning tools for them.
The thing is marketed wrong, it should be aimed at toddlers and preschoolers.
Software for learning the alphabet and keyboard (Score:2, Interesting)
WTF?? (Score:3, Insightful)
18 months? Are you serious?
Why my daughter was that age, I gave her an old PC keyboard that wasn't connected to anything else. She loved banging on it and pretending to work with Dad.
Give your kids something simple that will make them use their imagination. You don't want to kill off appreciation of simple toys by the time they're 4.
Best I/O devices (Score:5, Insightful)
The best devices I've found have been both input and output. To wit:
Babymash and Baby Smash (Score:3, Informative)
As babies smash on the keyboard, colored shapes, letters and numbers appear on the screen. Baby Smash will lock out the Windows Key, as well as Ctrl-Esc and Alt-Tab so your baby can't get out of the application. Pressing ALT-F4 will exit the application and Shift-Ctrl-Alt-O brings up the options dialog.
old guy advice (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm in my 40s, and my son is rapidly approaching 3.
Get him a pretend laptop - Something like this [toysrus.com]. (although maybe not in lurid pink.)
Honestly though, keep him away from real computers. At that age, they basically amount to TVs with (mashable) buttons. The interaction is no more significant than you'd get with a Fisher Price toy, and they don't need to be glued to the computer (or TV) that early. The less time in front of a computer or TV, the better.
Not "The" Device but "Your" Device (Score:5, Insightful)
The real issue here is whose device the kid wants to play with. He doesn't want to play with *his* fisher-price (or other) Toy, he wants to play with *your* laptop, because he sees *you* using your laptop. The kid wants attention, not the toy. Put the laptop (or whatever) away, and get him involved with something you can both do together.
Having two boys, ages 2 and 4, I know that they do not want their daddy to pay attention to his toys, rather, they want daddy to pay attention to *them*.
Learn to say 'NO' (Score:3, Insightful)
Learn to say no right now. It will be better for both you and you son.
Protip (Score:2)
While toddler drool can eventually corrode copper fire button contacts, and food particles may become lodged in the joystck boot, the TAC-2 is easy to disassemble and clean.
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In any case, make it a cheap computer. I don't think the ipad would work for a toddler.
I used the "adult" version of the ZX Spectrum 48k when I was ~18 months old. I even learned enough SINCLAIR BASIC to LOAD "" :). However, the only program I ran was an invaders-like BASIC game and the keyboard membrane didn't survive my space spider smashing for long.
Re:Normal (Score:4, Insightful)
Better yet, give him a Big Wheel and box full of Legos. Maybe spend time with him outside with a ball and mitt.
I know you mean well, but the kid's going to have plenty of time to develop a sedentary lifestyle and sit in front of a screen and keyboard. Let him at least have a chance to be healthy and active for a little while. Maybe he'll develop some good physical habits before becoming a computer geek like Dad.
I'm joking about "being a computer geek like Dad" but not about letting the kid run around and play and get some exercise and wait until he has a use for a computer before you plant him in front of one. How about this? When he comes to you and says, "I need a computer so I can..." THEN, you can set him up with a nice Ubuntu box, but only if he wants to do something worthwhile with it.
Take good care of that kid. The habits he forms now will most likely stay with him forever. Don't assume that because you love sitting and working at a computer that it's the best thing for him.
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Also, for christmas last year, may parents got him a learning "laptop" for older kids. It was plastic, and looked exactly like a lap
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Knee Bouncers reminds me of happy tree friends...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLLNKpJrHro&feature=related [youtube.com]
I bought my nephews a dvd of that for christmass ;)
LMGTFY (Score:2)
While I agree with your philosophy in general, a computer isn't one thing, there is no specific 'adult version.' It (and input devices for it) are infinitely adaptable. We have input devices and software for special needs adults, we have input devices and software that adapts to the user, we have educational software for all ages, and we know a great deal, thanks to science, about early childhood development. Toddlers are all little scientists, making and testing hypothesis about the world. Giving them adul
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Regular Keyboard, Mouse. Normal computer, just not your "top of the line gaming rig". I come from a philosophy that if they are old enough to use something, they are old enough to use the adult version, just under close supervision, and specific direction.
That sparked a memory of mine... my Dad let me play with his Vic 20 when I was 4 years old. I couldn't even read but I was able to tell it to start loading software off of tapes etc.
A friend of mine described kids' brains as being sponges, I'm inclined to agree.
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When they're old enough, why not? Or did you miss the part about "old enough" or "under close supervision, and specific direction."?
Did no one else get to sit on their parents lap and steer the car?
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And the all important job of steering from the passengers seat when dad needs to retie his shoes.
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When they're old enough, why not? Or did you miss the part about "old enough" or "under close supervision, and specific direction."?
Did no one else get to sit on their parents lap and steer the car?
Or learn to drive a stick by shifting from the passenger's seat because their dad needed his other hand to hold a beer?
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Eh, that applies to automobiles and chainsaws too?
No. Got another brain-damaged question to ask?
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Leisure Suit Larry and a Joystick.
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Sounds like about the right stage of development for an iProduct.
Re:iPad is a great device for kids (Score:5, Insightful)
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Yes, it's a much better idea to sit them in front of an $800 - 2000 device with latches, ports, springs, hinges, and cords, and other moving parts all over it.
So here's a crazy idea: don't leave the 18-month old child unattended around expensive and fragile elect
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Now, I have been trying to find a decent child's keyboard. I've found some, but they've been unrealistically expensive.
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18 YEAR olds do not have good impulse control and are just barely starting to perceive that actions have consequences
there fixed that for ya
Re:iPad is a great device for kids (Score:4, Interesting)
You know, despite the contrary responses, you are right. A kid is a kid, and should be given kid appropriate toys. A kid at 18 months doesn't know the difference between a Frisbee and an iPad, except the iPad probably makes more interesting smashey noises when they're done with it.
My daughter is about 3.5 years old now. Sure, I have a plenty of computer gear for her to play with. I've given her pretty much anything she is interested in. Folks have given her all kinds of presents. For Christmas, she was more interested in playing with the boxes, and coloring on them, than the actual contents. Really, despite the cool packaging, most of the toys sucked.
Right now, her favorite toys, in order of interest, are....
Crayons or markers and blank paper. She can do a pretty decent job of basic shapes (lines, circles, triangles, and squares).
Coloring books, until she gets bored with the actual pictures, and draws what she wants over them. She's fascinated by car washes ("car showers" in her terms), even though she's afraid of them. That's one of the things she draws frequently. That and "daddy's car". It's not a technically accurate depiction, but it does have wheels and something resembling a body over it.
Digital cameras. She loves taking pictures, and being able to see the picture right away. She likes *her* picture taken more though, so she'll make me take the picture and show her what it is.
She's interested in computers, but only as far as seeing daddy type 100wpm, so she bangs on old keyboards to type along.
She loves her etch-a-sketch. She can draw, and make it go away so she can start over. She likes to see me draw and write, so when I write things on it, I spell it out, and say the word.
And I made the tragic mistake of showing her http://icanhascheezburger.com/ [icanhascheezburger.com]. She wants to see the kitties doing silly things. It's not just seeing them, she has a commentary about each one. It's nice hearing what she sees in the picture, rather than what us adults have learned to see in them.
She has a few shows that she likes on TV, and is amazed that I can show her the same ones on the computer. It just sucks to have a kid take away *MY* toy. :)
On, and on the car, she loves telling me how to drive. "Green light daddy!", even if it's red. She's not confused about the colors, she just likes me to drive fast. For the sake of safety, I just stay in a lower gear so she can hear the engine roar. "Fast" to her is where the engine is running faster, not how fast we're actually driving. :)
Then there's balls, blocks, and other assorted kids toys.
Her grandmother got her a Disney toy that hooks to the TV. She lost interest in that in less than 5 minutes. She likes to dance on it though, even though she's not playing the game right. Hey, whatever, she's having fun, and I didn't waste the money on it.:) It doesn't even need to be hooked up to the TV for her to enjoy herself. :)
She likes to be read to also. She talks about the pictures in the book more than trying to comprehend the reading.
So, for any kid, give them the opportunity to do anything they want (that they can do safely), and you'll appreciate them more.
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Then again I remember my friends and I swapping 3.5" discs with half-a-dozen topless