Software (and Appropriate Input Device) For a Toddler?

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."

Comments

Please reconsider

[ascari]

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?

Re:Please reconsider

[mapuche]

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

[JPL-Jeff]

I second this as well. I'm a computer scientist who spends almost all of his work time in front of a computer and a lot of my leisure time as well, but my two children (aged 7 and 5) never watch television or use computers (truly). What do they do instead? They read, climb, ride, draw, build, etc.. - they're constantly learning how to play, interact with others, and control their bodies. The time will come for them to learn how to use computers and I'll be there, ready with a series of great programming projects that we can work together on, simple robots - the works. I look forward to that, but it's not like there's any shortage of things to do with them in the meantime!

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?

Don't

[VonSkippy]

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.

Re:Playtime

[icebraining]

If only there was some middle ground between letting him play with it all the time and completely prohibiting him...

Best I/O devices

[dskoll]

The best devices I've found have been both input and output. To wit:

• Crayons and colored pencils.
• Modelling clay.
• Paper.

Re:iPad is a great device for kids

[eln]

Sure, it's great until the kid spontaneously decides to pick it up and throw it across the room. 18 month olds do not have good impulse control and are just barely starting to perceive that actions have consequences. I guess if you have lots of money to throw around you could give your 18 month old a fragile $600 device, but I think the smarter move would be to go with something designed to survive the kind of abuse kids that age tend to dish out to their toys.

Not "The" Device but "Your" Device

[malus]

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*.