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Ask Slashdot: Android Apps For Kids Under 12 Months?

Posted by timothy on from the what-about-a-flight-simulator dept.

An anonymous reader writes "My kid seems incredibly interested in my Android tablet, but I'm not too comfortable with letting her play with my browser. I've been hunting the app store for apps that I could let my kid play around with, but haven't found much. It seems like most apps are targeted for slightly older kids and are trying to teach them words, math or whatnot. Has anyone found any cool apps for approximately 6-month-old children? I'm mostly looking for something that makes funny noises or where you just have to e.g. track moving objects on the screen."

2 of 311 comments (clear)

  1. Go buy them real toys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    There's a slew of research that suggests that TV is nothing but bad for kids under 2 years. It will lead to attention and behaviour problems and offer no actual benefit to development. This is why Disney recalled those Baby Einstein videos that were supposed to make your kid a genius, and why there are laws in several countries about making programing targeting kids under 2. Smart phones and tablets are new enough that not much research has been done yet, but I think it's safe to assume that anything involving a screen and/or constantly changing pictures or sounds will carry a lot of the pitfalls for young kids, if not even more.

    Just keep them away from it as long as possible. Kids will be fascinated by a lot of things, give them real physical objects and physical interactions for now. At least wait til they're a couple years old before encouraging them to become technojunkies with tiny attention spans like the rest of us.

  2. No Tech to Kids by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Hello,
    concerning not only this article, but other situations we should debate the use of technologie by small children.
    As other comments say, and I agree, you should show the real world to the kids, play with them, give care and attention.

    And look into monitors hurts the eyes. When you were young, how many kids in your class used glasses ? One or two !
    And now ? More than five ! This is due to the use of computers in the class room or at home!
    Teach them how to write and draw ! Offer them a notebook and color pencils, not a laptop !

    In the weekends take your kids to visit some diferent places, nature or museums.
    And buy some books! Have a mini library at home!

    As Benjamin Franklin said: "The investment in education pays the best interest".