4 ms·

It's weird, my twins are almost 3 and they have yet to play with a computer except the couple of times I had some Elmo episodes up on Youtube. Most of their pl

It's weird, my twins are almost 3 and they have yet to play with a computer except the couple of times I had some Elmo episodes up on Youtube. Most of their play comes with the old fashioned puzzles and dolls and other assorted toys. I figured they wouldn't know what to do with a computer, but clearly I need to revisit that. What kind of things can a 3 year old do with a computer? I admit I haven't the foggiest idea of how to introduce a child to a computer.

adriand 17y ago
Well, for starters, it needs to be a computer you're okay with a kid being on. Mine doesn't get near the Macbook Pro, but I've got a desktop set up in such a way that only the monitor, keyboard and mouse are accessible, so I'm okay with that. Secondly, there's probably all sorts of great educational stuff for them to check out but all I've really done is put him on some simple Flash games. Examples: http://www.kongregate.com/games/Teagames/tg-motocross-2 http://www.kongregate.com/games/Teagames/tg-motocross-2 http://www.kongregate.com/games/light_bringer777/learn-to-fly http://www.kongregate.com/games/light_bringer777/learn-to-fl... http://www.kongregate.com/games/arawkins/dolphin-olympics http://www.kongregate.com/games/arawkins/dolphin-olympics
ghotli 17y ago
My two year olds cant get enough of this game: Open up notepad. Maximize the window. Change the font to 72. Turn on caps lock. Let them have free reign on the keyboard and tell them what letter they are holding down. After about two months of this they are pretty proficient at the keyboard and at their letters. For mouse skills fullscreen Microsoft Paint. Same results.
- hopeless 17y ago
  You need BabySmash... but it's mostly for younger kids. They hit keys and the letters spin on the screen accompanied by fun sounds.
greendestiny 17y ago
My 2 year old loves my ipod touch. The best thing I have for it is a drawing program called doodle buddy. She loves to scribble with it or do stamps. On the PC there is a great opensource paint program called tux paint - but she can't work the mouse so its a more of a ask Daddy what stamps she wants type thing.
frossie 17y ago
What kind of things can a 3 year old do with a computer? An actual computer? Check out the games on pbskids.org - esp. the Curious George ones. For under <3s, you will probably need to "drive" the mouse while the kids tell you what to do. The iPhone has a myriad of kid-friendly apps suitable for the toddler set. Try AnimalSNAP, Scribble, PreSchool Playground, Matches, and Wild Animals jigsaw. While obviously the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad is not a substitute for real play, it has certain advantages, such as encouraging seriously fine motor control, a level of abstraction, and being a compact source of amusement for plane rides. Also check out the kids books "with synchronised images" from audible.com. It allows the iPod to pretend to read books to your child. Again, not a substitute for you doing this, but a good tool for your emergency arsenal. I have to say though, that the most educational thing on the internet for the preschooler is youtube. There is nothing like, say, talking to your kid about the instruments of the orchestra and then being able to pull up somebody playing the tuba right there and then. Indispensable. That said, get your timing right. I kept my kid away from the TV till she was two, and away from gadgets till she was three. I think the level of engagement you get by introducing things at the right time is much higher than if you expose too early.

adriand 17y ago

Well, for starters, it needs to be a computer you're okay with a kid being on. Mine doesn't get near the Macbook Pro, but I've got a desktop set up in such a way that only the monitor, keyboard and mouse are accessible, so I'm okay with that. Secondly, there's probably all sorts of great educational stuff for them to check out but all I've really done is put him on some simple Flash games. Examples: http://www.kongregate.com/games/Teagames/tg-motocross-2 http://www.kongregate.com/games/Teagames/tg-motocross-2 http://www.kongregate.com/games/light_bringer777/learn-to-fly http://www.kongregate.com/games/light_bringer777/learn-to-fl... http://www.kongregate.com/games/arawkins/dolphin-olympics http://www.kongregate.com/games/arawkins/dolphin-olympics

ghotli 17y ago

My two year olds cant get enough of this game: Open up notepad. Maximize the window. Change the font to 72. Turn on caps lock. Let them have free reign on the keyboard and tell them what letter they are holding down. After about two months of this they are pretty proficient at the keyboard and at their letters. For mouse skills fullscreen Microsoft Paint. Same results.

hopeless 17y ago
You need BabySmash... but it's mostly for younger kids. They hit keys and the letters spin on the screen accompanied by fun sounds.

greendestiny 17y ago

My 2 year old loves my ipod touch. The best thing I have for it is a drawing program called doodle buddy. She loves to scribble with it or do stamps. On the PC there is a great opensource paint program called tux paint - but she can't work the mouse so its a more of a ask Daddy what stamps she wants type thing.

frossie 17y ago

What kind of things can a 3 year old do with a computer? An actual computer? Check out the games on pbskids.org - esp. the Curious George ones. For under <3s, you will probably need to "drive" the mouse while the kids tell you what to do. The iPhone has a myriad of kid-friendly apps suitable for the toddler set. Try AnimalSNAP, Scribble, PreSchool Playground, Matches, and Wild Animals jigsaw. While obviously the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad is not a substitute for real play, it has certain advantages, such as encouraging seriously fine motor control, a level of abstraction, and being a compact source of amusement for plane rides. Also check out the kids books "with synchronised images" from audible.com. It allows the iPod to pretend to read books to your child. Again, not a substitute for you doing this, but a good tool for your emergency arsenal. I have to say though, that the most educational thing on the internet for the preschooler is youtube. There is nothing like, say, talking to your kid about the instruments of the orchestra and then being able to pull up somebody playing the tuba right there and then. Indispensable. That said, get your timing right. I kept my kid away from the TV till she was two, and away from gadgets till she was three. I think the level of engagement you get by introducing things at the right time is much higher than if you expose too early.