Parents with young (age 3ish) kids

[olds]

What sites are there for them to learn/play online?

Looking to get our 3 year old granddaughter interested/used to using a keyboard and mouse, etc.

 

[amdhunter]

Create an ATOT forum account for her. She'll be a lifer by the time she's in grade school.

 

[WelshBloke]

Cbeebies from the BBC is OK. There's a bunch of age specific flash games and video clips.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Ooh! Don't forget the phone and iPod.
I truly believe these kind of efforts to "jumpstart " children's dependence on electronics is ultimately socially inept at best and limits learning at worst. A such a young age, being outside and interacting with other humans she can actually touch is far more educational. And, don't give me the 'why not both?' crap. At three, children don't have the mental ability to maintain concentration on multiple interests.

 

[biostud]

nm

 

[Rage187]

I just gave her an ipad at 18 months. She was able to open netflix, switch to her profile and find her shows pretty much immediately. She is super smart and technical at 30 months.

Now, she can start the ps4, switch disks and skip to her favorite Frozen songs.

 

[Wyndru]

Abcmouse.com, sprout online, pbskids.com are sites our daughter likes.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I just gave her an ipad at 18 months. She was able to open netflix, switch to her profile and find her shows pretty much immediately. She is super smart and technical at 30 months.

Now, she can start the ps4, switch disks and skip to her favorite Frozen songs.

Now if only she could use language to express her thoughts and feelings instead of locating an app for it.:whiste:

 

[Jumpem]

My kids (4 and 5) don't use a computer yet. They have a Kindle Fire HDX that they use in conjunction with Amazon FreeTime.

 

[UglyCasanova]

My daughter likes pbskids.org

 

[Staples]

Never tried it but see commercials for abc mouse all the time. $80 a year.

 

[Wyndru]

Now if only she could use language to express her thoughts and feelings instead of locating an app for it.:whiste:

Some of the apps are actually pretty decent in regards to child development. They use the built in mic to assist with language, a lot of memory games, accelerometer for physically moving things with shifting the device etc. Even our daughter's leap pad tablet uses a lot of different inputs to teach kids. Is pretty cool the way tech can be used for this stuff. It's great for special education too.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Some of the apps are actually pretty decent in regards to child development. They use the built in mic to assist with language, a lot of memory games, accelerometer for physically moving things with shifting the device etc. Even our daughter's leap pad tablet uses a lot of different inputs to teach kids. Is pretty cool the way tech can be used for this stuff. It's great for special education too.

You can't see the forest for the trees. Look at all the posters in these forums who can't adequately express themselves in their own language. Think about all the "adults " you know at school or work who would go into convulsions if you took their phones away.

Small children do NOT need another layer or gateway to communication. At best it limits them in scope and inhibits real social interaction with people. At worst it teaches children that social interaction online is equivalent or, interchangeable, with face to face communication.

In addition it exposes children unnecessarily to freaks online. How a group of people who actually question the wisdom of letting a twelve year old ride a bike two miles to see a friend or, factor in having to cross a busy street in making educational decisions for their children, find this desirable, I have no idea.

 

[Wyndru]

I wasn't suggesting they spend every waking moment on these devices. Think of it less as a babysitter, and more of a supplemental tool and it makes more sense.

At least it's more interactive than TV.

 

[Rage187]

Now if only she could use language to express her thoughts and feelings instead of locating an app for it.:whiste:

Ha, she is fine. She talks, and going through potty training now. She reads books with her older sister and starts 3K in just a few weeks.

My point was, we made tech stuff second nature by introducing it early. She has no fear of computers or electronics, which is what we wanted.

 

[jersiq]

What sites are there for them to learn/play online?

Looking to get our 3 year old granddaughter interested/used to using a keyboard and mouse, etc.

For all three of our kids, we let them go to starfall.com
Eventually, we bought the "premium", but it's not really required to get some depth out of the site.

Ooh! Don't forget the phone and iPod.
I truly believe these kind of efforts to "jumpstart " children's dependence on electronics is ultimately socially inept at best and limits learning at worst. A such a young age, being outside and interacting with other humans she can actually touch is far more educational. And, don't give me the 'why not both?' crap. At three, children don't have the mental ability to maintain concentration on multiple interests.

You must be REAL fun at parties. I hope my children never become as acerbic and caustic as you are, or the front you apply around these forums. Based upon your posting content, you are the most socially inept here, but feel free to be the iconoclast; someone has to.

 

[lxskllr]

Based upon your posting content, you are the most socially inept here, but feel free to be the iconoclast; someone has to.

Now I'm confused. I thought that was my job.

 

[Jeeebus]

Serious answer - starfall.com

It is an excellent site that helped with reading, letters, numbers, etc. and both of our kids love it.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Now if only she could use language to express her thoughts and feelings instead of locating an app for it.:whiste:

bingo. Wait for them to walk into real life (aka: a job) and require those social skills they never learned as a kid. They will be fucked for life. Enjoy your heroin addict children living life of depression since they are too socially inept.

 

[olds]

Thanks.
To appease Magnus, I bookmarked Strunk and White for her.

 

[mcurphy]

Oooold post, but some of the websites may still be relevant:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=309039&highlight=kids

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

For all three of our kids, we let them go to starfall.com
Eventually, we bought the "premium", but it's not really required to get some depth out of the site.



You must be REAL fun at parties. I hope my children never become as acerbic and caustic as you are, or the front you apply around these forums. Based upon your posting content, you are the most socially inept here, but feel free to be the iconoclast; someone has to.

I freely admit to being acerbic and sometimes caustic. It's a natural reaction to the lack of knowledge regarding how the world really works by many posters here. As for being an iconoclast, perhaps you should revisit the definition. The rise of social interaction online and dependence of many on their "smart " phones, hardly qualifies as a traditional concept unless your only perception of the world was acquired through a 5 inch screen. I believe in technology however, too many lack the perspective to understand when new doesn't always mean better.

 

[MrDudeMan]

I freely admit to being acerbic and sometimes caustic. It's a natural reaction to the lack of knowledge regarding how the world really works by many posters here. As for being an iconoclast, perhaps you should revisit the definition. The rise of social interaction online and dependence of many on their "smart " phones, hardly qualifies as a traditional concept unless your only perception of the world was acquired through a 5 inch screen. I believe in technology however, too many lack the perspective to understand when new doesn't always mean better.

i know you think you stumbled on something really smart and that all parents who don't do what you're saying are stupid, but you missed something: you're wrong. kids benefit in several ways when they learn how to use electronics. independence, increased dexterity, and familiarity with technology just to name a few.

the biggest component of what you've totally missed is the responsibility of the parent to set limits. first of all, kids can't just go outside and play 24/7, so they have to be inside sometimes. you can't just make a kid color, run around, or any other activity literally all day. there's down time no matter how you slice it and spending that down time on an ipad is far better than drooling in front of a tv. as a parent, i let my kids use ipads a little bit every day and that's it. they've VERY obviously gone leaps and bounds beyond their peers who aren't afforded the same opportunity. it's not even remotely subtle how much more advanced they are in several areas. since i limit their ipad time and they know i won't relent, they don't push the boundary and it's just that easy. i say put it down in 5 minutes and don't ask for it again until bed time and they listen.

what you're basically proposing is for kids to be technically inept troglodytes. i'm totally fine with you giving your kids a significant handicap because someone will have to make lunch for my much more successful kids.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

what you're basically proposing is for kids to be technically inept troglodytes. i'm totally fine with you giving your kids a significant handicap because someone will have to make lunch for my much more successful kids.

Perhaps if you didn't spend so much time communicating with your thumbs, you could form a more coherent argument. My point was children need to develop mentally and socially before introducing additional layers and complexity to their communication skills. Three years old is too young. Perhaps you could also teach your children how to feed themselves, you know, just in case. :whiste:

 

[MrDudeMan]

Perhaps if you didn't spend so much time communicating with your thumbs, you could form a more coherent argument.

this isn't insulting in any capacity. i don't think you realize that, though.

My point was children need to develop mentally and socially before introducing additional layers and complexity to their communication skills. Three years old is too young.

how are you in any way qualified to make such a statement? this is pure bullshit conjecture. my kids could actually navigate an ipad in an intelligent way at 10 months old. three year olds are way, way more advanced. i'm starting to think you've never been around a child at all or, if you have, you weren't paying attention. my four year old daughter can read, add and subtract, and she's starting to multiply. since you obviously have no clue what's normal for a kid, that's extremely advanced for a four year old. my wife is responsible for her knowing how to do those things, but she practiced constantly on an ipad, which cemented the learning and i'm equally as sure she's better at all of it as a result. she's enabled to learn on her own and now she feels more confident that she can learn advanced concepts. i see it daily.

Perhaps you could also teach your children how to feed themselves, you know, just in case. :whiste:

this doesn't even make sense. my kids have been feeding themselves since they were 1 and they were both potty trained early. what else did i miss since you clearly know everything about my kids? how the fuck does this have anything to do with using an ipad or computer? that's right, it doesn't. you started with saying kids need to go outside and socialize and now you're criticizing a kid i don't have who apparently can't feed himself because both of mine do that just fine.

it was already obvious in earlier posts, but this one really provided a high contrast view of how retarded your lack of an argument truly is.