My sister and her husband are expecting in early April. As a result, this future Aunt is paying attention to toy commercials in an effort to spoil the new baby. One toy on the market that caught my eye is the Fisher-Price Easy-Link Internet Launch Pad. While it will be a few years before my niece or nephew explores the Internet, this tool provides controlled Internet access to the very young. By placing a figurine of their favorite character (Elmo, Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora, etc.) into a specialized slot on the launch pad, a child can access the site that corresponds with that character. The selling point is that kids can access their favorite site without messing with mom and dad's files or the whole of the Internet.
Ten years ago, kids I babysat (ages three and five at the time) could use the VCR and start a CD-ROM of their favorite computer game. With computer skills becoming more and more essential to daily life, I can see vast marketability for this concept. Most parents want their toddlers to learn about computers as much as them to practice writing with crayons or to "read" their favorite books. While I hope parents don't leave their child's early education up to the computer or Fisher Price, I think this is a fun, inexpensive way for parents to introduce their children to information access on the Internet.
Here's a link to Toys 'R US in case you're interested: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2678325&cp#prod_prodinfo
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3 comments:
That's a fun toy! I think my two year old would love it. He hasn't mastered the mouse yet but loves to help me play games.
I think you'll find Peanut Butter PC (from www.PeanutButterSoftware.com) is the best resource for introducing toddlers to computers. Please check it out.
I mentioned this one at the Metro workshop, and people were pretty amazed. Thanks for sharing!
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