Gadget Inspector: Pre-K Computer
The brave new world of toddler PC games.
by Ondine Galsworth
January 18, 2008
Computer games for babies? Why can't my son stick to torturing the cat and walking around the house with one of my bras hanging from his mouth? But okay, since it helps "acquire social cleverness and tools of communication," I guess I better gather up my feral petit garçon and try make his "acquaintance with social norms and values" before he starts hurling his scat around like a chimpanzee.
We started with Giggles Computer Funtime for Baby: Shapes. I watched it first, and after about a minute, though I'm basically the just-say-no type, I had a sudden urge to listen to Hendrix and plug in the lava lamp. This baby software is wacky, man — depending on which key you hit, triangles or squares or stars or circles float around, change color, size, and explode to a variety of songs, with the occasional, nonsensical appearance from an animal.
Between the kaleidoscope graphics and the soothing music, my brain turned to foam. As for my fourteen-month-old, who completely dismantled the vacuum cleaner as I installed the software and was covered in dust by the time I put him on my lap to experience "simple cause and 
Not to get all "Lucy in the Sky" about everything...effect interactions," he seemed excited at the prospect of finally being allowed to touch my sacred keyboard. He tapped the keys and the "adorable on-screen fun" began. This kept his attention for a while — I'd say a minute, which is pretty good for him. He likes music, so he seemed interested in where it was coming from, but the thrill of being able to play with the keyboard took over. Soon he was banging on it with both hands, thereby breaking the shift key on my brand new laptop and ending the experiment. So, if you have a very strong and super active boy, maybe letting him touch your computer at all is a big mistake. If you happen to have a mellow baby — I met one once — who is bored with beatifically staring at the world, you two can sit in front of your computer and chill to the tunes of Jazzy Baby and the sight of a gnarly frog catching shooting stars with his tongue.
Next came the Toddler Easy PC Learning System by Comfy. This comes with an interactive keyboard, so you can keep your own shift key out of harm's way. Once again, I played with it first, and not to get all "Lucy in the Sky" about everything, but remember
Comfy says unjaded and un-American things like, "What a beautiful day!" the first time you watched Teletubbies and had a brief moment of panic about those mushrooms you ate for dinner? Well, Comfy will inspire a similar reaction. I with "Birthday Party: First Steps in Social Interaction" for an hour. During this time, I found myself navigating the bizarre world of little boy Comfy and his friends Snaily (both a snail and a postman), Feely the elephant, and a bunch of other comfortably numb weirdos. I, personally, would have loved this interactive party as kid, as I liked being transported to different worlds, and Comfyland is leagues away from northern New Jersey. The polite English accents made me long for my friends in London and their astonishingly well-mannered kids — who say things like, "How lovely to see you!" and "That would be splendid!" Comfy says unjaded and un-American things like, "What a beautiful day!" I really liked the optimistic sweetness of the Comfy stories; it was refreshing not to be in the slick, cool world of most modern cartoons. And my son? He loved the keyboard, so much so that he unplugged it from the computer, took it in the other room and tried to take it apart.
©2008 Ondine Galsworth and Nerve Media
About the Author
|
|
Related Articles
|
|
Ondine Galsworth is working on a novel about her experiences as a go-go dancer
and a book about her new addiction, the rodeo. A New York native, she now lives in
New Jersey.
|
|
|
-
by Sam Apple
We process the ABC Kids Expo in Vegas.
-
by Sam Apple
The WhyCry digitally analyzes babies' wails.
-
by Sam Apple
Is the Miracle Blanket truly miraculous?
|
