Online Games For Infants 2-3 Years Old

[keestha]

My infant daughter (2 years 2 months old) loves to play online games. The first game I played with her is called peekaboo: the infant hits any key, and a friendly animal appears which says "peekaboo". Every day, several times she drags me into the office, saying "papa, peekaboo".

But she got bored pretty soon of this type of game, which requires the infant to hit any key, after which something meaningless happens. The only games she likes to play for an extended period are a few learning games, such as the zoo animals ABC game on the Fisher-Price website, which is meant for teaching infants the alphabet. Another hit is a game geared for teaching infants about shapes and colors.

Mostly games in the toddler category are still too difficult for her: they require the use of the mouse, a technique she doesn't master yet.

What would for example be useful, would be a game which requires the infant to hit any key, after which a familiar object like a door or a car appears. It should be accompanied by a voice saying door or car, and the door being opened or closed, or the car driving off, of course with the sound this makes.

Did anybody come across any useful websites?

[travelingmike]

Why ever would you be encouraging your child to hook into electronic devices, as if it isnt already a problem. The pediatric associations throughout the world are urging parents to minimize time with electronics. How bout teaching the alphabet yourself, colors and shapes via your environment, reading to them, going for a walk. The current generation(teen to 20s is the first generation ever to grow up indoors and it is seriously messed up). I also have young children and my 5 year old has no idea what a video game is. We have to make a conscious decision to unplug our children as well as us, and get out. Interact with each other instead of a machine or via a machine. Your infant daughter would much rather have you interacting with her then a computer. Take care, Mike

[kannon99]

My daughter started starfall.com at about age 2.5. It starts with ABCs and moves up eventually to phonics and reading. Very simple and easy to use. I would sit with her while she did it and explain as we went. Now she's 6 and still uses the program on her own for reading, usually about 30 minutes a few times a week.

[Ananke]

Try the BBC's kids websites from the UK. They have nice things for even very young children - alphabets, and songs and stuff like that. No adverts, no violence. Of course, you'd have to sit and do it with your child.

www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies for pre school age

www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc for older kids

Don't quite see why you would put a 2 year old in front of the computer though. As a child of her time, she'll probably spend most of the rest of her life in front of one anyway. But that's your call.

[MikeyIdea]

Why ever would you be encouraging your child to hook into electronic devices, as if it isnt already a problem. The pediatric associations throughout the world are urging parents to minimize time with electronics. *******

Your infant daughter would much rather have you interacting with her then a computer. Take care, Mike

Excellent post Mike.

Keestha - a 2 year old should have no contact with computers at all. There will be plenty of time for her to learn to become a computer expert, 2 years old is not the time OK? Turn the computer off for nearly 2 years, then let her play at starfall.com when she becomes 4 years old

To develop well, your daughter should have interaction with people, with you. EQ rules (basically social skills), interaction with other kids, imagination... Knowledge has very little value for the future in young children. A computer is a bad tool to teach most things that will make your daughter develop well

2 years old and no computer and no cartoons on TV. Tough on the parents but good for the child

[soundman]

Why ever would you be encouraging your child to hook into electronic devices, as if it isnt already a problem. The pediatric associations throughout the world are urging parents to minimize time with electronics. *******

Your infant daughter would much rather have you interacting with her then a computer. Take care, Mike

Excellent post Mike.

Keestha - a 2 year old should have no contact with computers at all. There will be plenty of time for her to learn to become a computer expert, 2 years old is not the time OK? Turn the computer off for nearly 2 years, then let her play at starfall.com when she becomes 4 years old

To develop well, your daughter should have interaction with people, with you. EQ rules (basically social skills), interaction with other kids, imagination... Knowledge has very little value for the future in young children. A computer is a bad tool to teach most things that will make your daughter develop well

2 years old and no computer and no cartoons on TV. Tough on the parents but good for the child

Don't agree at all.

When my daughter was three, you couldn't keep her away from the computer/online games. She is now five, & totally bored with the computer/online games.

Seems like she got it out of her system, and developed good hand/eye co-ordination at the same time.

[MikeyIdea]

Soundman, child psychiatrists clearly disagree with the age the OP is talking about

Child psychiatrists recommend no TV for children under 2 years old, computers are included in that. Child psychiatrists recommend caution about TV and computers also after that. One hour per day is generally the combined maximum recommended and that include TV and computers until 7 years old or so.

TV doesn't stimulate the ability to concentrate so small children watching too much TV are often behind in that – according to child psychiatrists. I haven't seen any info about computers but IMO, the concentration problem shouldn't apply to computer work. Children are actively engaged when they play

I make no comment about stopping to use computers, good that your child used computers for something good and went on.

OP, I advise waiting at least a year before allowing your child to play, then let have her have max one hour of TV + computer per day

Edited February 3, 2010 by MikeyIdea

[keestha]

Thanks for all the great, well meant feedback. I fully agree that an infant should spend at the most very limited time behind a computer screen or a television. I have witnessed situations where it got out of hand completely, like a 7/8 years old kid playing an online computer game every day for hours at an end.

Edited February 3, 2010 by keestha