Kids Learning Technology Skills
At 2 years old my daughter was able to fully navigate web pages and games using my laptops touchpad… on her own computer she was even better with a mouse. Now at 4 she knows how to handle her computer games and DVD’s with care, put them away, and generally is a computer wiz. She even opens up Notepad sometimes so she can type words and math problems. I’m not mentioning this to brag (well, ok maybe a LITTLE bit to brag), but I’m telling you that you can teach your children valuable computer skills and it can start at a very young age. My next few posts are going to talk about specific ways you can teach your children how to use a computer from the time they are 6 months and up. Also what they should be able to do at each stage, so lets jump right in!
6 Months – 1 year
The first thing you want to do is to allow them to sit on your lap while you are doing your computer work. This will allow them to observe what you are supposed to do with a keyboard and mouse. Second thing to do is to purchase the CHEAPEST keyboard and mouse you can find. You can let them play around and you won’t worry about them destroying your hardware. Third, get age appropriate software and help them use it.
We recently purchased Giggles Software for Babies. I have to say … WE LOVED IT! Here is some video of Michael playing with the Giggles…
At this stage it’s really only about them getting used to the cause and effect of using the keyboard to make things happen on the screen. Also it is helpful for them to learn mouse skills as they see how their motion with the mouse can move something on the screen in the same pattern. What else I really like about the Giggles software is that it also helps them learn Shapes, Colors, Letters, Numbers, Music, etc! So when they type A an “A” and an apple can show up on the screen. There are many different playing and learning modes, and even my 4 year old had a blast “showing Michael” how to use the computer.
Want the really good news?? Giggles has decided to let me give away ALL 5 of their programs to one lucky winner! In order to enter just post a comment on this post with which program you think your child would like the most! For extra entries you can become my fan on facebook or follow me on twitter and tweet the following phrase…
My baby is going to be a computer genius thanks to Giggles and @tech4mommies enter the giveaway! http://bit.ly/9nFihL
Don’t forget to come back here and comment that you tweeted or became a fan. 
Good luck! Giveaway will end Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 8 PM.
My kid would love the ABC / 123 software. Neat stuff….
I think the Nursery Rhymes would be lots of fun.
Love it! Tweeted it!
My 3 year old uses the computer better than my parents!
My 1 year old wants to be like her big sister… this could help
My son would love “My Musical World” he’s so ingto music!!!
fan on facebook!
I think my almost 2 year old would like the ABC’s 123′s program the best right now. I am constantly amazed and how much my 4 year old can do on the computer. For our boys as babies we have used the program AlphaBaby. I like that it pulls pictures from our iphoto and puts them up on the screen when the baby touches the non-letter or number keys. Anyway, hope I win!
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I have been teaching my son now for a year..he is 4. Great post!
I think My Musical World would be great!!
I’d love the Animal Friends one! So cute!!
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I think my twin girls would love the abc/123 software best. They’re going to preschool next year!
I think my son would love the nursery rhymes. He loves that kind of stuff.
My daughter could probably use the ABC’s and 123′s software. She is starting to learn, but needs help.
Musical World would be perfect for my son! I find him singing alllll day long.
The animal friends software looks nice. Thanks!
So cute! Save it for my grandchildren perhaps?
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My animal friends I’m sure my little ones would enjoy. Although I like the colors and shapes one. I am already your fan, and I just did a tweet on it! The kids would love this. I have a 4, 2 and 1 year old. The older two do very well on the computer already!
Musical world looks awesome! My daughter loves anything musical.
My daughter would love the musical world. She is truly a rhythm baby!
I have hesitated to let my kids “play” on the computer but these games look educational AND fun! ABC’s or 123′s would be perfect for my soon-to-be kindergartener!
re-tweeted it too!
I’m a fan!
The music world sounds wonderful…great giveaway
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My little guy would love the Musical World or ABCs and 123s. What a great idea!
Hard to pick one, but I think she would love Nursery Rhymes. And I’m now a facebook fan.
I think my adorable 7 month old son would enjoy the nursery rhymes. We have already started letting him go to certain sites and bang on the keyboard for music and visual effects. I keep trying to sing him nursery rhymes but I usually forget the words. So, I think having the dvd would be a plus.
ABC/123 would be my first choice, second would be Nursery Rhymes.
My daughter would like My Musical World.
I think my son would really enjoy My Musical World!
I became a Facebook fan- user name Kerrie Frick Gregory
I follow you on Twitter @36momma and I tweeted!
Nursery Rhymes would be brilliant.
My girls would love the Musical World one!
I think my son will love the nursery rhymes one the most, but all the others are great too. What an awesome giveaway!!!!
sarahcoulsey03 at gmail dot com
I like the abcs and 123s
My granddaughter would love My Musical World software
I have been looking for something like this! Thanks for sharing!!
The Nursery Rhymes one sounds like fun. Thanks!
I’m a fan, too.