computer for young kids

[Keller]

So for Christmas this year, my wife and I are splurging on a Mac for my sister and her family. She will use it mostly for photos, scrapbooking, and e-mail. But I am really buying it for her daughters.

The purpose of this thread is to see if any of you guys have any recommendations for her children. She has three girls, almost 5, recently turned 3, and almost 1. Obviously they wont be playing Team Fortress 2, but I know there are some good educational games out there. Mostly I want them to become comfortable using computers. Simple math/spelling programs would be awesome. I could just search online, but I have no idea what I am looking for. Anyone have some input?

[Bobmuhthol]

For a Mac? :(

There are plenty of typing programs you can download, because fuck, typing shouldn't cost money to learn. I don't know much about educational stuff having not bought it ever, but something I used to mess around with years ago was called "Math Advantage 2000," which is compatible on Mac and Windows. Not sure if they have an elementary package - I have Middle School and I know they have High School.

Found it on Amazon, looks like 2008 is for XP only, 2007 runs on Mac OSX.

http://www.amazon.com/Math-Advantage-2007-Win-Mac/dp/B000FFMRLA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1196213278&sr=1-2

[Sean of the Thread]

All kids need is a computer that can

A)Mspaint
B)Icarly.com
C)Webkinz.com

Toss a little Hannah Montana and Disney.com upgrade chips and you're good to go.

My girls have been cranking around the computer since 2. It's amazing how fast they learn to pwn it. My 5 year old can almost type by touch now.

[thefarmer]

I saw a commercial the other day for an addon to your pc.

Basically it was this flat board that had disney cartoon heads on these cylinders. The kid put a cylinder in this slot, and it took them to a particular site (I think that particular one was a disney site, of course). Each cartoon matched up to a different site, so you they could only go to particular ones that you set.

Dunno what it was called, but check your tv and you might see it

[Celephais]

As a kid I played all sorts of awesome educational games on a mac... mostly because there weren't too many non-educational games on the mac (Until I got Marathon). Really anything I suggest know will be rather outdated, but if you go into a brick and mortar software store and just browse through the childrens section (or even the bargains) you should be able to stock up on spelling/typing/puzzle games.

I played this awesome strategy game where you had to spell out a word on each level by obtaining the letters as blocks... but you would have to push boulders and feed apples to hippos so you could float on them and stuff to get to the letters. It was awesome... Yogi teaches spelling or something...

hahaahaha! Yobi's basic spelling tricks:
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u222/GuinnessKMF/Yobi.gif
Careful... that rhino will charge your ass.

[Jenisi]

The old man in that screenshot looks like a creepy old beef wellington

[Bobmuhthol]

I remember that game, holy shit.

[Seran]

Goes to show you just how innovative Mac's are with their games.

I played that one in 5th grade.

[Sweets]

My little guy OWNS the computer at 4. Here's a few of his favorite sites ( all free to play).

www.nickjr.com
www.treehousetv.com
www.bobthebuilder.com

There is also a site called Up to Ten. Lots of fun stuff for the kids to do there as well.

I just need to brag a bit here. Justin can't read yet but he can recognize his sites in favorites. He can also find his favorite songs on limewire. Kids these days....

[Celephais]

The old man in that screenshot looks like a creepy old beef wellington
You should hear his voice, it's even worse...


Goes to show you just how innovative Mac's are with their games.
Uh... not mac exclusive, but nice try.

[Sean of the Thread]

My little guy OWNS the computer at 4. Here's a few of his favorite sites ( all free to play).

www.nickjr.com
www.treehousetv.com
www.bobthebuilder.com

There is also a site called Up to Ten. Lots of fun stuff for the kids to do there as well.

I just need to brag a bit here. Justin can't read yet but he can recognize his sites in favorites. He can also find his favorite songs on limewire. Kids these days....

My kids could read on their own at 4 years old.....write complete sentences at 5.

I don't mean to brag.

[Meges]

My little guy OWNS the computer at 4. Here's a few of his favorite sites ( all free to play).

www.nickjr.com (http://www.nickjr.com)
www.treehousetv.com (http://www.treehousetv.com)
www.bobthebuilder.com (http://www.bobthebuilder.com)

There is also a site called Up to Ten. Lots of fun stuff for the kids to do there as well.

I just need to brag a bit here. Justin can't read yet but he can recognize his sites in favorites. He can also find his favorite songs on limewire. Kids these days....


My kids could read on their own at 4 years old.....write complete sentences at 5.

I don't mean to brag.

You both suck. My son could count to 26, SAY (not sing), and recognized his ABCs before 2 years. He knew a ton of colors, even oddball ones, and his vocabulary was insane. He could speak in intricate complete sentences and did not know a single bit of sign language. He knew his pronouns and knew how to use them properly. He had some very basic math skills, like 1+/-1 and used those skills any chance he got. He also had his pilot's license, MBA from Harvard, permanent seat on the UN council and already developed an alternative and inexhaustible fuel source by 18 months.

Opps. I don't mean to brag or berate, just sayin'...

Oh yeah, here's a picture of my boy, who has mastered most MMA forms, giving your child a beat down:

:chair:


Meges

[Marl]

my 6 yr old will beat your nerdy kids up

[Sean of the Thread]

Your kids homepage is 2girls1cup

[thefarmer]

Your kids homepage is 2girls1cup

Ouch

[Skeeter]

My kid has already banged 3 chicks and he's still a fetus.

[Celephais]

My kid has already banged 3 chicks and he's still a fetus.
Pfff, my semen run girls gone wild and get girls to take their clothes off for t-shirts.

[Sean of the Thread]

Wow you guys are lucky. All my semen does is ruin socks.

[Methais]

You both suck. My son could count to 26, SAY (not sing), and recognized his ABCs before 2 years. He knew a ton of colors, even oddball ones, and his vocabulary was insane. He could speak in intricate complete sentences and did not know a single bit of sign language. He knew his pronouns and knew how to use them properly. He had some very basic math skills, like 1+/-1 and used those skills any chance he got. He also had his pilot's license, MBA from Harvard, permanent seat on the UN council and already developed an alternative and inexhaustible fuel source by 18 months.

Opps. I don't mean to brag or berate, just sayin'...

Oh yeah, here's a picture of my boy, who has mastered most MMA forms, giving your child a beat down:

:chair:


Meges

My dog beat Super Mario 3 without warping.

[Sean of the Thread]

Man I wish I still had my NES.. I just sold that fucker a few months ago.

[Methais]

I downloaded complete ROM sets for every non-CD based system from N64 all the way back off Demonoid shortly before it died.

Roughly 15000 games altogether, it rocks. Watching Hitler's face explode again in Bionic Commando was a boner inducing experience.

[Keller]

Wow you guys are lucky. All my semen does is ruin socks.

I lol'd in the middle of a lecture on Insider Trading.