Tech toys: How young is too young?
TRAVERSE CITY -- How young is too young to buy children tech toys? Your own children may have asked, or begged you for a cell phone or an I-Pod for Christmas. Now, there are even laptops designed for toddlers.
The two, three, and four year old children that attend Alphabet Soup Preschool in Traverse City are what you call “computer savvy”. Everyday the preschool, like many others, gives its students time to play computer games.
Kathy Colbert, teacher at Alphabet Soup says, “They each get 20 minutes in the morning and in the afternoon. We set a time and they take turns.”
Now toy companies are trying to cash in on the technological generation. Aisles at stores are full of toys that look more like PC or cell phones, and many of them are just that. For example, a new toy called My Own Leaptop is a laptop for two year olds. Another toy is called Text and Learn. Some parents aren’t convinced a toddler would need the technology so young.
Amy Pardin says, “I don’t think two year old needs to be texting in anyway shape or form.”
Tech toys are becoming so popular that the Consumer Reports Electronic Blog has listed some of the hottest ones out right now, just in time for Christmas. The first is called a Fisher Price Kid Tough Video Camera. Why would a child need that? Tech experts for the website say it will keep them from borrowing your expensive camcorder and the whole family can enjoy the videos.
Another hot tech toy is a V-tech Reader complete with it’s own dictionary and little quizzes that test kids understanding of stories. One parent says her three year old loves it.
Julie Crawford says, “I think it helps a lot. She can count and knows her ABC’s because of her computer toys.”
What do you think? Are these tech toys helpful or harmful to young children? Is there a new toy out that has been an educational tool for your kids? Leave your comments below.
