Warning: like a sugary treat, use of the computer is addictive. You probably already know this since you are reading a website… but know that if your baby is old enough to point, you may be introducing an activity he is going to ask for over and over again.
We have recently started using the games on FisherPrice.com for entertainment. The one pictured here is my favorite. It’s in the toddler section. I sit Julian on the desk, very close to the monitor, and show him the different animals.
Other computer activities:
Looking at pictures of family members
Watching animations on NickJr.com
Download baby songs from LeapFrog.com
My little guy loves kneebouncers.com… He can bang away on the keyboard and make things happen…. and I can get a document read or stapled…
Amongst my toddler’s favorite sites to visit are Bembo’s Zoo at http://bemboszoo.com/Bembo.swf and Peep and the Big Wide World at http://www.peepandthebigwideworld.com/about/song.html (Ok, that’s the link to the theme song which is performed by Taj Mahal… we always start there and then go to the games.) My 20-month-old daughter frequently inserts herself between me and my computer and points saying “Peep! Peep!” I think I may have created a monster.
Hey, great suggestions.
My toddler is obsessed with construction equipment, fire trucks, trains, basically anything with wheels. We go to Google Images and he can demand what ever he wants. He says “I need a front loader, Mama” and voila, I can pull one up. We’ve bookmarked a few sites that have good pictures, but we can also find new ones pretty easily.
But yes, it’s addictive. He thinks the computer is like a biddable television. I have to put my laptop out of sight (and use it only when he’s in another room) or he demands to look at fire trucks, etc.