Perfect game for babies age 6 to 24 months

[hcuar]

Ok... I've been keeping my eye on a game to get my baby involved in computing. She's now 8.5 months old and loves to "jump" my toon in WOW. Which is all fine and everything, but difficult to play when warlocks must remain still during casting. (anyhow)....

On Saturday I went to the Apple Store in Des Moines and discovered a new software title being sold called Giggles Baby - Shapes. Here's the website: http://www.giggles.net .

She loves this game! It's great because it provides feedback for pushing keys and the mouse button.

So... if you are looking for a game for a wee little one, i'd highly recommend it.

[Abulia]

Ok... I've been keeping my eye on a game to get my baby involved in computing.As an aside, my daughter (now 5) loves to do this as well. It was a little...uh, "disturbing" when she started mimmicing my succubus too... :eek:

I'm a little scared about giving a child access to an expensive Apple computer to bang on the keyboard/trash the mouse. We let my daughter play Dora on my wife's PowerBook, though.

She's not allowed anywhere near my MacBook or PowerMac! :D

[xparaparafreakx]

Yea giving little kids macs will make your wallet empty. Its cute when their 5 and have a basic iMac. By 10, they will ask for a Mac Pro with all the trimmings.

[crap freakboy]

ahhh memories.
Started my daughter at 9 months on Quake3, basic mouse control, keyboard skills- all on a bot-match with no weapons besides gaunlet- no blood of course. Moved onto the simple game you mentioned but it didnt hold her interest for too long. To be honest of all the game demos shes tried for her group none have come close to the flash based ones offered for free. I'd personally recomend the following-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet/
http://nickjr.co.uk/primary/nickjr.aspx

Now at 5 years old (just) shes got her own account, is able to login with pw, open Safari, navigate her bookmarks and print web produced artwork. Next is terminal scripting. Biggest problem I've found is at UK schools they tend to be Dell based, which she find quite dificult to navigate compared to OSX...go figure.

[Tanglewood]

I grew up playing Dark Castle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Castle), though that might be hard to find now.

[StartTday]

You guys are kidding right?

[Demon Hunter]

I grew up playing Dark Castle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Castle), though that might be hard to find now.

Dude, I still have that game. I wonder if it's worth anything.

[balamw]

You guys are kidding right?

I don't know about WoW or FPS for the little ones, but it's truly amazing how they figure it out and have no fear of computers. The iMac is in the living room, primarliy for the kids (3 and 5) to play edu-tainment (and some just plain fun, mostly non-violent) games on.

I concur with crap freakboy that many of the freely available flash games on the 'net are just as educational/entertaining to them as packaged products. I just put shortcuts to their favorite sites on the desktop and they wing it from there...

B

[petej]

I just use Garage Band with musical typing turnd on. My 2yr old daughter loves it. Not sure my PB is so keen on her thumping though.
She has also sent many an e-mail for me, mostly when I didn't want them sending as she was sitting on my knee whilst I was trying to work.

BBC website mentioned above is excellent.

[Dagless]

Big Brain Academy? I thinks designed for kids.

at that age I wasn't playing anything! Think I was about 3 when I got my Amiga and NES. Though the amiga was spent being nothing more than a digital art kit with Deluxe Paint.

[Demon Hunter]

Big Brain Academy? I thinks designed for kids.

at that age I wasn't playing anything! Think I was about 3 when I got my Amiga and NES. Though the amiga was spent being nothing more than a digital art kit with Deluxe Paint.

At that age you shouldn't be playing anything. It's not recommended for children two and younger.

[RedTomato]

I often show film clips from Google Video or YouTube to my 18 month old daugher (search for 'cats' or 'dogs' or anything child-appropiate.)

I sort of feel I'd prefer her to look at a LCD screen rather than your typical cathode ray TV (TV is generally banned, but if we show her a kids program, she tends to rush up to it and stare at it from 2 inches away - not healthy!)

One problem is she loves poking the Powerbook screen - arrgh!

How do you deal with that?

We should start a Macrumors Parents club :)

[greatdevourer]

WarioWare!

That's pretty much the only game I own that I would let anywhere near a child of that age :p Just looking at the boxes of some of them would probably screw 'em up for life :eek:

[Dagless]

At that age you shouldn't be playing anything. It's not recommended for children two and younger.

oh all I was doing at that age was doodling in Deluxe Paint and trying to work out what the hell you're supposed to do in some Ghostbusters game. it's pretty mad actually, my parents have my first drawing on paper and a print out of my fist digital image (a rocket with the number 8 on it flying around earth). it did teach me tremendous mouse techniques. no need for a drawing tablet now :)

[JBot]

She's now 8.5 months old and loves to "jump" my toon in WOW. Which is all fine and everything, but difficult to play when warlocks must remain still during casting. (anyhow)....
You mean people like you actually get someone after all?

No im only kidding.
When i was a kid i remember playing dos games on my dads desktop. Reader rabbit, treasure island.
Atari also was a good time.

I suggest going for a gamecube, playstation, xbox, if you want them to improve movement comprehension skills. To my belief those systems are made more for kids than a computer is.