Get a FREE fully-working copy of Steganos Security Suite 7 (worth £49.99) when you sign up to the Practical PC Newsletter. Guide: An overview of Kids Software
Iain Laskey looks at what makes Kids' software that works.
Today's children's software has a lot to offer the modern mum or dad as well as the kids themselves. Whilst it is in no way a replacement for proper hands on parenting, it can be a fun way for children to learn new skills or a way to keep them busy on a rainy day. Some software is easy enough for even the smallest child to be left to explore on their own. Others require a little more effort and sitting with them as they develop new abilities can be rewarding for both parent and child alike.
Whilst many children's titles are very good, others can leave you feeling less than enthusiastic. There are several things that make a positive difference to how your child will perceive what they see on screen, especially the younger ones.
The graphics must be bright and colourful. It's no coincidence that almost every title on offer is based around an instantly recognisable character such as Bob the Builder. Equally important is the sound. You can never underestimate how funny it is to be able to make a rude noise by clicking a mouse button! The sound also provides a second level of feedback rewarding the child when they get things right and hopefully turning failure in to an urge to try again.
Small hands can find adult sized keyboards and mice very difficult to control accurately. The lack of fine manual dexterity can also frustrate a small person. You can partially remedy this by buying special child sized mice designed to fit their hands. The programs themselves can also help or hinder depending on how chunky the visuals are. If a child is expected to click on a tiny icon to do something, they're soon going to give up and move on to the Lego box in disgust.
Children's software has to manage the difficult task of being both predictable yet full of variety. Tasks based on simply repeating things by rote soon become boring. It is far better to have if the child can change slightly the way they do things each time. Even better of experimenting in this way produces unexpected bonuses.
It is also important that the child should be able to concentrate on the task itself, not the mechanics of telling the computer what they want to do. If you need to read a manual before starting you can bet your child won't enjoy using it much.
The software should be fun but it should also be educational. Some titles are based around the National Curriculum Key Stages which is a great way to bring children up to speed with the requirements. Others can introduce maths, simple reading and pattern matching skills.
Perhaps more important to the breadwinner of the house is that you don't want them to get bored with a twenty quid title after one sitting so lasting appeal is also vital, especially if the title is one that changes to match their skills.
Finally, don't forget your computer chair is probably designed for adults so consider their posture, perhaps sticking a cushion or two on the seat to raise them up and adjust the backrest to help them sit both properly and in comfort.
Lets look at some recent titles:
My First CD-ROM Toddler School
Book of Pooh - A Story with a Tail
