While in line at Whole Foods, I overheard two moms talking about how they would not allow their toddlers to play with iPads/pods/computers and eavesdropped as they waxed on about how it's better for children's development to lock them in a playroom with tinkertoys and children's book classics all day than expose them to technology that will equip them for success in the future (I'm paraphrasing). Well, I was downright offended. My daughter loves apps. And legos. And books. And e-books. In our lives, they're not competitive and none of them are "better" than the others. The apps replace a portion of tv time, the ebooks replace a portion of toy time, and we always have plenty of time for traditional books, especially since I work in publishing and have access to amazing books all the time (lucky me!) The point of this blog, though, is not to compare books vs. e-books vs. apps, since they are such separate creatures in our lives. But i've found that for children's books, there are so many amazing resources and professional reviews (including your invaluable local librarian--librarians are helpful and amazing!) but there are very few ways to learn of quality digital experiences for kids... So many lists and reviews are vague or written by adults that don't seem to actually have kids. My hope is to be a valuable resource for parents looking for great apps (and possibly other gear) for their kids, and, along the way, I'll chronicle my daughter's journey with the iPad as she explores various forms of digital entertainment, learns and grows.
Olivia, my little girl, has just turned one (born 12/2/2010). She has her own iPad (thanks to daddy, an Apple addict and digtal advertising guy) and has just figured out how to turn it on, choose her own app, and even independently play the simple ones.
Thanks for reading, and I hope I can provide some good reviews!
