Online activities for preschool age?

[AngelDog]

I'm looking for some online games/activities for my 3 y.o. - any ideas?

His computer skills are not fantastic, though he can just about move the mouse and click.

He reads pretty well - probably at least at YR or Y1 level.

I tried him with Reading Eggs today on a friend's recommendation, but the activities for his reading level assumed mouse control skills several years ahead of where he is.

I don't need anything specifically 'educational', but want something with some intrinsic point to it - not just based around a TV character (none of which he knows about anyway). I tend to use an exploratory approach with him rather than a "well done, you got the right answer" approach, as he has perfectionist tendencies.

Do you have a tablet or could you get one? This has transformed my children's experience of using a computer and there is so much available for them.

Both of my children have enjoyed using a word processing programme set to a large coloured font, and pressing keys on the keyboard to see letters appear on the screen. That can be especially gratifying to someone who doesn't yet have the coordination to write letters easily with a pencil. Even children who don't yet read and write can get a sense of power from holding down a button to make rows and rows of the letter o with almost no effort at all.

Any interest in logic/physics games? My dd and I have been enjoying Snail Bob and its sequels. Use various tricky controls to help the snail reach his goal. I am very impressed with the variety of the challenges and the humour. Your ds will definitely need your help for quite a few of the challenges, mainly in the use of the mouse (sometimes there is time pressure) but occasionally for the logic itself when he gets stuck. However, they will appeal to a perfectionist because you can easily re-start each mini-challenge until you figure it out. We ignore the score, which is based on speed, because we just like doing all the challenges!

Along similar but more open-ended lines is the physics game "Line Rider". Draw a slope for the sledger and see him execute various manoeuvres. Watching him crash, or fall "forever", or get stuck in a loop, or dangle upside-down, is rather funny.

Thanks, Saracen - I'll look some of those up. I like the idea of being able to re-start. DS enjoys putting in the wrong answer just for fun, so something which he can re-do would be ideal.

He loves writing e-mails to daddy and grandparents. :)

No tablet, or likelihood of it unfortunately, chocolatecrispies.