dd loves our laptops and digital cameras - any recommendations for children's versions? trouble is, she's only nearly two and all of them (which look shite anyway) say they're for 3+...

[Aitch]

should i just wait? she pretends everything's a laptop at the moment, it would be AMAZING if she had her own.

Had a quick nosy at toysrus and found this not sure if it looks enough like a real laptop for her to make that connection though??

good to see you back and no i am not just being a lazy arse and getting MNers to do my shopping for me, i've been researching them already and they do look shite.

thanks for that BVB, but like you say i'm not sure she'll get that it's supposed to be a laptop. frankly, i'm doubtful that she'll think anything other than a blimmin' laptop will do. she sits in front of my alarm clock screen typing on the table in front of it saying 'ooh look charlie and lola butterflies, purple germs, aaaaaaaaeeeeeeaaaa.' which you'll understand if you spend any of your day on cbeebies' website.
the dora and pooh ones look a bit rot, too, just s teensy b/w screen.

Did you see the thread with the cheapo real digital cameras on?

they were from Misco - we got one for ds

I don't see why something for 3 year olds would be unsuitable for a 2 year old in this case?

i suppose she's so young, franny, that we've never really bought her stuff before (other than from the NCT sale) so age ranges are somthing i have no exp of. will go search for MIsco.

I think the reason will either be

a) small parts, which is not a problem in this situation I don't think unless the thing gets broken

or b) just not suitable for all 2 year olds in that they will be too young for it developmentally, so not worth spending your money on

if you can see that the thing hasn't got any obvious removable small parts, and you think she will get something from playing with it, then I don't see why you shouldn't use your own judgement about the age suitability.

Tell me if you don't find the misco camera and I'll do a link

It also costs more to certify something as suitable for under 3's, which is often the reason they say this.

We did give dd an old real laptop when she was little, but flamesparrow's ds (same age as dd) found it very easy to pull the keys off, so figured it wasn't such a good idea just yet . Might be okay now they are a bit older though. Maybe ask on freecycle if anyone has an old one, if you're not worried about it being in full working order.

hmmm. i've actually got an old real one somewhere i think, but i kind of don't want to encourage her to play with ours, iykwim, as we both use them for work. that's interesting about the 3 and up thing, thanks.

He was very impressive with the key removal!

we were thinking about this for ds, but he's almost 6.

My dd has the fisher Price camera which she loves. She is 4 but I think a two year old could use it.

Children pick up a laptop faster than you think. My dd was using ours when she turned three. She can do everything thats possible without knowing how to spell.

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what, why get her one when i don't want her to play with ours? because SHE'S SO CUTE when she's pretending to play with my alarm clock, that's why, you cold fish.

Yes, I agree with Franny- the over 3 thing is just a safety issue, and as long as she's stopped chewing things won't be a problem. I don't suppose you could bear to give this monstrosity house room could you? I have to say, if she's used to good websites and CD-Roms then none of the designed-for-children ones are likely to appeal. Could you get her a dirt cheap second hand one and put stickers over it or something so that it looks different from your work ones?

why get children anything? just let them play with twigs I say

ooh cod you have gone all wnaky on us

Sorry, I just realised that there's a preschool monstrosity that would be "better".

I think she could probqably cope for a few more years without one

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I think 'children's' laptops are quite yuk yes

who cares

Aitch's dd has chewed enough bark in her time to deserve a bit of plastic beepy shit now

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I got one at Tesco, so relatively cheap. Not so much as a laptop, but called "my first labtop" and has all the alphabet on it, you can change it to be just teaching the alphbet, the names of the animals above each letter, plus something else.
Was only a fiver.

tsk cod you used the word 'chavvy' I always get jumped on for that. (am a really bad mum as ds1 describes some people as chavvy with budge hoop earrings).

Seriously tho a laptop for a 2 year old?? Why not some proper toys... Ds is nearly 8 and is only just getting a nintendo ds.

I got the laptop as DD plays with something similar when she goes to toddler group, but it is not a laptop per se.

I'm not chavvy

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