iPad mini Got my kid an iPad Mini 32GB :-)

[chestvrg]

I got my 3 year old an iPad mini for Xmas and he loves it. He can only use it Fri-Sun, and all his games and movies are on it, meaning I was able to delete those things from Mine! He absolutely loves the educational apps and as a direct result is a 3 year old with 5 year old competencies....They have integrated iPads into his preschool and he has mastered all their activities. iPads can be very useful for young children if handled appropriately.

Congratulations for your son!

Thank you, my son also has a very high competence in comparison to his grade level (K, going to 1st. In August). He was precisely asking me if they had school session where they allow to use iPads so he can bring his to school nap though I would not allow him to bring his mini to school, it would be nice if his elementary school also would integrate ipad. Kudos to your kid's school for integrating them.

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Congratulations to you both.
The iPad Mini is a cool device ( a bit expensive, but what Apple product isn't? ) to own.
With alot of apps available for children it is a device which supplies him alot of fun ( Games, videos, etc )
6 Years old might be young for an iPad Mini, but young people can learn quick ( so can old, & older )
I hope you both enjoy the device : )

Thank you. He already learned because of the fact that he is moving from an iPod touch, so they are both iOS devices. He'll pick up the differences quick and he is steady learning to ready by cognitively putting sounds of words together, so as like Sss, Sss, Sss, for "S" to ryme with "setting", if not be asks me. In a list, we'll go over the weekend in words in the menu settings as well as the stock apps, such as clock, calendar, mail, safari and so on so be gets more familiarize. This is all cognitive leaning on words and reading and has nothing to do with him having the ipad, iPod or not, but it will help him as he moves into 1st. Grade.

Also I will download educational apps for him.

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I got my 3 year old an iPad mini for Xmas and he loves it. He can only use it Fri-Sun, and all his games and movies are on it, meaning I was able to delete those things from Mine! He absolutely loves the educational apps and as a direct result is a 3 year old with 5 year old competencies....They have integrated iPads into his preschool and he has mastered all their activities. iPads can be very useful for young children if handled appropriately.

Congratulations for your son!

Can you please recommend me some educational apps.

 

[D.T.]

Can you please recommend me some educational apps.

My almost-5 year old has had a blast with Solar Walk (it was free one point). It's a really neat, visual exploration of the solar system - some of the content is a little advanced, but she can rattle off the planets now, knows their major attributes (like relative sizes, color, temperature), their position in the solar system, etc.

One of her favorite activities is actually shooting photos, then using a paint/photo app to touch them up, enhance them and whatnot, she has a ton of them, but I'll see what she likes best and post back.

Good for you BTW, it's a great purchase, that will be fun and educational.

 

[chestvrg]

Thx for the info. I will download these for him.

 

[theConvinced]

There is a difference between being spoiled and spoiled rotten. There is nothing wrong with the former if it doesn't lead to the latter.

Exactly my sentiment. Great for the OP that he can spoil his child. Fortunate child. As long as it does not lead to spoiled rotten. More power to him. I too have a technology enlightened son. I follow the hand me down route so cost is minimal I would have moved on anyways glad it can still be put to use. How many of us older tech geeks still have phones that are worthless but cost us hundreds of dollars when we got them. Then the new one came out.

 

[JoeFkling]

the young age and spendy item situation always brings up the kid being spoiled issue.

I say if the parents can afford it and they think its the right thing for their kid, then let it be. Now, if the kid is 6 and on his 3rd iPad because he keeps taking it outside and using it as a skateboard ramp then there might be an issue. lol

Either way, looks like he is enjoying it and it should help him along the way to learn responsiblity and the proper use of tools.

Now a bit jealous of course because i only have a 16gb. lol

 

[Lunchb0x8]

Should I have kids (still undecided) I would probably get them an iPad, probably the mini, much easier for a kid to hold a smaller tablet.

I see my little cousins with their ipod touch and their plethora of toys, and I think about what I had to do to get my first iPod... I had to get a job, then wait for the iPod to be invented.

 

[salacious]

my daughter is 2 and from the age of 1 and half knew how to swipe up the camera sign from my iPhone to get the camera up, not only is this trend still ongoing, i have had some adventurous vids, when i got my iPad, I downloaded BBC app on it, so she could watch cbeebies, to my amazement she learned how to get to the cbeebies channel if she accidentally went on something else.

I think we are underestimating kids these days, i think touch-learn-techology is making things easier for them to learn, they are getting smarter, i wouldn't buy her an iPad coz I just wouldn't feel comfortable buying a child something that expensive.

but the iPad is truly a universal device, for disabled, old, young, middle aged whatever the weather..

imagine if they taught kids how to code from the age of 3?

 

[Nychot]

Like a six year old really needs a $350 tablet. For what? Watching more junk movies and playing stupid video games.

 

[smooth]

Both my kids (9 & 6) have iPad Minis. They saved their allowances and birthday money last year and bought themselves Kindle Fires. Then the rumors of the mini really seemed likely. We are an Apple family and since they took such good care of their Kindles, we told them that if they sold them we would pay the difference for the iPads. They've had them for about a month and they LOVE them. And after playing with the Kindles, the iPads seem much easier to use. It could just be that I am used to iOS, but the Kindles just weren't as easy to work with. And my oldest kid can do homework on it. Good stuff.

 

[JoeFkling]

Like a six year old really needs a $350 tablet. For what? Watching more junk movies and playing stupid video games.

there are a large number of learning apps available on the iPad. Because all you would do is watch movies and play video games doesnt mean that that is all others do.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

My almost-5 year old has had a blast with Solar Walk (it was free one point). It's a really neat, visual exploration of the solar system - some of the content is a little advanced, but she can rattle off the planets now, knows their major attributes (like relative sizes, color, temperature), their position in the solar system, etc.

+1 for Solar Walk. I don't have kids yet, and I won't be getting my kids iPads at this young of an age, but my 5 year-old niece and 3 year-old nephew LOVE Solar Walk. It's funny, though, because they just like to look at the sun over and over again.

 

[TyPod]

That's one lucky kid! I'm sure he will put it to good use!

 

[chestvrg]

Thank you everyone. Today I will download solarwalk.

 

[KittiFatale]

Lucky kid!

 

[D.T.]

It's funny, though, because they just like to look at the sun over and over again.

Tell them not to look at the sun too long ... they'll go blind

 

[unplugme71]

nothing wrong with an iPad if used as a learning tool. You can even lock them in to the app in the accessability section.

 

[jmpnop]

there are a large number of learning apps available on the iPad. Because all you would do is watch movies and play video games doesnt mean that that is all others do.

I find it funny when people give such reasons, they're just reasons to justify an iPad. Most people would be distracted by the games and other entertainment apps and its not like iPad is going to improve learning by a lot over what other computers do. And imo a 6-year kid doesn't need a computer/gadget to begin with.

 

[chestvrg]

The ipad does sell, and so does the term tablet. In the case of my son, his iPod touch would freeze (was just getting too old), and also he complained about the screen been to small to either watch movies or play games (when aging for exams a race game, the two thumbs would get in the way covering most of the real estate of the display. Now he has no problem with that issue).

In cases for adults, I would definitely prefer to read my nook books on a 7" or 10" tablet (ipad), then on an iPhone size display. That is why the Nooks and kindles alike sell too.

So my answer is, there are reasons and justifications why to get an ipad. Think 10yrs ago and not that many people used cellphones or notebook computers, only business people per say but times have change and everyone has on of those devices, an tablet like devices are joining these trend as well (no citations needed)

 

[j.dstasio]

Way to go Dad. Your son sounds like he is going to be an educated, grateful, responsible, and tech savvy adult one day.

My daughter got an iPod touch when she was 4. It stayed in my wife's purse 90% of the time & was pulled out for my daughter to use when supervised. As she got a bit older, and had proven she could be responsible for taking care of it, we upgraded her to a 4th gen iPod touch. I think she was 6 at the time. With that device she learned not only how to take care of it, but she proved to us that she could follow the rules we set for it (when & where it was appropriate to use it mostly). She soon started using Facetime to talk to her uncle, two sets of grandparents and even her 80+ year old great grandparents. This has been great for all of us since we live 1000 miles away.

Just before she turned 8 years old we bought her an iPad. We have set her up with an account of her own and she is learning the value of money & responsible spending. She earns an allowance for doing chores and helping us around the house on weekends. A portion of her earnings goes into a jar. When she earn enough money, we take her to purchase an iTunes gift card which she can use to buy apps.

Before you know it our young children will be wanting a car, getting a job, wanting to go out at night with their friends, and going off alone to college. I want my daughter to make the best possible choices with things like this & I like to think that by starting her out early with something like her own iPod & letting her work up to the big things like college life she will be better off.

 

[JoeFkling]

I find it funny when people give such reasons, they're just reasons to justify an iPad. Most people would be distracted by the games and other entertainment apps and its not like iPad is going to improve learning by a lot over what other computers do. And imo a 6-year kid doesn't need a computer/gadget to begin with.

You do understand that you can choose what to put on the iPad right? You do not have to load games or any enterntainment apps at all. So if you dont want to be distracted by them, dont load them. I find it funny when people think that because someones use doesnt fall in line with their own, it makes the device useless. Just because you want to be entertained and play games doesnt mean that everyone uses it for that reason.

 

[christophermdia]

Can you please recommend me some educational apps.

My favorite for my son are Agnitus, this app goes through many facets of learning and at the end of the week emails you a report with what items were studied and the level of their competency not to mention it is a lot of fun for the kids.

Another app my son loves is Endless ABC.....it goes through sounds of letters in a fun way.

One more I love is Magic Puzzle. You can download puzzle packs which suit your childs interests, for mine he likes the dinosaur pack. You can pick how many pieces the puzzles can be and its very challenging for them to put together. This app keeps him going for a while.

 

[D.T.]

I find it funny when people give such reasons, they're just reasons to justify an iPad. Most people would be distracted by the games and other entertainment apps and its not like iPad is going to improve learning by a lot over what other computers do. And imo a 6-year kid doesn't need a computer/gadget to begin with.

Do you have children?

 

[725032]

Seems a bit too young in my opinion

 

[mouser45]

Kid should be outside playing.

He's got the rest of his life to be sedentary.

 

[chestvrg]

My favorite for my son are Agnitus, this app goes through many facets of learning and at the end of the week emails you a report with what items were studied and the level of their competency not to mention it is a lot of fun for the kids.

Another app my son loves is Endless ABC.....it goes through sounds of letters in a fun way.

One more I love is Magic Puzzle. You can download puzzle packs which suit your childs interests, for mine he likes the dinosaur pack. You can pick how many pieces the puzzles can be and its very challenging for them to put together. This app keeps him going for a while.

Thank you so much.

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Kid should be outside playing.

He's got the rest of his life to be sedentary.

My kid does play outside and has a physical activity regimen outside the ipad deal. I take him to the park at least 3 times per week, he rides his scooter, bike and power wheel car when possible and I make sure when he participates in activities, such as acting ball or swimming that he understands these recreational activities are very differed then when using his ipad now.