

The contents of the My Applications folder are the applications you've approved in Parental Controls, and applications launch with a single click. In Simple Finder users can't create new folders or add Dock icons, and the Dock itself is simplified to show three folders: My Applications, Documents and Shared files. One of the options you'll find in here is Simple Finder, which is particularly good for younger children. It's just a matter of creating an account for each family member and choosing the things you'd like to restrict.
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These enable you to block access to particular apps or kinds of content, and you can also make your Mac off-limits at particular times of the day or night. Could your pride and joy accidentally damage your data, run up an enormous iTunes Store bill or see material you'd rather he or she didn't? Not if you use Parental Controls. When your Mac is the family Mac, there are a few issues you need to consider. The interactive Alice and the eye-popping The Elements show what kinds of things are possible on the platform, and publishing giant Penguin recently showed off a range of interactive children's books that are coming to iPad soon.Īpple's own iBooks and Amazon's Kindle apps are both starting to offer a good selection of children's material, and Disney Publishing's Read-Along titles bring storybooks to life by including colouring in, games, video clips and voiceover recording. Some of the most interesting apps we've seen are for the iPad. It's not all spin-off stuff, though: apps such as Ocarina and SoundTouch are good if noisy fun, while the App Store's Education category is home to interesting apps such as the enchanting Tiny Garden, which helps children learn new words and has the option for you to record your own voice for each picture. The good news is, who cares? You've got apps!Īs with websites, cartoon characters and puppets tend to dominate children's apps – so, for example, there's Elmo's Monster Maker, the Gigglebies Garden Party and various apps based around SpongeBob SquarePants, Shrek and the Disney Fairies. The bad news is that most of the sites we've just mentioned aren't iPod, iPhone or iPad friendly, as they rely heavily on Steve Jobs' favourite format, Flash. Many icons, such as Mr Men and Dr Seuss, have their own dedicated sites.įor iOS users we have bad news and good news.

Sites such as CBeebies, NickJR and Five's Milkshake offer lots of creative activities based around children's favourite characters. If you're on a tight budget a wander around the web uncovers lots of kid-friendly content that won't cost you a penny.
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Apple also provides a good list of children's software at (opens in new tab). There are also interactive storybooks such as Dr Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham (£20 from Apple), educational applications from the likes of Little Fingers and teacher-developed learning systems such as Dorling Kindersley's Learning Ladder (£13 from the Apple Store).
#ALPHABABY SCREENSAVER FREE#
Take the award-winning and free paint program Tux Paint, or AlphaBaby, which generates letters and colours whenever the keyboard is pressed or the mouse clicked. There's plenty of Mac software designed for younger children. The same devices that entertain and amuse can educate and inform, and the latest generation of Apple hardware, software and apps is the most intuitive yet.

Parenting guru Gina Ford would be appalled, but our iPhones stuffed with Peppa Pig episodes and funny apps such as MouthOff! and Talking Carl have headed off many a tantrum.Īpple kit isn't just good at keeping younger children quiet, though.

Tots, toddlers, pre-school and primary school
