The iPad and your Child: A Great Developmental Tool for Learning

The world is ever changing, and with this change is the technological integration of various platforms, mainly in the mobile and handheld fields. As we grow older and have families of our own, what does this mean for our children, because realistically your child will eventually ask you for their first iPhone, or their own tablet such as the iPad. As for our younger children between the ages of birth through five years of age, the iPad in particular can become a very powerful developmental tool in the advancement of their IQs and ultimately their adaption to the ever-changing world today.

Before we continue, I must stress that there are ways to password protect the more sensitive areas of the iPad to prevent your child from observing and/or interact with applications that you do not wish them to participate in. With that said, let's start with the various applications that are available for your child to enjoy. There are both free and costly apps that can give your child the type of developmental skills they are looking for. In the language field of apps, there are such titles as "AlphaBaby" and "AB Alphabet," both giving your baby a touch interactive system that narrates the letters; allowing for your child to amuse themselves with the movement of the letters and numbers to give that continuous notion of social interaction while teaching them the English language.

If your looking to give your child the sight and sound of various objects and animals in the world around them, look no further than "SoundTouch," an app dedicated to the touch interaction of a button that turns into the full screen picture of the animal with a sound to go with it, or with multiple sections you can choose from vehicles to instruments with sound enabled fun to go along with it. If your child is more intrigued by moving figures and puzzles to go along with their interaction, then try "BabySafari," an app that is based off a safari hunt, giving your child access to the sounds and visuals of a safari tour. These apps among others all offer the visual interaction your child needs to help push their learning to new limits and cultural understandings.

Above all these applications, if your child is fueled by a desire to understand and explore music, then the sounds of touch screen guitars, drums, pianos, cellos, and every other form of musical development can be explored with your child. Such apps as "musical genius", which offers a xylophone, a real piano, and a children's version with animals the pop up as your child lays along can greatly enhance his/her IQ. If your look for more direct apps that you can enjoy as well as your child, then consider "Bongos!," an app that incorporates the drums into a musical performance that you and your child can play for hours. If your worried about your child breaking their first guitar, then start them off with "Classical," an app that delivers the sound of the classical guitar to your child without breaking your budget.

If you think your child is carrying the traits of a future scientist in the physics or chemistry department, then the app "Uzu" is a program that delivers the power of black holes, particle accelerators, and solar flares without ever leaving the living room. All in all, the iPad is truly the way of the future, both for those already in the work field, but more importantly for your little ones growing up. If there is ever an investment that you could possibly consider for your children, the iPad is the way to developmental superiority. When your child enters the first grade, he/she will already know the concepts of blocks, musical performance, scientific theory, and anything else you would want to teach your little one. Don't let this opportunity pass you by, give your children the ultimate gift of intellectual understanding, a learning experience that will never be forgotten, and ultimately bring your family closer than ever with the power of technology.