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Your Toddler Needs an iPad

MisterJeremy by MisterJeremy

The Number One Toy and Learning Device for Toddlers

Could the iPad really be the perfect gift for toddlers? If the New York Times is to be believed, you can forget about the Rampway Play Set and the Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube. The toy your toddler really wants this Christmas is an iPad, or at least an iPod Touch. With more fun and educational apps available all the time, maybe apple is right when they say of the iPad, "You give one present. They get thousands."
(Photo by Steve Paine CC2.0)

You Love Your Toddler, Don't You?

Then you need to buy this.

* Young children think with their fingers. If they see something, they jab at it. Steer left? Lean left. Flip it, and the screen flips, too. If iPad delivers as promised, it will have evaporated the abstract link between a child's hand and the more abstract screen images, so no game controller or mouse is needed. The screen is the controller and it sits in their lap, which works for children (and their grandparents, too, by the way). -from the gadgetwise blog at New York Times).
Apple iPad 2 MC979LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi, White) 2nd Generation

Apple iPad 2 MC979LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi, White) 2nd Generation

Amazon Price: $399.99 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now
Used Price: $349.99

Is the iPad the Ultimate Toy for Toddlers?

It's a fact that the only toy your toddler needs is an iPad. Most of us will surely vote with the undeniable truth. But I'm open-minded. Maybe you want to play the devil's advocate (like I did in my review of kapla building blocks), or you might just be a luddite who wants to put your ignorance on display. Here's your opportunity to sound off."

Is the iPad the only toy that a toddler needs.

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Of course it is. A fact is a fact.

Jimmie says:

All the cool tots have one. Rattles are so boring! Start early with all the technology you can afford. Only the finest for your precious child.

No, I force my child play with inferior toys like blocks and toy kitchens because I want to raise a minimum wage day laborer.

Casacicak says:

No.....my toddler loves to play with "my" iPad but he also enjoys more traditional toddler toys.

Tipi says:

Guess I'm still in denial...

aesta1 says:

I don't think so. And I'm not raising a daily wage earner either. But I think that for toddlers, a variety of toys for varied stimulation is important. I don't want to train my kid to look at screens all the time. He might think life is all a screen.

emmalarkins says:

Hey now! Technology has its place, but I think that getting to know the real world is more important. Children get addicted to technology so easily, because it's instant gratification; it makes them less likely to want to do things that involve possible frustration and difficulty.

chemknitsblog says:

I don't want ipads to replace the wonder of touch and feel books that you read to your child, and letting them flip the pages themselves. That being said, I think that the ipad would be a good supplementation to traditional toddler toys.

 
view all 7 comments

But isn't the iPad expensive?

Actually, no. Buying your toddler an iPad will make you rich.

Here are the top reasons why buying an iPad for your toddler is not only a great use of money, but in the long run, is a wise investment that will allow you to retire early. Vote for your favorite and feel free to add more!

1

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Take a Boarder

If you don't want to downsize, just put an extra bed in your toddler's room where the books and toys used to be. Run an ad on craigslist for a roomshare and find your toddler a roommate. Boom! You've got a reliable monthly income stream, all thanks to your toddler's iPad.1 point

2

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Eliminate the child's room altogether

Just put a little cushion for sleeping next to the potty, and Junior can live in the bathroom. Bring his meals in there and all of his physical needs could be met without his ever leaving the room! Then you can seriously downsize your living space!1 point

3

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Raise the seed money for purchasing your toddler's iPad by selling off the rest of his or her toys.

Face it. The toys your child has now are a waste of time and space. What's with all the blocks? Are you trying to raise an industrial-age, widget-cranking automaton? Head over to eBay and list up your child's outdated analog toys. Some sucker will buy them.0 points

4

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Make serious $$$$ by selling your child's books.

You can make quite a bit of money selling "quality" used books on amazon.com. Of course, you and I know that the only quality books for our toddlers are eBooks from iBooks on iPads. Unfortunately books with writing in them won't make us quite as much money, but we can make the best of the situation by scratching out those had-written birthday inscriptions from grandma and at least making a buck or two.0 points

5

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Downsize Your Home

Without all those toddler toys underfoot, you can save serious money by downsizing to a home without a playroom. A toddler with an iPad takes up a lot less space than a toddler with lots of books and toys. A corner of your closet should do fine. Lower rent or mortgage payments equals more money in the bank. Ka-ching!0 points

6

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Online Surveys

With an iPad, your toddler will master the ins and outs of the web in no time. Put that knowledge to good use by having him or her spend a couple hours a day taking web surveys for money.0 points

Just one reason to love this toy...

"You give one present. They get thousands." -apple.com

iPad on eBay

Save a bit of cash on a used iPad for your tot

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Take it from the New York Times

Your toddler needs an iPad

Is the iPad a Child's Best Friend? - NYTimes.com
Why Apple may have created the ultimate plaything for kids.

Toddlers' Favorite Toy - The iPhone

An iPad for the Preschool Set: The Fisher-Price iXL - NYTimes.com
Fisher-Price says it will soon offer a tiny touch-screen computer for tots. (But of course you'll want the real thing.)

The Next Best Thing to the iPad for Toddlers

the iXL Learning System from Fisher-Price

At about a tenth of the price of an iPad, the Fisher-Price iXL (love the lowercase "i") Learning System from Mattel is bound to be a hot gift item this year.

"The iXL is a tiny computer that opens like a book. It has fat, colorful icons on the right side and buttons and a speaker on the other side. As you might expect, there are apps for the new product: Story Book, Game Player, Note Book, Art Studio, Music Player and Photo Album software. And, my goodness, this gadget even has a touch screen." (from the NYT article linked above).
Fisher-Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning System (Blue)

Fisher-Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning System (Blue)

Amazon Price: $29.94 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

The iXL 6 in 1 Learning System by Fisher Price is the ultimate and coolest handheld learning system designed for kids (from the amazon.com product description).

Frequently Raised Concerns

Some stubborn people remain unconvinced that the iPad is the only toy a toddler needs. They raise concerns that, although ridiculous, I will address here out of sheer magnanimity.
  • Doesn't playing with an iPad all the time stunt a toddler's social growth?

    No way. Haven't you heard of the Internet? Facebook? Twitter? Chatrooms? Your toddler can have hundreds and thousands of deep and meaningful friendships without ever leaving the safety of the home. The offline world is full of freaks, stalkers and predators. Better to keep your toddler in the safe online world of the iPad.

  • What about exercise? Should a toddler at least have some sports equipment?

    How many people have you heard of who've sustained sports-related injuries? Now compare that number to those who have been hurt enjoying an iPad. Maybe you want to blow out your child's knee playing kickball, but I love my children enough not to put them needlessly in harm's way like that, especially with all the cool sports apps that are available for the iPad.

  • Don't toddlers need to spend time out in the sun?

    Absolutely not. You don't want your child's delicate skin exposed to the sun's dangerous ultraviolet rays, do you? If God had intended toddlers to spend time out in the sun, he wouldn't have made the iPad's display so hard to see in direct sunlight.

  • Isn't staring at a screen all day bad for a toddler's eyes?

    No, it isn't. Even if it were, the damage sustained would be minor compared to all the benefits that the iPad provides. Even if the damage were major, there's no eye problem that a little lasik eye surgery can't repair. And even if the damage led to complete blindness, by the time that happened the iPad would surely have advanced to the level that it could bypass your child's eyes and interact directly with the brain. (There's a reason they call it retina display.)

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Comments: Toddler approved?

Add your comments about why the iPad is the ultimate toddler toy.

  • Casacicak May 14, 2012 @ 10:20 am | delete
    Fantastic article! My toddler loves my iPad almost as much as me!!
  • Tipi Jul 2, 2011 @ 12:16 pm | delete
    Love how you stayed in character here...so, that was you I heard laughing gleefully a while back!
  • Guyverguyjr Jan 22, 2011 @ 7:44 pm | delete
    I saw something like this on youtube only with kids just a tad bit older. I was surprised how smart the little kid was.
  • doubleside Jan 22, 2011 @ 6:40 pm | delete
    Hahaha..nothing I can say, you just got my brain.
  • aesta1 Dec 6, 2010 @ 4:01 am | delete
    You got me...great way of presenting an issue..
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MisterJeremy

Mr. Jeremy, the head teacher at New Hope International School in Tokyo, Japan, is a homeschool dad who loves to make learning fun. Check out his blog.... more »

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In case you missed the sarcasm, MisterJeremy doesn't really think your toddler needs an iPad. Try these ideas instead.

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