Do toddlers really need computers to learn? by Liz Szabo.

"Time was when all kids wanted for Christmas was to sit on Santa's lap. Now, they may get a laptop.
This year, a number of toymakers are hoping to stuff babies' stockings with kid-size computers, some targeting babies too young to talk — a trend that worries many parents and pediatricians." summarizes Liz Szabo.

Photo: USA Today

iPad-like options for kids include LeapFrog's $99 LeapPad Explorer Tablet, VTech's $80 InnoTab Learning App Tablet and the $389 Vinci Touchscreen Mobile Learning Tablet. Vinci's ads feature a cherub-cheeked baby — who looks only about 8 months old — mouthing the product's rubbery handle.

That has earned the Vinci the honor of "worst toy of the year" at the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time — TV, computers or cellphones — for children under 2, and no more than two hours a day after that.

Yet there's no evidence that these products offer any benefit for kids under 2, says pediatrician Dimitri Christakis of the University of Washington in Seattle.
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Source: USA Today