Buying iPod Touch for Kids? Pros and Cons.

Now it has been more than a month that my son owns an iTouch, I have a better idea about if iPod Touch appropriate for kids, and pros&cons of buying an iPod Touch:

Pros

• Lifesaver in restaurants, visits to friends: His favorite movies and apps are both on his iTouch and on my iPhone. We already went out to restaurants several times and as I was hoping, iTouch kept him entertained when he got really bored.
  
  
• Great video playback device: With the iPhone TV connector, we play movies primarily from the iPod Touch now. It is even more convenient than our DVD player, Sony Playstation, or even DVR. No more searching for CDs, waiting for CD player to load, or searching for the remote control.
  
  
• Playing games and discovering educational apps together: It is a lot of fun and bonding to get a new game or an app, and try to figure it out together. You can access all the app reviews here.
  
  
• Mommy and daddy can have fun too: I use my kid's iTouch when exercising for watching movies and his daddy borrowed it during a recent trip to overseas.
  
  
• Audio playback: We bought my kid's favorite songs and put it on his iPod Touch. Now he playbacks and dances to his favorite music whenever he wants!  

Cons:

• Misplacing iTouch: Especially at the beginning, he misplaced the iTouch countless times. Because it is not an iPhone, you can’t call to find it. Our solution was to tell my son place the iTouch next to the TV, where the iPhone TV connector is. He still puts it to other places, but about 90% of the time I can find it next to the TV.
  
  
• Using iPod Touch in the car can make kids nauseated: I thought iPod Touch would be great for traveling in the car, but because he is looking down when he is playing with it, he gets nauseated. I think it will be ok to somehow tie the iTouch to the back of a front seat and let my kid watch a movie by looking up straight. I am still searching for the right accessory to do that and I will let you all know when I find it.
  
  
• Lack of great educational apps: So far I am not impressed by the quality of the educational apps. Even though they are robust, most applications’ graphics and interaction design can use much improvement. For instance, I was hoping that the applications on the iPhone will replace all the flashcards that are lying out on our floor. This has not happened yet. Although there are some flashcard apps, I have yet to identify some good ones that are engaging and with good graphics.

 

Do you have suggestions for good apps? Do you have additional pros and cons? I'd like to hear your thoughts!

Related Articles:

• 5 tips for making your iPhone/iTouch kid proof
• How to connect your iPhone or iPod Touch to TV
• How to convert your own DVDs to iPhone and iPod Touch format in 5 easy steps

Comments

[Krista]

I have an iphone and my kids use it all the time to play games and watch movies. A good educational app is scrabble. We were recently in Disney World and while waiting in a few LONG lines we played scrabble on the phone. It was awesome. Everyone was involved and took turns. It made the time go fast while waiting to ride the rides! Great Application for kids.

[rcb]

If you set an alarm to sound every day (on the Touch) at a time that people are in the house it will reduce the possibility of losing it.

[Jeffrey]

My wife was looking for a good matching game and something a little more educational for our daughter so we wrote FlipFrog (http://tropicalpixels.com/flipfrog). It's a fun little mathcing game where you match different frogs using colors and sounds. Now my 2 year old won't give me back my iPhone!

[zain]

I need this ipod touch please.

[Ashli]

I agree with the nasuated con. That's why our kids talk to each other in the car. Sometimes they don't get along, but I'm terrified of vomit so I rather them fight. Although, to this day, no arguements, no hitting, no nothing. Let me stop, so I won't jinx myself.

[Jonathan Osborn]

I like to just squeeze my IPhone in between the head rest and th top of the seat. The rubber case I have in the phone is what makes this possible by keeping the phone from slipping out. I have a "speck" cover from walmart online.

[Jules]

We bought our 6 year old an iPod Touch for his birthday. He has it completely sussed.
My 2 year old uses my iPod touch all the time and she has no problems with the kid's apps, movies or music. We have contemplated getting the 2yo her own, but think she can use my iPod in a controlled setting for now (ie sit on the couch, no running etc). The thought of cracking the screen or losing such an expensive gadget is what stops us.
When considering getting one for the 6yo, we were comparing it to the price of a Nintendo DS, cost of DS games and Apple Apps, also storing movies, podcasts, audiobooks as well as the all important apps. The iPod Touch was a no brainer. I know a few parents that have since told me their kids that own Nintendo DS hardly ever use them. We are very happy with the iPod Touch as a kid's toy/gadget.

[Aaron]

A recent con I have with the Ipod touch is lack of game ratings on the app store. Other than the user submitted ratings, are there any other game ratings available to protect my kiddos ? Similar to what is labeled when buying a video game for a pc or other game box. I check all games before they download them, but was just curious if there was something I was missing.

[Darren Bryan]

Re: using iPod in car: Would one of those armband cases (usually used for exercising) stretched around the front headrest do the trick?

[tiana]

If there is still no app, try taking pictures of the flash cards, or at least a hand full of them.

[robertsjulie2000@yahoo.com]

I am considering an ipod touch for my 11 year old but am worried it will diminish her creativity and make her addicted like so many are to their iphones.

[Mobile Phone TV]

I think the ipod touch is a good idea for kids to learn. Even adults can get addicted to apps for kids, my neighbor is a good example. lol

[Sharon]

I have HUGE concerns for browsing safety when considering to buy for my 10 year old. A friend's child was exposed to pornography by another child and suffers from that exposure. I hope to find a way to make the ipod touch safe, but still usable for him.

[Touch Screen Phones]

Buying iPod Touch for kids for what? If they can learning by using this ipod, it's great. But if they focus on game, how should they do?

[Nikki]

BEWARE. My 11 year old used the ipod touch to download aps. run the radio through his docking station and get the cricket up dates.
My internet bill was $500 instead of $59. (3 gig peak)
We are satelite wireless, so we weren't savvy enough to turn off his access to our internet in the earlier days of his use. We learnt the hard way! The other hazard if we had not put a password on is his friends could all sit on the couch and run up our internet bill with their ipods. We live in the middle of the bush and internet passwords for our wireless hasn't been an issue til now.

[Leigh-Anne]

My 11-year old son is balling his eyes out as we speak because we have taken his iPod touch away from him. We are terrified that he has become an addict. Even though it is against school rules, he is taking it with him. Nearly every waking minute, he is on the thing. If we are watching TV, he is on his Touch. We ask him to do something but he can't hear us because he is too absorbed in his Touch. He is in the bathroom for an hour on his Touch. He racked up an iTunes bill for $105 on apps without our approval. This is a serious problem and we are feeling that he now needs some professional help. Do not buy this device for your children. That is all I can say.