From my experience of lots of little cousins and a five year old sister, I’ve learnt that children are like magpies in the sense they gravitate towards anything shiny, particularly if it’s a fancy piece of technology your life depends on and it has a pretty hefty price tag.
But what do you do when they ask to play with your phone? Do you risk going home crying while staring into a smudged and cracked screen or say no and face a toddler having a tantrum and hurling toys at you until you eventually cave?
Well, I’ve learnt to say yes immediately, ALWAYS say yes if you’re visiting a kid that has a lot of tantrums. Then, make sure you’re sat right beside them ready to pounce if you see them begin to throw, lick or kick it.
Here are some tried and tested apps that will keep them occupied, as well as some smart accessories to minimise the damage:
Woogie
If you’d rather not spend hours keeping an eagle eye on your phone just waiting for something bad to happen, then try the Woogie. It’s a soft and squishy case for an iPhone or iPod touch that’ll still allow kids to use the touch-screen capabilities while being secure and damage-free.
Available for $19.99 USD from Griffin Technology.
Talking Carl
Whenever I see my sister she asks me if I’ve brought the little man. She’s not referring to my fiancé or some tiny person I carry around with me, but the Talking Carl app. It’s a great distraction and I haven’t been around a child under ten who hasn’t been utterly amazed by it.
Basically, a small red creature repeats everything you say, he also laughs when you tickle him and says ouch when you hit him. Yes, hitting my iPhone screen is involved in this process, but it’s worth it.
Available for free for Apple and Android devices.
Scribble Lite
The vast majority of children are guaranteed to have various pen sets, paint boxes, colouring kits and endless reams of different kinds of paper sat gathering dust in their bedrooms. However, give them a fake, virtual colouring book and they’ll soon be creating masterpieces – well as masterful as a picture created with your finger and a touch screen phone can be.
There are a range of drawing, colouring in and fake paint apps but one of the easiest to use is the Scribble Lite, simply choose from a selection of different colours and start finger-drawing.
Available for free for Apple devices.
LightBoard Trace
The LightBoard Trace is another drawing app, but this time the kids actually get to produce something real at the end of it. This is a rather pricey option, as to use the app properly you’ll need an iPad 2 as well as the Crayola Trace and Draw Case, which is a great way to ensure that no matter how strong or grubby they are, they won’t damage anything.
Simply place the iPad into the case, launch the app and it will become a drawing studio where they can learn how to draw specific things and spell their name just by sliding some paper between the case and the device. Don’t worry the case is specially designed for little hands, so it’s strong enough to keep your iPad safe.
The Crayola Trace and Draw Case will soon be available soon for around £29.99 from Gearzap, but luckily the app is available for free for Apple devices.
Chef Sleeve
The Chef Sleeve is being marketed as the perfect accessory for those who like to cook whilst using their iPad tablet. However, the clear, touch sensitive film that keeps the device away from spills, grease, grime and more serious damage seems perfect for those with children.
Simply wrap your iPad into the sleeve and use like normal. Even if something does spill on it, just throw it away as it’s 100% recyclable.
Available for $19.99 USD from Chef Sleeve.
Becca Caddy is a BitchBuzz Tech columnist and freelance writer. She is also the UK editor of US-based tech blog Popgadget.net. You can follow her @beccacaddy or read her blog beccacaddy.com
Images via Apple, Griffin Technology.