Al-Jasser: work is underway to restructure and develop aviation infrastructure    Diriyah to host third IMFC Deputies meeting under Saudi chairmanship    15,135 decisions taken to penalize Saudis and expats for violations    Saudi-European Parliamentary Friendship Committee discusses cooperation during Strasbourg visit    Saudi stock market loses half a trillion riyals, with Aramco's losses amounting to SR340 billion Tariff turmoil rattles Gulf markets    KAU to host Digital Communication Conference in Jeddah from April 29 to May 1    TGA: Riyadh tops with 45% of 290 million orders delivered in 2024    Aja and Salma mountains draw nature lovers to Hail's rugged landscapes    US revokes all visas for South Sudanese nationals over deportation dispute    Death toll from Myanmar earthquake rises to 3,471    Macron to hold Gaza summit with Egypt and Jordan in Cairo    Benzema rescues Al Ittihad with stoppage-time equalizer in thrilling Jeddah Derby    Al Qadsiah and Al Ettifaq share spoils in tense Eastern Derby stalemate    Moussa Diaby praises Al Ittihad's resilience after Jeddah Derby draw "When you can't win, you take a point"    Saudi assistant referee Iman Al Madani joins AFC elite list for 2025    Riyadh Art Week launches with over 50 galleries showcasing global artistic dialogue    Turki Al-Sheikh announces five new Saudi film projects to be produced in Riyadh    Saudi Ministry of Education to showcase innovations at 2025 Geneva International Exhibition    Ed Sheeran weaves Persian music into new song, Azizam    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Great digital babysitters
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 11 - 07 - 2012

This game for preschoolers inspires an understanding of music and dance – and parents can play along with their kids.Molouk Y. Ba-Isa
Saudi GazetteSummer is upon us. The kids are home and their brains are becoming mush while they sit and play violent video games for hours or stare mindlessly at the TV. But it doesn't have to be that way. It is up to parents to limit the amount of time that children interact with digital “babysitters."
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children two years old and younger be exposed to no screen time. For older children, the AAP suggests limiting screen time – including TV, video games and computer use – to one to two hours per day of active viewing time. Such a recommendation is probably horrifying to parents with kids stuck indoors for months during the Kingdom's hot summers. That means it's essential for parents to select appropriate brain enriching content to explore during time spent interacting with digital devices – especially if those devices will be used more frequently than they should be.
When it comes to video games, throw away the violent ones and bring home game titles that will encourage physical activity and creativity. Sesame Street: Elmo's Musical Monsterpiece is a new game that gets preschoolers up and moving while they explore the wonders of music and dance with Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Count von Count. All of the music in the game is performed by Ozomatli, and includes some original songs by the popular Los Angeles-based band, whose music is a combination of hip-hop, salsa, dancehall, cumbia, samba, funk, merengue, Jamaican reggae and Indian raga influences. The upbeat tunes will appeal to kids and parents alike.
Great apps for kids now come from developers worldwide. Russia's 1C Company has chosen to step away momentarily from creating violent video games and has just released the first international game on the iPhone and the iPad starring Luntik. A small fluffy creature, Luntik, was born on the Moon and fell from it, onto the Earth. In Russia, Lutnik stars in an animated TV series. In each episode, the little alien learns something about life on this planet.
In the app, Luntik Colors the World, the aim is to stimulate young minds and teach them about colors and shapes. Aspiring young artists will work with Luntik and his friends, to learn to paint pictures, while memorizing the names of colors and shapes. They will also help Luntik solve funny puzzles and understand the basics of mixing colors and making mosaics. Most importantly if a child can't figure out a problem, the characters will give him an easier one to help him learn. Easy controls and a friendly voice help kids quickly familiarize themselves with the game world and complete lessons independently, cultivating a sense of accomplishment. Everybody can print out the free coloring pages at www.playluntik.com.
The last web resource to share with you today is called BrainPOP. Founded in 1999, this education resource just keeps getting better. The website, www.brainpop.com, is packed with entertaining educational content. The award-winning online resources include BrainPOP Jr., for learners through the third grade, BrainPOP, which is educational for everyone, and for English language learners, BrainPOP ESL. BrainPop has also launched incredible mobile apps for both iOS and Android. All BrainPOP content is aligned with academic standards and easily searchable with the site's Standards Tool. BrainPOP is easy to use, with no downloading, installation or special hardware required. The educational content is by subscription, but there is a free five-day trial that will allow exploration of the entire learning suite. Just register and let your kids enjoy.


Clic here to read the story from its source.