Elmo Games

Lately, Bella’s favorite activity is playing “Elmo Games” on my laptop. I log into Seasamestreet.com and let her at it. It amazes me because she knows how to use my laptop (with the touch pad, not even a real mouse!), navigate the site and play most of the games. She knows how to use the arrow buttons to make the screen go up and down, start games over, pick a new game…everything!

It’s nice because it occupies her for as long as I let her play but can also cause drama if she asks to play and I have to say no. She likes to ask to play first thing in the morning or right before we have to go somewhere, it seems! We’ve started using it as a reward system – if she’s good and doesn’t fuss when we get home from work and through dinner she can play Elmo Games after dinner, for example.

What also amazes me is the fact that she can actually play most of the games and does really well. It doesn’t matter what it’s about – counting, alphabet, sorting, patterns, mazes, sounds, etc. She can do it all! The only games she needs help with are ones that require you to move the mouse quickly to click on something that moves. It’s hard to use your finger on the touchpad that fast.

I contemplated getting her a Leapster/vTech handheld game for Christmas but decided to wait until her 3rd birthday. It just seemed like a little too much for a 2 year old. Plus Auntie Lissa is getting her the Tag Jr. Reading System which I think she’ll like a lot.

Of course I shouldn’t be surprised since Bella does know how to use my sister’s iPhone …it won’t be long until she knows more about computers than I do…