For toddlers who are not yet able to type, BabySplat can be a great help. This free computer game lets children play with the keyboard, drawing random shapes and sounds. It's very similar to Baby Smash and can help your toddler practice his or her alphabet and numbers. It's easy to use and your toddler will love it. You can lock BabySplat by holding the Windows Key while pressing ALT-F4 on your keyboard. When you want to turn off the program, press ALT-F4 and press F4. To exit the program, you can also use Shift-Ctrl-Alt-O to access an options dialog.
BabySplat is freeware and available for Mac and MS Windows. It allows toddlers to bang on the keyboard by pressing different keys and seeing shapes and sounds appear on the screen. Using this program will allow you to safeguard your work on the computer, and it will keep your kids distracted long enough for you to grab the computer. The program was inspired by the popular Mac version of BabySmash, which was designed for older children. You can download BabySplat from the Downloads page of the website.
Another program, called Keyboard Pounder, is similar to Baby Smash!. It displays pictures of fishes, flowers, butterflies, and other objects when you hit the keys. It runs full screen against a black background, and if you accidentally press it, you can listen to the sound of your child's laughter. Both programs have a "quit" option at the top. This feature is great for controlling your toddler's play, but you need to know which one to choose.
