Computers are all the rage today for people of all ages 
including children.  There are many different types of 
software that you can choose from when it comes to 
picking something for your children to enjoy on the 
computer.  Depending on the age bracket of your 
children you’ll have to take some time to choose 
software that does what you want it to do.

For the younger child aged three to five there is 
software that features some of their favorite television 
characters such as Dora the Explorer or Bob the 
Builder.  Your children will be both entertained and 
educated as they play games, learn the alphabet, and 
learn to count.  Software for very young children is 
easy for them to play so that you’re not always coming 
to their assistance whenever they press a wrong key.

Software for older children aged five to ten has even 
more interactive features than software for the younger 
child.  You can buy software that is exclusively for 
learning and software that will only provide 
entertainment.  Most software comes with a rating to let 
you know that it doesn’t contain any material that is 
inappropriate for children.  Some types of software for 
this age group of children include puzzle games, 
software for learning a second language, math and 
science software, video game software, software for the 
artist, and software that allows your child to connect 
with the internet and play games with other children 
around the world.  

Software for teens is something that you’ll need to 
supervise a little more closely since much of the 
software on the market can be objectionable and will 
often test the morals and virtues that you are trying to 
teach your children.  When you buy software for your 
teen make sure that you take a good long look at what 
the software is all about, since many of the software 
games can feature a large amount of violence.  There 
are, of course, software programs for your teen that are 
educational as well as fun and that they can use to 
enhance their schoolwork.  

With so many different software choices out there how 
do you know that you’re making the right choices?  
Check out some of the parental listings that can be 
found on the internet.  Many parent websites will offer 
you advice and ratings for much of the new software 
that comes out each month.  This way you can be 
assured that other parents are approving a certain piece 
of software before you make your purchase.

Keep in mind that you should always limit the amount 
of time that your children spend on the computer.  
Children should be encouraged to spend just as much 
time playing outdoors as they do playing and learning 
on the computer. 

Zack Macchio is a software enthusiast and webmaster 
of Software - Fone Software, a top Internet directory 
for software resources.  Get more great software tips 
and tricks at:  http://www.fonesoftware.com