Six of the best tech for tots

By Peter Jenkinson.

Can it ever be too early to get your youngsters involved in technology?

Well, when you consider that futurologists predict that jobs will one day include home robotics engineers, it would seem the earlier the kids start the better.

Also, knowledge of computing and electronics will be invaluable both in the workplace and at home - almost as much as having a traditional trade has been for the past few decades.

Of course, it has to be fun or the longevity of anything you invest in will be limited. It should also have educational value too so your tots are picking up key skills in their early years. We've been testing out a few items this week and these are the six that made the grade.

PDA Pretender - Leapfrog Scout Text And Learn Messenger - £15.99 from www.toysrus.co.uk Let your children have a look at this piece of kit if you are tired of passing over your email device and then wondering why you did after it becomes smeared with sugary substances. This smartphone, with a full QWERTY keyboard, lets kids play fun word games with the interactive puppy called Scout who lives inside.

Snap Happy - Fisher Price Kids Tough Digital Camera - £49.99 from www.boots.com This rough and tough digital camera is perfect for junior photographers. Also, it is ideal for withstanding butter-finger moments that lead to collisions with the floor. It only packs in a little more than one megapixel of resolution but that's enough to print out a decent 6x4 snap. It is easy to use and has an internal memory able to hold up to around 100 images. The camera just plugs into your computer's USB for the quick transfer of action shots.

Handwriting Helper - Leapfrog Scout Scribble And Write - £19.97 from direct.tesco.com An assistant for the almost-obsolete art of writing arrives in the form of this new handheld. The tablet design features four learning modes for children to get to grips with. Using the screen, its tablet allows youngsters to progress from drawing simple shapes and pictures to forming upper and lower case letters by stroking over the built-in light guide. Parents can even keep an eye on children's progress by logging-on to a connected website.

Early eReader - Leapfrog TAG Junior - £29.99 from www.argos.co.uk Okay so it doesn't use the same e-ink technology that can be found in the latest high tech devices, but as a starting point for early readers it's still ultra smart. As the handheld unit is passed over the book the story comes to life with words being read out aloud alongside other sounds reflecting what is on the page. The device helps children learn about the alphabet, letter sounds, numbers and shapes - outstanding stuff.

Tick Tock - Teach Me Time - £39.99 from www.firebox.com This alarm clock performs several time-telling functions that develop as your child grows so they can make use of it from an early age until they're ready to tell the time. For children aged three to five it glows yellow to show it's still sleep time and blue to advise it is time to get up. The next stage, for children aged five and older, is to play a five-stage time-telling game. The game helps kids tell time both in analogue and digital.

Computer Clone - Leapfrog Clickstart My First Computer - £49.99 from www.amazon.co.uk This computer keyboard completely took over our home for a few weeks. We were left unable to watch the TV as the Leapfrog computer took centre stage. Bearing this in mind, make sure you have a second set to use it on. Kids love the full keyboard layout and mouse. The device teaches phonics, letters, animal facts, counting and, of course, computer skills.