Over the weekend, I had a chance to play with an iPad in the Apple store. The selection of apps available was limited, though I did spend some time reading (tiring on the eyes) and typing (surprisingly easy, though I spent a lot of time watching my fingers). One kids’ book app had a demo: Dora the Explorer Coloring Adventures (pictured left). From the iPad app store:

“It’s time to explore and color in “Dora the Explorer Coloring Adventures!”. Kids can go on adventures in creativity with a combination scene creation and coloring book designed specifically for the iPad.”

The app’s use is fairly intuitive–tap Dora to bring her to the fore, tap colors to select, finger slide Dora around to place her in the scene. Unlike real coloring, everything produced is perfect: kids can’t color outside the lines, and even the most garish hue selections are glossy and pretty, eerily coordinated on the iPad’s shiny new screen. Although fun for a moment or two, I found the app a little soul-destroying–the neat lines and finger taps strip away creativity at the deepest level.

Of course, a child interested in Dora the Explorer may be too young to care about the difference between playing with real finger paints and tapping away with Jobs’ virtual ones. Several children at the store were engrossed in reading books (pausing to shout “look, mom, I’m reading on an iPad and I like it!), coloring, and playing with piano software. Curious, my husband lifted helped him reach an iPad.

Baby, unsurprisingly, wasn’t up to the Dora app. But at 10 months old, he was able to make the iPad go in much the same way he makes his musical cube and piano table go–by tapping and flailing and squealing with joy. Using Magic Piano by Smule, a virtual piano app with a no-fail option, he played one of his favorite songs, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and was able to recognize the melody (no doubt thanks to our regular attendance at Jeff Jam singalongs at Twinkle Star in Cambridge). Unforunately, we didn’t capture the piano playing, as he was playing with me.

Already, Baby is one of the new Apple generation of kids, comfortable with technology and touch screens in a way I’ll never be. Is this a good thing? I’m not sure. Crazy-new-parent Peta screams no, though more rational anti-luddite Peta reasons yes. Historically, familiarity with technology has led to better education, better language acquisition, and better job placement (ah, Ned, you were just a stone’s throw away from a book deal and a COO position at Armani!). That said, television was once a new technology, and the so-called idiot box can have effects on child development, particularly language acquisition, if allowed in excess.

The key? Moderation. Some studies have shown that educational television a la Sesame Street, in moderation, can be helpful. Joe and I have strict-ish limits on television, just in case–Baby watches a Baby Signing Time DVD for, at most 15 minutes twice a week (usually just once a week). Occasionally, he sees some incidental television, but we’re pretty quick to distract him. That said, the Baby Signing Time DVDs are having a positive effect–the kidlet can now sign for more, milk, all done, drink, eat, and dog. Milk, eat, and more are particularly useful, and are eliminating a lot of frustration in our household.

Dora the Explorer Coloring Adventures isn’t Baby Signing Time, and, if we had an iPad in our house, I’d probably skip it. But limited access to educational apps and encouraging Baby to be comfortable with technology may be prove to be more useful than I’d previously reckoned. We’re still a long way away from getting a household iPad, though.

Do you let your kids watch tv? Would you let them use an iPad, or other gadget (assuming the cost weren’t prohibitive)?