Recently we bought Kindle Fires for all the boys.  A lot of reading about this issue led me to the conclusion that if children are given unlimited access to electronic media they will initially spend all their time on it, then move on to other things and treat it like any other toy.  We have configured them so that they cannot watch tv programs on them, and of course we decide what can and cannot be downloaded.
Their favourite app so far is Minecraft.  Although I don't play it myself, it is a building, creating, Lego type game, and we have it set up so that they can play together.  Frequently they are all sitting on the lovesac together, on their own Kindle, playing together, talking together and working together.  This is no different from a board or card game.  For the most part there is far less arguing than normal between the 3 of them, and I leave them to it.
They also like to browse the app store and look for new apps.  If they can afford it, and the game looks suitable, I download it for them.  They have got very good at seeing how much they cost (or whether they are free), and most importantly how they have been rated by other users.  Several apps have been decided against when they see the poor ratings. This is a really good for decision making processes.

I have never worried about Edward using a Kindle.  He so enjoys making things that I knew he would not spend all his time on it. He downloaded an app that prints out patterns for making the characters in Minecraft.  He quickly worked out how to make the patterns himself and has been busy making them.  He also used actual Lego to build the sets in minecraft.  On another game, hunting for prehistoric animals, he knows all the animals and we have looked them up on Google and had great discussions about them: herbivores, omnivores, size, weights, how they compare with modern animals....

Philip enjoys playing Minecraft, especially with dad.  However, he is more than happy to put it down to go out and play with friends, fishing, learning to walk on stilts, lacrosse, etc.  I often read to them in the afternoon and he loves listening to the story and usually puts away his Kindle.  His ability to track with a book which I think is above his head is impressive, and his working vocabulary is way ahead of an average (nearly) 7 year old.

Benjamin has been my biggest worry with the Kindle, as he is likely to be the biggest couch potato and watch tv all day if he could.  However, he is playing games well with his brothers and goes on to other things quite easily.  I would say that he is generally happier and we are not arguing about screen time any more. He also likes to listen to stories and is the first to put away his Kindle in favour of stories.

Overall, I am happy with the decision to buy them their own Kindles.

Titanaboa

titanaboa

Edward managed to find the Smithsonian channel on Netflix and watched a documentary about an extinct snake called a "titanaboa".  This has led to a week of spin off learning of myriad things.

Firstly, he learned that the snake was estimated to be 48feet long, so he wanted to make one that long himself.  We found a roll of paper that looked long enough and we set about measuring the correct length.  The rug in our hall is 10 feet long, we discovered, so we measured the paper out for 5 times the length of that, then removed the last 2 feet and "voila"!   A face was drawn and scales were copied on to it using the back of a ceramic tile which had a great texture to it and were used as a rubbing.  To make a miniature model of it (I drew the line at a full sized model) we had to purchase some Sculpy clay and it was coloured using Sharpie pens.

A few days later he tried to type the word into the search engine, but clearly typed Titanic instead.  This led him toa video of how to make a miniature model of the Titanic using Legos, which didn't take him too long to copy.  That was soon followed by a model 4 times as large and with more detail on, as was found in a book that he had in his room about the ship.  A rummage through the National Geographic archive soon found the edition commemorating the centenary of the sinking, and the Lego model was adapted to simulate the way that the ship broke apart as it sank.  A rummage through YouTube again found a documentary on the submarine that was used to find the wreckage.


Meanwhile Benjamin has become more interested in reptiles generally, and has starting looking at books on snakes, crocodiles, lizards and is busily telling me how dangerous they are.