Any parent knows that children learn by emulating the adults in their life. Since I work at home as a freelance writer, my son has been very interested in the computer from the moment he was old enough to talk. At seven, he likes to play games on the PBS Kids website and look at pictures of the new toys coming out on Lego.com.
Recently, we were given the opportunity to test out the Crayola EZ Type Keyboard. This colorful keyboard is intended to make the computer easier for children to use. It has large letter keys that are very plainly labeled. The numbers are yellow, the vowels are red, and the consonants are green to help kids who are just mastering the basics.
The Crayola EZ Type Keyboard has no number keypad off to the side and it’s missing some of the function keys you’d find on a standard keyboard. There are multimedia control buttons at the top to take you to your web browser’s homepage, pull up a calculator, and adjust the volume on your speakers. It’s a standard USB plug and play device with no special software to install on your PC.
For my son, the Crayola EZ Type Keyboard does make it easier to type. His grandma, who has very little computer experience, also thinks the larger keys are easier to work with.
For me, however, the keys are a bit cumbersome because they throw off the natural alignment I’m accustomed to working with. If you have large hands and are a fairly decent touch typist, I’d suggest leaving this keyboard on a computer you won’t be using on a regular basis.
Does your child have the Crayola EZ Type Keyboard? If so, we’d love to hear what you think!
photo credit: Amazon
