KidSafeKeysLite.osx for Mac

There are no shortage of programs that allow kids of all ages to bang on the keyboard and display images and shapes and make noise. So why make another?

Because the opportunity exists here to teach kids something instead of just stimulating them. Most of these programs randomly show an image or a shape and play a sound whenever you child hits a key. That's a fine start, but it's not nearly enough.

When your child presses a letter key in KidSafe Keys, KidSafe Keys shows a picture of something that starts with that letter. Simultaneously, a voice reads the letter, and tells your child the name of the picture, the word is also shown. Your child learns the letter, your child learns that letters make up words, your child learns that words can represent things in the world. KidSafe Keys uses both upper case and lower case letters. When your child presses a number, the number is shown and a voice speaks the number. When your child presses another key (non-number or letter) a shape is displayed and a voice says the name of the shape.

The full version ($15) has pictures for all the letters. It includes both upper case and lower case letters. In addition there are shapes and numbers. The full version speaks everything you see on screen.

The free version just displays and speaks letters (and pictures for A-E).