Interactive products designed for children are increasingly embedded in children's lives and school experiences. Making these products safe, effective, and entertaining requires new methodologies for carrying out unbiased evaluations. This book addresses this need by covering the evaluation of various types of interactive technology for children.

If you remember the movie Big, with Tom Hanks, then you'll recall that it takes a child to tell you what's fun--particularly when it comes to toys and games. This book is about design and testing of software and other technology for children--whether it is toys, games, or educational products. The methods include children as design partners, and because of this and the products themselves, require a different set of methods and tools to get the job done. This book is a complete short course on how to do that: what is different about designing for children and how to do it: with principles and rules, guidelines and tips, and lots of case studies and quizzes to help get a thorough understanding. An invaluable tool for a designer or usability professional entering the world of chilren's products, as well as a good set of tools for the experienced children's designer.