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Lapware: Serious Games For Toddlers


Via: Central Park Beta Trial - A New Online Learning Environment For The Youngest Learners

Waterford Research Institute
is currently beta testing a new online software, Central Park, for 2-year-olds and their caregivers.

Central Park focuses on reading, math, science, and character education skills, with both online and offline components.

This beta is only a portion of the product’s first level. Their main objective with this beta is to collect feedback from as many users as possible. Caregivers who sign up to beta test have free access during the trial period and for an additional six months upon completion.


They’ve also recently created a YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/user/WaterfordCentralPark – which has some examples of our songs and adventure cartoons.

Lapware Level

Since the fine motor skills of two-year-olds are still developing, it will be up to you to control the mouse. They refer to this level of Central Park as Lapware—in other words, your child will sit on your lap as you guide them through the product.



Your child will benefit as you encourage them to explore letters, numbers and shapes, and to sing their ABCs, clap along to nursery rhymes, and learn to read their name.


Central Park Overview

Central Park
is Waterford Research Institute’s latest web-delivered product.


Designed to begin with two-year-olds, a crucial age in a child’s development, Central Park builds a foundation of skills to enable your child to become a successful lifelong learner.

Central Park is a safe, engaging, and creative learning environment where your child can learn reading, math, and science concepts, as well as character education skills, such as sharing, manners, and kindness. The first few levels of the product help prepare your child for school, while the later levels supplement your child’s traditional schoolwork.

Each level of the product contains a full-year’s curriculum, based on educational standards and research. Songs, books, games, cartoons, activities, and videos make up each of the levels, enabling your child to learn key concepts and skills via this rich mix of media. Home activities—the non-computer educational activities—reinforce the skills your child has learned on the computer while encouraging creative, physical play away from the computer.

Squirrel, his family, and his friends are your child’s guides through Central Park. They motivate your child to talk and sing aloud, point to the screen, and focus on the concepts being taught.

Parents and Caregivers Participation


Developers recommend that you use the product with your child at least 3 times each week for 15 minutes per session. At this rate, they estimate that you will complete the product trial in 6–8 weeks.

They hope the product is intuitive and easy-to-use - which yur feedback will tell them—but they will also provide a user guide to aid you as you begin the trial.

After the Product Trial

Upon successful completion of the product trial and the three surveys, you will continue to have unlimited access to Central Park for an additional six months. This will include all updates and additional activities. Our feedback will help influence the development of Central Park, a product they envision will someday help children worldwide.

About Waterford Research Institute

Founded in 1976 as a nonprofit organization,
Waterford Institute, Inc. is dedicated to providing every child with the finest education possible through the development of high-quality educational models, programs, and software.

Today, hundreds of thousands of school administrators, teachers, parents, and students across the United States are successfully using Waterford programs to start children on the path of academic success and a lifetime of learning.

Waterford is the developer of acclaimed early education programs, such as
Waterford Early Reading Program™ and Waterford Early Math and Science™.