Children love to mimic what they see mummy and daddy doing, and when it comes to gadgets, they'll absorb the most current devices as if they've been around forever.  No doubt you've collected your fair share of old telephones, mobile handsets, computer keyboards, remote controls for broken equipment, maybe even obsolete laptops?!  All of these make for great 'accessories' for children to play with and will be highly favoured over play items because these are 'real' and ones that you used to use!

Before handing them over to the children, remove any old batteries just so that they can't leak, but then they're good to be used a play things.

It doesn't matter if an old computer keyboard isn't connected to anything, or that an old mobile phone doesn't have batteries in it and makes no noise.  The fact that these are real devices makes them highly attractive to your young children, and being able to play with these items will encourage imaginative play between your little ones.

They can use a computer to do 'work' just like their mummy and daddy do; they can use redundant phone sets to call their friends and family; remote controls will just become gadgets that do something you hadn't even imagined yourself!

Nurturing familiarity with these objects at a young age will make them comfortable with real gadgets when they grow older - they won't be afraid to use phone handsets or computers because they won't be alien to them.  Make sure that your children treat these redundant items as they would a working one - make sure they are gentle with them, never throw them, and put them in sensible places rather than leaving them lying in the middle of the floor.  Having them treat these items with respect now will also instil that they need to treat real working gadgets with similar care later on.

The use of the internet and computers in schools is becoming increasingly important for learning, research and having fun, but how can we ensure appropriate, and safe use of such a phenomenal resource? ICT is covered in the Early Years Foundation Stage Areas of Learning and Development, so it is recognised that little ones of reception or pre-school age should be introduced to the computer.

The first thing is to do is chat with your child about the internet and what it can be used for. Show them your emails, show them how to type keys and letters on screen.

Try a bit of 'art' with a drawing package, make it fun and simple.

Talk about the internet and what can be found there. Look up a favourite character together, or a local landmark you have been to or a map of your home area. Keep it simple and fun!

As they become more confident and begin to work independently, just be there to guide and help them practice their skills, learn about the keyboard and navigate the child-friendly sites that exist.

Place the computer somewhere central so you can keep an eye on how things are looking. Don't put computers in the bedroom if you can help it. Make it a family event when you do some online games or learning together as a family. Talk about what you are doing on line and make it easy for the children to flag up a problem if they encounter something.

The internet is a fabulous resource, but be aware of the potential dangers of allowing little children too much access.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has replaced the term 'IT' both in education and business and now forms an important part of preschool eduction.  The world that our baby's are growing up in is undoubtedly different from the world we experienced as children.  We had no email, no world wide web, no mobile telephones and computers were a rarity.  It's not unusual now to find computers ten times more powerful than the ones we first knew inside our children's toys!  A good understanding of ICT is essential in order for our children to progress in the 21st century.

The term ICT covers much more than IT; as well as computers it covers an understanding of ordered information, communication such as broadcast, telecoms and the internet, and input and output devices such as digital cameras, robots and music and video players.

Children are introduced to ICT in their preschool settings.  They might have 'magic boards', play phones, the internet and have access to computers with integrated learning systems on them.  They will be exposed to CD's and DVD's, 'QWERTY' keyboards and drawing tablets.

Outside of their preschool settings you should encourage this aspect of their learning too.  If you're a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to computers then you'll have to overcome some of your fears and prejudices - ICT is an essential skill and over the next few years, your children will be introducing you to amazing things that they have learned to do with computers and other technology.

Not every aspect of ICT requires computers.  Look at reinforcing ICT topics by introducing your children to analogue information - teach them about printed materials like newspapers, introduce them to maps and teach them about signs, timetables and other forms of information.  Teach them about addresses and telephone numbers.  The better an understanding they have of information around them, the easier they will find it to grasp more complex issues with regard to ICT later on in life.