Toddler-Proof iPhone

I've done it!  I figured out how to make my iPhone safe and fun for our little toddler to play with.

Here's what was the problem.  

As a baby, our daughter was happy to look into the phone, hold it, and flip it from front to back.  The best apps were those that would hold her attention, make interesting sounds, and not escape when she touched a certain part of the screen.  (see "iPhone apps for babies")

As she grew older, she learned how to hit the "home" button.  The little round button on the bottom of the phone that allowed you to escape any app you were in.  This caused frustration for her when the game would end sooner than expected, leaving me to jump in every few seconds to fix it.  The home button also made my phone vulnerable to her accidentally placing phone calls, moving things around, or even deleting programs.

So I searched high and low for the solution.
I figured all we needed was a way to temporarily block the home button, perhaps with a special case.  Simple, right?  WRONG.
Many google and amazon searches later, I had come up empty handed.  I even visited those phone kiosks at the mall, the Apple store, and the AT&T store.  They all said the same thing: "There's no iphone case that covers the home button, that would make the phone useless!"

The closest thing I could find was this Fisher Price iphone case that hasn't been released yet:

It looks cool and blocks the home button, but it also transforms your phone completely into a toy.  The side handles aren't really necessary, and makes it a bit more bulky to carry around.  Plus, like I said, it's not even on the market yet.

Here's what I came up with.
OtterBox silicone case + firm piece of material (I used a purse tag) = toddler ready iphone!  I just slip the little tag into place before letting her play with my phone, then tuck it behind the phone when I'm using it.

flexible case

purse tag

slip it between case and home button

happy girl with peek-a-boo iphone app

While writing this blog post I came across this little sticker that promises to keep your home button safe from tiny fingers, called the BubCap Home Button Cover.  Looks like it could be worth a shot as well.

Now look at all the options you have!

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Update:

The Fisher Price case is now available to purchase online, and is getting mostly positive reviews.  Still don't consider it the best solution for me because of it's bulkiness, but could be what you are looking for.