leapster or vtec?

[JBaxter]

How old - realistically- for the leapster. Nathan is 3 and I was wondering if it would keep him away from his brothers xbox controller. They used to just turn his off but he figured out his controller wasnt doing anything and now turns it on himself ( wireless).


Are there some basic super easy "games" to start with? OR is the vtec system a better choice?

[kellyotn]

I just got my 4 year old daughter a Leapster for her birthday. My 26 month old son is in love with it too. He knows, and can find, the game on the included cartridge that he likes/can play.

She also got a "draw and write" cartridge that is really easy for him. It does have more advanced features too, but the less advanced features keep him really occupied.

I'm already pondering getting a second Leapster!

[JBaxter]

Can I ask which cartridges you youngest enjoys?

[new_mommy25]

I would like to know as well.

[kellyotn]

There's a game on the cartridge that comes with the Leapster ("Learning with Leap" I believe its called), its a shape game. There's an outline of say, a train. Then there are shapes at the bottom of the screen that you click and drag to the right place on the outline. When you get all the right shapes dragged to the right place, it animates it. Its simple enough that he CAN click and drag the shapes, but cool enough that he does it over and over! There's also a concentration-type matching game. He doesn't really "win" at it, but he has fun flipping the cards over. ;) At three, I'm sure your son would be able to do lots of things with the cartridge that comes with it.

The other cartridge is called "Draw and Write". It has free-for-all drawing, letter tracing, "fill in" coloring book type scenes (with colors and patters), sketching, etc. Its pretty computer-like when you see it. Reminds me of a Paint Program.

Those are the only cartridges we use at the moment. Santa will be bringing more though! I'll definitely look for the younger aged games for him. They seem to encompass a wide age range. (We got a free Sponge Bob one, but its for 1st grade math, so we hid it as DD just got frustrated, she's too young at 4.)

(edited for typo)

[kboyle]

my parents got charlie one for his 3rd bday and HE LOVES IT!!!! I LOVE IT, WE ALL LOVE IT!!!

it's still hard for him to figure out stuff that need to use the directional pad, but most of the games he has doesn't need it, mostly just touch or use stylus.

the games we have are:
The Letter Factory (like the DVD, well, it includes the movie, and then has some games)

The Talking Words Factory (like above, movie + games)

Letters on the Loose (it's an Lmax game but it teaches how to actually write letters, fun games too...Charlie lost it somewhere in our house :( )

Dora game (good, but some of the games need to use the directional pad, and it'a bit difficult, he's getting better though)

we borrowed from my neice who is 8:

reading with phonics (is more of a Kinder graded game, but charlie will put it in sometimes)

mr pencils learn to draw & write (he likes to scribble with it and play some stuff, but there is a scribble pad on the leapster itself, when no cartridge is in, so he likes that one better since he knows how to do it)

i plan on getting him a game for xmas, don't know which one though:
thomas (i'll probably go with this one)
animal genius (for K and up, but it looks sooo cute!)
cars (also a pre-k game)
backyardigans (pre-k also, but he's not fond of them, so probably not)
possibly letterpiller (another letter game, but it's only about $18 so it's cheaper than other games)


WE LOVE THE LEAPSTER!!!

[fauve01]

Thanks for this post and the recommendations. i was just starting to wonder about these games and what to get. i think my DD (just turned 3) would love it, and it sounds like a great airplane diversion too.

Thanks!

Anne + DD 10-03