Nintendo DS for a 5 year old?

My son, Brett has a Leapster and has had it since last Christmas. His little twin brothes also have one. Brett is very bored with it. Do you think he's too young for a Nintendo DS? If not, have you seen an really good deals for it or know of any good deals coming for it (ie. day after Thanksgiving)

 

I bought one for my son for his 6th birthday. There are very few games that he can play. Most require some reading, or are just a little too complicated for him. He is now almost 7 and getting a little better but still only on a few games.

I would go more for something bigger like the Wii, he has that as well and can play many of the games really well.

 

I am sure he would love it. There are many games appropriate for his age.

 

My sister got one for her 8 year old and said they are VERY breakable. I would prob ck on ebay for new games maybe if they dont play some sell them to get new ones that are newer and if they are bored w/how easy go for a older age range... My 2 have the leapster but I set some games aside and just switch them out here and there....They really want a DS but with how much they and etc I told them they had to wait till atleast 7 Just in case.

 

My son got a DS for his sixth birthday. He loves it! As his reading has improved, he has been able to understand and play more games.

 

My boys are getting them for Chanukkah at 6 1/2. My neighbors son who is 5 has one, and it has already been sent in twice for repairs. He also gets frustrated by them, although, has been doing better since starting K in Sept.

 

QUOTE(Callen @ Nov 26 2008, 03:15 AM) [snapback]1087040[/snapback]
I am sure he would love it. There are many games appropriate for his age.


ETA - we have a few of them and have had them for years. We have never had a problem with them breaking.

 

When my son purchased his DS lite he gave his nintendo gameboy to his younger cousins who were 5 and 7 at the time. They loved it and played constantly. I definitely think he is old enough and like the pp's said, there are lots of age appropriate games for him to play.

 

Can someone tell me whether the DS is preferred or the DS lite? Not sure exactly what the difference is?

 

My son Joel is 8 and has just outgrown his leapster, though he still plays with it. We are not ready for a DS. First, we don't want to spend the money and see it break. Also, we have seen how educational the leapster is and we love it. We have decided that his big gift this year will be the new Didj. It is the next step up from a Leapster. I like it because it is still very educational. It also allows a parent to download spelling words, math stuff, etc.. That way he can work on what he is doing in school. Plus, I was able to get it for $75, and the DS is a lot more than that.

The graphics are pretty cool and it is more streamlined that the Leapster. My twins are 6 and rarely play with their Leapsters, but they aren't "game" kids. My oldest loves any kind of computer generated games. I know the Didj says it is for ages 6-10, but I am pretty sure Joel will play with it for a long time.

 

My 5 year olds are both getting one for Christmas - as are their older brothers. I'm a little nervous, now, after reading this thread, but they have had Gameboy Micro's (play the same games as the advance) for 2 years now and they LOVE them. There are many games they can play and the Micro's have been durable, but after 2 years of constant use, are worn out. They still work, they're just held together with Duct Tape! I am hoping that the Nintendo DS's will be a good next step!

 

G&O just got DS's for their 7th birthday last week. I was hesitant about getting them at 7- I wouldn't recommend them at 5, at least not for my boys, simply because even the games rated "E" & Pixar themed (like Wall-E) are sometimes too hard for them to do & they get very frustrated playing them. A few of them they can do alone & enjoy but I don't think they could have at 5. They were just getting the hang of their Gamecube then & needed help with their games. So, unless you have the time/desire to play all of the games for your son & he will be ok only playing the easy parts after you've saved the game I would hold off on the DS for a bit.

 

My mom bought my boys Gameboys when they were 5. They are very sturdy, and the best part is that since most people just buy DSs, you can get all the Gameboy games used for like $2.99 at Game Stop. I've also had good luck asking the salespeople which games involve a lot of words and which are good for pre-readers.

 

My twins don't play computer games of any kind (we used to have a Wii, but it was too difficult for them), but my older two get everything from their other set of parents. I mean EVERYTHING! They have DS, leapsters, Wii, some other console, etc... I found that my 7 year old could play well with the DS but preferred the leapster, the 8 year old had no interest in the leapster from 7 onwards, but he is a very easily frustrated child and man, he would throw that DS thing across rooms, etc... I would not say they break easily, at least theirs don't! But I think when a game makes an 8 year old cry in desperation, it is not a good game, so at ours they were allowed the Wii but not the handheld one-person games, unless we were in the car for long periods of time.
Millie

 

Both my boys have nintendo ds's. We bought nerf cases for them, that way if they get dropped they have some cushion. We have not had any problems with them and the boys love them. Our biggest problem is the game cartridges are little and easy to misplace or temporarily loose.

 

Stacy got a DS for her 3rd birthday last year ans she likes to play it. You can get some games for him in DS but they also play regular gameboy games that should be cheaper and some that are easier to play.