Help! Leapster or Gameboy for DD6?

[MrsPete]

FYI: I was looking through a magazine article on Christmas toys at the dentist's office today, and apparently Gameboys are recommended for ages 8+. My girls had Gameboys a bit earlier, but 8 is when they really "fell for" them.

 

[Kevenswife2]

I decided 'Santa' will be bringing DD6 a Flame Red Gamboy Advance SP this year. It came as a 'bundle', with me getting to choose two games. I picked Barbie: Groovy Games, and Dora the Explorer: Super Star Adventure. Thanks for the game advice and for all replies.

While I would have liked something a little more educational, I feel the Gameboy will last her longer. I really can't afford to be buying a new game system very often. It's a lot of money to me.

Now DD will have something to do while I work on the weekend. I clean offices and she goes with me. She likes to help clean, but that only lasts so long, then she starts asking, "Are you done yet"? This should keep her entertained. I noticed you can even buy movies for Gamboy...how cool.

 

[kkcolton5]

I bought the VTech Vsmile a few months ago...and my son (almost 3 yrs old) loves it almost too much! He plays the games and is learning a lot, I'd guess, only because he's able to sort out letters and place them in alphabetical order, knows the sounds for the letters (ya know, B says "buh"), etc. He'll repeat the narrator when he tells him "you're doing great"...my DS will say, "I'm doing great!". He loves playing & is so happy getting the correct answers. Also, the games come with a setting where you can click on a "no lose" kind of thing, so even if your child is young, they'll be supported and reinforced, and not frustrated and disappointed. Also, you can adjust the levels of difficulty. We have three games, Alphabet Park, Winnie the Pooh, and Lion King. He alternates all three and is happy with them all. We bought him a Leapster for an early Christmas gift (mostly to keep him occupied on our flight to Disney this Friday!) and we expect he'll love that, too. He "plays" with his sister's Gameboy, but it's not geared for him at all and it's just for fun that he doinks around with it. The VSmile is a great toy, and it's on sale at Target this week!

 

[TallyLassie]

I bought the Leapster for my daugter last year for Christmas (she was then 5) and for my son on his 4th bithday. They both enjoying playing them and they do learn something. With gameboy, mostly they are just learning eye and hand coordination

The games are limited, but they are coming out with more.

Wal-Mart now even has a pink one!

 

[lenshanem]

Got both the girls a Leapster last year and gave it to them before Christmas for our drive down to WDW. Youngest who is about to turn four is just now really getting the hang of it. My six year old loves her. Only problem was they had little selection. Now there is alot out! They are both getting two new games each this Christmas. I think they are really neat! Only thing is my youngest has not been kind to hers and the screen is having a hard time recognizing things when she uses the stylus. I hate to buy another one, though.

 

[lindaso]

Only thing is my youngest has not been kind to hers and the screen is having a hard time recognizing things when she uses the stylus. I hate to buy another one, though.

Check out Leapfrog's website. I think there is a way to calibrate the Leapster if it stops reading the stylus. My 2 year old has dropped ours on the kitchen floor more times than I can count. Our issue is the cartridges won't get read unless you blow into them and slam them in. But a small issue considering how many times it's been dropped...I'm actually impressed it still works at all!!

 

[jeancbpugh]

the screen is having a hard time recognizing things when she uses the stylus. I hate to buy another one, though.

To recalibrate the Leapster screen:
1) insert the cartridge that came with the Leapster (Learning with Leap)
2) press the power button to turn it on
3) while on the "sign in" screen, hold down all these buttons at the same time: the B button, the Hint button, and the Home button
4) you should see a message that says "press the big blue button to begin"
5) follow the onscreen instructions.


Can you tell our Leapster is still new and I have the manual? I haven't had to recalibrate yet, but I do it all the time to my Palm Pilot. You'll probably go through a series of steps where you have to touch the pen to different spots on the screen.

Hope this helps.

 

[lenshanem]

Thanks. I've tried recalibrating. Unfortunately, I think it is cause she scratched the screen with something. There are scratch marks that I can't get off. She likes to destroy things. A few weeks ago she took a pen to our fairly new leather sofas and showed us how she is learning to write her name. EGADS!

 

[UBSHANG]

Everything we know about young children tells us that in order for them to develop a genuine interest and better understanding of basic mathematics concepts, parents and early childhood educators must provide a variety of fun and stimulating sensory experiences that will hopefully encourage children to seek meaningful answers to their questions. Unfortunately, Leapster and LeapPad is LeapFrog's answer to a question that nobody asked.

Comprehension of fundamental math concepts such as one-to-one correspondence, classification, sequencing, patterns, measurement, sorting and comparison cannot be effectively achieved from limited interactions with a flat, one-dimensional image and a magic pen that provides facts and instant answers.

Real math learning occurs gradually and is best experienced through a child's daily activities, events and interactions with people, active exploration of their environment and physical manipulation of developmentally appropriate three-dimensional open-ended play materials.

For introducing mathematics to school aged children, Leapster and LeapPad provide little educational value because they teach concepts in a manner that actually conflicts with the way in which children learn. The assumption that young children are really developing important concepts and skills which they can build upon by using a magic pen is a typical misconception of impressionable LeapPad advocates.

Electronic devices/gimmicks should be neither a substitute nor a supplement to real math education. Our children deserve better from parents, educators and toy makers.

 

[lenshanem]

OK.........................

 

[Madi100]

We have the Leapster, V-Smile, and Leap Pads. The girls just got the Leapster and V-Smile for Christmas. My 7 year old is very smart. She loves to read. She loves playing with her dolls, etc. She is the one who has a regular Leap Pad, and she never plays with it. It sits in her room. She loves the Leapster. She has played with it quite a bit since she got it. We bought her the Junie B. Jones game, and she really enjoys that. It is some what of a diary. And while my kids don't watch a lot of tv, she'd rather play with her Leapster than watch TV.

As far as the V-Smile I find it a bit challenging for my daughter who is 3. She does not recognize letters all the time, so there is a part that is a bit challenging. she plays computer games very well and is very cordinated, but she struggles with the V-Smile.

The Leap Pad was a waste of our money.

 

[lenshanem]

HUGE CHEERS for Leapster! I called customer service and told them about my problem. (Daughter got four new games for Christmas, but her screen on her Leapster was scratched and none of the games would work.) I was hoping they could replace the screen instead of me having to buy another one, which I hated to do since her sister has one, too. (They argue over it, though.) BUT, they told me to send them the damaged one and they are sending her a new one!

 

[mjmcca]

Well I got my son leapster adn pixter for christmas and Vsmile to share with is younger sister. They were all a hit.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

We just got leapster and v smile, and already had leap pad. My DD5 loves them all!

 

[TallyLassie]

HUGE CHEERS for Leapster! I called customer service and told them about my problem. (Daughter got four new games for Christmas, but her screen on her Leapster was scratched and none of the games would work.) I was hoping they could replace the screen instead of me having to buy another one, which I hated to do since her sister has one, too. (They argue over it, though.) BUT, they told me to send them the damaged one and they are sending her a new one!

Were they still under warranty? Ours is working OK, but I know it is just a matter of time. Almost our entire home is tile, and it is constantly being dropped.

 

[jeancbpugh]

Electronic devices/gimmicks should be neither a substitute nor a supplement to real math education. Our children deserve better from parents, educators and toy makers.

Don't be silly. Noone is locking their kids in a closet with their Leapfrog products for hours everyday, and then saying, "Well that job is done." IF your kid would like an electronic *TOY*, then the debate becomes which is the best one.

My young son was having trouble with letter recognition and letter sounds. In *ADDITION* to working with him ourselves and at school, he played with his Leapster Letter Factory. He loved the Leapster song with the letter sounds. For two weeks he played with the Leapster every chance he got, and went around singing the letter song.

Any and all tools that get the job done.