Switch console for 5 year old

[sthitch]

I'm considering getting my daughter a console for Christmas. She has a bike, scooter and a tablet (all a bit old now but still all fine so I dont want to replace for the sake of it )so we're struggling with what to get this year, but she really enjoys playing games on the tablet.

Question is, is she too young? (She's 5) and which console would you get? And suitable games at age 5? Would you go for a lite or an oled which I think we can all use? Any advice would be great :) I have no idea on this stuff!

We have a Switch (the bigger one not sure what that is - it connects to the TV and the controllers come off but can still be handheld - Im useless sorry!). Anyway DD is 6 and she has played with it since she was 4, nearly 5. It's an ideal console for younger children. DD plays Minecraft, Mario Kart and Lets Go Pikachu.

Switch Lites are less bulky but the bigger ones can be multiplayer and DD often plays with her older brother, when he can be tempted off of his Xbox.

How can you be struggling with what to get a 5 year old? There are thousands of toys available to choose from. 5 is far too young to be introducing a console that she probably diene t even know exists.

I’d also say hold off introducing a console for as long as possible. Wait until she actually is asking for one!

Far too young!
Get her a hoolahoop, arts and craft, paint by numbers, jewellery making set, legos...
Keep her away from screens for as long as possible. I have a 6 and a 4, getting them a console is definitely not on my list.

Get her an easel and different art mediums (paint, pencil, crayon, chalk etc).

I wouldn’t have entertained a console when mine were that age.

I'll give another vote for holding off as long as possible.

Yes a switch, probably lite, would be great and she'd love it, but at 5 there are a million other things she'd love equally well and would be way better for her creativity, motor skills and imagination. A £35 quid wooden dolls house from Asda with Sylvanian family stuff in has been a winner for years with my dd. The Sylvanian stuff is expensive but relatives can each purchase something and you quickly end up with a huge amount of variety. Wooden railway ditto, or a baking set, playdough, football and goal, even old fashioned colouring and jigsaws. The beauty of that age is the variety they like and it doesn't have to cost ££££.

Too young! Once you start with games consoles you can't go back. Plus there is a dizzying array of normal toys out there for 5 year olds.

Does she enjoy marble runs? If so, Gravitrax is a great toy.

If she had a tablet already at just 5 I can’t see how she could need a switch. She’s 5, so young for devices.

There are a vast array of things I’d get before a console. My five year old girl likes:

scruff a luvs - bathing them, washing, combing, drying etc
Sylvanian families
Drawing/ crafts
Playing pretend - a vet set and a doctor kit are still extremely popular
Dolls still - specifically babies, fake bottles, pushchair, baby bath etc etc
Barbie doll type dolls and all the clothes and accessories.

Oh shopping playsets as well still very popular.

Minecraft of the switch while he zoomed with his bestie got 5yo DS through covid! Switch is great IMO. Depends on the kid though, DS2 is now 5 and not interested at all, much more into the arty crafty stuff. Loads of year 1s are into gaming (one had a gaming service to his house for his birthday party) so don’t feel like a paraiah reading these replies OP!

If you get a Switch DON'T get the lite. Get the normal one so you can play together.

Yoshi Adventures (or something like that) is a lovely game for younger kids.

I do agree though at 5 there's loads of other shit you can choose from.

My thought is that if you get a console you have to expect issues with too much playing on it, arguments about switching it off etc. One of the best presents for my DC was just some big paper and a big box of poster paints. Or board games are also good.

If you're getting a switch don't get the lite, if they start to suffer from stick drift they're a nightmare to replace (dont know if its changed now but when i had a lite it meant a whole new one), least with the oled switch you can just get new joy con's.

Our 4yo is getting a switch as he plays on his brother's (which was mine) all the time. I'm not up for the competitive parenting. Yes, there are thousands of toys, we have a huge amount of them currently gathering dust in bedrooms or not seeing the light of day in kallax units. I'd rather get something that was wanted than waste money just to claim that I'd never give my child a screen 🙄

As long as you still parent and don't let them sit on it all day it'll be fine.

I'm not up for the competitive parenting.

Why did you post then? Just so you could give your wee eye roll?

It's a shame really because tech is an interesting discussion. OP hasn't clarified but going on what has been said, the DD doesn't know what a switch is and they are thinking of getting one because they don't know what else to get. There are many alternatives. Yours is getting one because they already use it, know what it is, and will probably enjoy it. There is no competitive parenting, just different circumstances.

Why did I post?

Well, because it's a forum and that's what people tend to do, and I also thought it might be useful for the OP to know that it's easy enough to use for that age group and give her an alternative to the "why don't you buy them a hula hoop" type posts. Mumsnet is pretty anti screens and gaming whereas I don't feel that's representative of DC peers.

Have you tried her with lego? Mine started doing pretty complicated sets with a bit of help by 5. My 6 yo is a whizz at following the instructions now.

I absolutly love gaming and am thrilled my kids seem to follow.
I couldn't recommend the switch enough. As before I would recommend the normal switch rather than the lite of its your first so you have more options. 6 is not to young. It's such a ridiculous comment.

Remember she's 5 you don't need to spend £££ or feel that she needs a big present.

I did think about a Switch for my 6 yo but concluded that it's likely to be update in the next year so would rather hold off on it.