To consider buying 2 y.o DS a Leapster 2.

[StrictlyKatty]

DS has just had his 2nd birthday yesterday and was lucky enough to get some birthday money. A friend of mine has just bought a Leapster for her 3 y.o DD, whom adores it. DS seemed very interested in it as well as really enjoying watching (and trying to play with) my DSi.

Would it be crazy to get him one when the age is 3-7, and would he get any use out of it?

Obviously I would get him the colouring game rather than Star Wars type games for it as the former is aimed at younger children.

I bought the leapster for my DS aged 5.5 and ds aged 3 a couple of monthhs ago and to be honest while me older one adores it and it entertains him in the car. The little one list interest very quickly after just a few tries even with the colouring. Plus I would add that all the games I saw for sale said 4+ or higher age ranges none of them were 3.

IMO, there are much better toys available for a 2 year old, how about a wooden train set. Mt Ds got one when he was 2 and has played with it ever since.

I really wouldn't waste my money on it, but then it really isn't what I would want Ds playing with.

call me mad but if he's only going to use it for colouring games, why not get him some paper and crayons?

great thread on toys for 2yos here

Personally I put presents of cash into dd's trust fund - she has enough toys.

We bought DS2 a leapster for christmas, as he was always pestering DD for her DSI. But he's a tiny bit young for it yet, I think. He loses interest in it really quickly, the games seem too advanced for him just yet.

He can play some of the games on the DSI though, but they're more fun than educational.

DD had the LeapPad age 2 and Leapster age 3-

given that they don't sell the LeapPad anymore I would go for the Leapster at age 2.

I love the things as they aren't addictive like some other game consoles & they teach them to read and stuff.

Try Petpals or something similar that teach the letters of the alphabet. I always found the leapster fantastic at finding DD's level and working with it- ebay are great for games as are the leapfrog website

www.leapfrogshop.co.uk/leapfrogshop/leapster_library/leapster-and-lmax-library.htm l

He got a Thomas wooden trainset for his birthday and the majority is going into his CTF.

The thing is everytime we get money from people we put it in the CTF and I am thinking that maybe for one person in particular they would rather we got something he would like with it. I find it can come across cold to say, 'thanks for the money, he'll get it when he's 18' when they have visions of being send some pics of a toy he would really IYGWIM

I did hope the Leapster would be educational and get him to leave my DSi alone The colouring thing is more about being able to trace the numbers etc without him crumpling/wasting endless paper and as it also teached ABC and things I thought it might be good for him.

pics of DS with a toy

my daughter has one (5 years old) loves it, my son who is three just uses it to hammer things or turns the sound on and off repeatedly, I think it really depends on the child but I doubt at two he would really get it much and would probably end up destroying it!

We've just bought one for my 5 yo and my 3yo has the odd go of it. He can just about manage the colouring in game that comes already on it but none of the other games - he's just not got the fine motor skills yet.

I also thought it was 4+ rather than 3+?

Although its a lot cheaper than a DS, it's still bloody expensive to just colour in on from time to time. What about something like Aquadraw?

Yeah I've read that it's both 4+ and 3+

I agree it's expensive just to colour, I'll only get it if it will really provide something education for him. It seems it might be better to wait til next year...

My DS1 is almost 6 and if I could go back in time he wouldn't have anything resembling a video-game (colouring-in games or not) for some considerable amount of time yet.

He was introduced to a PS2 at the grand old age of 3 and would be on his DS/Wii/Leapstar 24/7 if I allowed (which I obviously do not, any access heavily time restricted) and I get so tired of saying "no, go play with your toys".

I also think showing interest in these gadgety bits is what toddlers do, my 16 mth old will be into anything like that which moves/lights up/flashes. Doesn't mean he knows what on earth to do with it.