So dd 4.5 needs something of a computer game nature, that doesn't involve mum and dad every 5 seconds...

[PortoTreasonandPlot]

So, she plays games on the PC, or things on her Disney DVDs. We found a couple of great games on NickJr and Cbeebies that she can actually do by herself. I'd love to by her something for Xmas that she doesn't a) get immediately frustrated by and/or b) doesn't need parental input every 2 minutes. So PC games? Vtech? DS? Wii? Please let me know your experiences...

DS nintendo good once they get the hang of it. You need to be able to read to play some of the games though so you will need to vet the games you buy if you go down that route. dd enjoyed the leappad until she got to about 5 so that could be a cheaper option.

No - she's not reading yet - though alphabet games are good as she knows all her letters and I'm keen to encourage her....

Game cube. Games are cheap, you can pick one up for £30 and they are good enough for a child to enjoy.

Vsmile pocket is good and has a nice range of games or you can get it console based. DS still plays with his and he's had it a while, it gives instructions so he's never needed any help.

Game cube makes an excellent starter for youngsters as cheap to pick up. Games vary though and she may need help at first.

There is also the Vtech Whiz Kid system, plugs into the pc/laptop but can be used on the go too. DS had one for xmas last year but was a little too old for it but it looks fab so have kept it - hopefully i'll find somebody to give it too for xmas/birthday.

The new leapster looks good too but only seen the advert.

I second the vsmile. ds1 has one and can manage it by himself and there are loads of games (ds1 is 4)

Vtech smile is good educationally but I wouldn't say it's as robust as it could be. It also requires them to be very precise in controller movement which is good for co-ordination but you'll probably need to help out, certainly to begin with. You also need to connect it to a tv. Longevity wise, Ds is 4.5 and had it for his 3rd birthday. He's enjoyed it but think he'll get another 6m. If you get one, definitely read the game reviews, some are v good like Bob the Builder & Thomas but some are dreadful like Noddy.

Or, it might be better to get a hand-held Nintendo DS which won't monopolise the tv & obviously can be taken on car journeys etc. Ds, when he's allowed to get his hands on his father's Nintendo DS, plays it without our input, just seems to have got the hang of it straight away. He's playing Mario Racing but I don't know how educational the games are for that age-group, it's something we need to investigate ourselves for Xmas, but I've seen Disney, Dora, Bob the Builder DS games for sale.