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Learning Game Consoles for Young Children?

Posted by Cliff on from the entertainment-and-education-rolled-into-one dept.

revco_38 asks: "My wife and I are looking into purchasing a game based learning console for our 4 year old boy this Christmas. The two front runners are the VSmile from VTech and the Leapster from Leapfrog. Does the Slashdot community have any experience with either of these products? Are there any other products similar that should be considered? We also have a 2 year old boy so something that lasts would be nice."

8 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. Just don't forget... by jbarr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...to also challenge him with other things to develop his imagination and creativity.

    "Old school" stuff like drawing on paper with crayons, playing with blocks, creating with Tinker Toys, Flying paper airplanes, playing with toys that have no electronic gizmos...anything to make him create and imagine, instead of following a pre-programmed toy.

    By all means, take advantage of the latest gadgets, but at least suppliment them with creativity-boosting toys.

    --
    My mom always said, "Jim, you're 1 in a million." Given the current population, there are 7000 of me. God help us all!
  2. I remember being 4... by RingDev · · Score: 3, Interesting

    My favorite educational entertainment device was 'Stick'.

    Stick was great. I could put a crab able on the end and observe centrifical force and mechanical advantage. I could balance it on my hand to improve coordination. I could throw it and chase my dog to build muscles and stamina. I could charge my evil brother with it like charging into battle like King Arthur like in the stories and legends taught to me. I could share my stick with my friends to learn cooperation. I could combine my stick with my friends' sticks to make a fort.

    Ahhh, the simple joys of Stick.

    -Rick

    --
    "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
    1. Re:I remember being 4... by OregonComputerSoluti · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or better yet.... LOG!!!

      You remember LOG don't you -- it even had it's own theme song!

      "What rolls down stairs alone or in pairs
      rolls over your neighbor's dog?
      What's great for a snack and fits on your back?
      It's Log, Log, Log!

      It's Log, Log, it's big, it's heavy, it's wood.
      It's Log, Log, it's better than bad, it's good!
      Everyone wants a log! You're gonna love it, Log!
      Come on and get your log! Everyone needs a Log!"

      Stick -- BAH! I would take LOG over Stick any day of the week!

  3. Re:Other products by toleraen · · Score: 3, Insightful

    While I don't have any experience with the consoles, as a kid who grew up on educational games for the PC, I'd like to think it worked out pretty well =) Load 'em up with old classics like Number Munchers, Where in the US/World/Time/Hell is Carmen Sandiego, Oregon Trail...they'll learn a ton. And if they're geeky enough like i was in elementary school, they'll get an award for the "Number Muncher King" in front of the whole school.

    On second thought, make sure you limit the amount of time they spend with those games...

    /loads up the AppleIIe emulator

  4. One Word: by CrazyClimber · · Score: 3, Informative

    Legos

  5. First words by Yeechang+Lee · · Score: 4, Funny
    My wife and I are looking into purchasing a game based learning console for our 4 year old boy this Christmas . . . We also have a 2 year old boy so something that lasts would be nice.

    Sure, if you want the two year-old's first spoken words to be not "mommy" and "daddy" but "pwn," "teh," "l33t," "B11F," and "hax0r." His spelling skills will be forever ruined, but hey, at least he'll gain the linguistic skills necessary to speak fluent Bosnian!
  6. GameCube by turtled · · Score: 4, Informative

    I play GameCube side by side with my four year old. It is amazing the things he remembers and associates with. The way he can control characters is awesome. It builds map skills, memory skills, and hand eye coordination.

    --
    "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." -- Sigmund Freud
  7. Re:Is this really a good idea? by macrom · · Score: 3, Informative

    I seriously doubt this parent is going to substitute a preschool-aged video game system for human interaction. My daughter (3.5) is at school almost 8 hours a day. I think most kids like her get enough interaction that a bit of video game time isn't going to damage them forever.

    That said, we like the VSmile a lot. The basic cartridge that it comes with has a few games on it, and she does OK with it. It took a bit of practice for her to figure out how to use the joystick properly, and she likes to hit the colored buttons just to hear the guy say them over the TV. Most games that we've played only require the joystick and the big orange button, so getting started is easy. The graphics are probably SNES quality, along with similar sound. We had to get extra carts, though, cause the one it comes with gets old fast.

    The other thing I like about the VSmile is it has a portable counterpart. Think TurboGrafix 16, but for kids. We haven't purchased it yet, but I have to drive my daughter a few hours each way on my custody weekends, and that's something to help entertain her when we've played out all the Barney and Veggie Tales CDs...

    One final comment -- if you get the VSmile, get the AC adapter. It takes 3C batteries, but they get eaten quickly, especially since small children are prone to turning the unit on without you knowing (and hence leaving it on for an extended period of time).