NINTENDO - good idea or bad idea?

**Lexie B** · 10-12-2008, 09:05am

My daughter will be 5 next week and her Granddad is wanting to take her out to buy her something the following weekend.
She has mentioned a few times she wants a Nintendo but I have been a bit reticent regards to buying her consoles/computer games as I thought she may be too young......

and also didn't want her to lose her interest in books/games/imaginitive play etc etc

However, she is proving really hard to buy for this year (she isn't into anything other than HSM and what with a bday and Xmas in the next fortnight or so, she will be absolutely overloaded with all things HSM

)
SO.....I'm posting to see what you D's think - if your children have them is there a benefit to them, is 5 too young, what games are the best for a 5 year old girl, what is the difference between a DS and a Lite ......etc etc etc, any advice appreciated....

**bluestar** · 10-12-2008, 09:26am

We bought DS1 a DS lite for his 5th birthday.

It's a lifesaver on long car journeys but we've had to put some serious boundaries on it, time limiting it and if he starts getting cross or angry then it is taken away and he's not allowed to use it again for a while.

We have just bought him the junior brain training for Xmas so hopefully he'll get on better with that than with some of the games.

If I'd choose again I think I wouldn't have got him one quite so early tbh as I'm not sure he's got the emotional maturity to deal with it.

**Flicky** · 10-12-2008, 10:12am

Hi, I have a 5 year old dd (who will be 6 in April) and we did think about a ds lite for Christmas this year but have decided to hold off until next year. This is partly because I don't think her reading is yet at a level where she can play totally independently (we're in Scotland so she's just started school) and partly because once she gets it I am concerned that she'll spend all day on it. However, she currently plays on my laptop (playhouse disney type games) and she seems pretty good at regulating activities herself - she'll do it for a little while and then move on to something else eg crafts, playing with toys or reading. In the summer she's outside all day. I'm hoping it would be the same with the ds lite.

She does however play sometimes on my dad's ds lite and likes 'Cooking Mama' and she's getting 'I Can Do It Mum' for Christmas - I think it was a recommendation on here!

I think it's a ds lite you'd be looking for - I *think* the ds is an outdated model but hopefully someone else will be more clued up!

**bluestar** · 10-12-2008, 11:51am

Ooh yes Cooking Mama is a great game for littlies as it doesn't need that much reading ability.

**RedTiger** · 10-12-2008, 12:28pm

DS1 got his last xmas (he was 3 1/2 then) and it's been fab. He was always wanting to play DD's before he got his own so it has saved no end of arguements! A lot of the games do have a bit of reading in them - DS can now read most of it himself and I'm sure that he has learned to read from playing the computer and the DS as he's never really been interested in books.

**Dynamo** · 10-12-2008, 12:28pm

Originally Posted by bluestar

We bought DS1 a DS lite for his 5th birthday.

It's a lifesaver on long car journeys but we've had to put some serious boundaries on it, time limiting it and if he starts getting cross or angry then it is taken away and he's not allowed to use it again for a while.

.

We do exactly this. We say, she can play with it between x time and x time. There are lots of games that do not require reading (we bought her Drawn to Life), but also we have found that she WANTS to play the games her older brother plays, so is very motivated to learn to read. The DS is GREAt for car journeys, but also a godsend in waiting rooms (doctors, hairdressers) and brilliant for the times they simply have to sit still - like waiting around in airports. I flew to SA on my own with the children this year and they were brilliantly behaved and THRILLEd that were allowed extended periods of the DS, when it is normally so constrained.

Another bonus that I did not foresee is that they link together and so they play together quite nicely - I think there is a mario racing game (?). I say quite, but when Dylan (6) is beaten by Eloise (4) there is a slight uproar.

**Lexie B** · 10-12-2008, 09:55pm

Thanks for the advice

I think, in sum, it sounds like it would be a winner for my daughter, and, with restrictions, could be quite handy at times too!

She loves being on my laptop so would be handy for me too

At least it will have lots more use than what she would just choose in the toy shop with her granddad but then not use for more than a few weeks!

Anybody know where the best deals are - I know I've heard there are shops that sell them with a game...?

Thanks again

**1980babe** · 10-12-2008, 10:08pm

DS's are honestly the way to go.

My elder 2 have one each, and thats only because they are very near in ages, so like similar things and it aleviates any fighting episodes which my fragile head cannot deal with

They can link up and play wireless games together, which is a bonus, which your daughter could do with her friends.

A damsel on here gave me the heads up to purchase an R4 card. Never looked back since as the games are so darn expensive

What colour would you like, as I think the some of the prices are dictated by that. We have a black one, but accessorised it with a pink casing unit for a girly look and it also goes someway to protecting it

**Lexie B** · 10-12-2008, 10:11pm

Originally Posted by 1980babe

A damsel on here gave me the heads up to purchase an R4 card. Never looked back since as the games are so darn expensive

What colour would you like, as I think the some of the prices are dictated by that. We have a black one, but accessorised it with a pink casing unit for a girly look and it also goes someway to protecting it

Somebody told me about those cards yesterday

- are they easy to get hold of, and are they about £50?? I'd be interested as yes, the games are a fortune me thinks

Pink would be great, but loving the sound of the black one with pink casing (even though it's not even going to be mine!

)

**Elle Driver** · 10-12-2008, 10:13pm

Hey honey, as you know Rubes loves hers and Halle was engrossed in Cooking Mama on the way home from Sheff a few weeks back.

I started this a couple of months back:

http://www.damsels.org/forum/showthr...highlight=Lite

And

don't be rolling your eyes at the HSM stuff - have just bought the HSM dance mat this week you pest!

**Elle Driver** · 10-12-2008, 10:14pm

Games aren't a fortune. We got two for £19.99 - Enchanted and Little Mermaid.

They also do Cat/Dog/Fashion etc etc games - 2 for £19,.99

**Elle Driver** · 10-12-2008, 10:15pm

What is an R4 card??

**RedTiger** · 10-12-2008, 10:16pm

Originally Posted by 1980babe

A damsel on here gave me the heads up to purchase an R4 card. Never looked back since as the games are so darn expensive

I've not gone for the card, the games are handy to add to birthday / xmas lists so we don't end up with a pile of huuuge toys to find space for

**1980babe** · 10-12-2008, 10:21pm

Originally Posted by Lexie B

Somebody told me about those cards yesterday

- are they easy to get hold of, and are they about £50?? I'd be interested as yes, the games are a fortune me thinks

Pink would be great, but loving the sound of the black one with pink casing (even though it's not even going to be mine!

)

I got mine from a computer fair, was about £45 or thereabouts.

Its a memory card that you simply add the games to.
We have about 10 games on each card, that way they dont have to faff about with the games cartridges - in other words no excuse for lost games

Oh as a b-side, either DS is mine come about 9.30pm for me to have a little play, currently sharpening my skills on Professor Layton

**Lexie B** · 10-12-2008, 10:29pm

Originally Posted by 1980babe

I got mine from a computer fair, was about £45 or thereabouts.

Its a memory card that you simply add the games to.
We have about 10 games on each card, that way they dont have to faff about with the games cartridges - in other words no excuse for lost games

Oh as a b-side, either DS is mine come about 9.30pm for me to have a little play, currently sharpening my skills on Professor Layton

Cool, thanks for the info

Ha ha, always a silver lining no?!

**RedTiger** · 10-12-2008, 10:33pm

This was the site my friend recommended for the R4 card. Not sure if you need something else too, I don't have one.

**Lexie B** · 10-12-2008, 10:40pm

Originally Posted by ProfessorVanessa.

What is an R4 card??

I *think* it's a card which you add games onto, or, a card which already has games on it.
Saves you buying tons of games and having them in the house, plus saves you cash as it's about £40-£50 with ??? games on it
I *think*!