Nintendo DS - Hamden,CT

I agree with the Leapster idea. The games are more educational and it's far less cost-wise. My 9 year old loves her DSi, but it's a very expensive system for a 4 year old I think. Also, the Tag reading system is awesome too.

Hi Meg,
My mother bought me an iPod Touch this past Christmas and my 3 yr old has pretty much taken ownership of it! Not so much for the use of songs but because you can put games on it! Apple's app store offers thousands of preschool appropriate games at anywhere from $.99 to $2.99 and you only pay for the game once and its so easy to use, she loves it! She has really learned alot from the different kinds of games, just to name a few she has a flash card app that helps her to learn words, letters, numbers, objects and sounds, she has games that let her color, learn and find animals (old Macdonald had a farm), Dora Game, Tinkerbell Game, many more... they are all based for kids her age!
She also has the Leap Frog Leapster 2, this has also been a great purchase but of course she prefers MY iPod Lol!
I did purchase a Nintendo DS for my 10 yr old niece for her birthday and I really felt like it would have been great for my 3yr old too! In looking at all the different games, I wouldn't be surprised if your daughter loved it too!

I would say to try the Leapfrog first. The DS is really designed for the older kids. My 9 year old just got one for Christmas and I think he's at the earliest age I would get one for. Sure, the DSi is cool, and kids can learn the computer/phone stuff a lot faster than us adults, but it's also expensive and a 4 year old is probably not responsible enough to take care of it. The Leapfrog is more durable and the games are Dora, Backyardigans, Disney Princess, etc. -More suitable for her age.

First let me say that we have a video game household. I have 6 boys ages 18-4 and we have had every variation of Nintendo and "game boys" as well as the XBOX's - We only had 1 PSP...not really a playstation family.

My 6 yr old got a DS for Christmas and my 4 yr old got a leapster. Yes, the leapster has more educational games...but it's not the same as a DS and the kids know it!! My 4 yr old has asked for his own DS for his B-day. They are quite expensive and 4 yr olds are harder on them then what is expected, sometimes damaging the screen by pushing to hard, etc.

I would suggest going to a used gaming store. We have some here in our city called "Trade-a-game". You could look at pawn shops as well. You might want to think about this as an option if you are worried about $ or whether it will last....or whether she will like it and actually use it? They also sell used games at places like "Gamestop". I do suggest you looking at what games they have available for your daughter to play before committing to buying the DS...sometimes there is not as much for the younger kids as you would think, girls especially, there is a lot for boys!

Like with any game system (computer included) kids become obsessed. As the parent it is our job to combat that as we see fit. I am sure whatever you decide will be fine.

My older kids got them for Christmas. They are 4 and 6. My little guy was so sad that he didn't have one but we thought he was too young. He just turned 3 and we bought him one. He loves it. He doesn't do well at the games but he can so some stuff and he's happy as can be.
I think she'll love it.

We got my oldest his original Gameboy when he was 9. My next one got a DS for her 13th birthday.
My two others play with the oldest's old Gmaeboy systems and whatever games he has left. I will not get them one of their own for a while. ONe is 9 the other 12 but she is not really intersted.
Game systems are great for in the car and being quiet in a waiting room.
I think 4 is way too young for any kind of game system.. For my kids 4th birthday they got ourside toys, bikes, jumpropes, hula hoops, skooters.

I would say get her a Leapster. We got my son his first "video game" (leapster) when he was four. He loves it and he still plays with it at 7!

I don't think she is too young to be able to play it. But if you are asking if you SHOULD get one for her that may be a different answer. If she is already drawn to spend a lot of time at that sort of thing.. it might become problematic for you, and I would encourage you to put it off for a while longer. My kids didn't get theirs until they were 8 and 6 yrs. They go through phases with them... some weeks they play them every chance they get... when the weather is nice they forget they even own them. They'd rather play outside and climb trees, etc.. (they are 11 and 8 now). So think about your child's tendencies and how you want her to spend her time. Ultimately, you are in control of how much time she spends at it... but is it something that you want the hassle of "arguing" with her over? My kids didn't "do" any electronics (except for LMax Leapster) until the older one was 8 years old. Once you get going with the electronics it seems to springboard into a whole lot more... ipods.. cell phones... etc. My 11 yr old is on his 2nd ipod now (started with Dad's old shuffle - when Dad upgraded- and he has passed the shuffle on to his younger sister when he upgraded to his own nano) ... and this year has been begging for a cell phone (not getting one)...

If you are giving her computer time that is fun and educational, then I would hold off on a handheld game, unless you want it for car trips, etc. And then, the Leapster is FAR more durable and more age appropriate games are available.