Which handheld system is best for a 3 years and 4 month old child? We have seen the Leapster Explorer, Leapster 2, V. Reader, MobiGo and IXL.....which one is a person to choose?! We are trying to decide which would be best for our daughter at Christmas time. Her 3rd birthday was at the end of August. Which handheld system is best for a 3 years and 4 month old child? We have seen the Leapster Explorer, Leapster 2, V. Reader, MobiGo and IXL.....which one is a person to choose?! We are trying to... » Read More Which handheld system is best for a 3 years and 4 month old child? We have seen the Leapster Explorer, Leapster 2, V. Reader, MobiGo and IXL.....which one is a person to choose?! We are trying to decide which would be best for our daughter at Christmas time. Her 3rd birthday was at the end of August. « Show Less
332459
The leapster explorer is a little hard for a 3 year old but it you sit and help them the first few times they should get the hang of it. The ixl and mobigo were very boring, don't waste your money. The leapster explorer is also better than the leapster 2 because you can keep in in pre-k mode so your child doesn't get upset like mine did when it got too hard.
552700
I'm thinking so was looking at it for a 6 year old rather then innotab or leap pad. I also checked out the getjar markplace and they have several games we can get for them all free as well. Other reveiwers also said that you can put amazon market place on to it.
379806
My son is 2 1/2. I bought him the Leapster TV Learning System. He can play that really well since the controls are bigger. Check the games though since for many you need to be able to recognize letters, numbers, etc. His favorite is the Cars one. My daughter (5 years old) has the Leapster L-Max & was 3 1/2 when we got it. It took her several months to get good at it. (The new Leapster comes out this week)
2103086
I have a 3 1/2 yr old girl who loves her leapster!! She plays a few games (Diego & Dora also one of the Letter games for the LMax), but she mostly likes the game that comes installed in the game itself. I would say get him the game and let him learn. It IS leapster after all!! He'll love it!!
879477
Go with the DS all the way. There are plenty of educational games out there for it plus a ton of regular games he/she would enjoy playing!
1299588
Most reviewers bought it for their 2 year olds (or younger). I bought it for my child's 4th birthday. Personally, I think it works best for 3-4 year olds.
130480
We have both at our house. The V-Tech is a bit cheaper, but the Leapster is the one my kids keep playing with over and over. My kids think the Leapster games are "more fun", and as a parent I see a lot more learning potential in the Leapster titles than in the V-tech.
1349107
Jewel train, Sugar Bugs and Alphabet Stew are the titles geared toward the older children. There are 2 new Discovery videos geared toward the 5-9 age group. Other than that, the selection may be limited and your son may find it interesting a few days and they he may quickly outgrow the product. I hope that Leapfrog expands their library toward the 7-10 age range. There are maybe 3 to 4 cartridge games also for the 5-9 age range like X-Man and NFL Rush Zone. If I was in yours shoes, I would perhaps consider buying a Nintendo DS as they also have good educational titles and also play some of the leisure games with the same device. Our 6 year old is getting the LeapPad as well as the Nintendo DS Lite (same price now). Hope this is helpful.
2145428
I don't have the V.motion but have both the V.smile and Leapfrogs Clickstart computer which both are for the same age group as the v.motion. I got those two last year when my son had just turned 2 and he was able to use them expertly right from the beginning so I am sure your son will be able to use the V.motion, If your not sure you could always buy one of the original V.smile games that are suitable for younger kids like the winnie the pooh one as the V.motion takes V.smile games and the V.motion can also be used without the 'motion' feature. I am planning on getting this for my son this year and he will be just after turning 3. I don't have the V.motion but have both the V.smile and Leapfrogs Clickstart computer which both are for the same age group as the v.motion. I got those two last year when my son had just turned 2 and he was able to use them expertly right from the beginning so I am sure your son will be able to use the V.motion, If your not sure you could always buy one of the original V.smile games that are suitable for younger kids like the winnie the pooh one as the V.motion takes V.smile games and the V.motion can also be used without the 'motion' feature. I am planning on getting this for my son this... » Read More I don't have the V.motion but have both the V.smile and Leapfrogs Clickstart computer which both are for the same age group as the v.motion. I got those two last year when my son had just turned 2 and he was able to use them expertly right from the beginning so I am sure your son will be able to use the V.motion, If your not sure you could always buy one of the original V.smile games that are suitable for younger kids like the winnie the pooh one as the V.motion takes V.smile games and the V.motion can also be used without the 'motion' feature. I am planning on getting this for my son this year and he will be just after turning 3. « Show Less
2007217
I called Leapster.com to try and purchase a recharging system just last week and they are on back order. They were on back order over the summer as well, so I'm not sure they're going to be available for the holidays.GREAT NEWS The recharging system is now on SALE for only $19.99 on the leapster.com website. I just bought one! 1/12/09
738404
My 2yr old daughter is insane over her Innotab 2 and so is her 6yr old sister..lol so I would say from my experience it can last till shes 6 or older they have games for 6-7 yr olds so as she grows you can get the more advanced game.
30645
My daughter received hers for her 3rd birthday. She's very smart but she does have difficulty with tracing the letters and numbers in the "pet" application. However, for a 2-1/2 year old I'm sure that it would be useful, just as long as it keeps their attention. Some kids do better than others. Mine has a bit more energy and can only play for a short time before wanting to get up and go. If the device lasts long enough, it should be useful for up to 9 years, but I'm sure we'll have quite better equipment to choose from by then.
1351486
I agree that the InnoTab is going to be a little too easy for her. My son is six and it's not as fun/challenging for him. My four year old loves it. The games for this machine top out at age 8, and especially if she's bright I think she'd be easily bored by the games you can buy for this. Leap Pad2 I think is a little more appropriate for that age, but also she's going to top out pretty quickly. DS is probably a good option for her, though the games are not always geared towards learning if that is a concern. Good luck!
879481
You probably already got one, but my concern would be the dropping. My 4 year old has dropped his leapster so many times and I wouldn't get him a DS for a few years because of it. If they could be responsible I think the DS would be cool. I will upgrade probably when he is around 7ish and maybe get one for his brother depending on if he can do it when he is 5 or just get another Leapster or pass brother's down.
2063250
I think the ideal age for Leapsters is 4 - 8. My 2 1/2 year old loves watching his older siblings play, but can't quite figure it out himself.
1107821
The LeapFrog pen and the books that support the reading system. You can buy one book or sets of books and the two Tag pens I purchased were a short fat one for a 2 year old and the Tag pen for a 3.5 year old. Both boys love them and they can read the books by pointing the pens at the words. You download the book from the computer. My daughter did the downloads so I don't know much on how to do that. I hope this helps you some.
539940
Hi there, sorry for the late reply, but this should be appropriate for a 3 year old. I have bought mine for a 2 year old and she already knows how to play with all the little things. I hope I have helped you in anyway possible.Sincerely,