Considering Nintendo DS instead of Leapster 2 After alot of research and sub-par reviews of the Leapster 2 (SD slot, battery consumption, online issues, etc.) I am considering purchasing a Nintendo DS Lite for my 3 1/2 yr old daughter. The DS is a gamebased platform and I want something more educational, however some DS games (Smart Kids) look promising.The DS is a bit pricy, but after a battery pack, the DS and Leapster are within $ 20 of each other. ($ not a big issue for me). I also like the idea of my daughter "growing into" and the extensive possibilites of the DS, like learning spanish, etc.Any ideas or opinions out there regarding this comparison ??Am I making a good decision?Thanks Considering Nintendo DS instead of Leapster 2 After alot of research and sub-par reviews of the Leapster 2 (SD slot, battery consumption, online issues, etc.) I am considering purchasing a Nintendo... » Read More Considering Nintendo DS instead of Leapster 2 After alot of research and sub-par reviews of the Leapster 2 (SD slot, battery consumption, online issues, etc.) I am considering purchasing a Nintendo DS Lite for my 3 1/2 yr old daughter. The DS is a gamebased platform and I want something more educational, however some DS games (Smart Kids) look promising.The DS is a bit pricy, but after a battery pack, the DS and Leapster are within $ 20 of each other. ($ not a big issue for me). I also like the idea of my daughter "growing into" and the extensive possibilites of the DS, like learning spanish, etc.Any ideas or opinions out there regarding this comparison ??Am I making a good decision?Thanks « Show Less
1155852
Using the DS requires very good fine motor skills. Few 3 year olds have the skills to make the game do what they want, so it is frustrating and gets set aside. I would not get a DS for age three unless the child is already writing letters pretty well.
1155853
I agree wholeheartedly that it depends on the child. Our daughter received her ds at 5 and had no problems using it right away. Our son just turned 3 and we're considering purchasing something similar for him because he already knows how to do some things on the computer and work portions of my iphone. If you think the stylus may be too difficult for him to handle at this age, go with the leapster or let them try an old gameboy perhaps.
1155854
My daughter got her DS when she was barely 6. Her barely 3 year old brother used many of the games, some of them just didn't interest him or were too hard to play. I am buying him a Leapster 2 for his 4th birthday coming up. We had the original leapster we bought my daughter when she was tiny and it has since broke. While some DS games are fine for the little ones, I think the Leapster is a better choice for them at this age. And, like someone else said, in a few years there will be a new system out the older kids will want anyway.
1155855
I don't recommend a DS for a 3 1/2 year old. My 10 year old loves his DS but his 6 year old brother has difficulty using it. By the time your 3 1/2 year old "grew" into the DS someone will have another, better product. I recommend keeping it simple, stick with Leapster.
1155856
I would recommend the Leapster 2. I have 4 girls whose ages are 3, 4, 6 and 8. They all love the leapster 2. There are many different games at various levels that keeps them all interested. We have also never had a problem online or with any of the games. The other thing that I like is that my 3 year old has seriously dropped the toy several times and it keeps working perfectly.
1155857
Could you expand on what difficulties your 6 year old has with the DS. Is it the size of the screen, buttons, etc? Or the games being too difficult? Or something else?I already own a DS (for myself) and am debating buying a couple of the children's learning games for my son (3yrs but he is advanced) to use on my system instead of buying him his own system like the Leapster.
1155858
For any child 5 and under, I would have to recommend the Leapster 2. Even at 5, they would still get a couple of years out of it before they lost interest. I have an advanced 4 year old, and he is showing no signs of outgrowing his, plus their are several new games designed for an older age range (Digging for Dinosaurs, Wolverine, etc). My reason for discouraging the DS is that it is less educational but much cooler as far as graphics. Therefore, once they get into the DS the Leapster will be history, but so will the much more educational games.
1155859
Even my five year old has problems playing most games on my DS - he's just learning to read, and most games have word-instructions, rather than spoken instructions like the Leapster. While some of the arcade style games he can enjoy for a short time (he can only go a few levels before these games become too hard for him, coordination-wise), and some of the kids games he can play with help from me (reading the in-game instructions for him), he generally prefers his Leapster, as does his 2 year old brother. Also, the Leapster is made to withstand a young child throwing, dropping and banging it around, whereas the DS is built with older kids, teens and adults in mind. Even my five year old has problems playing most games on my DS - he's just learning to read, and most games have word-instructions, rather than spoken instructions like the Leapster. While some of the arcade style games he can enjoy for a short time (he can only go a few levels before these games become too hard for him, coordination-wise), and some of the kids games he can play with help from me (reading the in-game instructions for him), he generally prefers his Leapster, as does his 2 year old brother. Also, the Leapster is made to withstand a young child throwing, dropping and banging... » Read More Even my five year old has problems playing most games on my DS - he's just learning to read, and most games have word-instructions, rather than spoken instructions like the Leapster. While some of the arcade style games he can enjoy for a short time (he can only go a few levels before these games become too hard for him, coordination-wise), and some of the kids games he can play with help from me (reading the in-game instructions for him), he generally prefers his Leapster, as does his 2 year old brother. Also, the Leapster is made to withstand a young child throwing, dropping and banging it around, whereas the DS is built with older kids, teens and adults in mind. « Show Less
441743
I have a leapster gs and it works for that system! Honestly I now go to store to buy them. They r very misleading on what game system to use. Confused me! I'm am prob not a huge help but all that aside my 4 yr old loves this game!
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!
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.
634197
Thanks. The graphics seem better with Leapfrog compared to our Baby VSmile, and I'd like to buy the VSmile for the game compatibility but can't afford that and a Leapster.
1478218
The Nintendo DS and the Leapfrog Leapster are two different platforms with mainly two different uses. The Leapster is a learning system and all of the games are directed at developing a young childs mind through fun learning. I have a 5 y/o going on 6 that loves her Leapster. There are titles with characters that will keep your childs attention (i.e. Spongebob, Dora, Diego, Spiderman, etc) She has friends that have a DS but I feel she's getting much more out of the Leapster. The Nintendo DS is a game unit with far more entertaining games than learning. I think it would be better for you to look at the software rather than the platforms to make a wise decision on how your boys will use their systems and if it will satisfy your needs. You can look for video reviews on a number of sites prior to purchasing games to determine if it's a good buy.
415197
I got this game system for my son when he was 4. He was not yet in school but getting ready for preschool. He loved it myself as well. I loved watching him learn new things and answer the questions he already knew. He had the leapster explorer and the leapster 2 way before he got the Nintendo ds and Wii. He wanted all the games so we got him as many as we could including Tangled . He played it and just like the other games he learned from it. We also found out the store Five and Below carries tons of Leapster Explorer games for $5 not the $20 you pay in a reg. Store. But I highly recommend this game especially for a 7 year old girl. Hope this helps.
415198
I got this game system for my son when he was 4. He was not yet in school but getting ready for preschool. He loved it myself as well. I loved watching him learn new things and answer the questions he already knew. He had the leapster explorer and the leapster 2 way before he got the Nintendo ds and Wii. He wanted all the games so we got him as many as we could including Tangled . He played it and just like the other games he learned from it. We also found out the store Five and Below carries tons of Leapster Explorer games for $5 not the $20 you pay in a reg. Store. But I highly recommend this game especially for a 7 year old girl. Hope this helps. I got this game system for my son when he was 4. He was not yet in school but getting ready for preschool. He loved it myself as well. I loved watching him learn new things and answer the questions he already knew. He had the leapster explorer and the leapster 2 way before he got the Nintendo ds and Wii. He wanted all the games so we got him as many as we could including Tangled . He played it and just like the other games he learned from it. We also found out the store Five and Below carries tons of Leapster Explorer games for $5 not the $20 you pay in a reg. Store. But I highly recommend... » Read More I got this game system for my son when he was 4. He was not yet in school but getting ready for preschool. He loved it myself as well. I loved watching him learn new things and answer the questions he already knew. He had the leapster explorer and the leapster 2 way before he got the Nintendo ds and Wii. He wanted all the games so we got him as many as we could including Tangled . He played it and just like the other games he learned from it. We also found out the store Five and Below carries tons of Leapster Explorer games for $5 not the $20 you pay in a reg. Store. But I highly recommend this game especially for a 7 year old girl. Hope this helps. « Show Less
1294878
I'm kind of in the same boat. My six year old will be getting a DS for Christmas and I thought it would be nice for my 3 year old to have his own gaming system. I'm pretty sure they would fight over the DS if we didn't get him something of his own. Is a Leapster age appropriate for my 3 year old?
1952923
we own the original leapster but from any knowledge that ive had I am about 90% sure they made the leapster two so it can still play all the old games. but a leap pad and leapster are two different components all together so a leapster2 yes a leap pad im gonna say no.
879475
Hi H. Sexton-Which leapster do you have? It looks like each new game is $20+ for the Leapster 2. Thanks.
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)
835672
Hi -I would recommend the V-tech tote'n'go laptops to just about anyone in the pre-reading stage of learning. It is not as glamorous as the leapfrog stuff, but it is great for letter recognition and other pre-literacy skills. That's in the twenty buck range. The Leapster 2 by leapfrog also does not need a home pc to set it up, though you can use one to access some of the advanced features it is completely unnecessary from a child's perspective to enjoy the system. Those retail for about seventy, but are regularly on sale for forty or fifty. The cartridge games are expensive, but do go on sale from time to time. My daughter loved her v-tech laptop and she loves her Leapster too. Hi -I would recommend the V-tech tote'n'go laptops to just about anyone in the pre-reading stage of learning. It is not as glamorous as the leapfrog stuff, but it is great for letter recognition and other pre-literacy skills. That's in the twenty buck range. The Leapster 2 by leapfrog also does not need a home pc to set it up, though you can use one to access some of the advanced features it is completely unnecessary from a child's perspective to enjoy the system. Those retail for about seventy, but are regularly on sale for forty or fifty. The cartridge games are expensive, but... » Read More Hi -I would recommend the V-tech tote'n'go laptops to just about anyone in the pre-reading stage of learning. It is not as glamorous as the leapfrog stuff, but it is great for letter recognition and other pre-literacy skills. That's in the twenty buck range. The Leapster 2 by leapfrog also does not need a home pc to set it up, though you can use one to access some of the advanced features it is completely unnecessary from a child's perspective to enjoy the system. Those retail for about seventy, but are regularly on sale for forty or fifty. The cartridge games are expensive, but do go on sale from time to time. My daughter loved her v-tech laptop and she loves her Leapster too. « Show Less
1778291
Nope...once they get to age 8, that is about it for the learning toys/Leapfrog line. Didj may get you for a short while, but it was short lived in my house.Can I ask why you don't want to get a DS? They have some great learning games for it!
879480
I would go with the DS. I had both the DS and Leapster for my son and he definitely played with the DS more. There are plenty of games for a four year old as well as for us adults. All in all the selection of games available for the DS is over 1000, so there's plenty to choose from.
1521271
I just bought a LeapPad2 and a Leapster Explorer, I was looking at games on Amazon and when I search LeapPad 2 games, it gives me all explorer options. Before I place my order, will Explorer games work for LeapPad2?? Thanks
99294
I am also having the same problem, as I'd like to buy a Leapster for my grandson who is a lefty. I bought my granddaughter the original Leapster two years ago and he wants the same one. However I'm afraid there won't be any games available after about a year. Yet with the Leapster 2 doesn't look to be lefty friendly with the stylus on the right backside. The only thing I can think of is to cut the cord.