Hand held console toys for young children must be robust enough to withstand knocks, drops and sticky fingers. They should also have age appropriate games which are interesting and challenging but not too difficult.
Most family games for Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft game platforms require a considerable amount of reading, making them inaccessible for most children under about 6 years of age without a considerable amount of help. The very fact that they are so small means that hand help toys like the Nintendo DS are designed to be played by only one person.
Hand Held Educational Electronic Toys for Young Children
There are a range of small hand held electronic toys available for younger children. The price tag will indicate what is available. Very cheap hand held toys may contain one game and be easily breakable whereas more expensive models such as the Leapster or Cyber Pocket are designed to be sturdy and to take a variety of game cartridges, some of which will feature popular TV and film characters.
Hand Held Leapster2 Learning Game System by Leapfrog
The Leapster2 retails in the UK for around £40 and is aimed at children aged 4 to 8 years old. It is one of a range of educational electronic toys for young children produced by Leapfrog with a strong emphasis on educational content. Parents can monitor the play time spent on the Leapster in detail including the educational progress a child is making via a free computer programme developed by Leapfrog. For preschool children it is a good alternative to the DS, especially for parents who want all toys to have educational properties.
The Leapster 2 comes in either green or pink. It looks similar to the DS with a touch screen and stylus but it does not flip open and only has one screen. It comes with games and others are available to purchase, typically for between £15 to £20. Games available include Disney Fairies and Star Wars Clone Wars.
Hand Held V.Smile Cyber Pocket by Vtech
The V.Smile Cyber Pocket retails in the UK approximately £50 and is aimed at children, 5 to 9 years of age. There is a touch pad and a flip up screen. Games include popular TV, film and Disney characters. The VTech 9V AC/DC adapter can be purchased to save on batteries when there is no need to be mobile.
For younger children the other products in the V.Smile Learning System range are aimed at those aged 3 to 7 years: the V.Smile Motion, for active play, similar to the Nintendo Wii and the V.Smile Console. There is a large range of games which are compatible with all 3 toys of the V.Smile Learning System.
Portable Video Games for Preschoolers, Alternative to the DS
In some families preschool age kids already enjoy playing DS games for young children because older people in the household already have the Nintendo DS hardware. The devise itself is not ideal for the hands of young children and the range of games for pre-readers is quite small. Similar products designed for young children include the V.Smile Cyber Pocket by Vtech and the Leapster 2 Learning Game System by Leapfrog. Parents can be sure that games for these products will be suitable for the age group.
Alternatively, there are a range of educational electronic games available which are suitable for toddlers and preschoolers, from around age 2, they are packaged in designs to look like laptop computers for young children.
Deborah Percy - BSc. MA. Managing Director of a heating & plumbing business. Interest in maths, science & research. Mother of 3, including twins.
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