Nintendo DS Lite for a 5 yr old??

Question

my niece wants a DS Lite for her birthday her parents said they won't buy her one but if she gets enuff money for her birthday she can buy herself one.........but the thing is she doesn't take care of anything, so me and my bf are trying to tell her parents that she's too young and it will be a waste of money...but they don't seem to care........

but i was just wondering if 5 years old is too young to get a ds lite?

Answer 1

I think so, especially if she tends to be rough with things. The touch screen is the problem on the DS, a little kid wouldn't know how hard is too hard to touch it. And if she's anything like my son, when she gets mad at a game, she pushes buttons harder, etc.

I would suggest a Gameboy SP. My son has had one since he was around her age and it's still alive and well. They make them in pink.

http://www.amazon.com/Game-Boy-Advance-S...

EDIT: I totally forgot about it, but my kids love the Leapsters. You don't have to feel so bad about them playing those because it teaches them things. And they're built specifically for young kids.  http://www.leapfrog.com/en/families/leap...

Answer 2

my daughter is 5 and she has one  

Answer 3

i played my first game when i was 4.  (Pokemon - Red Version.)

i'm growing up as a geek now. i am not a bad teenager. i have a heart .i think it would be good for the child. keeps the mind active.

Answer 4

I think 5 is too young. I remember when I was six though Gameboy Color wasnt as complex as a DS Lite so it lasts me even until now, although I dont play with it anymore

so maybe a year or two?

Answer 5

If she uses her own money, does it matter?  Maybe this is a way to teach her responsibility of her money.  Never to young to learn the value of money.

Yeah, youre right, she will probably use it for a week and then loose it or break it...  But she will have learned that its a lot of money and that she needs to take care of the things that she buys.  And in a month when she decides she wants something else, mom can remind her that she decided to spend her money on the game, and then broke it.  So she doesnt have any more money to sepnd on xyz.  And if she had taken care of the game, she would still have it.

And nintendo has a wide range of age appropriate games that are more learning activities than what you think of as video games.

Answer 6

Maybe it will teach her a lesson.

It sucks, but it will be HER money, she can buy what she wants-maybe she'll take care of it. If she doesn't take care of it, and if her parents don't buy her a new one, then maybe she'll realize she needs to keep it in it's case, not leave it on the floor for people to step on, etc.

Answer 7

My daughter always took very good care of her toys, and I mean always.  However, I DO think 5 is a little young for a game like that, mostly because they get glued to it and won't want to do ANYTHING else!!!

We got our daughter one when she was 9, and it was after we discussed The Rules.  When I say to stop, she must stop or it gets taken away for X amount of time (commensurate with the infraction AND, if I have to say it three times, she loses it for three days).  Homework and chores come first, and she must keep track of where it is at all times.  She cannot bring it to a restaurant or the mall, but she can when we go to a place where there is waiting involved (doctor's office), and if it's in the car, she must have a hiding place for it.  At home, there is only one spot where she can keep it.  After almost 3 years, she has been very responsible.  She has been told - abuse it, you lose it, and if you lose it, you don't get a new one (even if she pays for it).  At 9 yrs old, she was able to understand these rules - at five, she wouldn't have.

If however she was a toy breaker or abuser, she would never have gotten one, I don't care WHO pays for it!!

Answer 8

I think so.  Perhaps in a year or two she will be old enough to take care of it and really enjoy more of the games available.

My husband works in the video game industry and we have all sorts of games consoles and systems.  The DS lite is good for younger children, but 5 is too young.

Answer 9

I think they are ok as long as they are played wisely, so yes why not you can get some good educational games now as well  

Answer 10

My 5 year old has had a DS Lite for about 6 months.  He is actually quite good at playing the couple of games he has for it.   I'm surprised at how responsible he has been with it, though the rule is that he can't take it anywhere unless Mom or Dad okays it (and he doesn't go anywhere without us anyway).  We also limit the time playing it to when we are traveling in the car on a long ride and for short periods of time otherwise.

Answer 11

get her a vtech v smile video game system theres a portable one.

better than a ds and a lot sturdier for a little kid. plus its all educational instead of mind numbing c**p

Answer 12

I agree that 5 year olds shouldn't be playing video games.  if she buys it herself with birthday money maybe she will care for it better than if it were given to her.  Her parents should refuse to replace it if she does buy it and it gets lost or broken.