I need the collective advice of stw please… I have been convinced that my daughters can have their first consoles.. but I’ve no idea, and having done some research have worked out that the mid spec machines are the right choice, but no idea about games/apps… so can you recommend me what apps to get?
I want some educational games/apps (yes boring/caring parent I am) since my eldest (8yrs) is catching up on her reading/maths skils… and I’m hoping a DS might aid her.

so anything that is fun, yet aids the learning for primary school kids?

My nieces loved the pet dog games whatever they are called

My advice, with some professional credibility, is to not try to mix the education with the fun. Let them play when they are playing, and learn when they are learning. It is more efficient to let them play as a reward for some proper study.

Some DS games rely quite heavily on a text based interface and as such you can improve Reading skills without realising it. Titles such as Pippa Funnel, Nintendogs, Prof Leyton are all favoured by parents. No substitute for sitting down with a book.

Agree 100% with Charlie – was thinking the same but didn’t bother writing it 😉

Like the principles… seems sound advice. thanks.

Sainsburys have 25% off at the moment.

As for education and reward, well that’s the beauty they can do both and as pointed many games encourage education anyway with reading and puzzles. Learning need not be just about a structured lesson format.

The art games are good as well if you can get them – our son waited over 2 months before we could get him a copy of Art Academy.

He got his first DS at about the age of 8, has since moved onto the DSi, but rarely seems to use the WiFi aspects.

Some games can be played linked with friends who have the same games, so for the play side of things it is worth asking what games their friends have.

Junior Brain training if you want to encourage brushing up the maths etc in a fun environment. Don’t insist that she does it though.

C-M may well have professional expertise in education – but I’d suggest he’s probably got limited experience of 8 year olds in their home environment, and how different children learn and play at home. Don’t make it regemented or enforced and you might just find that some 8 year olds are “playing” educational games because they are fun rather than because they have to.

some of the DS games are brilliant (am 24)

Being able to connect two or more consoles wirelessly expands it exponentially.

dont know if your looking at one each, or one between them, but if youve got more than one sprog, i would suggest at least two.

also, though im not 8:

“Education” games = BOOORRRINGGG
Puzzle games = FUN 🙂 but also give the mind a work out without you noticing.

Points to Professor Layton series. (though i dont THINK there is multiplayer on them), i shall go look…..

no multiplayer on the layton series.

3DS is supposed to be ace, would like to have a look at one in the flesh.

havent played my DS since the spring,when someone nicked my R4 card, and i bought an Xbox

both my eldest daughters now 11 & 7 both had nintendo ds’s oldest has now moved on to the new ipod touch with camera the ds seldom gets looked at, the younger ones now hankering after one too loads of apps a lot free good graphics etc the video/still camera is great

Sitting here with two experts – Girls aged 13 and 9, both had them for about 4 years, and I’ve asked their advice 😀

Recommendations from the select committee are:

Big Brain Academy – fun and edumacational
Brain Training – not so fun, but harder and more educational, they use this one as a challenge.
Nintendogs – lots of fun and they keep going back to it, surprisingly doesn’t get boring easily.
Animal Crossing Wild World – fun, always something new
Fashion Designer – for the older ones good fun

cheers for all the advice… think I’ve got my head around it all – have downloaded pocketphonics for iPhone (teaches how to recognise and write letters/words using phonic sounds) and both girls love playing with that… so seems you can play and learn with fun sometimes.
trip to sainsburies tonight..