I know nothing about X boxes, playstations, PSP or anything else like that. Rather than trawling the internet, I thought I’d ask you lot.

What should I get for a 5 year old and where should I get it?

I was thinking about something like a Nintendo Gameboy from 15 years ago or so, but please help me do the right thing…

Nintendo DS I would have thought.

You can probably pick up an original Playstation for about a fiver these days.

i wouldn’t bother, get them a bike instead! games consoles are all the rave now. kids get fat, not good.

Wot ‘e said. Don’t get him one, he’ll end up doing fun stuff instead.

A DS is the way to go. Simple to use, lots of kid friendly games, good on long car journeys etc

alternatively if you want something that plugs into the telly then a Nintendo WII

ditto DS. all about the DS.

If you must get him a games console, get him a Wii.

They are purpose made for geriatrics and toddlers.

LOL @ Nintendo DS

Giving a five year old a £130 toy to break then loose….

Seems daft

I want something to entertain him in the car and on planes. He has a bike and rides a lot (I just had to replace worn out tyres!)

I hate the things on principal, but he is so spoilt by the parents in law that I am struggling to think of something else to get him.

Any other suggestions greatfully received. 💡

my 6 year old has had a DS for 2 years – use is limited so you can think what you like about weather kids should be allowed to play computer games or not

but they are built pretty tough – he has never lost it (for long anyway) or broken it

he will love you loads for getting him one

games featuring mario or lego are the best ones

Since posting this I have looked at the price and now I am considering something cheaper. Can you still get something like the old donkey kong games that just play one game and take AA batteries?

Mumsnet ?

😉

Anyone know anything about leapster?

DS would be perfect.

pcb – There pretty robust too, most 5 year olds wouldn’t loose or break it.

R.lepecha – variety is the spice of life my friend, my boy enjoys his DS and PS3, but he bloomin loves his mountain bike even more. And while we’re on subject I see a lot of overweight men on bikes, probably me included.

Since posting this I have looked at the price and now I am considering something cheaper. Can you still get something like the old donkey kong games that just play one game and take AA batteries?

If you go to Game or Gamestation, you’ll be able to pick up a second hand DS quite cheaply. The next generation one is out in March (the 3DS), so the prices are coming down quite a bit.

I think I am going to get a leapster 2 from Amazon. It looks more 5 year old friendly and is a lot cheaper than the DS. They are also trying to tell me that it is educational, but i’ll take that with a pinch of salt…

variety is the spice of life my friend, my boy enjoys his DS and PS3, but he bloomin loves his mountain bike even more. And while we’re on subject I see a lot of overweight men on bikes, probably me included.

agreed, had a ps1 and ps2 when I was younger,I never played them hardly.Got a psp, played that more on planes and stuff.Now I don’t play computer games at all, yet the rest of the community is blown away by COD4,5,6 and on. there rubbish.

2nd hand Nintendo 64. Loads of classic games for that like Super Mario 64, Mario Kart, Zelda etc. Probably dead cheap too

Buying a kid a games console, imo, is very sad. Kids should be doing stuff not faffing about on consoles. Fat kids die young! My daughter will not be having one EVER whilst she lives at home!

oddjob – Member

I want something to entertain him in the car and on planes. He has a bike and rides a lot (I just had to replace worn out tyres!)

Everything a kid of that age needs for planes/cars etc.

Buying a kid a games console, imo, is very sad. Kids should be doing stuff not faffing about on consoles. Fat kids die young! My daughter will not be having one EVER whilst she lives at home!

Aaaah the typical twaddle!

If parents control usage games consoles are fine and can be beneficial to learning – reading/problem solving etc.

Our daughter has used them since 5 ( now 8 ) but she also cycles, walks, roller blades, rides horses, reads, etc., etc.

To answer the OP – I’d get a Wii – much easier to control usage than a DS, great range of kids games and you can interact with your kids in the games too (which you will!)

Not twaddle at all, just a different (and at a guess, more insightful) opinion than you.

Not twaddle at all, just a different (and at a guess, more insightful) opinion than you.

I’d say yours is more of a high-and-mighty opinion than mine, rather than insightful.

each to their own

A games console for a 5 year old! What is the world coming to?
Kids should be inventing their own games, not relying on stuff fed to them through a machine in their own little bubble and not interacting with others.

Have a look for any old working spectrum 48k’s or Commodore 64’s, kids of today should be made to appreciate the history of gaming and how it got to where it is today with the latest Halo or whatever, they should also be made to wait for what seems like forever for the cassette tapes to load like we had to, then, they just might appreciate just how fast games load nowadays by comparison.

Retro Rocks. 😉

I’m with Racing Ralph.
Join the library and get her reading. Lots.

If you insist on getting an electronic babysitter, restrict it to half an hour a day.

they should also be made to wait for what seems like forever for the cassette tapes to load like we had to, then, they just might appreciate just how fast games load nowadays by comparison.

I owned a spectrum 48k.. it was my first computer/console or whatever it was.. manic miner and kikstart were my fave games.. and some other spooky game that don’t recall clearly..

I lost interest after the second year of ownership and it got relegated to my little brother.. I wonder if it is a direct result of that machine that I have never ever been interested in games consoles and have never had a desire to own one..

Anyone know anything about leapster

my kids found it dull and despite the fact that they are careful with electronic stuff it broke – something came loose inside and shorted it out

Anyone know anything about leapster?

We got one for our son when he was about that age. waste of money, never used it.
In the car/on journeys I would say a DS.
At least with a five yr old you control how much he uses it… (in theory)

My 7yr old son has had one since he was 4 (Nintendo ds). He didnt really have much idea what he was doing with it untill he was about 5.5 to 6yrs old. Now he loves it. Plays it quite regular but has to ask permission at all times and lets us ration its use. No harm in it really.

Oh and he also mountain bikes, does taekwondo, swims and plays football every second of daylight hours. He has got a less body fat than 99% of the human population and is very bright.

Its not the games that cause obesity, its the parents lack of parenting skills that cause that

+1 @ TheLittlestHobo

love the sanctimony. You know your kids, do what’s right for them.

“won’t someone please think of the children”

Its not the games that cause obesity, its the parents lack of parenting skills that cause that

Very true, but it’s not obesity I’d worry about. A lot of my son’s mates are allowed free reign on consoles but struggle to hold a conversation.

IMO 5 years is way too young – I’d consider 7 or 8 a minimum.
If you go the WII route (and yes, we have one) it has an in built timer so you can check usage.

Again spokebloke, its lack of parenting skills that cause that, not the game. 1st sign of a grunt from my son in reply to a civil question and the game is taken off him. He knows that and accepts it. Simple basic parenting

Yep, that’s why I said ‘very true’ – it is all down to basic parenting skills. My point is that it’s not just obesity you need to worry about.

My 4 year old and 7 year olds have the ds and dsi respectivly. The 4 year old hardly plays with her ds and the 7 year old plays with his dsi a lot more.
We control what games they buy for it so there age appropriate.
The 7 year old also uses my old ps2 but only once or twice a month.
Last christmas we bought a wii for the family to use and its always set up in the living room, I played it last week for an hour the last time before that it was played in July!
The ds/dsi is a godsend we use it as a reward or give it to them on long journeys, it’s also pretty good for playing on myself, you can also get educational games for it (and there normally the cheaper ones!)
As said the older DS can be brought cheapish from gamestation etc.
The older colour screen gameboy aqdvanced can be had cheap as well, with loads of games that can be had for only a couple of pounds at car boots.