In many norwegian schools they give ipads to the youngest childen. But my eldest daughter broke her screen even with a strong screen protector.
edit: I have asked for a title change
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In many norwegian schools they give ipads to the youngest childen. But my eldest daughter broke her screen even with a strong screen protector.
edit: I have asked for a title change
I would disagree, my kids both had an 2DS when they were younger and those things still work.
Those things are built like Nokia 3310's.
I wouldn't trust them with a clamshell 3DS
Those things are built like Nokia 3310's.
I wouldn't trust them with a clamshell 3DS
OP
OP
Ouch, did your kids break your 3ds in two?
New Nintendo 3ds is expensive, but the regular 3ds seems cheap still. I just saw one for 600 NOK (55$)
Except not finding their pen sometimes, I feel much more at ease letting them use their clamshells than other devices. I have 3 daughters.
We've seen too many mobile games brought to console and appreciated after the fact and vice versa to still be doing this.
That's just the thing, it's your perception as an adult, but it isn't objectively a thing.
It'll vastly depend on the kid, and how they handle the thing, I've always been rather careful with my stuff and seeing how younger cousins were when those DS's were around, and now my GF's daughter treat their portable console, I'm constantly baffled at how they can play them with a scratched to hell screen, and toss them in a corner the second they're done with it or frustrated -_-!
OP
OP
I'm sorry everyone. I guess my experience is not the norm. Maybe it would be better to close the thread to not give bad advice to other parents. :P
Everyone's experiences are going to be purely anecdotal. I mean, people in generation got angry enough to throw their controllers when something didn't go their way.
I've been playing Gameboys since I was 5. I took care of my stuff for the most part outside of accidentally dropping a GBC down the stairs twice. Thank you carpet. Cost me a Pokemon save and nothing else. It wasn't until college that I actually broke a system and that was just accidentally dropping my DS like 3 feet, but the top half hit a trash can on the way down and it ruined the top screen from behind, wasn't even a front crack. Was able to still play Mario Kart going off the bottom screen alone. Bought another DS lite a couple months later and I'm still using that system today.
All of my friends had Gameboys and DSes growing up, managed to take care of them just fine as far as I can tell.
I've been playing Gameboys since I was 5. I took care of my stuff for the most part outside of accidentally dropping a GBC down the stairs twice. Thank you carpet. Cost me a Pokemon save and nothing else. It wasn't until college that I actually broke a system and that was just accidentally dropping my DS like 3 feet, but the top half hit a trash can on the way down and it ruined the top screen from behind, wasn't even a front crack. Was able to still play Mario Kart going off the bottom screen alone. Bought another DS lite a couple months later and I'm still using that system today.
All of my friends had Gameboys and DSes growing up, managed to take care of them just fine as far as I can tell.
Oh don't do that, depending on the kids the experience can be completely different.
Agreed.
Accidents happen, but as long as the kid understands they're lucky to even have this and another one won't come easy, they'll take care of it.
But then again, the GBC and my 11 inch TV being my sole electronic lifelines growing up back then isn't the same as kids growing up now so maybe it is different.
I think it's the other way round and clamshells are good for teenagers and above, where the only time handhelds are likely to get damaged is when you're transporting them. For younger kids, who can be rough when playing with toys, the hinge is a major weakness, as is the resistive touchscreen (I once worked at a game shop and the amount of DS trade-ins we got with stylus gouges in the touchscreens was too damn high).
It's not bad advice, just really dependent on the kid. A discussion about child proofing electronics is a great idea and I think this is a good a place as any to start.
Nah, OP is exactly right and I know a few parents who would agree (as they've given their kids their old 3DSes - including one of mine). Throw a screen protector on one and you're set.
OP
OP
I really do think we could have an more interesting discussion if I changed the thread title, so I have reported my own thread :)
I trust your experience :)
Yeah, we could change the thread into that :)
They're fine (especially with a screen protector and a beefy case) but if you live somewhere with a big difference in indoor/outdoor temp, don't let 'em take the system outside ever. Temperature controlled environments only or the hinge's plastic will weaken and snap, eventually leading to system death as the ribbon powering the top screen will get yanked out of place. It can happen without the rapid temperature shifts, but they seem to guarantee it. I live in Arizona and we must have gone through a half dozen clamshell systems because of this before figuring it out. All I can say is Best Buy's full system protection thing lost money on our family.
The flat 2DS is even better for the kiddos in my opinion, especially if they can be got cheaper. Those just need a screen protector and headphones at parent discretion because the speakers are awful.
The flat 2DS is even better for the kiddos in my opinion, especially if they can be got cheaper. Those just need a screen protector and headphones at parent discretion because the speakers are awful.
There definitely might be something around that for todays kids, electronic devices being seen more as something that is just there not matter what rather than something you're real lucky to have, or just another toy to play with, rather than something out of the ordinary.
But yes, if you give your kids any type of device that makes sound, give them some headphones as well, it'll definitely avoid some friction, even if you're familiar with it, game sound when you're not playing can become annoying real quick depending on what it is.
OP
OP
I'm a bit worried about giving headphones to small children. If I do I must give headset with a limited volume. I don't want them to hurt their ears. My 10 year old has headphones, but I spoke to her about the dangers of using too much headphones.
My 5 and 3 years old girls do not have headsets. But they always turn down the volume.
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You're right on this. We've got four kids and they've always been reasonably responsible with their tablets/other devices. They understand the idea of, "Hey, if you break this, you're not necessarily getting another one.", pretty well.
I agree on the headphone thing, same age we only let our oldest start regularly using headphones at 10. For the younger ages it's the worry about hearing damage but I also like to hear what they're watching in case they stumble into something they shouldn't.
e: I will add though we don't do devices outside of the house so we haven't seen the need for headphones in that respect.
Maybe I was in the minority on this, but I did not know it was apparently common for kids as old as 9 still easily breaking systems within a day. I got a Game Boy when I was six and took great care of that thing, same thing with all future consoles and handhelds I would get.
Nah, probably not the minorty. To be honest, so much of this is dependent on the parents and how they deal with taking care of things around the house. I remember enforcing and reinforcing things like not touching the TV or any electrical outlets when she first started crawling around and now that she is 4-ish, she is super careful about that stuff.
Granted, kids will be kids so at a minimum a screen proctor with a silicone or TPU case should be a must have when considering things like this. She is clumsy with an iPad but its much bigger for her little hands compared to something like a Switch Lite and whatnot.
Side note, I do wish they would make children protective gear not so outlandishly child like. Some color and whimsy sure, but the majority of the market is flooded with cat ears around the frame of a case and other nonsense. I know this sounds like a No Fun Allowed rant but its the same way I feel about "gamer" aesthetics when it comes to laptops and peripherals. It doesn't need to be edgy, just make it fun with some clean minimalist design and shit.
I really regret putting free ad ridden mobile games on iPad. Don't ever do it if you do get a tablet. I'm subbed to Apple Arcade but they are so enamored by the ad games and the ads contain EVEN MORE freemium ad games and it's an endless cycle of 1 minute of game play 30second of ad and OH I NEEEEED THIS GAME.
I gave my son my white OLED when I got my TotK Switch. He's had it since he was 5, he turns 7 in July and it's been great.
I think it's really a stereotype that children will immediately break things. As long as you teach them to care for their belongings from when they are young they'll be fine. Sure some things will break when they're really little but at a certain age they have to to learn to be responsible.
I think it's really a stereotype that children will immediately break things. As long as you teach them to care for their belongings from when they are young they'll be fine. Sure some things will break when they're really little but at a certain age they have to to learn to be responsible.
Something to consider is that these devices are built differently. I have my Gameboy ancedote, but those things were built to last so of course I could accidentally drop it down stairs twice and only lose a Pokemon save. Otherwise I was careful with it even as I took it everywhere.
My soon-four-year-old hasn't had a handheld yet, but she's already fairly careful with the electronic stuff she has and knows they can break.
She has a tiny digital camera and always use the strap. She also has a 8bitdo Zero 2 controller and also use the strap for that. She's actually getting around to controlling dinosaurs in Lego Jurassic Park and can play stuff like Ibb & Obb fairly well when there's no pressure in the beginning stages.
So at that age start with something cheap and fairly durable like a controller would be my advice.
She has a tiny digital camera and always use the strap. She also has a 8bitdo Zero 2 controller and also use the strap for that. She's actually getting around to controlling dinosaurs in Lego Jurassic Park and can play stuff like Ibb & Obb fairly well when there's no pressure in the beginning stages.
So at that age start with something cheap and fairly durable like a controller would be my advice.
OP
OP
Cheap and durable is a must. Also good battery life is a big plus too, since she often forgets to charge stuff.
My 3 year old has started to ask me to try my anbernic rg35xx h, but I only let her try it a bit when I'm sitting right next to her. It has some non child friendly games on it too 😅
My 5 year old uses my Zelda Anniversary Game and Watch. That led to him using my Switch for Kirby and Mario and Sonic games. I then let him play my Miyoo Mini Plus for some old NES and SNES games. I now bought him a RG35XX to be his own device. He will be psyched when that comes in for him.
OP
OP
On the rg35xx, are you using garlic os, or minui? Do you make a small curated library?
We're not gonna pretend people curate mobile games before dismissing them as trash. Just saying y'all kind of tell on yourselves when some goes from Apple Arcade to Switch. Just like smaller PC games becoming more popular on Switch.
It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm probably going Garlic. If I'm not mistaken minui doesn't support box art? I may be mistaken...but I've done it on OnionOS and it was super easy, I'm assuming the process is almost exactly the same in Garlic to the point of copying and pasting the files...hmm.
My son can't read yet so box art is critical!
Yeah, he will have a curated 2D kid-friendly platforming library.
Nintendo switch
It has a mountain of couch co-op games and games that kids can enjoy, and even gateway games into more grown up genres like Zelda etc
It has a mountain of couch co-op games and games that kids can enjoy, and even gateway games into more grown up genres like Zelda etc
I don't want my 5 year old near any gaming device to be honest. Not that I fear he would break something but for me it feels way too young for that. I'll consider it around 7-8 yo.
Edit; some context, France Here, kids don't have tablets at schools and screen time before 3-4 yo is kinda badly seen.
Edit; some context, France Here, kids don't have tablets at schools and screen time before 3-4 yo is kinda badly seen.
I don't have kids, but based on the kids of people I know old handhelds work, but surprisingly, to me at least, many of them took a shine to the PC. Old laptops/desktops since the kind of games they were playing don't require high end hardware. Of course most of my friends/brothers use their PCs/laptops for work/games and then just pass down their old ones when they get upgrades, so might be a case of monkey see monkey do going on a bit as well.
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