Games consoles things

HI all i really hope this isn't classed as advertising (if it is mods please remove and sorry!) cos i need help! Am doing my christmas shopping from RBH bed as stay has been extended and my 8yr old daughter has asked for a Wi?? or DS thingy and i have never seen either in action and am not very tgames technically minded so help who's got one and which do you like better! or should i just get her a doll!

Which is better for an 8 yr old with problems with fine motor skills/dyslexia will she be able to use either?

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There are big, BIG differences between a Nintendo DS and a Wii.

The DS is a handheld games console that you can take anywhere. It's available in several different colours and will set you back around £100.

The Wii is a console that needs to be hooked up to a TV set. It has a wireless controller that enables you to play games by physically ""waving"" the remote around - so, for example, you play Wii Tennis by using the controller like a tennis racquet. If you have a wireless network at home you can also access the Internet from the Wii. Of course, all of this isn't cheap, and if you can actually find somewhere that has one in stock (not an easy task) then you'll be paying around £300 for one!

My immediate answer would be that the DS is much more suitable for an 8 year old - and significantly cheaper.

But...

Most of the DS games require the use of a stylus (a pen-like pointing device) on a touch-sensitive screen - rather like you would use a PDA. If your daughter has problems with fine motor skills, this is going to be a real problem.

So, in summary, I'd stick to the doll...!

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hi,

my son has always had problems with hand - eye co-ordination,

he has a Nintendo wii and a ds,

i find the the wii helps him a lot as so does the ds,

i think its more fun and easier for him to use the wii (and because that means i can play with him to,very important to have Ventolin standing by when playing on it though!!!!!!!!!! lol

i think both could be a great help,but i think i would vote for the wii

hugs

mel xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[yaf_user681_28534]

I got my Wii last Christmas for £180, I think it was from Woolworths, not including games, which cost between £20 and £40. It came with a control, a nunchuk (which is a sort of add on to the control), and all the wires and things to connect it to the TV. It also comes with Wii Sports game, which has tennis, golf, boxing, baseball and bowling.

The DS costs around £100 and games are usually between £20 and £30. If you go for a DS, a DS Lite would probably be a better option as it is essentially the same, almost the same price but is a newer version of the original DS. It's smaller and has a much better screen.

Personally I think a Wii is probably better for younger children as I babysit regularly and almost always take my Wii and my DS. The Wii is much better as the 5 yr old I babysit can use it much more easily and you only need one console to play with lots of people. With the DS you need one console per person. The Wii is very good for keeping small children (and me!) amused while I'm babysitting. I've found the best games for my 3 yr old sister and a 5 yr old I babysit are Wii Sports, which comes with the Wii, Wii Play which also comes with an extra control (which you need for playing multiplayer) and Warioware. DS games tend to need more controlled movements with the stylus a bit like using a pen, which could be frustrating for your daughter if she has problems with this. They also tend to have more text - the Wii games I mentioned don't have much text and it isnt essential to the gameplay.

The Wii is more expensive but I reckon if you were going to get a console the Wii would be a better option.

Feel free to correct me on any of this if i'm wrong. My brain is dead today...

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I agree. I have a Wii and Love it! I got it for my birthday in september and Love it to pieces! I find It has greatly improved My Hand-eye co-ordination (sp?) and It is very Good fun! Wii sports is also good for me because It has a fitness test that you do everyday and it slowly buils up your fitness level. It Only does it once a day is Like VERY light excercise. I love mine and Have recently put internet on It. I would deffinitely Take The Wii any day of the week.

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I would plump for a ds for many reasons similar to those already mentioned. My son has a ds and I have the lite and I would certainly go for the lite considering her age.

I dont know too much about dyslexia but know of a couple of firends children who have dyslexia and whose children also have problems with rembering information when looking up at a board in the classroom and then trying to write it down or repat info. On that basis I would of thought again the ds would be better as it is in your hand looking at the screen .

The other thing to bear in mind is the wiii needs to be played on a tv screen and therefore takes more brain function to do. Im not technicle enough to explain the reason behind it but my son took part in a study about the difference between large screen and hand held gaming devices.

If you go onto any of the big stores internet sites you should be able to get a good idea of what they look like.

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if you want a Wii i have just brought one from amazon Germany £170 as could not find any in stock here or below £250 i got it yesterday, i only ordered it last Thursday. it came with two hand sets and a game. finally my other half who did not get his last year will be getting a nice surprise from Santa! of cause i have check it works! he has dyslexia and finds games that involve multitasking help with his eye hand coordination and memory and balance. Also Brain Gym/Brain Dance is great for dyslexia and is done in my sons school as part of PE.

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Yes, if you want a Wii you'll need to get one from abroad to avoid paying silly money - or, indeed, to get one at all. I can find no UK-based stores that even know when they're next going to get one in stock. Just be sure that you don't source one from a country that uses a different TV standard to the one we use in the UK (in other words, DON'T source one from the USA, Canada, Japan, France or Brazil)! Germany and Holland are probably the best bets.

I suppose a better question to have asked you right at the start is - how much are you willing to spend?! The Wii is definitely the better console, but is at least twice the price of a DS.

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Thanks for all your replies it looks like Grandpa is going on the hunt for a Wii as my neb( the one i was going to replace ages ago) went bang while in RBH so we unfortunately no longer have the funds.

I'll let you know if he finds one!