What type of electronic device for kids

[LiveUrlife2]

HI...So we are going to be cruising on the breakaway next week with our children. I was jw what type of electronic device (like tablet, nabi, leappad,) we should buy for them. We are buying it for my son as a bday present just want to see what other ppl have that their kids love. Also we don't want to pay for wifi so does that mean that they won't be able to play some apps or all apps.

We need something that they can play during meal times so they don't get too antsy.

Thanks

[cb at sea]

How old are they? How "antsy" do they get when you go to a restaurant?

Edited February 15, 2015 by cb at sea

[LiveUrlife2]

3 and 5...but we are going with my sisters kids too and they are 3 and 7.

ahh we don't really go out to eat too much but they get a little anxious. just wanted to have a device so they can play some games here and there.

[notsodesperatehousewife]

Kids that age do fine with an ipad (get the larger size and a protective cover because they WILL drop it). It has the widest selection of apps and you can preload video content that they like. You don't have to get the latest and greatest version although the new OS takes a hefty amount of memory so you'll want at least 16 GB of memory, 32 if you can afford it. Some apps can be played offline, some cannot. There's a lot of good free content out there and I think you'd be fine with wifi only.

 

I wish tablets had been available when my kids were that age. They do keep them occupied!

[LiveUrlife2]

Sorry I should have put that I'am looking for something under $100.00.

[RSLeesburg]

You can get a kindle fire for under $100 now. It will be a small one, but you might be able to load a few games and maybe an episode or two of their favorite TV shows.

[cb at sea]

Coloring books will keep them busy....and the waiters do a GREAT job of getting them munchables while waiting for the real meal....the 3 year olds...bring some small toys....quiet toys...like a few legos, or something. The 5 and 7 year old are old enough to mind...let the 7 year old set the example for the 5 year old....and tell him/her that they ARE the example! You'll be surprised at what a tad of "responsibility" can accomplish!!!

 

Unless it's something you REALLY want them to have....I'd forgo the electronics, and let them get used to a nice dinner in a public space! I don't think you'll really need to worry...there's a lot going on in the dining room...they will have plenty to keep their interest!

 

and remember...ALL kids will have "meltdowns" once in a while! IF it happens, they will not be the only ones!

Edited February 16, 2015 by cb at sea

[earthchild618]

My son, at 5, would not have been distracted by coloring books. There is also no way that he would be able to sit through a long (anything over 20 minutes) meal. I limit all electronics but know that they are a very useful tool (my son does have some special needs so I am very careful with what he plays with). I will be bringing quite a few electronics on our cruise for my son.

 

At 3 and 5, a Leappad is perfect. It is educational, you do not need wifi, it is around $100, and it is virtually unbreakable. My son LOVED his leappad up until the age of 6 or so. The fire, ipod, and ipad games that my son has all use wifi (to update scores at the least). Some tv shows can be downloaded onto them (be careful that it's not bought but needs to be streamed-it must be downloaded onto the device).

 

For your purpose, for the price, and for the ages of the kids-I would go with the leappad.

[Cheryl H]

HI...So we are going to be cruising on the breakaway next week with our children. I was jw what type of electronic device (like tablet, nabi, leappad,) we should buy for them. We are buying it for my son as a bday present just want to see what other ppl have that their kids love. Also we don't want to pay for wifi so does that mean that they won't be able to play some apps or all apps.

We need something that they can play during meal times so they don't get too antsy.

Thanks

 

When our son was 3, he took his Leapster and game cartridges (and headphones). We let him take it to the dining room, but I don't remember him getting very bored. It seemed like the servers had fresh fruit waiting for him and they kept the food coming at a fairly good rate.

 

The other item we brought along was a portable DVD player for our room. He brought along some favorite DVD shows from home like Wonder Pets, Elmo, Veggie Tales, etc. There really wasn't much on TV for him so he was glad to have some down time with his DVD's.

 

I think when he was 6, he had a DS by then and we let him bring that along. It was particularly helpful for excursions. He wore headphones so he wouldn't bother anyone. He enjoyed the excursions, but when he was ready to play games, he pulled his game out of his bag and played it. (He has a drawstring bag that he wears). He was happy and we were happy.

 

These were the days before ipads and kindles.

[Kerry's Girls]

Kindles are wonderful - I love them SO much more than the leappad, leapster, Nintendo DS, any of the games that require cartridges, which are expensive and get lost. On the kindle you download whatever games you want (many are free or cost $5 at most) and do not need wifi once they're downloaded. You can also download a movie or tv episodes. My girls have ipad minis, but still use their kindles half the time.

 

Best,

Mia

[Queen of Oakville]

Not exactly in the price range you are looking at, but my kids each have an IPOD touch (well, my son has an iPhone 5 we call a touch :D) and they each have an ipad.

 

They have books, videos, music and tons of apps loaded on.

 

When we are out and about the ship, they bring their touches because it lets them take pictures and videos so they can each have their own memories of the trip. it's amazing what they each set out to remember. My daughter also uses both her ipad and her touch to keep a diary and journal on the cruise.

 

My kids had leapsters and leappads when they were younger, but I wish I'd got them ipads sooner. For the $25 we'd spend on a new cartridge, I could have bough them $25 worth of apps. And I'd be surprised if I'd ever spent that much on apps. between them. Everything you need for a young child is FREE.

 

Personally, if you can swing it, i'd look at investing into ipads or ipods. It will take them well into their futures. My kids both outgrew the leap products around 5 to 7 years old.

[cadien]

It's $150 instead of $99, but what I really like is the Kindle Fire Kids Edition.

 

It's full color. Comes in a protective case. And you get a year of unlimited books, games, and tv shows/movies. I think it's $10/month after that. Extensive parental controls. You can limit it to x minutes per day for games and a separate time limit for the e-books. And it has a camera.

 

Like others have said, LeapPads are great for a couple years but the cartridges wipe out the savings pretty quickly and they're outgrown in no time.

Edited February 18, 2015 by cadien

[Roatanfans]

My kids have ipads- you can get used or refurbished ipad 2s or 3s. I have them in Gumdrop cases and they have survived my now 7 and twin 3 year olds just fine. The reason I like the ipad is that it will grow with your child- we use it for games, schoolwork, checking books out of the library, movies, etc. I found that the kid tablet offerings tend to cost more for games and are limited- kids outgrow them really fast! Content for the ipad is often free and you really have the most available,

[NewSalt]

We bought the Nabi for our 4-YO DGS last year, and I think it was a mistake. My DD tells me that the best apps, the ones recommended by his school, almost all run on the Apple platform.

 

We also gave them an inexpensive DVD player, and they used that a lot for some downtime in their room. I'd prefer books, but it was a lot easier to transport than the bag of books we used to tote around for DD.