Are 5 year olds too young for a gameboy?

I really hate it when parents give young children games like that. And i mean game systems. My sister is 10 and she got her first game system at 6. She now has like 5 different systems, tons of games and shes always playing them. Always. You have to force her to go outside in the summer so that she actually does something more then sit and stair at the tv. I know that I didnt have that stuff growing up, but her dad things she needs it to keep herself busy?? Thats really silly. Kids are creative and inventive They dont know what bored is untill we teach them the concept. They will find a way to occupy themselves. That being said my 3 year old has a little system that when he touches the pen to the book it either reads the story, ot tells the word or sounds it out. Or sings a song. THAT is different because he repetes the words and hes actually learning something off of it. He rememers those stories. But a system of any kind for a kid? Please no!

Before I encountered this discussion, I used to think that it is okay. A lot of children in my neighborhood play quite much with this game boy. Anyway, the good thing about handheld gaming things, is the games which can be found therein are all within the control of their parents. This is a situation which is very much different from the things going with the pc with an internet connection. In this case, the parents cannot control how the kids go about with the doings of their kids. I can remember that I allowed my kids to have handheld games since they were very young. My eldest was only 3 years old and the second child was 1 and a half only. Why, I'd surely earn your ire here. However, I never noticed that they no longer socialized. In fact, they used to play around with neighbors everyday and there are times when I played with them when I had the time. Please, don't scold me. But, I don't know why you say those kids cannot be easily separated from their gaming. Perhaps if I were the mother, I'd surely tell my kids about the hours of the day when I will allow then to do it. That kind wherein the time of their gamings will be limited.

I agree with you completely . This is kind of young and they should be spending their time learning something educational rather then the games they have on these gameboys as some of them only teach violence and I don't agree with this . Also , as the children get older what are the parents going to buy to beat something that already cost so much money . If a child becomes used to such expensive gifts at a very early age they will expect more when they are older and it will be harder to explain to them why they are not able to have what they want .

I don'tt hink a 5 year old is too young for a game boy.

I don't believe 5 is to young for a gameboy. A child learns hand eye cordinationby playing.Now having said that I buy my younger child the more eduacational games that teach colors, shapes. and ABC's. As a parent its our job to make sure that their not abusing their gameboy time. Mine is limited to 30 minutes a day if they have all their chores and homework done.There isn't a day that goes by that my children don't get physical activty.

I had a friend who played the gameboy when he was five. Back then there wasn't any eductional video games but in the present there are eductional video games you just have to search hard for it.

I think its fine as long as the games arent violent..my 4 year old plays with my nieces when we are together and it actually is great for fine motor skills..and hand and eye cordination..but i also know that there are many kids that arent ready for that and just cant do it..so i guess it just depends on the child..but i have no problem with him playing with it.,

I do think that is kind of early for allowing a child to be playing a gameboy. I think more emphasis needs to be placed on reading and speaking and other educational things. The gameboy can come later but I think at 5 it is too early unless it is an educational game. I definitely agree with you there.

My son received one when he was 5 yrs. old. I found games that were age appropriate for him. Tonka, Dora, etc. They do have them out there, they are just hard to find. We were having to many fights over our step-daughters gameboy that her mom had sent her for Christmas, Walmart had them on clearance, so I got him one. He plays it occassionally in the evenings, but he is more into playing outside, or playing with his toys. It is great for long car rides and waits at the doctors office and such.

Its not new to see young kids to be gameboys... Games do help in mental development but only if done in controlled manner!

my kids play a video game called v tech smile. its all educational and you can get games from disney movies. they are not to expensive.$25 most i think, wich is rather inexpensive compared to the other games.the controllers are nice and big and colorful, its great. oh yeah my boys are 5 and i think this is perfect for them. when they go with there dad they play the playstation and it makes me crazy. but what can i do when they're with him. goodluck

i think age 5 not to young to play gameboy because now their intelligence increased fast

My 5 year old sometimes plays with his older sister's Gameboy and I don't see any harm in it as long as he dosen't spend alot of time on it. My kids have a Vsmile which has a bunch of learning games for it. So they get their learning games, and they play other things besides the game boy!

playing game boy is nowadays very commom its like when we are born after taht moment we start playing game boys its like a part of our life lol :)

My son is almost 5 and he has a gameboy. He doesn't play it obsessively, but he enjoys it. And it's been very good to have when we've been in the car for a long drive, or waiting for an appointment or something like that. I think it is helping his hand eye coordination a bit, although I would never claim that this had anything to do with getting it. He also plays some educational games on the computer, under supervision. I think that moderation is the key to many things.

I think it is kinds crazy myself, but I know little kids (age 5 & 6) that are great at those games!! I wouldn't buy them for my kids until they get older though, I agree with you!!

for xmass or birthday if its expensive or they could work to get the money if they really really want it, have been working a few months saving, etc. Then maybe do matching funds and help him get it.

i think the way you do. but not all people think that way. those kids you saw must be of some parents who dont care about them.

Absolutely too young! It sets up a pattern of wanting more and more distractions. I didn't let my son have one until 13, and that was after several years of pleading

my opion i dont think they are to young,now it would be a different story if a 3 year old was playing one because i dont think they would know what one is maybe the 5 year old kids know what they are doing all kids are different in all ways.