Handheld Games for a 6-Year-Old

Leapster

• The Leapster, and Leapster II, is a handheld educational gaming system for young children ages 5 to 8. This gaming system uses fun games and popular characters from television and movies to teach children math, language arts, reading, puzzle solving and basic logic. The games vary by system and for each age group. Games for the 6-year-old level feature basic math and reading, counting, problem solving, finding patterns and reflexes.

MobiGo

• The MobiGo is a handheld gaming system for children ages 3 to 8 years of age from Vtech. This gaming system looks similar to a child-sized laptop and comes with a flip up screen and keyboard for controlling the characters in the games. The games for this system feature popular children's characters from movies and television shows. The games are educational based and teach children basic math, reading, logic and problem solving skills, as well as reflexes, sequencing and basic technology skills.

Nintendo DS

• The Nintendo DS system is a gaming system for children in a wide range of ages. The games vary by age category. Most DS games require the ability to read at a second or third grade level, but some games are designed for younger children. The Nintendo DS system is not an educational system, but there are some educational software types available for younger players. As with the other handheld systems, many of the games feature popular children's characters.

V Reader

• The V Reader is a child's book reader and handheld gaming system. It is comparable to e-book readers made for adults, but with a twist for kids. The panel at the top of the screen shows an interactive page from a book. A child uses the buttons from the bottom of the screen to interact with the story and play small games. The V Reader is made by Vtech and is geared for kids ages 3 to 7.