quote:

ORIGINAL: Stephann

A big reason I recommend a PC, is that it isn't like just giving a kid a football and say "go play."  It's more like giving him a football/science kit.  The skills a child will learn today on a PC will make the difference between pumping gas, and brain surgery.  Sure, they're intimidating for most adults; imagine if you had been given a computer and told "do whatever you like with it" though, at the age of 8.  Would you still be afraid to open one's case?

Stephan

Well, both my children have their own laptops as well.  because I value technology.  But I do not recommend it for games because when loading such onto the PC, you are going to slow it down.  Games and PCs just do not go together unless it's a kick ass adventure like Myst, or something like a SIMs game.  But I do not recommend the computer as a nanny.  Yes I agree it is important to engage them on and teach them and aid them in study - but as the OP states, she wants something for rainy days when things need to be quiet.  A games system you can leave a child with, a computer needs the parent to be there observant as well.  A bunch of boys on a rainy day aren;t going to appriciate a mum looking over their shoulder whilst they are blasting the ass of LordValcron of the Fifth Blue Guard from the Planet Urganoid.

quote:

ORIGINAL: BitaTruble

~FR~

I vote Leapster!

Celeste

quote:

ORIGINAL: GhitaAmati

Ya know....the more I think about this, the less I think I want the Wii....The whole point of this is to be able to have some peace and quiet on rainy days......OK....so here is how most of the summer and weekends go for our neighborhood.....sometime shortly after 8am, house gets mobbed by 7 or 8 young boys, ages around 5 to 13. My 8 yr old grabs banana and runs outside before I can catch him and get him to make bed. Kids stay outside and I dont see them all again until about 1pm when they all try to come inside for lunch....normally I make them stay on front porch though because they are all covered in mud and at least one will be holding some sort of slimy amimal. After resting and getting drinks out of faucet in the front yard, they are usually gone again until around dusk. We have quite a few VERY active little boys in my neighborhood. Luckily we have a safe enough neighborhood its compleatly safe for them to spend the day outside unsupervised or we would all be going crazy by now.

So, imagine the days when these boys have to all be crammed into someones living room and told to calm down. Yea...doesnt really happen. Im not really concerned with any of these kids turning into couch potatos...but I would love to be able to keep them entertained a bit better when they do have to be inside. So far sonic and a closet full of board games has done the trick...but they are starting to get older and want other things.