2 new educational devices win kids' attention by being handheld game machines

 2 new educational devices win kids' attention by being handheld game machines

From:<a xhref="http://www.allforinfant.com/buy-game/">http://www.allforinfant.com/buy-game/</a>

Key words: boys, kids, game

Your kids can learn math, how to tell time and other skills needed for school — and you don't have to pry them away from video games.

That was the appeal of two new handheld devices my three boys recently tested: the $70 Leapster2 and the $90 Didj, made by LeapFrog Enterprises Inc. and designed to put learning games into a format likely to be coveted by children.

The Leapster has been around before, but the second version adds new game titles, such as "Star Wars Clone Wars: Jedi Math." Designed for children ages 4 to 8, it connects to a computer with an included USB cable, allowing kids to earn rewards and certificates online and letting parents monitor their progress.

The Didj, geared for 6- to 10-year-olds, takes the connection one step further, allowing parents to customize games to, for example, help children study multiplication tables or learn specific spelling words for a classroom test. Players can also use the connection to customize a Didj, including designing their own online game characters known as avatars.

For today's kids, veterans of many a gaming system, there's not much of a learning curve to the Didj. They just pick it up and play.

The built-in "Jetpack Heroes" game takes a spaceman through a maze, picking up treasures for a couple of minutes as he goes along blasting foes.

Then comes the first math problem: 4 + 1, which wasn't exactly rocket science for my 8-year-old son.

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