Absolutely!

One on One playdates may not always be practical, and I know of too many parents who will let the TV raise a child. I believe a good educational game is interactive and very beneficial.

http://www.sheu.org.uk/publications/eh/eh203mg.pdf

Note I am a huge believer in one on one play and using ones imagination, so these games should exist but be used as a suppliment not a replacement for other forms of play.

Everything in moderation. But that does mean everything, even those things that every once in a while, make us parents cringe a little bit. Let me take my three year old son, for example. He's a very active child, and loves to run around and play pretend with his toy cars... and when he has the opportunity to play with other children (admittedly not as often as I personally would like) he certainly enjoys that activity.

BUT... I have found video games to be a helpful supplement to both his play and his education. Games that are targeted at very young children are almost always educational in nature. He plays a game on the Nintendo DS based on the Wonderpets kids' TV show, and it has all kinds of interactive puzzles. It teaches tracing lines, the alphabet, etc.

On one of the family computers, he has a little program of kids' games that teach basic pre-school material as well. One day, as I was falling asleep on the couch while he was running around, he ran up to me asking "Daddy, what's next?" He had learned multiplication tables (by rote) while I was falling asleep. He's three.

Also, technology has enabled him to learn basic spelling, basic math, and all kinds of very important skills. But there's one factor here that I don't think gets discussed often enough. Technology, and learning to use it effectively, is a necessary skill in the modern economy. No longer can you be satisfied with being able to turn on your computer and check your e-mail. You must also be capable of learning HOW to learn something on your PC. The skills must be taught early, and often.

My son (three years old, keep that in mind), can spell his name on the keyboard as a username/password combination, use the mouse to navigate to the games he wants to play, and when he opens our internet browser, it goes straight to the Fisher Price children's website where he can play some more educational games. He's a nerd, to be sure. And he loves his technology. In this way he is no different than the rest of my family. But he's still three. A computer CAN'T hold his attention forever, even if he wanted it to. After a short time of playing some form of video game, he'll move on to cars, trucks, planes, building forts, dancing around the house, and being a little boy.

I think it's just fine. The DS seems to have plenty of games to help learn words and practice skills. As long as they understand the DS stylus is a possible chokig hazard then I think it's a great idea...not all kids want to sit at a little wood table pushing shapes through the proper cut outs...A nice thing as well if the kids are having a playdate they can link DS and play together. :)

Three is a bit too young to be playing video games, kids that young should be doing other things for fun. If parents can keep their kids away from video games as long as possible, that would be a wise thing to do. Too many kids today get addicted to video games at early ages, and then their school work suffers.

Since the DS is sort of fragile, I would suggest that Nintendo consider a different approach to the younger set. A more share-friendly two-player console with a sturdier base is better. As a parent, I recommend that DS be avoided altogether for children under 5. So many motor skills are developed prior to kindergarten age. Unless Nintendo can develop a body-friendly system, I don't see a DS for a 3 year old as the benefit outweighing the potential harm.