I wouldn’t give him any electronic device at 4. Occasional use of yours is okay, but I think he’s far too young to have his own.

They say no screen time under age 2 but I feel if you set limits and it’s more educational rather than just YouTube then 4 is fine. Will help with learning for kinder

I think a leap pad he’s too young for an ipad wait at least till he understands more maybe 10 years old the less internet for him now the better!

My grandson is getting one for Xmas, he’ll be 3 next March. Apparently, the leap frog things are a waste of money

I would say 4 is too young. But a lot of the little kids seem to be using them now, and they do come in handy for school, where computers have replaced books and pencils, or so it seems

not necessarily an ipad, but a pad or tablet off some sort. the earlier in life the better as we live in a technological world, and it helps with childrens learning and knowledge growing/expansion and retention and remembering. also it helps with eye hand co-ordination.

My children got their 1st tabs at 2 yrs of age……. and was loaded with educational learning apps only, like abc stuff, maths and memory game stuff etc… wifi was turned off and i had parental controls on it. they were limited to between half hour and an hour each day ( thats if that wanted to use it that day )

in this day and age i think it is good as, a lot of childcare centres have tabs or computers that kids start using at a very young age. and most schools either have a computer in the classroom or a room of computers in the library etc. Learning and education starts at home, and isnt just a teacher job/responsibility. it is also parents. Most people want to give their children the best education and knowledge tools available in life, and this would help in that. and it would give them either an even keel or upper hand when coming across computers/tabs/pads in childcare or school

Moderation is the key……… set time limits etc…….. dont make it the be-all and end all of your childs day……. everything is good in moderation

We have one tablet in our house and our children are only allowed to use it with strict guidelines – we only have about ten games on there and they have a time limit and must be sitting down at all times. If they use an education website for school e.g. Study Ladder, we usually allow them extra time. I have to admit I don’t think it is appropriate to buy a four year old such an expensive item. Everyone’s situation is different though… we do have exceptions like on a 4 hour flight we were happy for our four year old to use the tablet for longer than normal.

Oh dear my 10 month old plays on an ipad…

I personally think it is too young – children should be children and not subjected to so much technology. Get the outside playing, reading books, being active etc. The children I know personally that have been given ipad young or sat in front of the tv constantly all have issues with their eyes now – A link…I think so…

My son was 5, but we had specific therapeutic reasons for it. His use of it is highly restricted.

My husband let’s our children play on his tablet whenever it fancies him. I, however, do not let them touch mine at all. I am in the belief that until they have to use one they should instead use their imaginations and brains and other mediums such as pencils and paper. We have got them the leap readers and they really like them. Even if it is only for a few years, I believe they are a good investment. Don’t get me wrong as there are plenty of apps and things to assist with their learning, but I want my children to be able to communicate properly with others.

Would be interesting to know what you chose?

Go an iPad, that’s not too young. They will be exposed to them in preschool & to me the leap frogs are something that will quickly grow out of. iPads are so much more versatile, leap pads are quite limited in my opinion.

Not until school required one. I don’t like how young chikdren are having technology these days. Perhaps using a parents one on occasion as a treat but certainly not allowing free play. If limited access then I would consider younger but only if that child seemed to have an understanding of the vakue of things and to appreciate and take care of their own possessions. Not a cheap toy for a child

We bought an ipad for our 2 & 3yo\\\’s when we travelled to Ireland. Long haul trip needed entertainment. However at home, if i keep them out of sight, they\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’re usually out of mind. I don\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’t mind if they\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’re on them for educational apps here and there.

My daughter got an ipad at 4 as she required it for intensive speech therapy. She didn’t have a huge amount on interest in it but her older brother (6 at the time) quickly became addicted and had to have his use monitored to make she he didn’t play on it all the time

My daughter had Leap Frog when she was a toddler and loved it, as well as traditional books. She’s now a teenager and does not have an ipad, although she does use a computer at home.

Personal opinion is give him real books and interactive games…
I think the longer they can be entertained without technology the better. Unfortunately in this day and age it seems we are actively encouraged to teach our kids using technology… good luck with your decision.

I’ve been strict with my little one regarding screen time up until age 3 but for Xmas we got him a leapPad. I still limit the amount of time that he’s allowed to spend on it each day and I try to guide him toward education games rather than just mucking about on it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

My nephew had one from age 2, but our four children (ages 3-14) don’t. Our 14 year old has just got her first laptop for high school this year. Our kids have access to our computer under supervision and time limits, and through school. Sometimes I think its down to your budget and to your intended purpose.