Didj Custom Gaming  System

Didj Custom Gaming  System, $89.99; software $29.99 each.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Sheila Hagood, Beavercreek, teacher in her 30s, mother of four children, ages 15, 11, 4 and 2.

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Updated 5:36 PM Friday, July 10, 2009

Sheila Hagood with a houseful of boys between the ages of 2 and 15 tried out the Didj Custom Gaming  System.

Although the son that tested the system was a little younger than the recommended age, he played it with ease and  enjoyment.

WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO: This is a handheld system for grade-school-age children (6 to 10 years old) that lets kids create the game and parents customize the learning.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? Game system, $89.99; software $29.99 each

DID IT WORK? My son is 4 years old, so I was unsure if he would be successful with it, but he was.

Loading the program took about a half-hour, which was longer than I would have liked. However, that gave me an opportunity to try out the handheld system. I found that the on/off switch on the side was a bit difficult to use because it is small and you have to push and hold down the switch for a couple of seconds. It was simple to put in the game. In our case it was "Star Wars: Clone Wars." I began playing the game and found it quite engaging, and the content was appropriate for the targeted age group.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT IT? I downloaded a second game called "Jet Pack Heroes." My son had a great time customizing his character, called a Didji. He found the controls easy to master. The game's content was math facts, and I was able to set the skill to only basic addition facts for him.

Next, he played the "Star Wars" game. The content of this game was geometry, place value and fractions. With the program set at the easiest level, he quickly understood the concepts and played with ease.

WHAT DID YOU DISLIKE ABOUT IT? The only improvements that I would make are more math questions during the game and larger text for the questions.

One of my older sons, who is 12, wanted to play as well. He enjoyed the game so much that he played it until the batteries ran out. Changing the batteries was difficult and required putting a dime in a slot and pushing it down while sliding the panel. This had to be done on each of the two sides. It was so child-proof that it was almost parent-proof.

IS IT WORTH THE MONEY? Yes.

WOULD YOU BUY IT? Yes.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT? Yes. Overall, it has many functions, academic topics and levels that children of a wide range can enjoy and benefit from.

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