What Kids Want For Christmas – Hint: It Has An i In It

A Nielsen survey of youngsters found that almost half of the kids surveyed want an iPad for Christmas or, at least within the next six months.  What surprised me was the age group most interested in getting one.According to the survey published in IpodNN, 48% of kids 6-12 years old wanted an iPad. Compare that to 21% of teens who said they wanted an iPad.  The iPod Touch and the iPad mini were also in high demand by youngsters.

The other big "i" winner was the Nintendo Wii U with 39% of children 6-12 wanting the latest Nintendo console.

Based on the survey, it seems that the younger you are, the more likely you are to want one of these expensive electronic devices. The question for parents is, are you really willing or able to spend several hundred dollars so your kids can have an iPad or other electronic device? Also, if you are planning to buy, do you limit it to one per family or does everyone get their own?

Some will argue the value of learning from high-tech electronics is worth much more than the cost, especially since more and more schools are moving towards them in the classroom. Plus, many parents feel their children will be left behind if not exposed to these and other digital devices early. Still, even if you can afford it, are you willing to turn your six-year-old loose with a $400 iPad?