 | LeapFrog LeapPad Learning System |
Product DescriptionThis award-winning educational product introduces children to the magic of books and reading. LeapPad interactive books and cartridges incorporate activities that develop vocabulary, spelling and phonics awareness. Each book is packed with engaging activities, games, stories and facts that make learning to read a pleasure. Touch the special LeapPad books with the included "magic" pen to: hear words and stories read out loud, learn letter sounds, hear colorful characters come alive and play engaging learning games. The LeapPad learning system comes with a 24-page interactive book. Additional expansion book and cartridge sets sold separately. It requires four AA batteries, which are not included.Product Details
Product FeaturesEditorial ReviewsThis talking book comes with an interactive "magic pen" that works like a hand-held computer mouse pointer. Children can opt to turn the paper pages and listen to the story read with different voices for each character. Or they can interrupt the read-aloud session to play with the magic pen (permanently attached with a wire). They can point the pen tip to any word on a page and hear it pronounced, or touch a picture and hear a sound effect (such as "Strike one!" for the baseball bat). Very similar to the popular Living Books computer games, this 10-by-11-inch book is more portable than a home computer. Stories in this set include Lil's Loose Tooth, Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever, and Winnie the Pooh in A Sweet Good Morning. The set also includes a paper piano keyboard and map and human anatomy games. --Gail Hudson | |
Customer Review
Durability: Fun: Educational:
I am an avid garage-saler and so my daughter has many toys including a large variety of electronic learning toys. I purchased this system used at a garage sale for 3.00 with the non-cartridge collection, a two puzzle and cartridge interactive set and two Winnie the Pooh books and their cartridges. This is the best electronic educational toy I have ever seen. There is so much to do with even one book and cartridge set, and my daughter and I are having so much fun with it that I just purchased several more used book and cartridge sets, used from Amazon marketplace for very reasonable cost.
My daughter is 2 1/2. The Learning System is a little difficult to learn to use for a young child (keeping in mind that it is rated ages 4 - 8) but it seems to me that learning how to work it is great problem solving and technical learning in itself. As noted by other reviewers the pad has to be lying flat or at least held relatively flat with the book properly fitted on the pad. (Not hard for older kids I would imagine but takes a little learning for a two year old.)Probably the most difficult thing for a younger child is learning to always touch the green go button when turning to a new page. If they do not do this the voice on the pad will not match the page. It also takes a little practice to hold the pen straight up enough and to hit the target button or picture or word, but for children young enough to struggle a little with this, it is good fine motor practice. My daughter enjoys playing with it by herself and often chooses to keep hitting sounds or rhymes that appeal to her several times in a row and giggling her head off at them. I pretty much don't "get it" but she has a quirky sense of humor. What I really like, however, is doing it together. I am a SAHM and spend a lot of time interacting with my daughter, and we do many more concrete and traditional things such as wooden puzzles, playgrounds, water play, sandbox, etc. that electronic toys are no replacement for. However, I really appreciate variety and any new activity we fall upon. I think this could easily be a good addition to a well balanced day of young child activities, especially when it is done with an adult, and would develop vocabulary, following directions, pragmatic language, and attention span in addition to anything learned more directly from the learning system itself. With such a large variety of books and cartridges it would be a good follow up activity for "real life" concrete activities - for example, using the mammals book after a trip to the zoo, or the magic school bus solar system book after a trip to the planetarium.
Good:
My daughter is 2 1/2. The Learning System is a little difficult to learn to use for a young child (keeping in mind that it is rated ages 4 - 8) but it seems to me that learning how to work it is great problem solving and technical learning in itself. As noted by other reviewers the pad has to be lying flat or at least held relatively flat with the book properly fitted on the pad. (Not hard for older kids I would imagine but takes a little learning for a two year old.)Probably the most difficult thing for a younger child is learning to always touch the green go button when turning to a new page. If they do not do this the voice on the pad will not match the page. It also takes a little practice to hold the pen straight up enough and to hit the target button or picture or word, but for children young enough to struggle a little with this, it is good fine motor practice. My daughter enjoys playing with it by herself and often chooses to keep hitting sounds or rhymes that appeal to her several times in a row and giggling her head off at them. I pretty much don't "get it" but she has a quirky sense of humor. What I really like, however, is doing it together. I am a SAHM and spend a lot of time interacting with my daughter, and we do many more concrete and traditional things such as wooden puzzles, playgrounds, water play, sandbox, etc. that electronic toys are no replacement for. However, I really appreciate variety and any new activity we fall upon. I think this could easily be a good addition to a well balanced day of young child activities, especially when it is done with an adult, and would develop vocabulary, following directions, pragmatic language, and attention span in addition to anything learned more directly from the learning system itself. With such a large variety of books and cartridges it would be a good follow up activity for "real life" concrete activities - for example, using the mammals book after a trip to the zoo, or the magic school bus solar system book after a trip to the planetarium.
Good:
- A great many activities and learning in every book/cartridge set.
- Many book/cartridge sets available at reasonable cost. Many available used also.
- For younger children: problem solving, following directions, fine motor practice, in learning to use the system.
- Great for adding variety to parent/child "quality time".
- Great for using books for follow up to real life experiences.
- Fun and engaging for children.
- Practice and reinforcement for specific skills when added to hands on learning and adult interaction.
- Could help young children become comfortable with technology.
No technical or electronic toy is a substitute for parents spending time and interacting with their child or hands on activities. NEVER rely on gimmicks and electronics to teach your child. They should be considered reinforcement only.
If you do buy used books make sure the cartridge comes with it. With any used books, if additional pieces are not specifically mentioned in the description, they will probably not come with the book.
Somewhat cumbersome. The Tag system that is only a pen without the bulky pad is probably easier to handle. I do not have it and do not know if it is as versatile, but it does look easier to manage physically.
Somewhat complicated and difficult to learn to use for younger children.
I would recommend this product.
Built-In Camera Encourages Creativity Prepare to be amazed by the wacky and touching videos, photos, and artwork that your child will produce using the LeapPad. Voice-guided instructions make it easy for children to edit and share their creations with friends and family. And with 2 GB of built-in memory, the LeapPad has plenty of space to store your budding director's creations. The built-in camera allows kids to become the stars of their own stories. The Story Studio and Art Studio apps allow children to modify pictures they take and drop them into storybooks. Both apps are free and can be downloaded once you register the device. Leveled Reading Experience LeapPad's book apps are interactive, cinematic experiences designed to guide children through books and immerse them in the joy of reading. Each book is actually three books in one, with different levels and modes optimized to support reading development. As a child builds his/her reading skills, the levels adjust automatically and are remembered from book to book. The book app's innovative activities build comprehension skills and expand vocabulary with support features that allow your child to touch a word to see its image, touch an image to see the word highlighted in text, touch words to hear them sounded out, or find definitions in the visual dictionary. All of this with characters that children will love, brought to life through animation that keeps children engaged as they learn. 
Built-In Camera Encourages Creativity Prepare to be amazed by the wacky and touching videos, photos, and artwork that your child will produce using the LeapPad. Voice-guided instructions make it easy for children to edit and share their creations with friends and family. And with 2 GB of built-in memory, the LeapPad has plenty of space to store your budding director's creations. The built-in camera allows kids to become the stars of their own stories. The Story Studio and Art Studio apps allow children to modify pictures they take and drop them into storybooks. Both apps are free and can be downloaded once you register the device. Leveled Reading Experience LeapPad's book apps are interactive, cinematic experiences designed to guide children through books and immerse them in the joy of reading. Each book is actually three books in one, with different levels and modes optimized to support reading development. As a child builds his/her reading skills, the levels adjust automatically and are remembered from book to book. The book app's innovative activities build comprehension skills and expand vocabulary with support features that allow your child to touch a word to see its image, touch an image to see the word highlighted in text, touch words to hear them sounded out, or find definitions in the visual dictionary. All of this with characters that children will love, brought to life through animation that keeps children engaged as they learn. 