Our LeapFrog Experience

Growing up with two, much younger than me, brothers and two kids of my own (more recently obviously), I have been familiarized with many LeapFrog products.  I have always thought them to be innovative, educational and most importantly, fun.  When I found out we would have a chance to review the LeapPad and Tag Reading System, I was extatic.

When we received the package in the mail, my son was so excited.  He had to try out the LeapPad right away.

I have to tell you, I was very impressed with the LeapPad.  It is very child-user friendly, the screen is a nice size and the touch screen works great weather you are using the stylus or your finger, in some games you have to turn it, shake it and even blow into the microphone.  Not only that, but this tablet also has a built-in camera and video recorder.  The camera feature was so much fun for the kids, they made silly videos and took lots of silly pictures.  The LeapPad offers limitless learning and endless play  through a library of over 100 cartridge games and activities, and tons or downloadable apps and games.  All you have to do is plug it into your computer and download right to the tablet.

This "toy" is very high tech and durable at the same time, my son has dropped it twice on the hardwood floors and it has not been damaged.  I love the games available for the LeapPad because they teach school basics like reading, math, science, geography, art, music, language, culture, health and more.  The skill levels adjust automatically too, so every kid can learn at his or her own pace.  The tablet remembers their progress from game to game and book to book.  The LeapPad also works with ALL Leapster Explorer cartridge games and apps.  My kids favorite program is the Story Studio where they can use all their photos and videos and art to make a fun story about themselves.

OK, so here is the rundown:  This thing is awesome, it fits in my purse so we can take it anywhere, the waiting room at the doctor's office, in the car, where ever.  It's durable and kid friendly but super techy at the same time.  The only downfall I found was the battery life.  This thing runs on AA batteries which, at least in my house, don't last too long.  I highly recommend purchasing the AC adapter or rechargable batteries.

The Tag Reading System is the #1 selling reading system and  99% of teachers reccomend Tag.  It helps your little one learn to read stories, it has easy audio download and there are no cartridges to lose.  There is a huge library of books, games and maps available for the Tag and the comprehensive reading system offers an array of experiences to guide children from early exploration to independent reading.

I don't know how it works, I guess I will just call it LeapFrog magic lol.  It reads words, souds, or a whole story.  Each book has games and learning activites to help reinforce new skills, and you can explore up to 10 books on the go.  For me, its important to have things like this that I can take with me.  We are on the go alot and sometimes little people get bored or need something to occupy them and LeapFrog products do a great job of that, plus make it educational.

You can buy the LeapPad or Tag Reading System at Target, Kmart, Toys R Us, Walmart, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy or LeapFrog.com

I received a LeapPad, Tag Reading System, map and books for review purposes, all opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review