So much fun, they don't realize they're learning!
Written: Sep 07 '02 (Updated Nov 10 '04)
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Pros: An educational and fun LeapPad intended for younger children - excellent learning tool!
Cons: Pen cord not long enough, I wish books/plates snapped into place
The Bottom Line: Fun and educational! Cute illustrations and characters. Friendly and encouraging voices. Fun songs and games. Wonderful toy for the "pre-reader".
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| mizgnomer's Full Review: Leap Frog My First LeapPad |
My husband's sister does not read the age-recommendations on toys before she buys them -- that's how my boy received a LeapFrog My First LeapPad for his first birthday (at least she did manage to get him the "My First" version). Although this toy is recommended for children ages 3 and up, with some help from Mom & Dad my boy has managed to have quite a bit of fun with this toy, and I'm convinced it is a really great product!
Product Description:
The LeapPad line of products are books that, when on the LeapPad base, interact with your child when he/she uses the special Neartouch® pen. LeapPad products are educational, interactive learning books that teach a wide variety of skills (reading, phonics, mathematics, etc).
The base:
The My First LeapPad Learning System is the younger sibling to the popular "LeapPad Learning System" by LeapFrog (which is recommended for children ages 4 and up). The My First LeapPad is a smaller and sturdier version intended for younger children. Unlike the big-kid's version the base does not fold like a book.
The toy itself is 12 inches wide by 7 inches tall and just under 2 inches thick. The books & plates are 7 inches wide and by 5 & 1/2 inches tall. The base is a dark blue plastic. The pen attached to a ball at the bottom of the toy's face, and a groove for storing the pen is at the side. The pen and ball can be easily replaced (they can be removed by unscrewing a door on the back of the toy), so I'm assuming the pen is a fairly fragile piece. We haven't had any problems with ours just yet -- even though it has withstood a bit of abuse. A large purple on/off switch is located on the base, as well as a large handle and a speaker. A headphone jack is also included on the base (headphones are not included).
The LeapPad will automatically turn itself off if it isn't used for a few minutes.
The My First LeapPad requires 4 "AA" batteries (not included). It should be cleaned with a slightly damp cloth. It should not be submerged in water.
The Accessories (books, game plates):
To play with the toy you need a book or game plate. Our Leap Pad came with a pre-programmed book called "Leap's Big Day", as well as a game-plate called the "ABC Phonics Bus" (each are described in further detail below).
Additional books are also available for approximately $12.99 apiece (we did purchase an additional book - "Leap to the Moon" - which teaches our solar system and mathematical concepts). Books and games that are purchased separately also require a cartridge to work with the LeapPad -- the cartridges are inserted into the side of the base and are fairly small (an inch and a half wide by 1 inch tall). Books with popular characters such as Winnie the Pooh, Dora the Explorer, and Thomas the Tank Engine are currently available.
Different books emphasize different skills, with the general categories being pre-reading, pre-math, and "discovery". "Discovery" books includes science, social studies, health, and safety concepts.
The Books:
The books are made of a thick paper and are held together by a large plastic spiral across the top. The books are attached to the base by hooking loops of the spiral over two pegs on the base -- this doesn't always do a good job of keeping the book in-place. One side of the book is the "story" side, and the other is the "activity" side -- all pages of the book have learning activities.
When you select a page to play with, you must touch the green "GO" circle with your pen. The "GO" circle is located in a different position on the perimeter of each page (touching the "GO" tells the LeapPad exactly what page you are on and it adjust its responses accordingly).
Every page also has volume control in the bottom right corner (touching the pen to the plus or minus raises or lowers the volume). At the bottom right are lily-pad images that represent games that can be played on that particular page, and note images that represent games involving songs.
Touching the pen to the pages prompts the toy to interact with your child. When you touch characters they will say a phrase having to do with the action on the page. Touching scenery or items on the page will usually result in fun (and occasionally funny) sound-effects. Sometimes touching the same item/character twice will cause a different sound or phrase to be played. Story-parts or game descriptions are at the top of the page, and when you touch the pen to a word the toy to say that word. A "speech balloon" is also located next to the sentences -- if you touch them with the pen the LeapPad will read the entire page aloud. If you touch an area that does not have a programmed sound, a hollow-knocking sound occurs.
Here is a general description of the "Leap's Big Day" book that is included with the My First Leap Pad:
** The story side tells the tale of Leap (a frog) whose kite blows away while playing outside. In the chase to get his kite back he travels via train, boat, plane, hot-air balloon, and a bus. The last page has Leap back at home, telling his family about his big day.
** Games on the story side cleverly incorporate images displayed on the page. For example, the game on the plane page asks your child to identify shapes and colors that appear in the page's illustration. Other games include phonics (touch the item that begins with the "rrr" sound) and numbers (find the number 4) and memory (asking them to touch multiple items in a certain order).
** The activity side of the book has many unrelated pictures and activities. Here is a page-by-page run-down of the activities:
= Counting Farm
Leap on a farm with different numbers of each animal. Old MacDonald music plays as your child learns animals, animal-sounds, and numbers.
= Shapes and Colors
Leap and his siblings each drive a differently shaped and colored car, and other shapes are also displayed on the page.
= Mystery Game
Leap's siblings are sitting in a room with many items around them. Games involve finding an item based on clues ("I'm on the floor", etc).
= The Paper Piano
This page is a favorite in our house. The graphic is of a piano keyboard. The white keys are properly labeled with the musical note they represent. The keys go from a low C, up past the C an octave higher, and continue up to end at E. Touch the pen to the keys to play the notes. Even the black keys work! At the bottom are various instruments (trumpet, piano, clarinet, and all 3 together) -- touching an instrument will cause the keyboard to play your notes as that instrument.
= What Will I Be Today
Leap is in a room with various paraphernalia representing 3 different jobs (fire fighter, doctor, mail man). When you touch an item it will describe how it is used in it's job ("I protect the Fire Fighter's head"). Games include rhyming (the hose rhymes with nose).
= Parts of the Body
Leap's friend Casey Cat is used to show the various parts of the body, while "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" music plays in the background.
= Count and Sing Express
Leap and his friends are on a train-car with various musical instruments. The numbers 1 - 10 are displayed down the train's side. Games and general play with the page teach numbers and musical instruments.
During game play, the speaking-voice of the narrator or Leap often encourage and congratulate the child -- exclaiming that they are great at identifying things, good at letters, etc. If your child mis-identifies something a certain sound effect plays and sometimes the voice tells your child "I'm sure you'll get it right next time."
The Game Plate:
My son loves the "ABC Phonics Bus" game plate. It is a hard-plastic piece that fits into the same area as the books. A raised yellow bus takes up most of the plate, with Leap and his friends peering out of bus windows. A multi-colored, indented alphabet is on the side of the bus. Black plastic wheels can actually be spun (and a cute rendition of "The Wheels on the Bus" plays whenever the wheels are touched with the pen), and a raised horn honks when touched with the pen. There is also a clear-plastic window that can be raised and lowered, accompanied by a children-laughing sound effect. Like the books, the volume control is in the lower right corner and is controlled with the pen.
In the normal mode, touching a letter will result in that letter being named by the LeapPad. Leap and his friends say phrases when touched. Touching the LeapFrog logo on the plate causes a very deep and echo-y "Ribbit" sound effect which is quite amusing to us adults.
There are three games on the bus plate -- each with cute little songs:
-- Learn: When your child touches a letter the LeapPad plays a little song where the letter and the sound(s) it makes is repeated.
-- Letters: The LeapPad will ask your child to find a particular letter given that letter's name.
-- Sounds: The LeapPad will ask your child to find a letter when given the sound it makes.
As far as I can tell this is the only "plate" available -- there are no others that can be purchased separately. Hopefully that will change in the future.
Awards Won by the My First LeapPad (in 2001):
* T.O.T.Y. Toy of the Year Award - "Best Educational Product."
* Children?s Software Revue - "All Star Award"
* Nick Jr. Magazine - "Great Toys That Kids Actually Need"
* National Parenting Seal of Approval
* Top 20 Toys, KTVU-TV (FOX) Great American Toy Test, San Francisco
Our Experiences:
The My First Leap Pad was a big hit with all the adults at my son's birthday party. I noticed that when my son was busy playing with other birthday-acquisitions, most of the adults managed to steal away with the Leap Pad to spend a little quality, one-on-one time with it. At just 12 months old my son was a bit too young to utilize the pen properly, but he enjoyed sitting on a parent's lap with it and hearing the noises and music. He would point to figures or items with his finger, then the adult would use the pen to touch the items. He particularly loved the "Wheels on the Bus" music on the Phonics-Bus-Plate -- he's done some of his best dancing to that song.
Now, a couple weeks shy of being 14 months old, he is starting to comprehend how the pen works. He spent a good deal of time with it this morning -- clutching the pen in his fist, touching various areas of the Bus-Plate with the pen. We like to use the plate because it is sturdier than the book, however it does not attach at all to the base so it falls out as soon as he moves with it. He likes putting it on our couch and standing on the floor to play with it. He has an easier time with it when he doesn't have to hold it on his lap.
My little guy also sometimes gets frustrated with the cord that attaches the pen to the base -- it isn't long enough for him. Daddy and I don't have trouble with it, but that's because we hold it like a pen. My boy grasps the pen in his fist and touches items by holding the pen up above the image and stabbing downward -- the cord isn't long enough to allow him to use this particular method for items at the tops of the pages.
Still, my boy loves his MyFirstLeap pad, and he has a lot of fun with it! I'm a very pleased parent.
Quickie Summary:
Pros:
+) Educational! Teaches alphabet, phonics, counting, shapes, colors, etc.
+) Interacts with your child
+) A wide variety of games and activities are available in each book
+) Additional books can be purchased to extend play or teach other developmental areas
+) Excellent sound recordings with clear speech and nice background music
+) Lots of positive encouragement is interspersed in the game-play
+) Automatic shut-off
+) Volume control and on/off switch
+) Award-winning educational toy
Cons:
-) Books and game-plates do not stay put very well. I wish there was a way to lock them into place.
-) The cord that holds the pen to the base isn't long enough
-) The books are not terribly sturdy -- they can get bent and damaged with rough play.
-) Although we've had no problems with ours, you can tell that the pen is a somewhat fragile piece
-) Books/pens are not interchangeable with the regular LeapFrog LeapPad.
Final Thoughts:
While I absolutely love the product and am very glad we have one, I would recommend it for children a bit older than my 14-month old. My little guy is still too young to really get the most out of this toy. The product is recommended for ages 3 and up, but I'm thinking that he will really start enjoying it a lot in just a few more months (with adult supervision, of course). I'm thrilled with the educational and fun aspects of the toy, and highly recommend it.
Manufacturer's Web Site:
www.leapfrog.com
Related Learning-System Reviews:
Fisher Price's Learn Through Music System
Fisher Price's Power Touch Learning System
Fisher Price's InteracTV Learning System
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): ?? - Gift
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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Epinions.com ID:
mizgnomer
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Location: Tennessee
Reviews written: 306
Trusted by: 202 members
About Me:
Don't meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you're crunchy and taste good with ketchup
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