My First LeapPad is an exceptional toy. It teaches ABC's , numbers, phonics, pre- reading, and pre-math. It is somewhat a smaller version of the original "LeapPad learning system". Only it is intended for younger children and it doesn't fold like a book. My First LeapPad is for children ages 3-6 years old. However my son got this when he was 2 and started having fun with it right away. It comes with 1 book "Leap's Big Day" and 1 plate (The ABC school bus plate". It is expandable with additional books and cartridges.

The main part of the LeapPad is 12 x 7in. It has a built in handle to make it easy for little ones to carry. It has a plastic pen on a cord that has a little nook it fits in and clamps to stay in place. It has little grips on it to make it easy for little hands to hold. This pen is also easily replaced if for some reason you would need to, you just remove 2 screws. There is a large on/ off button. If you leave it on the LeapPad will automatically shut off after a few minutes. There is a headphone jack on the side, however headphones are not included. My First LeapPad requires 4 AA batteries that are not included. You must remove 1 screw to get to the batteries. This toy can easily be cleaned with a damp cloth.

The books are made of a thin cardboard type pages. They are not easily torn. They are held together with a large plastic spiral on top. They clamp onto the LeapPad with the two clamps on the base. They don't clamp on tight and do tend to come loose and fall off. The books are all two - sided. When you are finished with one side you just flip the entire book over to view the other side.

On each page you must hit the green GO circle with the pen to hear the page. Each page has the GO circle located in different spots. This is how the LeapPad knows what page you are on. Each page has a and - to adjust the volume which is done by touching the pen to it. It's very simple.

Some books that I know are available for the My First LeapPad are - Dora the Explorer, Winnie the Pooh, and Thomas the Tank. These are priced around 12.99. These books come with small cartridges that must be inserted in the side of your LeapPad to use.

The ABC Bus Plate- This is so much fun! It's made of hard plastic and is so colorful. The plate just rests on the Leappad and very easily falls off. It is designed with a big yellow bus with red, blue,orange, and green letters. There is a little plastic window that you can move up and down. There is a horn that honks if you touch the pen to it. The wheels move all the way around and if you touch the pen to it it plays the music to "The wheels on the bus go round and round". There are 3 settings on the plate- one circle says learn and when you touch that one you can just touch the letters as you wish and it tells you what letter it is. One circle says letters and this setting will call out a letter and ask you to find it. The last circle says sounds and when you use this setting it will give you the letter sounds that each letter makes. This plate also has the volume controls on it.

All in all this is a wonderful learning experience that will go on and on. It is a very sturdy toy . This isn't one of those toys that will annoy the parents either. the volume can be turned down and voices and sounds are all pleasant.


Recommended:
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 34.99
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years