Leap to the Moon on Your LeapPad
Written: Feb 08 '03 (Updated Feb 26 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fun, interactive learning for toddlers. Lots of pages. Focuses on mathematical concepts and planets.
Cons: Not as well-rounded as "Leap's Big Day". Some games are repeated. No Neptune, Uranus, Pluto.
The Bottom Line: Although I have a few complaints, it is an excellent book for introducing "pre-math" concepts to toddlers. Fun and educational!
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| mizgnomer's Full Review: Leap Frog My First LeapPad Leap to the Moon Intera... |
My 18 month old son loves to "read" books (okay, he looks at the pictures and points to things he wants Mommy or Daddy to identify). One of his favorite reading toys is his My First LeapPad, which came with an excellent activity book titled "Leap's Big Day". Because he adores his LeapPad so much, we wanted to get him other books to use with it. Because Mommy is an outer-space nut, we decided to get the one titled Leap to the Moon.
Overview of the My First LeapPad and Books:
The My First LeapPad is a base that, when used in conjunction with LeapPad books, interacts with and helps to educate your child. Using the special Neartouch© pen, your child can trigger songs, games, and other interactive learning fun. The My First LeapPad is intended for children ages 3 and up (as opposed to the normal LeapPad, which is recommended for ages 4 and up).
The Leap to the Moon interactive book and cartridge can be used only with the My First LeapPad. Although one book comes pre-programmed into the LeapPad base, separately purchased books like Leap to the Moon must be used along with a cartridge that is inserted into the LeapPad base. The cartridges are fairly small (an inch and a half wide by 1 inch tall), and we really don't let our toddler handle them.
Various LeapPad books emphasize different skills, with the general categories being pre-reading, pre-math, and "discovery" (which includes science, social studies, health, and safety concepts). Leap to the Moon is a "pre-math" book that teaches basic numbers/counting along with information on the planets in our solar system.
Leap to the Moon is made of a thick paper and is held together by a large plastic spiral across the top. The front & back covers are made of a slightly thicker, shiny paper. The book attaches to the base by hooking loops of the spiral over two pegs on the base. 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). My boy finally got the "GO circle" concept down at around 15 months of age -- now he's an old pro at turning to the page he wants and finding that circle first.
As with other My First LeapPad books, every page in Leap to the Moon has a 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.
Leap to the Moon Content:
Leap to the Moon has 19 pages of fun & activities, as opposed to the book that came with the My First LeapPad, which only has 14 pages.
Half of the book is dedicated to a cute, simple story about Leap and his friends, who are taking a trip to the moon (a trip that ultimately turns out to be purely in their imaginations). The story takes us through planning and packing for the trip (which are also good things to learn about). A few pages are spent traveling, then Leap and his buddies get to make new friends on the moon, where he has another adventure. There are a few games on each page, as well as plenty of opportunities for interaction.
The activities pages are where we spend most of our time. Via cute pictures and games you can learn about counting, quantities, planet facts, and even explore the "Hey Diddle Diddle" rhyme as the cow jumps over the moon. Colors and shapes are also taught and used in games. Sizes are explored too (smallest, largest, most, least, equal, etc), as are concepts like up, down, between, etc. Observation skills are honed in games that ask your child to find things such as "the friend with both arms up in the air", for example.
Our Experiences:
My son really enjoys the Leap to the Moon book as a change-of-pace from the normal "Leap's Big Day" book. He is still a bit too young to really get into the "story", but he has a blast on all of the activity pages.
I must admit that I am a bit disappointed in some of the content. Our other LeapPad book had a much more well-rounded curriculum, teaching counting, music, reading, etc. The Leap to the Moon mainly focuses on numbers and planets (although some color and shape recognition is thrown in too). Not only that, but our other book teaches numbers from 1 to 10, whereas Leap to the Moon, which is supposed to be "pre-Math", only counts from 1 to 5.
I was disappointed in other areas too. In a book on planets I would expect to find at least one page where all of the planets are listed in order, however this never happens in Leap to the Moon. Sometimes 3 or 4 planets are listed in order, but other times there is a random sampling of planets on a single page. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto aren't even mentioned at all!
In a book with more pages, I would expect to find more content, games, songs, etc. Instead, Leap to the Moon repeats itself frequently, and some of the games can get very boring because they are so repetitious. I realize that repetition is a great way to get toddlers to learn, but Mommy and Daddy can get quite tired of a particular song, game, etc.
Now that all of the negativity is out of the way, let me explain that I still love this book. I get to introduce my son to planets and stars and outer space in a fun and educational way. The games and activities are fun for him. Many activities are more advanced than those found in his other LeapPad book, so he will probably get more use out of Leap to the Moon as he gets older (at 18 months my son is still well below the My First LeapPad's recommended age of 3 years).
Even with its faults, I still think Leap to the Moon is a great companion book to the book that came with our My First LeapPad. The main characters are the same in both books, so my son "knows" them and enjoys spending time with Leap and his family. The skill-level in Leap to the Moon is a bit higher than the pre-programmed book, so it gives him more of a challenge. There are cute little alien characters and space ships that make funny noises when you touch them with the pen.
Although the highest number it covers is 5, Leap to the Moon does manage to cover more mathematical concepts (such as size-comparisons and matching) and puts more emphasis on what each number means, rather than just learning to recite the numbers in order. Even the shapes are explored in a more mathematical/geometric way (noting that having 3 sides makes the shape a triangle, etc). Yes, I have some complaints, but I would be hard-pressed to find a better way to explore numbers and mathematical concepts with my toddler.
With its numerous pages, my son does seem to spend more time with this book than with the one that came with his LeapPad. Mommy and Daddy can see that some of the games/concepts are repeated on multiple pages, my boy doesn't seem to notice or mind at all. Then again, maybe it is because he's been playing with the other book for months now, and this one is still new to him.
As with all LeapPad books and toys, the sound recordings are excellent and the words very well enunciated. I also appreciate the fact that the voices are very friendly and encouraging, even when you child answers something incorrectly.
Quickie Summary:
Pros:
+ ) Teaches "pre-math" concepts
+ ) Teaches about the planets of our solar system
+ ) Also teaches colors and shapes
+ ) Interacts with your child
+ ) Lots of positive encouragement during game-play
+ ) Cute, familiar characters
+ ) Excellent sound recordings with clear speech and nice background music
Cons:
- ) Not all planets (in our solar system) are covered
- ) Only counts from 1 to 5
- ) A lot of repeating of material
- ) Cartridge and book can only be used with the My First LeapPad (not any of the other LeapPad types)
Final Thoughts:
Although this book let me down in a few areas, I am still very impressed with its ability to keep my son's attention. The planetary facts are a plus for me, since I've always been crazy about outer space. What a great way to learn!
Manufacturer's Website:
http://www.leapfrog.com
Related Reviews:
My First LeapPad Review
Pooh's Honey Tree Book & Cartridge
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 12.99
Type of Toy: Educational
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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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