Editorial Review

Designed for children in preschool through second grade, and easily portable, the Leapster multimedia learning system offers educational games, reading exercises, art tools, and interactive videos in one electronic device. Atop an ergonomic silver body sits a 4-inch, 12-bit color backlit display protected by a blue rubber shield. Slide a Leapster cartridge into the slot, and learn letters, sounds, colors, shapes, numbers, and more, using the touch-screen stylus and multi-directional control pad. This unit comes with a bonus cartridge of six learning games; other Leapster cartridges are sold separately. Control knobs let you adjust volume and brightness; there's also a stereo headphone jack. Required are four AA batteries, not included. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

Reviews (293)

Best $$ ever spent-just bought 2nd
I wouldn't be able to praise this toy enough. We gave it to our oldest daughter last Christmas when she was 3 1/2. We were concerned because of the price but compared to a GameBoy we prefered the educational aspect. We have never regreted the purchase. She loves playing with it and has even mastered basic math skills well ahead of time. We had a problem with the screen not responding after about 6 months but it only took a quick email to Leap Frog and they replaced it with our only expense being a few dollars to ship it to them. They have excellent Customer Service. We would have even invested the money to buy a new unit if they hadn't replaced it. <br /> <br /> We have just purchased a unit for our 19 month old daughter because she always wants to share big sister's. I know the age is 4-10 but our little one just loves the characters and even though she doesn't totally understand what to do, she still loves playing. It has helped her to master control of the stylus and she is now much better at coloring too. We have a few extra cartridges and plan on expanding for Christmas. <br /> <br /> We haven't had a problem with battery consumption. This toy definitely hasn't eaten batteries nearly as quickly as others and my older daughter plays with it almost every day. She would play with it more if I would allow it. But we still plan on buying the recharging system too.<br /> <br /> I highly recommend the investment in the carrying case also.<br /> <br /> You just can't go wrong with this toy.

my grandson
I purchased the LeapFrog Leapster for my grandson as a Christmas gift when he was 2 years old. His mom gave it to him when we was 21/2, he absolutely loves it and has learned so much. I like the durability, educational theme and the add ons, it just keeps getting better and better.

Love It
My son was given this on his 4th b-day, he absolutely loves it and so do I! It has taught him alot and the only reason I rated a 4 and not a 5 is because of the battery situation!! Ouch!

Battery Eater!
My son got this toy for his 4th birtday. He truly loves it, but it's a battery eater! I cannot believe how quickly this toy drains 4 AA batteries. Thank goodness they are coming out with a recharging unit soon or we'd go broke!

BEST $ EVER SPENT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've never written a review before, but feel I have to about this product. It is the BEST money spent on my daughter ever!!!! My daughter got this for Christmas when she was 3 1/2 years old. She has played with it every day. At night we read books to her and then let her do her Leapster for a little while. We just purchased The Letter Factory for our last trip....and she already knows ALL the letter phonics....it is just amazing!!!!! We have never had a problem with it in 7 months...and we just put new batteries in it for the first time. I so highly reccomend this toy!!!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

LeapFrog is well known for their interactive learning toys and now they've paired with Disney for a princesses' tour of language and math. Cinderella and Belle will help guide your child through various learning activities, such as: letter hunt, spelling games, addition and subtraction games, and number find. Both Belle and Cinderella tell jokes, sing songs, and are generally encouraging with sweet and cheerful voices. If your child decides to stop playing and doesn't turn the laptop off, the princesses ask, "Would you like to play some more?" and if there is no answer, the computer shuts itself off. An LCD screen displays letters, numbers, and other pictures during all the activities. Moms and dads will be glad to note that there are two volumes and virtually no set-up. Requires 4 "AA" batteries (included). --Megan Sullivan ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Best toy in the house
My 2 1/2 year old received this toy as a gift. She ABSOLUTELY loves her "puter". I fill my house with fun and educational toys and this one is hands down the best. She has been playing with it for a few weeks now and can sing her ABC's from A-K. All her friends want to play with it as well. I only wish they had a "boy" version so my son could have one of his own.

Another good one from LeapFrog
My mother and I were having a garage sale and I very much wanted to clean out and get rid of some toys. After explaining the concept to my daughter that if she sold some toys, she could buy some new ones. Well with her money, she picked this out of everything in the huge toy store. She loves it, she takes it in the car on trips, plays with it at the kitchen table while I am cooking. It's great, educational and something to grow with!

A fun "umputer".
I love it and I am 34yrs old.
My 4yr old loves it. And, as far as I am concerned that is all that matters. The sound, the colors, the characters and the keys all all conducive to the purpose that it was intended for.
I bought it for my daughter so she could use it when I was on our family computer.
The only thing (and its not a big thing)is that I wish the screen was bigger.
I would highly recommend it or buy it as a gift.
d

Disney's Laptop by LeapFrog
My daughter Lily got this for her 3rd birthday. We have always loved LeapFrog products. This was her favorite present, hands down. My 6 and 9 year olds even love it! I am really impressed by how many things it does. After playing with it for a day Lily can identify some letters and numbers. The music is great, and I LOVE that there is a high low switch, making it a quiet toy as well as a learning toy!

A perfect laptop for your Princess!
Our 3.5 yr old got this for Christmas and LOVES having "my own 'puter". It is easy for her to open for herself and she loves to hear her favorite characters speaking to her! She likes the activity that sounds out words as you type in letters, and gets so excited when she actually makes a word! She also really likes the counting activity. This laptop has been banged around and dropped several times and it is in perfect working condition. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Outfitted in orange and purple, this electronic learning system for preschoolers plugs directly into a television, and at first take looks a lot like a video-game console. Insert any of Vtech's "Smartridges" into the unit for lessons on language, math, phonics, problem-solving, music, and more. Children can choose between two difficulty levels. Included are a large joystick, adjustable to right- and left-handed kids, and an Alphabet Park Adventure cartridge; other cartridges are sold separately. There's also a storage compartment on top that holds up to six cartridges. The system can run on either three C batteries or an AC adaptor; strangely, neither are included. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

Reviews (11)

your gonna need batteries
the ac adapter is extra, and the unit runs on 3 c batteries! otherwise it is perfect for the school age child...the controller and joy stick is large enough for small hands.. the games may requier parental help at first, but they are quickly learned...my kids love it.

little kid friendly!
my 2 boys (ages 3 & $) received this as a gift and they are fascinated by it. I did find the additional control at Target and bought it along with the SpiderMan cartridge. It is fairly easy to use and very kid friendly for tough little boys who like to use their feet and hands! The cartridges are by age and the levels are very easy. Once they master one level they can move up to more difficult levels. What I really like about this toy is that it is educational and not violent like most of the other video games out in the market today. I like it so much, I'm giving it to several on my gift list for the Holidays. Another retailer (online) is $10 cheaper but you have to pay shipping.

Not impressed
I have two boys, 3 and 4 years old. We also have many video game systems, XBox and Playstations 1 and 2, I was originally going to get the boys a used Super Nintendo, but I saw V.Smile and thought it was more created for their ages and less likely to end up broken as quickly as any other console.<br /> I was upset that the 9 Volt adapter didn't come with the system, I actually think it is because V.Tech is a "rookie" when it comes to game systems like this.We expect to have to buy another remote,like all other game systems make you do, but most game consoles come with the accesories needed to make it run properly. It is designed to be a learning video game system for Preschool age to age 8, but I couldn't imagine a normal 8 year old or 7 year old enjoying it as much as other game systems. <br /> I also was upset and returned the first V.smile I got, because the learning system would shut off and I would play with the batteries replace the batteries and blow in the game and game slot, I noticed sometimes the game would come on even though I pulled it out and it would make my TV screen all disarray. I exchanged it for another and the new one does the same thing. VTech should be more on top of things. I even called the company at 1-800-521-2010 to ask if they have had many complaints. I do not know why VTech would sell the V.Smile without the adapter if it doesn't work properly alone on 3 C batteries. A parent should not have to go in there every 5 minutes or everytime the child changes games. If it is designed to run mostly on an adapter it should say so and include this feature with their product. I do not think it is worth the price, and hassle, but its okay as far as the activitie sthe games play. <br /> All I know is if you think you are going to get your kids to leave you alone for a minute while they play, then you are mistaken, lots of "mommy come help me" because the game has shut off. Even my husband who can fix anything gets annoyed when he plays with it for a while. One of these days, probably after their 90 day warranty expires, the system will probably shut off and never turn back on. Other then that, it is OK, my kids love it, and the games are nice because they are made similar to the Nintendo games, that won't break or scratch like a CD.

Good but.......
The system is great, but......<br /> The extra controller is no where to be found! IT IS NOT AVAILABLE through V-Tech even though the customer service rep said they had 1000's in the warehouse. They can't sell me one because they have no way to take payment. <br /> Try explaining that to twin 4 year olds who argue over the controller and whose turn it is. The adapter was also very hard to find. <br /> Why would a company even consider merchandising something as awesome as this before making all the necessary items readily available? If you have as much trouble as I did locating the adapter, buy yourself a ton of batteries!

extra controller
I haven't actually used this product yet (with the exception of the display in the toy store....loved it!), but I did stumble upon an extra controller in Target. I grabbed it up because I haven't seen it sold anywhere else (and it was the only one on the shelf) and I knew if I waited, chances are I wouldn't get my hands on one until January. ... Read more

Reviews (157)

Great toy
My son recieved this toy for christmas when he was 2 years only. I was amazed to see how much he learned from the songs that the toy plays with each letter. He also learned to sing his abc's from this toy. I would recommend this toy to anyone who wants to give their child a head start in learning

Great Educational Toy
My niece learned the whole alphabet and all the sounds the letters make before she was two years old with this toy. She absolutely loves it.

Great Gift
Best of all, they're too big to get kicked under the fridge!! Fun songs, great volume control, interesting for many ages.

Great Toy
I bought this for my daughters first birthday,she's 2 now and still playing with it, she learned the alphabet,colors like nothing she runs/walks around the house singing her abc's over and over, this is honestly the best educational fun toy I spent money on and she has fun learning.

Great Educational Toy
I bought this for my daughter for her 2nd birthday. She plays with it all the time. It has really helped her learn her alphabet and how the letters are pronounced. ... Read more

Editorial Review

LeapFrog's range of educational toys is exceptional, and this interactive flipbook really has that "wow" factor. In the box it looks like an innocent book, but once assembled it provides absolutely hours of entertainment with a preschool teaching focus. The book reads the text to the child, then its magic pen allows the child to touch the text and reread difficult words. Rather like a computer game, the pictures in the page also respond to touch. Each page has two to three games on it where the child has to answer questions on the text or the pictures. The child only needs to respond with the pen, so children as young as 3 can easily play all the games. LeapFrog has made sure that this two-sided book packs in all the elements of a balanced preschool curriculum. Numbers, phonics, prereading, and numeracy skills come alive through the activities. Both nonfiction and fiction text are included with a variety of musical activities. There is even a volume control on each page for weary parents on those long car journeys! Be prepared with four AA batteries (not included) and a small screwdriver. The instructions included are not specific, but the illustrations on the box are self-explanatory. Perfect for a rainy day or a long journey, My First LeapPad provides great value for the money, as your child will be entertained and educated for hours. --Jo Fitzgerald

My First LeapPad is a sturdy unit with an integral speaker and a magic pen, which reads the spiral flipbook included with the set. Other books and cartridges can be bought and used with the same unit. My First LeapPad flipbook consists of both an interactive story introducing the characters of Leap and his family, and (once you have flipped the book) a selection of interactive games pages which encourage learning of numbers, colors, shapes, and music making. A pleasant and encouraging voice reads the story, which is written on the page, or if just one word is touched, the voice says that one word, encouraging word recognition. In game mode, the voice asks the child to find a specific number, color, or object and gives praise when the child succeeds. The pad is easy to use, provided children remember to always touch the Go button with the magic pen every time they turn a page. If they forget, the pen will read from another page, which causes much confusion! After a few tries, mine soon got the hang of it and could play independently. Everything is worked using the pen, including the volume control, and the pen is impossible to lose as it is attached securely to the unit. In comparison to their interactive PC games, the LeapPad failed to hold my children’s attention for prolonged periods, and although I found it amazing that the pen could recognize so many different words and objects, they were less easily impressed. There is no movement, unlike in a PC game. On the other hand, the unit is portable, so can be played anywhere, unlike the PC. The unit certainly has lots of educational value and is well made and durable. A large selection of interactive books can be purchased separately, so once the children are comfortable using the magic pen, they can try other activities. They can also choose more difficult material, ensuring that the pad grows with your child. --Rachel Elvidge

In common with other LeapFrog products, My First LeapPad is exceptionally well designed to be both educational and fun. The unit itself and attached pen are chunky enough for little fingers, and the single large button, integral carrying handle, and bright color will make it appealing and easy to use for preschoolers. My First LeapPad comes with a ring-bound book and accompanying cartridge which fit easily into the unit (you also need four AA batteries, not included). Placed right side up the book reads through a simple story, and when turned over the reverse sides contain a wealth of activities and games to play. For anyone who hasn’t previously seen the unique way that simply touching the pages with the pen produces voices and noises of all sorts, it seems like a miracle! Even for those who are familiar with it, it is still endlessly fascinating, and each page has lots of scope for discovery. The clear English voices read the story in sentences or single words as well as introducing games and activities involving music and instruments, shapes and color, reading, numbers, counting, matching, and much more. Each picture reveals a whole world of sound effects, voices, and speech from the characters according to the individual touches the child makes with the pen on the page. This makes play genuinely interactive and absorbing, and hugely valuable in terms of learning and pleasure. I recommend this product highly; it is suitable for all levels of learning between under 3 years and over 5, with each age range getting different benefits at different stages of development. --Caroline Parsons

My First LeapPad learning system by LeapFrog is a portable electronic toy incorporating the format of a flip-over book which teaches children to master skills such as writing, basic numbers, ABCs, phonics, listening, and comprehension. The desk layout includes a side handle and a special touch-sensitive pen which gives children the opportunity to develop the coordination required when they begin to write. With the pen the user can activate the different activities such as touching pictures to hear them come alive, touching words to hear them read aloud, playing a game by pressing the lily pad sign with the magic pen, activating a new page, listening to music, or adjusting the volume. The unit comes with an activity book, Leap’s Big Day. Leap is a frog with a happy voice and an English accent who introduces us to his family and different activities on each page. Although the toy is labeled for children aged 3 years and over, the activities are not incredibly difficult and would also suit a slightly younger child. For example, number work only goes up to five, and the page on what Leap will be when he grows up gives the child a number of pictorial choices and they have to select just one answer to say what a firefighter would need at work (hose, hat, boots), or what a doctor would need (stethoscope, white coat, etc.). All activities require use of the pen, which does require a steady hand at times. More books are available to buy separately, with titles such as Leap to the Moon, featuring Leap again, and Pooh's Honey Tree, which features Winnie the Pooh. The books are double-sided with a story side, which is interactive, and an activity side. The battery-powered toy provides preschoolers with a good introduction to interactive learning aids, including computers, and promotes readiness for reading and writing. --Sarah McNamara

This is a nice-sized interactive electronic learning game by LeapFrog. It consists of the LeapPad unit with carrying handle and a small, easy-to-maneuver electronic pen attached. There is a compact microchip unit which plugs into the side and a cardboard flipbook which attaches to the front. The book has two sides: a story side and an activity side. The sound is activated by touching the green Go circle on the page with the electronic pen. On the story side of the book this triggers a female English voice which reads aloud the words on the page. Your child can then touch each word with the pen to have these read aloud, or touch objects and characters on the page to hear them speak. There is a lily pad and a note symbol at the bottom of each page. When touched with the pen, the voice leads your child through games such as finding objects and people on the page. The activity side is centered on learning games such as parts of the body, colors, shapes, and counting. My First LeapPad is designed for preschool children to teach prereading and premath skills. It contains over 30 games and activities and is indicated to be suitable for ages 3 and over. My son will sit and play with the LeapPad on his own for a short time, but is only 3 and a half, and prefers me to help and guide him a little. My First LeapPad is a good learning aid and value for money as the flipbooks can be replaced with different books in the range to keep your child interested in learning. --Julie Illingworth

Learning to read has never been so fun, until now. This interactive system is an ideal tool for teaching various skills important in early years. My First LeapPad teaches ABCs, numbers, phonics, prereading skills, and premath skills. When children encounter the LeapPad for the first time, they may choose to participate in an interactive story book Leap's Big Day (included) or alternatively they may play 30 games and activities. If they choose a story they will be amazed at how involved they can become and how much they will learn. The games and activities on the reverse of the flipbook feature counting and singing songs as well as a section on parts of the body. The LeapPad comprises a spiral interactive flipbook that when used with the integral magic pen enables the story to come alive! The child may touch words and hear them read aloud or if they touch pictures in the story they too will make appropriate sound effects. This system is certainly an innovative concept that makes learning to read exciting while also challenging. --Tiffany Prescott ... Read more

Reviews (195)

The Leapster is better than this
This is frustrating to my daughter, because if the book isn't placed just right on the pad, it doesn't work correctly....if it is a little off, it will give an incorrect answer...when the answer was actually correct. I do however, highly reccommend the Leap Frog Leapster....it is amazing...and my daughter has learned so much from it....including the sound each letter makes. I also recommend the Leap Frog Phonics writing desk.

Great Ariplane toy too!
We purchased this a while back for my son who is now 3. He LOVES it. I enjoy watching match things too and seeing his little thought process at work. He also just went to Disney World and brought this on the plane. IT was GREAT to keep him occupied for the 2 hour flight. He loved showing the flight attendant how smart he is. :) I love the fact that it doesn't get old because you can buy different books to go with it so it's a toy that keeps on changing.

Fun But Not Durable
We bought this for our daughter when she was 2 1/2 years old. She loved it and we only allowed her to play with it when we were sitting with her. We were actively involved in teaching her how to use it. By the time she got the hang of it, just a few months later, it started not reading the cartridges. We would save money to buy additional books and by the time we had 3 the LeapPad was erroring out when reading from the cartridge.

Sometimes we can get it to work by blowing on the cartridge and the contact spot on the LeapPad and sometimes we end up wedgeing a paper in the hole with the cartridge. It seems to be the only way to get it to work.

In my opinion a product of this price should last longer than four months. I was sincerely disapointed to see no help on the website for how to fix this problem. Their warranty is only 3 months for this expensive kids toys.

My daughter has since learned to use the computer and it has served us much better than the LeapPad ever has.

Keeps My 3 Year Old Busy
My 3 year old daughter loves her My First LeapPad. She has spent countless hours playing with it. There are plenty of books to choose from and lots of activites in each book. We take it with on car rides and it keeps her busy. She has learned to change the books and corresponding cartridges on her own so it's not difficult to use. I highly recommend this product.

Junk
It's a real shame that this toy is so poorly constructed. It would be great if it would continue to work for more than a month. My children love it and we are working on our THIRD one and IT just broke. I reccomend skipping this skipping this toy and just investing in a computer and good software. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Sibling to the award-winning Explorer Globe, this junior version can help children become interested in geography before they even start school. The Junior Explorer Globe is jam-packed with fun facts, trivia, and useful information about every aspect of the geographical world. It has four modes of interactive play, ranging from having kids search for certain pictures on the globe to playing regional music from each continent. The globe sits on a sturdy base, which features a dial to the four play functions, an on/off switch, volume control, and the attached penlike stylus. This stylus is the key instrument: kids use it to touch virtually any point on the surface of the globe to hear information and answer questions. --Pam Lauer ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Awesome Globe
This is a great globe for toddlers. My three sons ages 3-6 love explorering the continents and animals. THis globe is geared for the young and to teach them about continents and animals. Don't believe these other bad reviews from anal parents get this globe and your children will love it and by the way not all kids love all products because every child is different.

Watch out for stains on furniture
The toy has little rubber feet on the bottom which will leave little purple circle shaped stains on wood furniture. My son's brand new furniture was damaged and Leap Frog will not pay to have it cleaned. They were aware of the situation, however, they did not issue a recall. They simply changed the rubber feet on the toy for the new production runs, but they left all of the old ones on the store shelves. So which one will you get - the new or the old? This toy isn't worth the trouble. Leap Frogs' customer (dis)service is horrible. I will never buy another leap frog toy again. Watch out for this company - all they care about is making a buck.

BETTER THEN I THOUGHT
When my brother bought this for my 3 year old daughter I thought he had wasted his money, there was no way my daughter was going to pay attention to this globe. I was wrong! My daughter loves it and within 5 minutes she was telling me about the Statue of Liberty and the Great Wall of China. She and I love it so much that I am buying one for my neice's birthday present.

A complete waste of money!
Can't believe Leap Frog, a name associated w/great, educational products would put out such a junker of a product. Doesn't teach even what the United States are, or where they are, Mexico? Don't know where that is. Don't even think about educating your child about where they live and the states, no states even defined, or rivers, or lakes, or mountains, or landmarks. Need I say more. I seriously wish Leap Frog would give me a refund. My mom is really bummed because she's the one who got it for my dd. She was so excited about getting this, "really cool globe" and it's just collecting dust. Big, huge, waste of money....and not cheap, I might add.

Cartoon Globe, Dont Buy It
The Globe has no countries, only continents, no rivers, not even Hawaii (important for American kids), you cant even see the shape of England because of the cartoon of Big Ben over the UK. The information is mainly about animals that live on the continents, and not too interesting facts about them either. The music IS NOT really from the countries of regions its supposed to be from. The globe cannot be rotated to see the South Pole adequately. My daughters first question was 'Where is Germany?' (because we live there) but its not on the globe, then 'Where is Washington?' (where her grandparents live) also not on the globe. My daughter loves globes, maps, time zones, etc but this toy is uninteresting to her and of little educational value. However my 21 month old likes to tough the elephant with the pen to make it roar. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Disappointed
My 7 month old daughter is strong enough to pull herself up, but she is not strong enough to activate the toy. I have to press fairly hard myself to get it to work. It is a wonderful concept and she loves to hear the rhymes, but it would be nice if she could do it herself. We also have trouble with one of the buttons. It occasionally starts at the end of the song instead of the beginning or says welcome instead of playing the music. I love all of our other Leap Frog products, but this is not one that I would recommend.

EXCELLENT TOY
I puchsed this toy for my neice for Christmas and when I received it I was so impressed I bought one for my 5mth old. Its great for the crib and to take in her car seat.

Not as great as I'd hoped
Leapfrog has a great rep and we received this as a gift. I do think that my 14 month old son enjoys the toy - he claps when the classical music or color songs play, but he gets very frustrated because he can't easily press the sections of the caterpillar. I sometimes have trouble getting them to play - and I shouldn't. It also seems to have a slight glitch where the on/off button and the numbers button do the same thing sometimes - I am guessing it is our particular unit. In all, I think the concept of this toy is great, but it would be nice if it was more baby-user friendly.<br />

Best Value ever from Leap Frog
This has got to be the best value ever from Leap Frog. You get numbers 1 to 5 with cute visuals that go with each number. The plush is soft and easy to hold or squeeze. My 5 month old neice can't put it down. A must have. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This 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 ... Read more

Reviews (365)

Not as great as we thought it'd be...
I got this for my son when he was about 4, and it was a great learning tool before it started falling apart. The quality of it was terrible, and it didn't last more than a year after normal wear and tear. This product was definitely a disappointment, especially after spending a lot of money on books and cartridges shortly before it bit the dust.

fun for all ages
I bought a leap frog for my son when he was 4 and he loved it. He liked the pictures and sounds. It is also great for older kids, the leap frog book that came with his had activities for all ages. It is very educational and a great item to take on trips in the car.

great for my preschooler as well as older childern
I purchased a leappad for my 3 1/2 year old about a 1 1/2 years ago for christmas and it was a hit!! She loved the noises it made and she could write with the pen. The book that comes with the system is broken up into different age groups so the first book didn't have much she could do as for learning, but my older children (then 9 & 11) found a few pages that interested them as well. We soon purchased a couple of addition books that were age appropriate for my daughter and she began to learn numbers, letters and shapes. My sons even got a book to help them in the areas such as bones. My daughter turned 5 yesterday and she still carries her leappad where ever we go. She has moved up to learning sounds and sight words and hasn't even started kindergarden yet. She loves the games and the interaction since it will tell you (or beep/buzz you)when you have made a wrong answer. This product allows my husband & I, as well as other family members, to sit down and spend time with my daughter learning and ITS FUN for us all!! She can even entertain herself when we are unable to sit with her because of how user friendly it is.

We have had NO problems with our leappad and believe me it has been around and used.

I highly recommend it for a child that is eager to learn new things. If I had to find a fault with it, it would be that due to so many different books available, we sometimes misplace the cartridges. I have ordered her a backpack to keep them all together to solve this problem.

Beware Of Leap Frog Products
We are a family of 5. Our 3 children are 6, 3 1/2, and 2. You can imagine how many wonderful Leap Frog products we have in our household. We have a lot. We want to provide our children with a great educational start in life and what better way to do it than with these wonderful Leap Pad products right? Give me a break. Educationally they are great. Durable you ask, no way. Leap Frog only warrants their products for 3 months. We had 2 LeapPads. One still works great, we've had it for almost 4 years. The newer one we bought for our 3 year old stopped working in 4 months. It wasn't product misuse, because my son was only allowed to look at it with an adult. We only used it about 3 or 4 times a month, that's about 12-16 total uses, before the right side of the LeapPad stopped working. Several emails to Leap Frog resulted with no reply from them. They make these products but only warrant them for 3 months. Now I know why. Our Explorer globe flopped out after only 6 months. I will admit that the Leap Frog preschool toys we own have held up great, especially with all the banging around that they get, but their expensive products like LeapPad, Explorer Globe and Leapster have not. I'd look into buying educational products from a company who is willing to stand behind them and has the necessary means to make repair work on expensive products that no longer work. Leap Frog is a company I will no longer spend any more of my hard earned money on.

Fantastic even for age 3
My three-year-old received this leappad for his birthday, which he wanted very badly, and just cannot put it down. He carries it with him throughout the day and it's the first thing he looks for when he gets up in the morning. He saw it at toysrus and just absolutely loved it so he was very excited to get one of his own. He loves learning his abc's and numbers, and loves it when his favorite characters talk back to him. This is such a great tool - if you're trying to decide between this one and the Fisher price one, go for this one. The gal at toys rus said that the fisher price one is just for preschoolers whereas the leappad will grow with the child until age 8. Not bad! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This electronic writing desk teaches kids the alphabet, letter sounds, letter formation,spelling, and word creation in a fun, interactive format. Kids can choose from sixgames: letters, a letters quiz, phonics, a phonics quiz, spelling, and "create-a-word."In the letters game, children push a letter to hear its name and see how it is formedon the LCD screen; players can also write their own letters on the "magic" writing screen.In the spelling game, children learn to spell simple words. In the phonics game, childrenfirst hear a letter and then are given a short word as an example. Along the way, thealways-helpful LeapFrog "coach" offers lots of cheerful hints so children won't getstuck in any of the exercises. Additional features include an automatic shut-off, anoversize pullout handle, a variety of comical sounds for incorrect answers, and atwo-position volume control. --Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (75)

a FUN FILLED phonics and alphabet toy
We bought this toy 3 Christmas's ago, for Joseph our 2 1/2 year old (He is now 5 1/2). He had personally asked for the Phonics Writing Desk and he has played with it for hours on end. I think it was an assest in his ability to read before going to Kindergarten. He now has renewed interested in it since his 3 year old brother Benjamin is constantly playing with it. Ben especailly loves it that he can write his name BEN with it and then it actually says his name. He has learned to write about 30 three letter words in the past two weeks. Some of his favorites include; Mom, Dad, jet, jam, eye, ear, hid, and bed. Ben has learned how to write a lot of his letters from watching the toy. The place to write on has been ruined for quite a while - but he tries it on paper after watching the machine show how to form each letter.

From a mother of 5 boys

great toy
My 2 year-old LOVES this toy! He's too young to write the letters, but he is learning to spell and knows the alphabet VERY well and I think this toy is part of the reason. I find it pretty loud and the repetitive phrases are annoying, but I think that it's because he plays with it so much. I would not have expected him to love this toy so much at this age, but he has really enjoyed all of his Leap Frog toys, so I'm sold on them!

only LF toy I ever returned!!!!!!
I love leap frog toys, my 3 y/o has many. I usually find them very educational. However, this toy didn't live upto my expectations. I wanted a toy to help him learn to write letters. My child learns very quickly with encouragement and correcting. At 3 he's reading at a 2nd grade level and writting somewhat legible (no thanks to this toy). This toys tells the name and phonic of each letter. The LF train, Little Leap and Leap pad do the same thing in the same way. I bought it for the writting lesson. It shows how to write them in 'computer style' not real handwritting. The reason I was so disapointed in it was that they can write anything in the spot and the toy tells them it's right. My son scribbled in the area and was told he did great. It wasn't teaching him anything. Sitting down and writting with the child, making sand letters and letting him trace with his finger and plain old letting him expierment with a pen and paper worked better than this thing. I took it back shortly after buying it.

Learning to write!
If you want to teach your kid how to write the letters and don't know where or how to start, this toy is your answer. It not only holds their interest, it makes learning fun too. It teaches both uppercase and lower case letters. Most toys teach kids how to reconize letters but this one is step ahead and also teaches them their phonics so it's definately a must have!

Boring
I think that this is a educational toy for children but is not pleasurable to look at so it would be apealing to the child considering so many toys look like this (boring). ... Read more

Editorial Review

Made by Fisher-Price, this electronic learning system is comprised of an InteracTV DVD, which you insert into your home DVD player; a controller; and activity cards based on popular children's television shows. Plug an activity card into the controller, and games and activities featuring that show will appear on the TV screen. Nine touch points let kids interact with the characters, in lessons covering numbers, colors, animals, and more. Cards contain more than 100 learning questions and activities, posed randomly. This model comes with three activity cards--SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, and Elmo's World--as well as a storage case to hold the cards and the DVD. A switch on the controller enables you to use the system on up to three different DVD players--say, in multiple rooms, or at relatives' houses. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

Reviews (6)

good toy but needs work
My three year old just recieved this toy for his birthday, and I was a little worried that he was not going to be able to work it on his own. To my amazment he picked it up, and began playing. Some of the screens that it wants you to interact with are a little advanced for him, but it helps you along the way. My only complaint is getting it to work with your dvd player. We went out and bought a new dvd player for him, and we have tried everything to get it to work. When we moved it to another dvd player it works fine! The directions for quick set up were anything but easy. I think the manufactor needs to work on this toy, but it is a good idea!!!

Excellent
My daughter just received this for her third birthday and all she wants to do is play with it. She is really practicing her numbers and paying attention to what is happening so she can find the right answer. Money well spent.

fun and educational
I bought this for my daughter who loves all of the characters that are featured on the trial DVD. She just loves it. She sits for an hour playing all of the games. She is 3yrs old and can put the DVD in and start the game on her own. The sensor is able to reach the DVD player from various locations in our living room. Interac TV is very fun and educational!! I am very glad that I purchased it. We will be buying them for other children that we know for Christmas.

Not impressed either
We received this toy as a gift for our 2 year old. It didn't work correctly, as the buttons on the right upper portion were not functional. After much frustration between our 2 year old, 3 year old and both parents and grandparents, we took the toy back to Target to Exchange for a 'working' toy. Got it home, just to find that it was less functional than the first toy we had. Now, the kids don't even want to play with it, and don't want another one. Much mental anguish, and we don't even know who to contact directly to let them know that this product is dysfunctional.

Not impressed
We bought this for our 4 yr old's birthday. We're wishing we would've saved our money & gotten something else that works better. Everytime you start up the device, it acts as if you have to reprogram it all over again (you're supposed to only have to program it once for each DVD player in the home). A couple of times, we HAVE had to reprogram it, which is time consuming & frustrating. This confuses our child & she has lost interest in it, really quick. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

educational and fun!
This toy is great! Does 16 different animals sounds. Sings Old McDonald through one time. Each time using a different animal name and sound, of the 16 animals. A quiz mode to find the animal that makes a certain sound. The handle is easy to pull, for a 2 yr old anyway. He imitates the animal sounds. It uses batteries, so it sounds a lot better than the standard see n' say. The batteries have lasted long in it, 3AA. ... Read more