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

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

Editorial Review

Well-designed with lots of terrific detail, Learning Resources' Calculator Cash Register completely satisfies a young child's hunger to play with bills, coins, cash drawers, and big numbers. The chiming cash register features a built-in solar calculator as its keypad, thus allowing kids to act as bankers, shopkeepers, and accountants all at once. A large cash drawer holds life-sized bills in four denominations (1, 5, 10, and 20), and four coin holders make room for embossed plastic pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. There is even a credit card slot that dings when you correctly slide the faux VISA card through it.A suggested-activities booklet is included. Requires a 1.5V button cell battery (included) to make the chiming noise. No assembly required. Winner of awards from Dr. Toy, FamilyFun Magazine, and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

It's the most popular toy at my house!
This cash register is a favorite at my house! We often have children from ages two to six visiting, and this is the first toy that many of them go to. The calculator makes beeping noises that the kids enjoy, and the cash drawer opens and closes with a satisfying click. I've enjoyed teaching my son the value of money and how to use a calculator with this toy.

Can't Live Without It
We were at a friends house last night and she had this toy for her 3 year old son. My 2 year old daughter could not stop playing with it. She simply loved opening the drawer and handing out the money to each person in the room. She would then collect the money and put it back. This activity kept her busy for an hour and it would have been longer except for the fact we needed to leave. I have bought her other cash register toys but none have been as realistic or kept her interest as long as this one did. I am buying one for her now and can only hope that she loves it as much as she did last night.

This is the funniest toy ever
When I got this toy i played with it for such along time and still do. You only spend $29.99 on it and it is money well spent. You make the right choice if you get this toy. The age group i would say is probably 5-whenever. Let me tell you parents what when my mom and dad got this for me i lovedit and it made me happy for so long.Three words for this toy.
MONEY WELL SPENT!!!!!!!!! FUN
so you should get this toy. KNOW dont think twice get it...NOW
dont forget get the scanner and bar codes* that go with it.
*SOLD SEPARTLEY

A preschool favorite
I'm buying this toy for my son's 3rd birthday because he makes a beeline to it everytime we go to our parent-child preschool class. He usually sets up a toy phone nearby, too. I get to be the customer and bring a basket of toy food to him which he "scans" on the notepad area. It's nice when toys leave something to the imagination. He loves the play bills and coins and pretending to make change. I believe that this toy will grow with my child and still be fun for him in a few years.

I figure that if this toy has survived daily use by multiple 2-4 year olds, it will survive around our house. If it doesn't, then I will update this posting!!!

hits money learning right on the head
I bought this for my daughter five years ago when she turned 4... it is still a household favorite. The design is good and it has held up well despite its being knocked around a fair amount.

The display is large and easy to read. The play money, which was one of my primary concerns, is realistically sized and marked. There is plenty of it to play with and make change too. The credit card is a nice touch which slides into a slot with a beep.

The sticky note space isn't as useful or cool as I thought it could have been, but I think sticky notes tend to just get ripped off of the pad and spread across the room by most children.

Now that my daughter is older, she still plays with it as well as putting it to use while running her punch & shaved ice stand in the summer. I feel like this was a good purchase and I would recommend it as a sturdy playset with high educational potential. ... 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

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 (17)

My son loves this toy!
My son received this toy for his 3rd birthday and he loves it! He carried it around with him all day and even brought it to bed with him that night. The songs are great but I do wish they sang the words to the popular kids songs. Although I don't find it especially educational, it's a great toy for a child who loves to listen and sing along to music.

Great fun for the next American Idol
Great fun for the little entertainer. I would recommend removing the microphone (long cord) if your child is under 3 years old.

It's ok
I thought this would be a cool toy but my kids don't seem to think so. It has been sitting in the toy room ever since we got it and very rarely is it touched. We don't even recognize most of the song on there. NOT a must have

We really like it.
My son is nowhere near the recommended age for this toy, but at 15 months he loves it anyway. I got it because it was on sale and set it on his toy shelf. He points to it and demands me to bring it to him. I take off the mic because the cord is a choking hazard. Other than that, the toy seems safe for him to play with. He loves pushing the buttons. He also likes watching the lights. I personally think this toy is more appropriate for a toddler than a four-year-old because I imagine a four-year-old would have moved on to toys like Leapster.

My gripe is that there are no lyrics to the songs that are played. They are very simple songs, like Pop Goes The Weasel, but I find myself going "All the cobbler's bench. A hum huma humahummm." because I can't quite remember the words. Also some of the songs are Leapfrog songs, for example "Upper case letter are big and tall" or something like that.

Basically, though the songs are cute. One that is in my head right now goes "Manny manny moo. Moo moo. Zanny zanny zoo. Zoo zoo." Simple, cute song.

3 year old loves it
Picked this up for my son's 3rd birthday. He has it in bed with him right now. Hasn't even needed the microphone for it yet (didn't want to worry about him strangling himself with cord in bed at this point). There are enough songs that he has only scratched the surface. He likes the animations (little red dots of light). Reinforces counting and the alphabet, introduces phonics songs. As he gets older, introducing the microphone and the singalong songs (Oh Susannah, I've been working on the railroad) will make the toy seem new again. Very happy with my choice based on the reviews ... Read more

Editorial Review

You don’t have to be Michael Jordan to excel at basketball thanks to this fun and versatile hoops set from the educational-toy experts at LeapFrog. The adjustable backboard and hoop can be set near the ground for very young children or elevated up to 20 inches as kids grow and seek new challenges. Best of all, the backboard lights up and talks to offer encouragement and help teach numbers, letters, and simple spelling. The tray beneath the hoop can be set to catch the two included balls or roll them back to your pintsize Kobe Bryant. This is a great way for little ones to practice their motor skills, learn numbers and letters, and, most importantly, have fun. --John Moe ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Disappointed
The connection between the base and the post for the hoop has too much play in it. Every time you touch the hoop with any force(much less grab it or yank it like every baby will do to balance and play with it) the board re-sets like you are starting over. I have checked repeatedly and the post is in as far as it will go. Not much help for learning letters and counting. Needs a re-design!!

Disappointing
My son got such a kick out of this toy - but only because we cheer very loudly when he gets the ball in the hoop. The toy does no cheering, counting or spelling what so ever! So from an educational standpoint - this toy was very disappointing. In order to get the "frog" to say the letters or numbers, you have to hold down the knob inside the basket for a really long time. What kid does that? When I purchased this toy, I also bought the Learning Piano and See & Sound Phonic Radio - those toys are great & I'd recommend those over this one any day.

not safe
this toy is fun and educational but is not safe. my son has hurt himself many times because the ring falls off easily and he falls with it.

Too easy to move!
My son received this toy as a gift for his first birthday and he shares it with his 2.5 year old sister. My problem with it is it's lack of height (good for a sitter, but not for a child who is standing or walking!) and the fact that it topples over so easily! Also, the backboard is adjustable, but my very light-weight daughter only has to lean on it a little bit to have it slide back down to it's lowest height. They enjoy playing with it, but it always seems to be needing to be put back up and the backboard re-adjusted!

fun for both kids
my 9 month old got this for xmas and I think his 3 year old sister has more fun with it. she shows him how to do it. I don't like that it is always tipping over. now that he is starting to "cruise" he will try to pull up on it and them both tumble. also the hoop part cames out at the base and it doesn't stay in postition. The kids have a lot of fun with it and I think it is great for learning numbers and letters, I just wish it was a little more sturdy. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The iQuest handheld provides a customized learning experience that revolutionizes the way students study for tests and quizzes--by making the process fun, fast, and effective. iQuest is the hip handheld that prepares students for tests in math, science, and social studies with study questions based on their textbooks. Small enough to fit in the front of a backpack, the iQuest also keeps students organized with a scheduler, address book, dictionary, and calculator. Use the Mind Station connector (sold separately) to download textbook chapter outlines and audio quiz questions onto a cartridge. Then insert that cartridge into the iQuest to learn chapter materials through two game modes: Pop Quiz, the fun beat-the-clock mode, and Chapter Challenge, a thorough review of textbook material. iQuest comes with instructions, a 4 MB reusable cartridge with 1,000 questions, and a snap-on cover/faceplate. Four AA batteries are required but not included. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

THE COOLEST STRUDY GUIDE THERE IS AND WILL EVER BE!!!
The Iquest Handheld and the new edition are the coolest things ever made!!! I got the older edition when I was is 6th grade. Im now in 8th. I LOVED IT! Now with the new edition its not as big and bulky and it has a cool look that you can personalize with nameplates! <br /> The Iquest gave me a reason to study and I didnt have to read all those long tedious chapters I once did.<br /> PARENTS THE IQUEST IS GREAT AND WORTH ALL THE MONEY! I GUARENTEE THAT IF YOUR CHILD DOESNT LIKE TO STUDY, HE/SHE WILL AFTER JUST LOOKING AT THE IQUEST! ITS A GREAT X-MAS PRESENT TOO!

Great for Middle Schoolers
My kids and their love the iquest. They can sit for hours learning and having fun. We tried it with the online downloads atfirst. My son's were available while he was in middle school and that worked really well. I found that I had to disable all the other palm pilots and devices for the downloads to work but then it went real easy. If you are going to download the materials I would definitly suggest buying the bigger cartridge and if you have more than one child using it I would get one cartridge for each child. My daughter has different textbooks than my son did and they weren't available so we substituted other books from the website list and she studied from them, it worked pretty well but was more work. We still use the iquest but we buy the cartridges instead of downloading. I am amazed at how much it still gets used! My daughter has her address book filled in with all her friends' phone numbers and she uses the dictionary quite a bit as well.

iQuest
I think this is a wonderful learning toy. It is very easy to use. One of the features the iQuest has is a built in Marriam-Webster 75,000 word dictoinary. My favorite thing to do on the iQuest is the chapter challenge. The iQuest comes with a cartrige for the levels 5-8 grades. You can pick which level you want after you select the game you would like. I also find the iQuest to be very convenient because there is a calender and a schedule were you can put the time in and what you need to do, there is an address book, and any time you need to look up someting in the dictionary, you can just type the word in and you can adjust the volume to 0 to 100. Additional features are pop quiz, notepad options and setup, and calculater. I think this would also be helfull to adults. I really enjoyed this toy, and I think you will to. I rated this item 5 stars for durablity because I think this toy will last a long time if you take care of it. The iQuest takes 4 AA batteries.

Absolutely wonderful!
I got one of these for my son last year, and it has been an amazing tool for him both to study with, and to look up words with. It doesn't completely replace a good dictionary but it's very portable and easy for him to use. The only problem I've had with it is that my 8 year old is more interested in her big brother's iQuest then in his gameboy, and tends to bother him incessantly when studying! I guess I need to get her one of her own. Great product.
I also find it incredibly amusing that the bad review I read about it used the word knot instead of not.

the greatest toy ever
I got this for an early christmas present and I loved it. I improved a lot in math,science, and social studies. I reccomend this toy for anyone who needs inprovement in school or whoever likes to learn. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

best present for my kindergartener
My daughter was promised a suprise. The thought of getting another toy bothered me - then I saw this bank. It is fantastic. She loves it. She plays with it - it is excellent at teaching her the coins - it tells her what it is when she inserts the coin -, then gives her a little fact about it. It also shows how she is doing against her saving goal. She brought it in to share with her class - and it was a hit with all the kids and her teacher. My only warning is that you will have no change left in your house : ) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great game for getting fast at basic math.
This game is pretty brilliant. It has addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You first choose if you want a combination or just one. Then you can choose practice or a real game. It works with kids just learning and really challenges those who want to get faster. If your up to bat the faster you answer the question determines how good you hit the ball. You answer really fast you might just hit a home run, and it you miss, then of course you strick out. When your playing out field, you determine how fast you get the other team out by how fast you answer the questions. It's very fun, and easy to learn. I didn't like how they reexplained things every time you change from out field to infield or started a new game, but then we found that if you hit I think it's the home key then you can pass that up, and your fun doesn't get interupted. I think it should also be known that this game is plenty of fun for kids from ages 6-11, and even longer if your kid just needs to strengthen their speed of their math, which coming from a High school math teacher is very important in Junior High and High School math. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This purple and silver electronic lap-book looks worth the sacrifice of foregoing afternoon cartoons--and it is. The two included storybooks ("Ernie's Neighborhood" and "School Skills") fit inside the book and, thanks to microchip technology, kids can read, count, talk, and sing along with characters using a handy stylus as a pointer. They can stop the story whenever they like to figure out words, phrases and puzzles along the way. Buttons for letters, words, music, and "surprises" are within finger-distance, and so is a full reference of capital and lower-case letters. There are also 60 or more learning activities stored in the book, designed for kids between 3 and 8 years (or up to the 2nd grade). Activities range from simple (spelling, telling time, music) to more complex (problem-solving, comprehension, vocabulary). Required: four AA batteries. Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Don't waste your money!
I got the PowerTouch Learning System for my 3 years old son. He loved that until the day that he got tired of Elm's book. I went to look for the Dora's book and other books to buy for him. The Dora's is not for sale at any store and there are just few different books avaliable in the market. I got really frustated. I wish I had gotten the Leap frog, they have a way more books which keeps the toy very interesting for the kids. Another problem is that while playing with it, my son eventually touch other parts of the book with another areas of his hand when he points a figure, which make the PowerTouch Learning System starting spelling or reading another word instead of the one that he intended, making him confused at first. Even without touching the book, a closer approach to it, is more than enough to activate. Now I like the idea of the pen in the leap frog. I would never buy this toy again!

An attention getter!
We bought this for my 2 1/2 year old son for Christmas. He loved it and still does. He really does not care about the story too much. He mostly likes the music, counting, and pointing to pictures and it tells what the picture is. Its very durable. The only problem is the cartriages are small, but we try to keep the books and cartriages in a back pack. We bought all the books but he loves Ernie's Neighborhood and Blue's Clues the most. It was definately worth it!

Fisher Price does it again
My daughters got this gift for their second birthday even though the age on it is 3-8. At 2 1/2 they are still too young for it, so I really would go with the age limit on this toy. My 2 complaints with this electronic book is the books that go in the toy come in and out ever easily with is very annoying to my toddlers. I can't imagine at 3 they would be any better with the books though. To me, it seems like the system would work better if the books clipped in a bit better. Also some of the books seem "cheap" in their text. Example: Ernie's Neighborhood plays a song, "who are the people in our neighborhood" based on what the child is pointing at. Ernie sings most of the song and then some other voice chimes in with "police man" or "mail carrier", then Ernie continues to sings. Seems to me they could of spent more $$$ on the books development as well.

What I do like about this system is the fact the girls can use their fingers and not a pen to use the books. Plus the girls really seem to like this toy. I hope FP gets some better books soon.

One of my children's favorites!
We'd considered the Leap Pad for my daughter when she was 2 1/2, but decided to go with this one. For one thing, there's no wand or pen with it; it's all done by touch, which is helpful for little ones who haven't perfected their fine motor skills yet. It's also nice, because a wand or pen can be used as a weapon against siblings or parents! I also checked the durability of the books that come with it, because in addition to my daughter we also have an 18 month old, and he would be pulling on the pages. We've never had a page rip yet; they're very strong. My favorite thing about this product, though, is the fact that it even works without a book inserted! The plastic casing itself has the alphabet on it, so you can push the letters and play even when the insert books have been temporarily misplaced.

My daughter is 3 now, and has played with this nonstop for the last 6 months, and her younger brother (18 months) adores it as well. My children aren't "gifted" or anything; I'd say they're prefectly average, and they're able to work the Power Touch very easily, yet not so easily that they get bored. I highly recommend this product!

Do not recommend
I do not recommend purchasing the Power Touch Learning System because there have been no new books developed that I can see. And, at the back of some of the books it shows a Dora Explorer Book, and an additional Clifford book that are not offered anywhere, my son and I look in every store, I have searched the web and search engines. Basically Fisher-Price is not supporting this system, so I wish I had purchased the Leap Frog system. Although the Leap Pad we had when my son was younger had some problems with the stylus not touching correctly and giving incorrect answers, at least it has plenty of books and support. My son is 4 years old, has done all the Power Touch books and doesn't use it anymore, he's become bored with all the same books, he rather play with his old Leap Pad. And in the stores, you quickly see how much more there is available for the Leap Frog, and I think the stylus is also a great learning tool for practicing holding pencils/pens. Hopefully Fisher-Price will introduce new books soon, and this problem won't be such an issue. ... Read more