As my loyal readers know, I have long been a fan of LeapFrog products, so when the public relations folks at LeapFrog chose me as one of their reviewers for the as-yet-unreleased Leapster Explorer, I was thrilled. It’s absolutely awesome. All four of my kids, ages 6-11, have been using it and they love it, even though it’s technically for up to age 9. My two youngest, especially, have been using it as often as I’ll let them, since we received it.

Since it hasn’t technically been released yet, we haven’t been able to hook the Explorer up to the computer, but all the pre-installed apps are great. My kids are thoroughly entertained and educated all at once and have nothing but good to say about the games. “The games are more fun than the Leapster 2′s,” says my 7-year-old, Cody. Logan, 6,  now refuses to even touch the Leapster 2, deeming it “boring” in comparison, though knowing the temperamental nature of kids, that will change soon, I’m sure.

Kids can watch videos, read e-Books and play games via “Leaplets,” which are downloadable learning applications. They can also go online to LeapWorld, where they can turn the achievements they’ve made in their Explorer games into tokens with which to create an online character and dwelling (similar to Webkinz, if you’re familiar with that).

The Explorer is very intuitive (it personalizes games according to your child’s grade and remembers her progress) and the screen is crisp and clear. Kids can use the accompanying stylus or just touch the screen with their fingers, and the Explorer is built to run Flash, video and 3-D graphics.

Bottom line: This is LeapFrog’s absolute best product yet! I’m very impressed with it and can’t wait to see all the games and Leaplets that come out for this new gadget. I think its price is extremely reasonable for everything it does.

The only downside about the Explorer is that, unlike with all the other Leapster models, the game cartridges are not interchangeable, which means you’ll be buying a whole new set. However, its advantages more than make up for that, in my opinion, and Leapster games have long been a staple on my kids’  birthday and Christmas lists.

So, because LeapFrog chose me as a reviewer for this new product, guess what? I get to give away a Leapster Explorer too! Here’s the scoop:

THE PRIZE:

A brand new, direct-from-the-company, Leapster Explorer PLUS the Toy Story 3 cartridge game! Retail value: Nearly $95!

TO ENTER:

♣ Leave a comment telling me about your favorite LeapFrog product. Limit one comment per person.

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PLEASE READ: Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time, Saturday, July 3, 2010. Any comments left after this time will be deleted. Open to residents of the U.S. only. The winner will be chosen using random.org. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to notification with shipping info. If no response, another winner will be chosen.

GOOD LUCK!

Tags: educational toy, family, giveaway, kids, LeapFrog, Leapster Explorer, parenting, review, toy, Toy Story 3