Enjoy your toys, Jen!

Ally seemed to really like the songs; she repeatedly pushed the song button. She was also really excited when she found the ball under the right shoe. It’s an entertaining, educational toy. It’s not too obnoxious or loud. The actual octopus seems durable; Ally has been carrying it all over the house.

The balls are pretty hard. We had one get a little crack the first day. Kids are obviously going to be throwing balls, so they should be made to withstand the abuse.

I noticed that the octopus gets confused if it is played with on soft carpet. It gives incorrect answers sometimes.

Overall, it’s an exciting and encouraging toy. Ally has played with it a lot without any pushing from me. It’s good to teach counting and colors.

Next up: A giveaway combo of the Peek-A-Shoe Octopus and the My Own Story Time Pad. Stay tuned!

It’s LeapFrog’s My Own Story Time Pad, and since it’s geared toward kids ages 24 months to 6 years (my youngest is 7), I decided to send it home with Dan to try out with his 4-year-old daughter. Here’s his review:

Last week I finally bought an e-reader. Like most of us these days, I’m trying to get what I want while staying on budget. After much debate, I decided to buy a Nook Simple Touch from Barnes & Noble. While my six-year old daughter will no doubt end up “borrowing it” soon, my youngest daughter, who is four, will not. This is where Leap Frog’s My Own Story Time Pad enters the market.

My Own Story Time Pad resembles one of today’s e-readers but has what my preschooler will relate to. The construction is what we can expect from Leap Frog, a solid and durable design. On the front there are four faux e-reader or tablet computer options. I call them faux because they are really meant to resemble the adult version. While they offer limited capabilities, they are enough for my daughter. The four options include alphabet, e-mail, a book and music with a paw print in the middle as the command or enter button.

The “Alphabet” mode allows users to choose a letter on the pad. A character voice pronounces the letter’s sound and uses it in a few words. The “E-mail” simulates e-mail from a character on the reader. The character reads the e-mail while the words are shown on the screen. In the “Book” or “Story” mode, a character tells a short story complete with simple graphics. Finally, the “Music” mode plays either a few children’s songs or allows the user to make music using the Pad’s keyboard using instruments and sound sampling. At the end of the mode function the Pad will ask if you have done another activity, like “have you checked your e-mail?” keeping the child busy and engaged much like we are when using an iPad, tablet computer or in my case, the Nook.

As a father, I think this will both educate and distract. I say distract because my youngest does not need a full-blown e-reader or tablet computer. With this she will know what a tablet computer or e-reader do and be a little more ready for them when the time arrives. The experience left me wanting more, but realizing that this is enough for my youngest…for now.

Pros:

Solid construction

Good platform for learning reading, as well as an intro to electronic devices

Cons:

Small screen

Simple graphics

Dan can be found at his blog, The-DG,

Look for a giveaway on this toy coming soon!

Congratulations to

Rondah Stepp of Stoutsville, OH!

Enjoy your prize, Rondah!

Congratulations to

Angela Winesburg of Frederick, MD!

Enjoy your prize, Angela!

I gave it a whirl too and here are my thoughts:

PROS:

• The Tag Reader is really quite an intuitive little toy. I don’t know how it does everything it does, but it’s very impressive. I’ve heard many other parents and teachers make this comment as well.
• The Solar System board has plenty of activities, including games, information and answers to common questions, such as, “How do we know if there is life on other planets?”
• One of the games has an option for two players, which is nice for siblings or even for a parent to play with the child.
• Kids can learn many interesting facts about temperature, distance from the sun, how long a year is and various other info about each planet.

CONS:

• I’ve never heard any complaints from Logan, but I found the speaking to be loud and semi-obnoxious, in the same way that Dora or other child-targeted voices are. I think that’s just an adult’s perspective though.
• I don’t know if this is a “con” for sure, but I thought the pronunciation of “Uranus” was interesting. I think most parents have learned it as “Your-anus,” whereas the game (and maybe schools too, for all I know) pronounces it “Urine-us.” Either way has its chuckle-inducing connotations, so I guess it doesn’t matter too much.

OVERALL:

Totally recommend both the Tag Reader, which has been shown to be very successful in Kindergarten classrooms, and the new Solar System Adventure Pack. I learned many new facts about the planets and solar system. LeapFrog always makes learning fun, which is why they are so successful.

And now for the good stuff — the giveaway!

THE PRIZE:

A Tag Reader with Solar System Adventure Pack. This bundle is retail priced at $64!

TO ENTER:

♣  Leave a comment on my blog. Limit one comment per person, per day.

WANT BONUS ENTRIES?

♣ “Like” LeapFrog’s Facebook page. Leave a comment telling me you did it, as well as your Facebook profile name.

♣  Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email, then leave a comment letting me know.

♣  Tweet this giveaway and leave a comment with the link. (You can do this daily.) Optional phrasing for your Tweet: I’m entered to win a Tag Reader & Solar System Pack from @MomofTwinsPlus2. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/6m96bhp.

♣  Post on your blog with a link about the giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your post.

♣  Follow my blog on Networked Blogs and leave a comment letting me know.

♣  “Like” my Facebook page, Parenting By Trial and Error, and leave a comment letting me know.

PLEASE READ: Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time, Saturday, November 19, 2011. Any comments left after this time will be deleted. Open to residents of the U.S. only. The winner will be chosen by 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!

Have you entered my LeapPad giveaway? Click here to enter!

REVIEWS:

Pet Pals 2: My boys absolutely love this game (even my 9-year-old) and have squabbled over who gets to play it countless times. Similar to Webkinz in its game play, kids adopt a puppy, feed and water it, play with it and earn Puppy Points, which they can use to buy items for their pets.

Here’s LeapFrog’s description:

Explore emotions and responsibility as you adopt and take care of your very own puppy!
• Cartridge game works with the Leapster Explorer™ and LeapPad™ Explorer systems (sold separately).
• Give your furry friend treats, toys and teach it tricks.
• Use mathematics skills to win the dog show.
• Explore a town full of fun surprises.
• Teaches emotions, responsibility, numbers, counting, addition and subtraction. Appropriate for children ages 4 to 7 years (grades pre-K to 1).

Pixar Pals: This game is completely different from Pet Pals. Kids have to solve puzzles and use logic to move through the levels and earn prizes and badges. Moving around seems to be similar to Mario. Logan really enjoys this one, especially because he loves the characters (Nemo, Dory, Woody, Buzz, Wall-E and Eve). Even though this game is for the same age range as Pet Pals 2, Cody doesn’t like Pixar Pals as well as Pet Pals 2, but he’s technically too old to play either. =)

Here’s LeapFrog’s description:

Complete science and logic challenges, solve puzzles, unlock mini-games and more with WALL-E and EVE, Nemo and Dory or Woody and Buzz!
• Cartridge game works with the Leapster Explorer™ and LeapPad Explorer™ systems (sold separately).
• Sort trash and recycling with WALL-E.
• Use logic skills to help Woody and Buzz.
• Explore Dory’s ocean habitat and help find her friends.
• Appropriate for children ages 4 to 7 years (grades pre-K to 1).

LeapSchool Reading: This game is bordering on being too young for Logan, who is in 2nd grade, but since his reading skills are fairly average for a 2nd grader, he still enjoys it. The spelling part is especially good for him, as he tends to spell his words phonetically rather than the way they are actually spelled.

LeapFrog’s description:

Meet the kids from the coolest school in the world in this fun reading adventure!
• Complete quests and treasure hunts while building reading skills in 26 games.
• Guide characters to the word with the correct spelling.
• Help each of your friends build a yearbook page.
• Teaches early reading skills, spelling and logic skills. Appropriate for children ages 4 to 7 years (grades pre-K to 1).
• Cartridge game works with Leapster Explorer™ and LeapPad Explorer™ (systems sold separately)

My boys, ages 9 and 7, have adored every LeapFrog toy they’ve had, from their sisters’ cast-off original LeapPads (a far different species than this latest creation) to their Leapsters, Leapster 2s, Tag Readers, and Leapster Explorers. We watched a preview of the LeapPad Explorer before it came out. After that, they were so excited to get it, they asked me every day, “Is it here yet????”

As expected, they love it. I’m thrilled that the games and apps work with BOTH the Leapster Explorer and the LeapPad because then we don’t have so many fights over who gets to play the new LeapPad.

I haven’t cracked and bought Nintendo DSs for my boys yet, even though they’ve been wanting them. They have their Leapsters and that has honestly been good enough, even when they’re around other kids who have DSs and my boys have their Leapsters instead. I’m happy because they are actually learning things and they’re happy because they get to play those all-so-important video games.

I decided to give the LeapPad a whirl myself to see what it was like. I’ve mostly relied on my boys’ input when reviewing LeapFrog products in the past, so this time, I decided to not even ask them what they like best and give my own opinion. There is no doubt that they love it.

PROS:

* A magnetic stylus, which is fairly easy to get in and out and less likely to get lost (I hope!). My youngest son cut the stylus off of every single Leapster we had in the past, which has been very frustrating.

* An EXTRA stylus, in case you do lose the original. =) (Fantastic idea, LeapFrog!)

* The Learning Path, which allows parents to keep track of their children’s learning progress online.

* Kid-friendly touch screen with nice, clear resolution.

* The camera and video recorder, which may be my kids’ favorite features. Combine those with the included Art Studio and you’ve got hours of fun for kids that like to play with their pictures. The camera is pretty low-resolution, but it serves its function and my boys don’t know any better yet.

* Art Studio! Lots of fun for kids and it gets their creativity and imagination going.

* The “All About Me” game, which allows kids to make books about themselves and share them via Facebook or email. I started my own book and had a lot of fun being creative with it.

* Ultra e-books, which are so cool! They’re interactive and give kids a new reading experience.

* It allows several player profiles and each profile keeps track of that specific child’s skill level. This is particularly nice because I remember in the small amount of time when my girls were still playing with their Leapsters (the original ones, I’m talking about here), their brothers would get on them and wreck their progress because there was no such thing as a different profile or log-in. I also love that the LeapPad, as well as the Leapster Explorer, does keep track of each kid’s progress.

* You can get new games and apps to continually challenge kids (more than 100 in the LeapFrog library!).

* Much better alternative to an iPad for younger kids. Of course it’s much more limited than an iPad, but it’s also a fraction of the cost.

* It’s educational, which is my very favorite thing about LeapFrog products. They know how to combine learning and fun in such a way that kids don’t even realize they’re actually learning something and not just playing a fun game. You can feel good about your kid using this as part of her allowed screen time because she’s not just playing mind-numbing games, but actually actively participating and stretching her learning skills.

CONS:

* Like most toys of this type, it sucks down batteries like Logan drinking chocolate milk. Thankfully, I usually have rechargeable ones ready to go.

* The apps and games aren’t cheap.

OVERALL:

I highly recommend the LeapPad Explorer. It’s a wonderful educational toy for kids and a great alternative to a DS or similar handheld game component. I want my kids to have fun, and there’s not much better than seeing them have fun AND learn something while they’re doing it.

Tomorrow, I will be reviewing several of the new LeapFrog cartridge games for the LeapPad and/or Leapster Explore, and next week, I will be doing a review and giveaway of the LeapFrog Tag Reader with a brand new book. In the meantime, here are the deets for getting in on this giveaway:

THE PRIZE:

A LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet, with ONE cartridge game and ONE App Center Download Card. This bundle is retail priced at $144!

TO ENTER:

♣  Leave a comment on my blog. Limit one comment per person, per day.

WANT BONUS ENTRIES?

♣ “Like” LeapFrog’s Facebook page. Leave a comment telling me you did it, as well as your Facebook profile name.

♣  Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email, then leave a comment letting me know.

♣  Tweet this giveaway and leave a comment with the link. (You can do this daily.) Optional phrasing for your Tweet: I’m entered to win a LeapPad Learning Tablet from @MomofTwinsPlus2. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/44jvyw4.

♣  Post on your blog with a link about the giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your post.

♣  Follow my blog on Networked Blogs and leave a comment letting me know.

♣  “Like” my Facebook page, Parenting By Trial and Error, and leave a comment letting me know.

PLEASE READ: Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time, Wednesday, November 16, 2011. Any comments left after this time will be deleted. Open to residents of the U.S. only. The winner will be chosen by 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!
Have you entered my Tag Reader + Solar System Adventure Pack giveaway? Click here to enter!

Here’s what LeapFrog is up to (from a press release):

Another school year is underway, Education Nation has launched, Waiting for Superman is on movie screens, and we all want to give our children the best possible school experience. Knowing that literacy statistics in recent years have been discouraging at best, in 2009, LeapFrog decided we had to do more to help our youngest kids get started on the right foot—in Kindergarten, the year when “learning to read” usually begins.

So we donated $1.5 million in Tag Readers and books to the classrooms of 10,000 Kindergarten students nationwide. And after using them for a few months, here’s what teachers told us:

o 99% of them said they’d recommend Tag systems to other teachers and to parents, because it makes a real difference.

o   96% said their students’ attitudes about reading improved.

o   95% said their students wanted to spend more time reading.

o   97% said their students’ reading skills improved.

WELL. We felt confident that Tag would have a positive effect in the classroom, but even we were amazed by this feedback. Because teachers have made it clear that Tag helps them and their students, LeapFrog has launched the Tag. Give. Read. program, empowering anyone to “give the gift of reading” by putting Tag materials into the hands of 30,000 more students.

2 ways to get involved:

1.   GIVE TO A TEACHER. LeapFrog has donated $100,000 to DonorsChoose.org, to match donations, dollar-for-dollar, made to teachers who request Tag for their classrooms. This is teachers’ opportunity to post a request for Tag Readers and books, being sure to reference “LeapFrog Tag Readers” in the request. And it’s everyone else’s opportunity to help a teacher out. Everyone can give, no amount is too little, and LeapFrog’s gift effectively doubles every dollar given.

2.   “LIKE” LEAPFROG ON FACEBOOK. LeapFrog will give a Tag book to a Kindergarten teacher for each new Facebook fan we get—it’s what we’re calling our “Virtual Book Drive.” That way even someone who is unable to contribute financially can lend a hand by becoming a fan.

Pretty cool initiative, huh?

THE PRIZE:

Tag Reading System + US Map and 2 additional books for YOU.

Tag map

Tag Reading Sytem

PLUS, choose a Kindergarten teacher to receive a Tag kit for classroom use, consisting of 2 Tag School Readers and headphones, along with 2 copies each of 15 Tag books.

TO ENTER:

♣    “Like” LeapFrog on Facebook, then leave a comment here with your Facebook name. Limit one comment per person.

WANT BONUS ENTRIES?

♣    Suggest to 10 of your Facebook friends that they “Like” LeapFrog on Facebook too. The more “Likes” LeapFrog gets, the more books they get to give away! Leave a comment here telling me you did this.

♣    Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email, then leave a comment letting me know.

♣    Tweet this giveaway and leave a comment with the link. (You can do this daily.) Optional phrasing for your Tweet: I’m entered to win a Leapster Tag Reading System, U.S. map & 2 books from @MomofTwinsPlus2. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/25jov9h.

♣    Post on your blog with a link about the giveaway and leave a comment here with a link to your post.

♣    Follow my blog on Networked Blogs and leave a comment here letting me know.

♣    Become a fan of Parenting By Trial and Error on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me know.

PLEASE READ: Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time, Sunday, December 19, 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!

Congratulations to

Ria Martin, of Decatur, GA!