The Leapster 2 is, in my opinion, totally worth recommending. Made by LeapFrog, it’s essentially an educational hand held game console that runs game cartridges, purchased separately. The games can run anywhere from $9 (on clearance) up to $25, so when people ask me what the boys might want for their birthdays or Christmas, I often suggest a Leapster game.

They each got one of the original Leapsters for Christmas a couple years ago and they used those suckers until they were dead. Needless to say, we felt the new model would be the perfect gift for them this past Christmas — the Leapster 2. Not only would the boys get better, newer systems, all the games from their old Leapsters would work with the new ones. That’s a feature I really appreciate since so many toy companies come out with newer versions of electronic toys that won’t use accessories from the previous model, thereby costing the consumer far more than he/she may have been intending to spend (which is the point).

The games are fun, interactive and very educational. Titles include favorite characters like Cars, Ratoutille, Diego, Dora and SpongeBob SquarePants, to name a few. They teach concepts such as math, word identification, reading, counting, spelling and a variety of other specialized skills I never would have even thought about.

Best of all, I don’t feel guilty when the boys play them like I do when they play regular video games. The Leapsters are not addictive enough to trigger Cody’s obsessive tendencies, like the GameBoy did, yet they’re extremely engaging. The boys eagerly look forward to bedtime on weekends, when they’re allowed to play their Leapsters to their hearts’ content.

Do you have a favorite toy for your kids or grandkids that you highly recommend? Why is it so great?