Learn in leaps and bounds (LeapFrog Leappad)

Member Name: January

Product:	LeapFrog Leappad
Date:	18/11/05 (203 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Educational

Disadvantages: Nonthing

With Christmas coming up it’s always a time of wondering what to get the grandchildren for their presents, but this year I am already ahead of the game. I will be buying another leapfrog leap pad from the early learning centre in town, at the cost of £28.99 as they are having a sale.

I bought one of these last year for my grandson’s fourth birthday and was amazed at the rate his learning came on, so much so that he was put in a higher class at school as he was ahead of the other children. When I first saw the leap pad I wasn’t sure he’d be able to get the grasp of it, as a you have to sit and listen to the pad talking and then respond to it.
My grandson is a highly active child and hardly ever sat down for more than three minutes at a time, even when you read him a story he’s be asking questions and demanding to look at the pictures in the book. So, I wondered if this new concept of a learning pad for kids would work on him.

I didn’t have to worry because two weeks after his birthday, I went to visit him and there he was, sat alone in a chair with the leap pad on his knee, talking to it and using the special pen to point to the shapes, colours and words in the book. I was amazed, it was like looking at a different child.
My daughter said he loved it and even took it to bed at night to play with for a while before going to sleep.
He was recognising shapes, colours counting better and reading the words in the book.

If I had doubts before about the suitability or price then they had just disappeared as it was worth every penny I had paid.
The leap pad itself is a bright blue plastic pad which fits little flip top books into it, you get a chip with each book which slots into the side of the pad. The pointer pen is attached by a wire so it doesn’t get lost. There are lots of choices of books that you can buy separately at around £12 after the initial learning book which came with the leap pad and called Leaps big day, I have bought Thomas the Tank Engine books which my grandson loves.
The books can be bought for different age groups, from 4-5 to 8-9 year old.

Using the leap pad is easy, fit the chip into the leap pad and switch it on. It will then speak to the child and tell them they have to press the green go when they turn the page.
When they touch things on the page with the pen it says the shape, colour and sometimes makes noises, or asks them if they want to play a game, it also sings songs to them.
The memory on here is quite big and there is lots of new and exciting information for a child to discover.
When I first bought it and put in the batteries, I thought I’d test it out and found it fascinating, thinking to myself that they never had toys like this when I was little. I was born to soon. My daughter even told me off as I was playing with it too much.

The leap pad is great, if the child leaves it without playing with it for a few minutes then it will turn itself off and say goodbye.
For value for money this is an excellent present for a child’s Christmas gift. I have never heard a bad report about it yet and have recommended it to friends who have bought it for their children and been impressed with how interactive it has been and how much their child has played and learned with it.
I am now going out to buy my granddaughter a nice pink one for her present as I know she’ll have hours of fun and games on it too.

Summary: Amazing