We got this for my oldest son last Christmas.  My younger son is asking Santa for one this Christmas.  This is a fantastic toy for long car trips.  I didn't want to get my son a gameboy because I'd rather he was learning not just blowing up things.  My sisters son had a Leapster and showed it to my oldest son at the beach.  He begged for one last year.  After seeing his brother play all year long my youngest told Santa he wanted one this year.  The only problem I have with them is thare aren;t very many games at each learning level. I wish there were more.

ETomihiro

Winston Salem, NC

We debated getting this for our child who was turning three years old at the time, he is four now.   He always takes care of his toys, so I thought well why not.  It had all of the pros we were looking for such as all the learning games, portable etc.  My son taught himself how to play the games.  He became an expert in a week, and was running circles around me.  But I knew we made the right decision in purchasing this when he said mommy this is an oval not a circle.  I was like oh yes this was so worth buying this at an early age.  I support leapster 100 percent.

lilrute

Culloden, WV

This is a great toy for children. It is not only fun form them they get to learn at the same time. Plus there are 40 games to choose from. The only down fall on this is that you need to have plenty of batteries on hand. My child has both the Leapster and the V-Smile and I like the Leapster because it has more games for it.

penut2p

Port Charlotte, FL

This is a nice toy, but I am not sure if given a choice if I would buy Vtech Handheld again or the competitor.  The first problem is that the batteries go way too fast!  Pretty much forcing you to buy the battery charger.  I have not experienced that with the competitor product.  The games are good but don't ssem to hold my child's interest like the competitor.  Don't get me wrong this is a nice toy, but I prefer the other system.

pw47

Mount Royal, NJ

This is a great toy. It is very educational and makes learning fun. They games are age appropriate. My son would play it all day if I let him.It goes with us everywhere. I like that it has a volume control, and the must have carrying case has enough room for the Leapster and all the games. I would love to see more games for the older kids. It gives them something to play besides stantard video games. They don't even ralize they are learning

heathermg139

Hamburg, NY

The Leapster L-max was definitely a wise investment for my 4 year old (she is now 5 1/2).  We have had a few issues with the calibration of the pen, however I would still highly recommend this to any parent!  Leap Frog has created another wonderful and innovative product!

Thresha

Ocklawaha, FL

The Leapster was a gift to our child from my sister-in-law who has 2 children - one older and one younger than ours. She said her children love the Leapster and it can go along in the car, on a plane, or be played at home. She was right. Our child loves playing the games...and he is learning at the same time. He knows so mich about animals from the "Animal Genius" game, it's amazing. Just listening to the other games, I know he is learning to spell and do addition and subtraction. They have made the games fun and challenging. A great find!

ssteele

Montgomery, PA

My husband wanted this for our daughter and I was initially against it.  I wanted her to have quiet educational things like puzzles and blocks.  We got it and it is THE BEST toy we have ever purchased, because it is educational and she uses it.  The cartridges are sold separately and vary by age and skill taught.   She has learned reading skills, parts of speech, American History, spelling, and more.  It is a great thing to have on a long trips and hooks up to our video player in the car.  I just purchased three more cartridges for Christmas.  I would recommend the recharger available separately, this thing eats batteries.

scrapbookmeister

Wilmington, DE

I like the size of this product but compared to the leap pad and leap pad jr., this gaming system is a lot smaller and really is only for one person viewing it. The window is small and dark at side angles when not looking directly at it. My daughter got one of these this past summer and she never plays the separate game.. there is no place to store it and its easy to lose because its so small. She mostly plays the paint game that comes with the leapster. It would be better if there was a place to store the games. Also, the flap that protects the window comes off easy and is in the way. Ours is lost. Its supposed to snap in place in the back but then you cant hold the leapster without it unsnapping. Very annoying. One more thing I dont like about it is that it has a lot of commercials in it for other games. It would be cool if there was a mini activity for each commercial but there isnt. What I do like about it though is that its small and easy to travel. My daughter plays it all the time and loves the paint game. I like the fact that it has a volume on it as well. Either way, I like her old leap pad jr. better. Much more fun for the onlookers too.

integrity1

Angola, IN

We currently have 2 of these as well as tons of cartirdges to go with them. The leapster is useable for preschoolers through upper elementary. The games can be expensive but they are worth it. I'd rather add to a toy my children already have and love than spend money on things I don't know how long my kids will care about them. Big time important thing we found with this toy is that it uses tons of batteries so be sure to get the charging system with it right from the start.

mom-n-dad

Cedar Rapids, IA