I acquired a couple of these LeapPad Learning Systems at garage sales and my children love them! They're easy enough to use that my children (ages 4 and 2) can operate them by themselves. My two-year-old needs help changing cartridges, but I'm happy to that (or have his big sister help). He's also grown in his abilities. When he first received his LeapPad, he didn't do much more than jab the pointer at it. Now he understands how to push the green circle on each page and to play a few of the games. I love that he's learning, on his own, how to make things work and answering questions in the game. Meanwhile, our four-year-old regularly pulls out the little books, switching between books and cartridges easily. She can play through the books entirely on her own, playing the games, answering the questions and following the spoken instructions. They both LOVE them. I would highly recommend these systems for anyone.

arow97

Shawnee, OK

My daughter just got the "My first leap pad" last year at Christmas! Its been perfect for her! She just turned 4 this week and still loves it! She has 5 different books/cartiridges that go with it and all of them have really occupied her! She can turn the book over herself to play the other side and can take out the cartridges and put the new one in! Its really great that she is able to do this herself and can't hurt herself! She loves learning and its just a perfect toy! I just wish there were alittle more variety of books!!

jmacauley1981

Beverly Hills, CA

I was very excited to give this toy to my daughter. She loves to read and was 18 months when we first got it. Its a pain to work and i havent yet (4 months later) to figure it out. The books hold up very well, but are easy to misplace. Not something I would invest in.

aubiesmomma

Mount Airy, NC

This has been a great toy.  It is very educational and versatile because of all the possiblities with the different books.  We purchased the backpack to go with it, so it keeps everything all together and is easy to take along in the car or anywhere else.

ccheshire

Layton, UT

The my first leap frog has proven to be a great toy for my children. I originally bought it for my now 6 year old and it is still being used by her as well as my 2 year old niece. I cannot begin to tell you how durable this is. The books have been chewed on, the system has been thrown around as well as stood on and it continues to work. The only downfall is that when a new book is purchased, a cartridge has to be installed. The cartridges when not in use are small and easy to lose. Other than that, this is a fantastic educational toy.

cowsuzi

Erlanger, KY

My 5 yr old granddaughter received the LeapPad Learning System for Christmas .... she is able to finish an entire cartridge in about 2 weeks. I have seen her get better in her spelling because of the cartridges that she has ... she has learn to "listen" then follow the directions to complete a task.

mrsbuckeye

Mansfield, OH

We got this LeapFrog My First LeapPad Learning System about five years ago, and it has been one of the best investments we have made.  The books have held up really well, and we keep everything stored together in a bin and things stay togther well.  My youngest daughter figured out how to use the pen and the green circles right around her second birthday and has enjoyed it as much as her siblings (who still play from time to time at ages five and eight).  There are a variety of books for the LeapPad learning system for all types of interests.  The only draw back that we have found is the pens wear out a bit... my son had an oral phase a lot longer than most, where he chewed on anything and he went through a couple of pens because he chewed through the plastic sheath over the wires.  Thankfully he never got injured.  After a few years we've had to blow out cartridges and the slot to make things work from time to time, but over all it is really easy for the kids to do and they love it.

weareborgswife

Kent, WA

My husband and I both have laptops and my son is obsessed with them. We had a hard time finding one appropriate for his age. He is 18 months. This one is perfect. I love the fact that it can be customized by downloading you child's name and picking out music. At this age I am not sure how much he will be able to learn from it but he defiantly finds it entertaining. I was also happy to see it was Mac compatible! 

GinaBrandDeMoura

Kissimmee, FL

I bought my First Leap Pad for my oldest son who played with it for several years and then it was passed down to my youngest, who still uses it to this day. It is a great integration of playing and learning. It mixes games, with learning to read, learning shapes, learning colors and also teaches kids to follow directions. I wish that I had a carrying case, as we have lots of books and cartridges to keep up with. It wasn't terribly expensive, nor are the books that you purchase seperately. It is very durable, as it has made it through 2 boys across 9 years in this house. I would recommend this product for other kids, but I would check into more up to date products. There may be newer technology that would make the old books and cartridges a thing of the past.

AmyRobbinsStickler

Ypsilanti, MI

I am a mother of three and I am very involved in my childrens lives.  I am very careful about the toys I buy them, as I want them to enjoy getting an education.  I purchased the LeapFrog My First LeapPad Learning System for my youngest daughter because it looked like a fun educational toy.  My daughter was truely impressed with it, although I found many flaws with it.  I have to admit that it did make her intrested in learning to read and I did see some improvement.  However, this toys can be very expensive in the end.  I found that after reading the same books over and over my daughter would become tired of it.   The LeapFrog learning system is in itself expensive and the books you have to buy seperatly.  If you have the money to spend and to keep spending on books as they grow tired of the ones they have, or they move onto a different reading level then this is a good toy.  If you are on a budget, then I think there are cheaper options.

nursemorris

Leander, TX