Captures my 4 year old's imagination and teaches, too!
buying for a preschooler, buying educational toys, Got myself a smart 4 year old
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OCT
22
2008
For her 4th birthday, I wanted to get her something that she would enjoy, but was educational at the same time. She is just too smart a kid (you wouldn't believe her vocabulary) to waste money on a toy that doesn't teach her. So, I was trolling the toy aisles at Target a couple of weeks ago and came across the Leapster Learning Game System by Leap Frog. What really caught my eye was the games were on sale for $19.95. Five bucks off!
Now, there are two versions of this contraption. The original Leapster, which I purchased and Leapster 2, which you can hook up to a TV and connect to the Internet. I chose the older version for two reasons. First, I had no experience with this system and I didn't want to get the more expensive one only to have her show no interest or that it didn't live up to expectations. Secondly, I felt that since she is four, Leapster 2 could be a bit much for her AND I didn't want to fight with her over the TV. So, I bought the thing at $49.95 (wouldn't you know, the next week they put it on sale at $39.95). We gave it to her on her birthday and haven't been able to pry it away since. She sometimes goes to sleep with it in her little hands.
It kinda looks like a fat version of the Nintendo DS, but much less expensive. The actual game console is easily held in two hands, even little hands. Taking 4 AA batteries (we've gone through 12 in two weeks) in the back compartment, which is easily removed, it turns on via a little red button in the upper right hand corner. All the buttons are clearly marked, but my girl doesn't really read yet (she can say her alphabet and recognizes individual letters, though), so part of the initial fun was watching her figure out all the buttons. She did, and in short order. There is a directional key pad to the left of the screen and buttons A and B to the right. Below the screen is a stylus attached to a thick green nylon string. The strong string is fortunate because my youngin' has a bad habit of carrying it around by the stylus. I'm trying to break her of that. 4 year olds are pretty stubborn, though. The console also has four buttons on the bottom edge, two for brightness and two for volume.
I thought for 40 bucks I'd get crappy graphics but, not so. They are kind of like watching a cartoon on an analog TV, and color, too! The system itself is about 4 x 6 inches with rounded edges and the screen is about 2 1/4", which is plenty big enough for most activities. It's a little tight for the drawing exercises, but more than adequate, for the most part. There is a nice sized speaker on the bottom right corner of the unit and the sound is clear and easy to understand.
Leapster comes with two built in games, so if you can't or don't want to buy extra games right away, that's ok. One game is Frogger with a rabbit. In this incarnation, the child is first instructed how to use the D-pad to move the rabbit across the logs to the other side and then given numbers to jump to in a neat counted exercise. There are also carrots for rewards on some of the logs and bee hives on others. If they jump on the bee hives or miss the log, plop they go, into the drink! Unlike Frogger, though, there are no "dying" theatrics, so you don't have to explain that to a 4 year old! Nope, the rabbit just reappears on back on the bank and they start over. The game has 4 levels and can be played using the alphabet, as well.
The second game is drawing game where the child is given a picture, which they can change with the stylus. They can also change colors and use the stylus to color the picture as well as choose various backgrounds and moving objects to put on their picture. The possibilities are almost endless and they can draw however they want.
There are also a myriad of game cartridges to be bought an plugged into the slot for them on the top edge of the unit. A lot of them are Disney themed as well as Thomas the Tank, Dora and other assorted characters. I got the one for one of her very favorite movies Finding Nemo. Plug that sucker in and it becomes Nemo Leapster! There are several different games on this one teaching numbers and math skills, phonics and reading skills and science facts. We also purchased Disney World of Enchantment, which has more learning games with Ariel and Little Princess.
BOTTOM LINE
Leapster Learing Game System is a wonderful learning toy that teaches math, phonics, letters and drawing. It also improves hand-eye coordination. The system is aimed at 4-10 year olds, with most of the games I saw at Target designed for the 4-7 year old crowd. Any game that is this engaging and teaches needed skills at the same time is a must have in my book.
Leapster Learing Game System: $49.99
Finding Nemo Game: $24.95
The face of my little girl when her eyes light up with pure joy as she yells: "Daddy!, Daddy! I Did it! I Got the Princess through the maze!" : PRICELESS
GRADE: A+
Last edited on Oct 23, 2008
Leapster Learning System is recommended by MikeMaroon
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