My family is a big fan of the LeapFrog brand.
From the fridge magnets and Letter Factory videos to the Explorer personal game system, my kids have used, loved and learned from these toys for the last eight years.
I have consistently found that LeapFrog’s toys are not only educational AND entertaining, but they are also priced right – and provide tremendous value for the dollar.
Which is why I have been so intrigued by LeapFrog’s latest offering – the LeapPad Explorer. A tablet for little ones, the LeapPad is THE toy of 2011.
In fact, it’s so popular that there have been almost no sales on the LeapPad, and it’s been virtually impossible to find it in stock anywhere.
So imagine my jumping-up-and-down excitement when Leap Frog offered to send me a LeapPad for my review… and then, sent me a second LeapPad to give away to ONE VERY LUCKY KOAB READER!
Now, before we get to the giveaway, I want to tell you a little bit about the LeapPad:
- The Leap Pad is targeted to the 4-9 year old set. And while I have no doubt that it can hold the attention of this entire age range – and even older – I also suspect that today’s tech savvy kids (seriously, my two year-old knows how to get to the Dora video on my iPhone) will probably be able to access much of the fun, too.
- The LeapPad is lightweight, but solid – and well protected – so I think it will stand up to some little kid “love” (aka abuse).
- The LeapPad has a built-in camera, which can store thousands of pictures, and a video camera, which can store up to 120 minutes of video. Pictures and video can be uploaded to your computer, as well. The quality of the camera is fine – good even, in decent lighting. It’s not going to rival your 12 mega-pixel SLR, but for a kids’ point-and-shoot, its better than most.
- The LeapPad comes with five preloaded apps – and hundreds (literally, hundreds) more you can download from the Leapster site. Some are free, and some cost a few bucks.
- There are also “readers” for the LeapPad – digital read-along books, including a preloaded one from Cars 2. And, of course, you can download more.
- There are even full-length Leap Frog videos you can download onto your LeapPad – and happily it comes preloaded with The Letter Factory (The A says ah, the A says ah, every letter makes a sound, the A says ah).
- And then there are games. Like the Leapster game systems, the games for the LeapPad must be purchased separately. They run around $30 – $40 retail, or $10 – $20 on sale.
- One of the very best things about the LeapPad is that it uses the same games as the Explorer. So if you already have the Explorer, like we do, you can get started with those games immediately. Too often new technology makes the slightly older stuff obsolete. I’m thrilled that the games we invested in for my son’s Explorer aren’t redundant. Thanks, LeapFrog!
- While the tablet is touch-activated, it also comes with a stylus (which conveniently ties onto the tablet) – and a back-up one as well, for when your kids inevitably lose the first one.
- As for the graphics, I think the LeapPad definitely rivals the Leapster Explorer, and of course, this tablet can do SO much more than the Explorer. Which means, if you’re looking to purchase just one toy – I see no reason not to go straight to the LeapPad!
So… who wants to win a brand new LeapPad??!!
There are six possible entries. The first one is mandatory – leave a comment on this post with your favorite toy as a child.
The other five entries are optional – but the more ways you enter, the better your chances are of winning. To enter, simply follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below. (Note, if you are reading this post in your email or RSS reader, you will need to click through to the post to enter.)
This giveaway is open only to legal U.S. residents who are 18 years or older. Entries will be accepted until Thursday, December 15th at midnight EST. The winner will be selected and notified on Friday – hopefully giving me plenty of time to get this mailed out in time for Chanukah!
This post reflects my views and opinions and was not reviewed or edited by a third party. I was provided with a complementary Leap Frog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet to facilitate my review, and a second copy to give away on my blog. No other compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”.
I loved my ‘stilts’
We had one of these years ago for my oldest child, but we lost it when our flooded in Katrina and never replaced it. My little one now would love it. My favorite toy when I was a kid was my Cabbage Patch Doll.
The original Mario games on our nintendo
My favorite toy as a child was a doll, a dog I named Tina. She had no batteries, moving parts, et.c but I loved her for a long time. In fact, I believe to closed off bag in the back of my closet today holds my Tina.
For some odd reason, I adored my cabbage patch doll and my little ponies.
LOVED my Barbies 🙂
My favorite toy as a child was our “Easy Bake Oven”! My sisters, our neighbors and myself would spend hours inventing new recipees. Even thought our inventions were barely edible we would imagine becoming world famous chefs.
Lite Brite, definitely. But Spin Art was a close second!
My favorite toy was probably my Game Boy – that big grey clunky one!
I loved light bright!
I loved playing with Tinker Toys. I could sit there and build things for hours.
Building houses out of Legos…I should have been an architect! 😉
All things Rainbow Brite! What can I say? I’m a child of the 80s!
My mom’s baton from when she marched with the band from when she was in high school.
I loved Barbie!
My favorite toy was a battery operated monkey who held a small bowl in one hand (paw?) where bubble soap was placed. In the other hand was a bubble wand, and his arm moved up and down while the bubble wand came up to his mouth and softly ‘blew’ a bubble.
my favorite toy growing up was a magic nursery doll… if anyone can remember those…
I played with Tonka Trucks and Matchbox cars on our gravel driveway for hours with my brother. We created roads, tunnels and bridges with the Trucks. We also used GI Joe and Barbies to act out many senerios. I miss those days.
My favorite toy as a child was my Etch-A-Sketch or maybe Play Doh.
I loved remote control cars… asked for one every chanuka!
babies, wooden blocks, anything arts and crafts…I loved those shrinky-dinks things you colored then baked, and they shrunk!
My favorite toy as a child was my container of Lincoln Logs. Always the best!
My favorite toy as a kid was my walking doll (she could walk with me)Karen. She was as big as me (though I was tiny) and I dragged her with me everywhere.
I had an American Girl doll that I still treasure
Favorite toy was for sure was pogo stick and stilts! Hours of fun!
I’ve been a Barbie girl since birth! At age 49 I still have the dolls I played with as a child. Definitely my all time favorite toy.
spirograph
Biggest Barbie fan- I had like 100 dolls and would play with them all day.
any and all kinds of dolls. i was born to be a mom ;0)
My favorite toy as a child was my stuffed Dino.
cabbage patch kids
This is the only thing my daughter has asked for for Christmas! My fingers will remain crossed until the drawing. 🙂
My favorite toy was Barbie!
My ABSOLUTE. favorite toy (s) to play with was Barbie,Ken, and all the other dolls and accessories. I could literally play for hours…
I was a doll girl- started with cabbage patch dolls, my dollhouse & then my American girl dolls. saved them for my kids!
My favorite toy was my set of Little People, with a schoolhouse, a school bus, and a two-story mansion.
My fave was for sure my Barbies. I could never get enough of them
I loved my lite brite. 🙂
I loved designing clothes for my barbies.
I loved fashion plates and barbies.
I love my cabbage patch preemie doll I had a cradle for her next to my bed and shlepped her everywhere in her carrier or stroller and even to school in my backpack
favorite toy – a stuffed Shamu doll my oldest brother and sister in law bought me while they were dating. I was 6
I used to love to play with colorforms and lite brites
corgi and hot wheels cars
i loved my building blocks! my parents still have our original set and my girls now play with them!
My favorite toys were definitely my Barbies.
My favorite toy as a child was a toss-up between legos and Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. I loved building new things with Legos. It was also a tradition in my family for my sisters and I to get a new Cabbage Patch every year…still have them to this day. My nieces are getting their first Cabbage Patch doll this Christmas.
i loved my cabbage patch doll
Fisher-price people and wood blocks.
The fisher price hospital.
My “Veronica” doll. She had a short bob hairstyle, but you could push her belly button and pull her hair out to be long (past her tush). She had a knob on her back that you could turn to adjust the length of her hair. I spent HOURS working on different hair styles!