Product Description

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39678 in Toys & Games
• Brand: LeapFrog
• Model: 20083
• Number of items: 1

Features

• My First LeapPad educational learning system shaped like a friendly yellow school bus
• Accepts all of the 15 titles in the LeapFrog interactive library
• Several early phonics activities built right in that do not require a book
• Children can touch one of the letters along the edge of the bus to hear its name said aloud
• Requires four AA batteries (not included)

Editorial Review
Shaped like a friendly yellow school bus, this incarnation of My First LeapPad continues to engage children with fun games that they will never suspect are valuable brain-building activities. The updated LeapPad still accepts all of the 15 titles in the LeapFrog interactive library, each of which snaps into the LeapPad reader and focuses on a different pre-kindergarten skill, from reading to math to social skills. Secured to the bus is the "magic" pen, which hones fine motor skills when used to point to objects within the interactive books and, for more advanced learners, provides practice on how to hold a pencil and write letters. The difference with this First LeapPad, however, is that it has several early phonics activities built right in that do not require a book. The alphabet is listed along the side of the bus and children can touch a letter to hear its name said aloud. Two fun games ask children to identify a particular letter or letter sound and offer positive encouragement if kids don’t get the right answer the first time. Finally, preschoolers can listen to (what else?) The Wheels on the Bus in between games. My First LeapPad comes with the interactive book and cartridge for Leap’s Big Day and runs on four "AA" batteries (not included). --Cristina Vaamonde

From the Manufacturer
The new complete way to prepare for the first day of Kindergarten. Introducing the new My First LeapPad Learning System shaped like a school bus. The My First LeapPad platform works with the entire library of My First LeapPad books that teach the pre-reading, pre-writing and other preschool skills to prepare children for the first day of school. There are 2 fun ways to play with the platform. You can either use it with the library of over 15 books including popular characters such as Dora the Explorer, The Wiggles and SpongeBob SquarePants or use the platform as an interactive phonics bus. When the book is removed, children can explore letter names and sounds by touching the letters printed on the bus. There are two fun letter games and "The Wheels On the Bus" song built right into the platform. The new My First LeapPad Learning System is the best way to prepare children for the first day of Kindergarten. What it Teaches: * Pre-math and pre-writing skills * Shorter stories to teach ABCs * Pre-reading * Numbers * Phonics

Customer Reviews

A Good Thing Made Better
We bought the original "My First LeapPad" in blue for our son when he had just turned 2. The new BUS design is good for both boys and girls and has extra features that the original pink or blue ones don't have. I recommend letting your child play with a friend's LeapPad to see whether or not they like it and are willing to sit still and concentrate on it. Some kids may not be ready for it until 3 years old or older, while some kids catch on at 2. We got The Wiggles book to go with my son's LeapPad and we couldn't tear him away from it. We had to show him how to do some things at first but after a few weeks he was on his own. One thing I recommend is to turn the LeapPad on and then hand it to your child. I have known several children who get too enamoured in the whole on-off-on-off thing at a young age and miss the whole point of the Pad. After a while they will be able to manage that aspect too. We know of 2 other toddlers who do not care for this toy (one is 2 and one is 3 years old), however my son absolutely loves it. He is now 2 1/2 and has several books and is not only entertained for a LONG time by the My First LeapPad but he learns things from it constantly. I am impressed. We recommend the LeapFrog phonics bus and Fridge Phonics as well--they worked for us. The My First LeapPad helped make our cross-country drive with a 2 year old much more peaceful than I'd anticipated. A few new books to go on it and we had hours of back-seat entertainment. I would buy this toy, especially with the new BUS features, again in a heartbeat.

Great, but we've had problems with the cartridges!
My family and I have purchased Leap Frog products since my (now 4-year-old) son was born. The My First LeapPad has been the only product where I've kicked myself. Although the product is great and has entertained my son since he was about 2 1/2, we have had constant problems with the cartridges. Half the time (at least) we put them in, they say, "Whoops! That's not a LeapPad cartridge!" It happened a lot with the first one we purchased and, thinking it was a fluke since we've never had problems with Leap Frog products before, we exhanged it - about three months later (too late to return it) we had the same problem. We have bought about five or six of the books and the problem comes up with each one.

Takes time, but it's great
I got this for my daughter at 28 months, which is under the age recommended. At first, she didn't seem all that interested in the LeapPad..... I think I liked it more than her. I worried that I'd given it to her too soon. I tried reading the stories with my daughter and demonstrating how to use the magic pen (I don't know if that's really what it's called, but my daughter likes it). Eventually, she caught on that one has to push the "GO" circle for every page..... but she still didn't seem to care much for the LeapPad and didn't play with it by herself.

About a week ago, though, I found her playing with it alone. She'd gotten the LeapPad out of the backpack on her own, picked a book ("I Know My ABCs"), inserted the cartridge, and was using it properly.... and appeared to be having a great time.

Since then, I have found her reading/playing with it several times. I suspect this is going to be a great toy to have around for traveling and/or other times when she is playing independently.

One reviewer wrote that it's better to read to your children than to use the LeapPad, which I agree with if you have to pick one or the other. I read aloud to my children several times a day and they prefer this to the LeapPad, but I think the LeapPad is great for teaching early reading and number skills in a fun way. It took a little time (figuring out how to insert the books & cartridges and using the pen), but I think the LeapPad has been a worthwhile purchase.