My First LeapPad Learning System - E
Common Sense Note
This early learning aid makes preschool learning fun and interactive, but it has a few design quirks.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jinny Gudmundsen
My First LeapPad Learning System is an electronic learning aid designed for children 3-5. This blue plastic rectangle serves as a platform on which to place specially-made flip books. The flip books become interactive when a software cartridge is inserted in the unit. Children interact with them using an attached stylus to push on objects or words on the page.
The top-spiral-bound, thin cardboard books fit into the My First LeapPad by pushing the spiral portion into two protruding pegs. As children explore the book, they flip up the pages. A story is presented on one side of the book, and on the flip side are additional activities. To interact with the flip side, parents must take the book off the pegs and turn it over.
The learning system comes with the 15-page book "Leap's Big Day." The story is about a boy frog named Leap, and his day-long chase to get back his favorite kite. Leap hops on a train, a boat, an airplane, a hot-air balloon, and a bus in his pursuit. The activities side of the flip book introduce the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors, music, sound identification, professions, and parts of the body.
There are 10 add-on books available for this system at $13 each. Several showcase more stories about Flip and his family, but there are also books about Dora the Explorer, Bob the Builder, Jay-Jay the Jet Plane and other preschooler favorites.
This system offers a clever way to engage preschoolers in learning through interactivity that includes words, music, and sounds. The books feature simple stories with age-appropriate learning activities.
The design of the flip books is somewhat clumsy. The books are a little tricky to insert, so preschoolers may have to rely on help instead of doing it themselves. Also, it's a little confusing to see upside down images when you flip up the pages (which you can't explore until you take off the book and flip it over.) Kid-testers also had trouble remembering to touch the green "GO" sign to activate each page.
These design flaws noted, My First LeapPad is nonetheless engaging to use. And the add-on books make it easy to expand.
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