The LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet is a brilliant way to disguise learning as fun. Your child can learn while they play.

The manufacturers recommend this toy for ages 4 to 9 but I would say that most 3 year olds would enjoy it, while 8-9 year olds might find it a bit young for them so the ideal age for the tablet is 3 to 7 years. If your child falls within this age range they will love it!

The LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet includes:-

• A library of 100+ cartridge games, apps, digital books, videos and flash cards (sold separately, works with all Leapster Explorer games and apps)
• Includes a built-in camera and video recorder, 5″ touch screen for use with finger or included stylus and 4 apps (Pet Pad, Story Studio, Art Studio and one app of your choice)
• 2GB of memory, enabling it to host a robust suite of apps including: innovative ultra eBooks that provide word-by-word support, a Story Studio to combine art, audio and writing, Art, Animation and Photo studios to inspire imaginations.
• A broad curriculum including reading, mathematics, science, geography, art, music, language and culture, health and more – skill levels automatically adjust the challenge to match each child’s pace and remember progress from game to game and book to book.

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer (Green)

Price: $99.00

(423 customer reviews)

123 used & new available from $84.99

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer (Pink)

Price: $99.00

(246 customer reviews)

109 used & new available from $79.99

When I was a child, kids fell into one of two categories at Christmas: those who loved receiving books and those who didn’t see a book as a ‘proper’ present.  Now I’ve always been firmly in the ‘my book’s my favorite present’ camp (but then I also love stationery, glitter and glue) but nowadays the categories have been crushed with the arrival of the new-look V tech reader!

Cleverly designed and marketed to appeal to children in the same way that the Kindle has been embraced by the adult book-reading public, the Vtech v.reader has a recommended age appeal of 36 months to 7 years.  This carefully targeted age bracket is sure to appeal to parents too, as this age group is the prime age at which most children begin, and then start to consolidate, their literacy learning and is the crucial age at which the joy of literature can capture a child’s imagination and be much more easily installed in a child than at any other time later on.

Although not cheap, with complete E-book systems starting around the $50 mark (for the basic touch-screen V reader device, V reader pen, V reader storybook cartridge, cleaning cloth, USB cable and user’s manual) and additional story cartridges retailing for around $15, most parents would consider this money well spent on a Christmas present which claims educational as well as entertainment benefits to their children.

The product does also have a memory card slot for expansion and a USB cable allowing the reader to be connected to the computer, so that additional story options at various levels can also be purchased and downloaded from the V tech website.  This also means that parents can have a role in monitoring and being involved in their kids’ reading (the joy of reading is great when shared and any struggle to learn to read always benefits from adult input), all of which again scores the product points with parents!

The robust, rubberized plastic reader is battery operated; making it easily portable for on-the-go kids but, as it is reported to be a bit juice-thirsty, there is also a DC power jack to save battery use as needed.  An earphone jack is also installed in the reader, so that the reading content doesn’t always have to be shared!

Although some of the popular parent reviews of the V tech reader do question the ultimate teaching and learning value of the product (particularly in relation to the cost of the whole system and additional story materials), there is still the argument that a product which actively engages children in the act of reading and engenders a love for literature is surely one of the most valuable learning tools around, for once you can read and have learned to love reading, then the world is your educational oyster!   If you are happy to purchase on this basis alone, then a V tech reader is an ideal present for both your own and your kids’ wish lists!

Amazon.com

Liven up your camping trips and family reunions with this full BlongoBall set. Appropriate for use both outdoors and indoors, BlongoBall combines elements from bocce, horseshoes, croquet, and other lawn sports, but adds a unique twist: rather than throwing a ball or a shoe, you throw a BlongoBall, which is technically two small spheres connected by a thin stretch of rope. The goal is to wrap your BlongoBall around one of the horizontal bars of the BlonGoal, which stands 25 feet away (or less if kids are playing). Players score one, two, or three points with a successful throw, depending on which bar the BlongoBall grabs. And the game ends when one person or team reaches 21 points exactly. You can even add a bit of defensive strategy to the game by trying to knock your opponent’s BlongoBalls off the bars. BlongoBall is fun for kids and families, but it’s also great for physical education classes, teambuilding games, or even as a rehab tool in a therapy setti (more…)