LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Reviews

I wondered if the new LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer tablet was going to be as good as they said it would be. Is it? Well, yes, so far it is. Last year I bought my daughters the Leap Frog Leapster Explorer; it was their first ever “gaming device” and I was somewhat reluctant because I’m kind of against video games, but I caved and have not been sorry. They have loved it and also have not over used it. My oldest daughter (now 6) also owns a VTech Kidizoom camera, which takes digital pictures as well as video – she and her sister (almost-5) have enjoyed this camera a lot for the past two-plus years. It’s a great camera for kids, but the viewing screen is teeny-tiny – the kids haven’t complained, but it has bothered me!

When I heard about the newest Leap Frog gaming device, the LeapPad, I thought it looked pretty cool – kind of like a kid version of an iPad. But I had spent a lot of money on the Explorers last year and was hesitant because I’m not the type of person that buys new technology to replace the old every year, and most especially not for the kids! I started reading up on this LeapPad device, however, and I learned that it has a built-in camera that takes both pictures and video, the screen is huge compared to the current one they have, and what sold me was the fact that it uses the same game cartridges that they already have for the Leapster Explorer! That last fact was huge for me, so I broke down and pre-ordered two of them (in pink) from Amazon.

They arrived a few days ago and I was so excited to give them to my girls, but I had intended to wait until the holidays …. Alas, I couldn’t wait! However, the timing worked out because they both started school this week – so it became their first day of school gift. They were so excited and have been playing on it every day since. My girls are very active, so I’m not concerned about them spending all of their free time playing on their Leap Pad (a pet peeve of mine), but if it ever got to that I am completely prepared to put play restrictions into place.

That being said, it’s truly not just games. There are games, videos, e-books, flash cards, and more – and every single one of them has some sort of learning involved with it. It comes with 3 apps/games pre-installed:

1. Pet Pad – where the child gets to “create” their very own pet and “play” with it and earn rewards.

2. Story Studio – the child can create his or her own story book using their own artwork (see Art Studio below) or pictures they have taken. Stories include several pages to choose from, from best friends and family tree to favorite things and more.

3. Art Studio – a great platform for the child to have fun and be creative! The art studio has lots of different effects, from drawing with a pencil or a paint brush to color fills and stamps; it’s pretty cool – I actually spend quite some time creating this picture on the right on my oldest daughter's device.

4. Choose an App – you must first set up the Leap Pad, then install the Leapfrog Connect software on your computer and then it will take you through a registration process and you’ll be prompted to choose your 4^th app.

Speaking of apps, there are quite a few available for download onto the LeapPad and the company has made it even easier than ever. Just log in through your LeapFrog Connect account and go to the LeapPad Apps section to browse through apps, view trailers, and purchase directly from the site for immediate download to your device!

You can also browse many apps that are not yet released (I’m pretty excited about several of them, like the Animation Studio!) I just purchased 6 apps online for $45 – I think that’s a pretty great deal! The best part, and this I had never realized before, is that apparently you’re able to install apps on up to two devices! So I thought I was purchasing 3 apps for one daughter and 3 for the other, but each girl ended up getting 6 new – yay!

The only thing that I need now is a way to protect the devices and store them and the game cartridges. *Update: the carrying cases have been released! Look up above for a link...now I'm just waiting for the gel cover! Both of those items are coming …. The Leap Frog website gives a release date of mid-September. There's a great looking case that stores and protects the LeapPad and several cartridges and there's even a Gel Case (like a cellphone cover!) to protect the device itself - both on my to-buy when released list!

Now I’m off to put two Explorers and a Kidizoom camera on EBay!

In conclusion, it’s only been a few days, but I – ahem, my daughters – love it and I definitely highly recommend it if you’re in the market for this type of item for your child.