11.12.2013

I am reviewing this leap frog from the perspective of a parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder. My son is now 3 1/2 years old and was given an official diagnosed in Sept 2012. My son has always taken an interest in my ipad, and I have some apps on my ipad for him to play and it has become an incredibly useful learning tool. However, an issue arose when my son began having violent temper tantrums when I took my ipad off him (needing it for work related things) when using the ipad he was happy, very receptive to learning with apps and was making very significant progress. To invest in an ipad for him, I felt this was too much and he was far too young to own his own ipad.I purchased the leap pad 2 when I saw it had come down in price (from nearly £90.00 to £45.00). I chose this model as it has the capability to recharge, rather than just eat batteries (friends of mine with earlier versions had complaints about this). PLEASE NOTE: My son has been using the Leap Pad extensively and the battery packs do diminish in capability to hold charge relatively quickly - 2 months on now and I am looking at purchasing another battery pack as I charge it in the evening and by the morning when my son turns it on it makes the noise to indicate the battery is dying. He has been using it a lot, so I have put it down to this - bear it in mind when purchasing it, as its an added expense to keep it running. (Unless your child will sit near a plug when it needs charging - my son runs around and forgets about the cable so I don't charge it when hes using it to avoid an accident) Also the re-charger packs are 30.00 on amazon!!!!!It arrived quickly when ordered through Amazon, is well presented in its box, and easy to start up and access. We had other leap frog toys in past (scout mainly was used) so we already had most of the information you need from leap frog connect - if you don't have it it downloads pretty quick and is pretty straight forward to use. The first and main thing I noticed that put me off was that you have to pay for EVERY app in the app centre and the information you are given pre-sale is rather vague. There is now a function to review apps (previously this was not available) but there are not many reviews, and most of the reviews are that it was great and fun or it was boring avoid! I feel it would make the apps far more salable if you can see a video preview of the apps before you use them. The "free" app seemed sort of pointless to me. There was a choice of 3, one which was a game about emotions and learning how to differentiate emotions of others (which for having a child with autism was useful, but wouldn't have been my first choice) or two different games (one was a asteroid game and the other I looked at and said no way was this a game for preschoolers! what surprised me more was that these were the apps available after I put in the level that my child was at developmentally. I felt that only one of the apps was relevant to my sons developmental stage and the other two were for much older children. So effectively the free app was chosen for me. There are a couple of free app codes floating around on the internet. (First review removed so I am not going to put the actual codes up but if you google leappad free app codes there are two codes that appear on many parenting forums, one for alphabet stew and one for an ebook about awesome things. I used them and they still work so have a look around)There are some cheeky people on ebay selling these codes, which again, are easily found free on the internet.Also the apps in the app store are relatively expensive for what they are - and there is a way around this. If you buy a LeapFrog App Centre gift card from amazon (or someone selling one unused on ebay) you can get them significantly cheaper. I purchased a £15.00 gift card for £10.57 on Amazon (Dec 2013) I have also saved it in my cart so that i can easily check to see if the price has gone up and down. The cheapest app I seen was £3.50, and when you have no idea whether it is going to be good or not, it is better to get these gift card credits so you are paying as little as possible for apps that you may not like or use! There are several cartridges, but again, these are better to purchase from ebay as they are very high priced for what they are and they have a large second hand market (and if you dont like them you can sell them!) The cartridges from what I can see appear to mainly be books or to be games that perhaps are not meant for most children under 5 years old, although some may have had experience playing games, my son had no experience and thought he was watching a video when playing a game like that.With my sons needs I did find the leap pad a good purchase for him. He does copy the speech on it and has gotten better with visual recognition. My son loves photos and flipping through photos so I have been walking around taking pictures of things around the house for him to flip through. It does have space to keep quite a few apps or pictures on it. The camera isn't outstanding, but good for what it is. Best to take photos in the day in the light. Artificial light looks very dark and casts a dark shadow.My son doesn't like the stylus so much and uses his fingers which works equally good. It did take him some time to etc used to the different controls (the big circle is not the home button as it is on the ipad etc) It does not require a hard touch, but is not as fluid or soft as an ipads movement. The stylus is connected by a string and is sort of magnetized to a slot , but I would like an option to roll the rest of the string in (as our cats like to chew on string!) The screen is a decent size, but is not massive. It feels sturdy and feels quality. I am impressed with it as it effectively being a childs toy.It has helped my son significantly. I have had to make little amendments to it and really take care to pick apps that wont distress him. For example, my son self stimulates by rocking and flapping his hands a lot so I have invested in a case and a screen protector as most of the time he does this it is on his lap and he knocks it off his lap. (also being 3 he picks it up and runs with it!) I have turned the sound way down as loud noises frighten my son and have amended some of the settings and did my best to make it seem as much like my ipad as possible. The apps is a guessing game. My son loved my ipad, and I was surprised he took as well to this as he did. Id say if you have a child with special needs and would like to purchase one, I would say that I think it would be a good investment in my experience. I am hoping that it continues to grow with my son and that he doesn't realize its not a tablet! I am impressed with the leap pad, but not so impressed with leap frog, which is why I have given it a 4 star rating as having a larger variety of apps available or a way of sort of trialing them before you use them would make this great, but not having that makes it a fancy toy that you almost cant use (and in the long run it may be cheaper to have an actual tablet having to buy all these apps!)Update : after a few weeks of use I am coming back for a few bits. First, my son started using the arrow buttons initially to navigate around the information he had on the leap pad and books etc but it has helped bring him closer to holding a pencil as he's taking an interest in the stylus and has started to use it. Initially he would get very frustrated trying to turn pages of the books which are tiny arrows in the corners of the pages. After a few hours of trying and trying he got the swing of it and its helped him work to control his self stims (my son is a rocker and hand flapper). He is able to stop and control himself to push the button. My son seems far far more interested in ebooks and they seem to be the best investment thus far. We've changed a few little things around like his leap pad pet we set as a monkey as he is afraid of dogs and we have two cats at home and when he sees them he says no no no cats! He enjoys feeding the monkey and giving him a bath. There is a part to learn to write within the pet pals app but he gets frustrated by this as it is quite picky about staying within the lines to pass the task. I wish you could group the apps because we have to skip through quite a bit. You can move them but not group them. We got a cartridge ebook and it was reasonable, but we bought it for £7.50 on sale on amazon. My personal opinion is that £20 for a cartridge is way too much and there are app versions that if you buy the card from amazon at a cheap price you'll pay less for them. They are not so bad though as you can sell them if your child doesn't like the game / book, which you can't do with the apps.I've been using the app center for leap pad quite a bit and I've noticed it crashes a lot, which is quite annoying. Also often on the side there is a code for money off if you buy more than one app at a time so keep an eye out for the codes as they don't automatically put it on. The stars you earn on games are pretty easy at his level which is a nice bonus for him and he gets excited about it all. I have been surprised how fast he is taking I it, operating it. And his speech gets better with every book he sits and reads. It highlights the words as it reads it and some of the words in some of the apps are highlighted to be clicked on and gives an explanation of the word with an audio explanation and pictures. It is great. I would recommend, but due to its cost I would suggest trialing one, from a friend, in a store etc. when you out the apps and games in it does get expensive. Its worth really looking into it from your child's perspective. It's doing wonders for my son, but I have friends who's children do not like it. Toys r us have them out (but are far more expensive than amazon. Maybe worth popping into toys r us and having a play on it before investing full on, they also usually have a variety of apps on the leap pads in store so take note of which ones your child likes.I could not be happier with the leappad. He has been using it two months now and can write half of the alphabet and recognizes all of the letters, knows their sounds etc. Hes also learned shapes and lots of animals (he knows what a capabara and a sea anemone is :)! ha) Some things he can race through on his own and I can get some work done, others we sit and do together. Hes literally amazed me how quick he's picked things up - but it maintains his attention and is just what he needs. Its by far been the best investment we've made in an educational project. Better yet - because he's become so accustomed to seeing Scout & Leap / Lily etc he now is interested in the other leap frog products and we've purchased other leap frog items to get him away from the leap pad for a while but hes learning with a familiar friend. I am not impressed that I am going to need to buy a new battery for it soon, but overall, I love the leap pad, my son loves the leap pad and it is doing wonders for him! I'd recommend to anyone with a young child, particularly if you are looking for an approach to education that will keep their attention.

22.9.2013

The LeapFrog LeapPad 2 Power Tablet is pretty much the same as the previous LeapPad 2 Explorer model with the added bonus of including an additional 9 hour rechargeable battery pack and AC adapter which wasn't included with the standard Explorer. Indeed, the added bonus of having a rechargeable battery pack included is more of an extra than you might at first think. Being able to easily recharge the LeapPad's batteries without needing to remove them from the device is just so much easier. The recharging palaver with the previous LeapPad 2 model was its one little niggling fault. And here the makers have addressed the issue.For those that are not already familiar with the LeapPad 2 Explorer and/or LeapPad 2 Power tablet,it's a learning tablet that is aimed at children from three years old all the way up to around nine years old. The tablet itself is reasonably small (about 7" x 9"), but is still quite chunky, with a good old weight to it (especially for very small hands). The tablet is constructed utilising a hard plastic casing which feels like it could easily become scratched, chipped or cracked in the hands on children. I therefore firstly strongly recommend purchasing a silicone LeapPad Explorer Tablet Gel Skin protective casing in order to protect the tablet against any accidental knocks and scrapes. These cases can also be stretched over the rechargeable power packs on the reverse, meaning that you don't need to remove them every time you want to charge the batteries (unlike the standard Explorer model).After inserting battery packs, the LeapPad Power is ready to have its four free Apps downloaded and installed, as well as all of the other setup procedures completed. To be fair, this was an absolute doddle to do. Just go online to the official LeapPad website, follow the online procedures to link up a PC/laptop to the tablet, and after following all the steps which will take about 10-15mins, you'll be ready to go.Once my wife and I had chosen our four freebie Apps, we then perused the numerous other apps that are available to buy for the LeapPad. Flicking through the various pages of Apps available shows just how big of a choice there is. But wow!!! Some of them are a little on the pricey side. I strongly recommend that you go onto the Leapfrog website, go to the App Centre, and have a look at the various Apps and prices BEFORE purchasing the LeapPad. Some of the games and 'Ultra eBooks' are the equivalent to modern console game prices - especially if they involve popular cartoon characters.Anyway, once you're all set up, with your first Apps downloaded and ready to use, you'll find that the LeapPad 2 Power is incredibly easy to get familiar with and learn how to use. Each menu screen tells you what you can do, directing you through the App with a twee American voiceover that helps the child learn what to do at each stage.Another thing I should point out is that the touchpad screen seems a little on the delicate side for kids below about five years old. So I'd also highly recommend purchasing a set of LeapPad Clear LCD Screen Protectors so that your child doesn't ruin the touch screen when accidentally pressing too hard.The LeapPad 2 Power also has a two built in cameras / video records, positioned on the front and back, allowing your little ones to snap off pictures of themselves as well as whatever's in front of them. With the various art and creative Apps available, your child can then play around with these pictures, incorporating their face into video settings and artwork.The LeapPad 2 Power really is geared towards being educational and creative in a fun way. With the games on offer there's always a learning element attached to it, such as with spelling, counting, questions etc. Furthermore, the parents can also monitor their child's development with these games, with their online parent monitoring page which is installed onto your PC/laptop at the beginning.To be honest, we expected the LeapPad 2 Power to be pretty good considering the various reviews and write-ups you can see across the net. Apart from the cost of the Apps, everyone seems to absolutely love the tablet. And both my wife and I 100% agree (as do our two kids). And what's really good about the tablet is that it can be enjoyed from three years old all the way up to nine years old - just by downloading more advanced Apps as your child gets older.

29.10.2013

My son got this last Christmas and has loved it. Initially the price of the game cartridges was hugely annoying (RRP usually £20) until I realised there was a huge second hand market of games on Amazon and on ebay. This has been a Godsend, every time my son has got bored of a cartridge I sell it and the money goes towards another second hand game, by doing this I figure that each cartridge has cost me about three pounds.The LeapPad website is full of gaming apps that you can buy, prices range from £3.50 to £20 - Never purchase any of the £20 ones as 9 times out of 10 those apps are also available on cartridge, if you buy it as a downloadable app it has no resale value second hand when your children are bored of it.

17.9.2013

We had an original Leap pad which we bought for my daughter when they first came out and it was a huge success with her for a while, replacing the batteries became an issue though as we would pack it to take away on holiday then the batteries would run out after an hour and it was useless. The original leap-pad didn't come with any kind of ac adapter either, we had been sold a v tech one by the shop we brought it from and been assured it would work but it never did very well.The leappad 2 power already has a big advantage therefore in coming with rechargeable batteries and a power pack so power is no longer an issue. My daughter was thrilled with the addition of a calendar that she can make notes of people birthdays in etc,

5.11.2013

Daughter got this for her 3rd birthday, well worth the money. The apps that come with it aren't great and won't keep them busy for long; she mastered the pet pals fairly quickly though got frustrated with the letter-copying part as its not as easy as using pen and paper to trace a letter, which she can do. I downloaded quite a few applications before giving it to her for her birthday and she also had 3 cartridges for her birthday as well.- Pimm the panda French volume1. Daughter likes this (she speaks some french). Its a shame there is not more interactive language apps though and just videos.- Letter factory video: Loves this (though American so "O" is pronounced "A" etc. so not ideal).

26.9.2013

Like all LeapFrog products, this LeapPad 2 has strengths and weaknesses which I'll attempt to summarise briefly. When you first come across LeapFrog products, it's hard to work out where they might fit in to the modern world: on the one hand, they're nowhere near as versatile as other tablet computers and the games cartridges on the closed LeapFrog system are far more expensive than other apps (up to £20); on the other, unlike other tablets, they are specifically designed for children, are easy to use right out of the box and give access only to suitable content. Therefore, if you're looking for the latter, LeapFrog products are the perfect high-quality solution; if you're looking for something more akin to an iPad,

18.9.2013

Our toddler is obsessed with mobile phones, computers and anything similar, as such we spend our lives chasing after him when he runs off with some sort of electrical device he doesn't need. The LeapFrod Leapad 2 is the perfect way to distract him so he lets go of whatever valuable item he has managed to find and plays with his own fancy toy.The LeapPad2 is a great little toy. It is large and chunky which means it is not going to be easily broken. Ours has been thrown about quite a bit with no damage as yet. It is easy to set up online and you can then start to use your free aps.The touch screen is perhaps not quite as responsive as it could be but that has not been an issue for us as our

17.9.2013

We got this for our 3 year old (almost 4) He had been playing with an older LeapPad for almost a year so found the interface pretty easy to understand. I love the fact this version comes with the recharging pack with batteries as these types of devices do get left on a fair bit as he moves from toy to toy. This newer version also has front and rear facing camera which is a great idea, he has always loved photographing objects and family members with the older version and used to get frustrated as he couldn't take a picture of himself.I must comment on the build quality of this product, it is bombproof!! A few days after he started using it, he accidently dropped it from the top of our staircase onto the laminate flooring below,

26.9.2013

Now i have already reviewed the leap pad 2 so there not a lot i can say about this one but this is the LeapPad 2 everyone has been waiting for. When the leap pad 2 was first released, many parents (including myself) spend lots of money on batteries cause the kids were playing the things a little too much. Although that said, the games are very educational (well the ones i got him were) still the batteries burnt out way too quickly. So parents were having to get an adaptor from e-bay because the pad did not come with adaptor and having to spend extra money for it. Well I have good news, it appears that Leapfrog have in fact listened to parents pleas and finally released one with not only the adaptor but also rechargeable batteries.

10.4.2015

Bought this for my 5 year old nearly 2 years ago and he loves it. It is a brilliant offline tablet for littlies. A fab resource. The games cartridges can be a bit pricey but I wait for offers etc. This is still going strong after nearly 2 years use and we have since bought one for our other son as both enjoy having their own 'computer'. I love the fact it is offline. The good thing about any downloads is they are automatically put on to any further purchase a of LeapPad so our second son has game, video and music downloads already purchased and they can share the games cartridges. It is easy to use and with age appropriate games/learning I have found my two continue to use them without their interest waning.

3.1.2014

I have bought two of these now, one last year for my Granddaughter and again This Christmas for my Grandson; fantastic product and evolving year on year to higher and higher technology. I have no hesitation in recommending this product as a learning tool and a leisure activity for any Child that has an inquisitive nature. The leapfrog has a multitude of features to entertain and engage young minds; if you have been thinking about investing but have hesitated due to cost etc... Please do not worry, the Leapfrog will not disappoint and to see the pleasure that young ones get from the pad is a reward all of its own. I always research things like this a lot before buying because they are expensive and there is no escaping that fact,

12.1.2014

I am utterly gutted. My son LOVES this toy. He treats it like gold. He is so careful with it. However after a few days we bagan to realise that parts of the screen werent working. It worked on some apps but not on others...then it just went blank in that area completley. He only had this out for the first time on christmas day and due to being away have only just got round to trying to find soutions. We've reset and done all those types of things. The leappad itself is wonderful. He loves it and hes only 3. Hes singing songs about punctuation and all sorts. Im just utterly gutted it might aswell be binned now. Id like to know how to contact the seller because its an eletrical item and its gone kaput after just a few weeks.

28.8.2014

Me and my partner thought we would get this for our sons 4th birthday as he loves playing games on our phones, we always struggled to find games that would enterain him but ones for his age were easy and boring for him and older ones were to hard. the grate thing about these games are is they start off easier then as he plays and learns they get a bit harder but not until he is ready. it grows with your child! there are loads of fun games to chose from.we chose the power so he can play it in the car on long trips. the batteries last ages after charging. its so simple to set up I could do it lol.Its so easy to turn on and get games on my son can do it by himself so he can just get it out wen ever he likes.

29.12.2013

We purchased this for our grandson, who started school in September 2013. Although I might struggle with some technology, he was not phased at all and loves using his own 'laptop'. The homepage is well laid out and the included apps easy to use. Some adult supervision required to ensure that the lessons have been completed and understood. The inbuilt camera/video facility is fun, as is the 'artwork' he can create or with which he can embellish the photos he has taken. The LeapPad itself is robust and bright, thus appealing to children and adults. The only slight criticism we have is that the inbuilt 'pen' could have a longer lead,

15.1.2014

My two sons are aged 2.5 and 4, and the both adore their new leappad. I bought it for them for Christmas and have had to limit their use on it to only an hour a day as they would happily play on it all day long if I let them. I haven't yet bought any extra apps or cartridges for it as they both seem fairly happy with the free apps that it comes with; whether this will change soon remains to be seen. The 4 year old has mastered one of the games on it (a space game) and both sons love the drawing and photo apps. The leappad has been dropped 2 or 3 times already and, thankfully, has not got damaged. This hasn't stopped me buying a gel skin for it though, just in case.

LeapFrog LeapPad2 Power - Reviews

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