The Gift of Reading from LeapFrog's Tag Reading System ( Giveaway ends Dec 19, 2012) Open to Canada & DEAL ALERT !

Here's how the world's #1 best selling reading system can be described in a nutshell:

Children love are addicted to it ( reading). 

Teachers recommend it.

Parents praise it.

Won more than 55 awards worldwide.

Let me put a face to my words :  LeapFrog's Tag Reading System.

Here are some features of the Tag that makes it mightier than a sword.

Great for little hands:

It weighs 1.8 lbs and measures about 11 inches in length. It is thick enough with the perfect grip for little hands. All the controls - on/off, volume and other features are easy to locate for children. I did not even have to do a "demo" for my son. He got it right away.  The tag is highly intuitive to operate.

Promotes Self-Learning:

Kids can learn a lot from what they see and hear. Most of the times, someone needs to give them the correct information to filter the wrong information from being absorbed. With the Tag Reading system, you can be sure that your child is learning the right pronunciation. My son can sit with it for 30 minutes and learn by himself without mommy's interference. That is something really amazing because he usually fires 30 questions at me in 30 minutes. 

High Performance & Top Quality: 

For $49.99, the Tag is designed for superior quality and smooth, flowing performance.As children touch the Tag Reader to the pages of specially printed storybooks, words talk, pictures sing and stories live out loud, engaging children's senses to make reading a rich, fulfilling experience. The Tag's response time is so amazing that it is equally comparable to a human.

The Tag Reader now holds audio for up to 10 books at a time. Simply connect the Tag Reader to your computer with the included USB cable, download the audio for your Tag books and drag-and-drop up to 10 of your child's favorite stories onto your Tag Reader.

The Tag comes with a little practice book which has little snippets of some stories. Other variety of books can be purchased at the Tag Library at Leapfrog.ca. 

Even if your child is not much into reading, there are other fun and interesting things to do with Tag.

We were able to go around the world to learn about the names of continents, countries and play some games with this Tag World Map. We even learned to greet in many different languages. Every single point on the map where the Tag Reader touches, will give out information. One side of the map is filled with facts about the places and the other side is for learning the name of the countries and continents.

Constructed from solid cardboard, this map is rock-solid! It can be neatly folded into fourths and placed back in the box, when not in use. My son LOVES maps, so it hardly ever goes into the box.But if you do want to fold it, please, please follow the instructions on the note provided! 

This map is a well of knowledge and the springs will never run dry. There is always more to look, more to learn and more to think about. At my age, this map refreshes my geography! So this small investment will bear fruit for many years in a child's life.

This will be THE best way to get ahead with geography facts while really enjoying the whole interactive experience. There are multi-level games that challenge the child to test what they know from the map.

Visually attractive with colorful country patches, entertaining and educational, animated voice and loaded with information, this is a MUST have for a child. It will keep them occupied while filling their minds with knowledge.

You must note that the Tag Reader and the map are sold separately and do not come with each other. 

Give your child a Tag Reading system and watch them learn and grow. You'll be amazed!

Deal Alert: 

If you want to grab this toy for your child this Christmas, don't miss the super-duper deal from Toys R Us.

LeapFrog Tag Books are selling at $9.97 each ( original $14.99)

The Tag Reading System is on sale for$34.97 ( original $49.99)

Thanks to LeapFrog, one lucky reader will have the chance to win a Tag World Map ( does not include the reader).

Christmas Gift Guide: Learn with Leapfrog! ( R+G) 12/4 ( CAN only)

My Own Story Time Pad - English Version

Personalized play, stories and activities on a tablet just for little learners! Children can watch fun animations and listen to stories, emails and music as they explore the world of Scout & Friends. Parents can personalize the story time pad with their child's name, favorites, customized “emails" from family and a music playlist.

Internet connection is required for personalizing features and selecting stories, songs and emails. Parents can connect to the online LeapFrog® Learning Path for customized learning insights and ideas to expand the learning. Appropriate for children ages 2 years and up.

Personalize Content to Suit Your Child

What's special about this device compared to other e-readers designed for kids is that parents can gear this toy to appeal to their child's personal tastes. It comes pre-loaded with one story, one email, and three songs, and holds up to five stories, ten songs, and three emails at a time. Via a standard Internet connection, you can customize some of the over ten existing stories and print coloring and activity pages featuring Scout and friends.

Another fun feature lets you choose and customize pretend emails to your child from family and friends. Write them a special "I love you" or "Happy Birthday" message, tell a joke, or simply encourage them to have fun and learn. The device then plays these emails out loud for your child to hear.

There are 4 fun things that a child can do: 

Learn ABCs

Pretend like a grown-up with a "email" button.

Make music/ songs

Stories - Read & write your own stories

The stories are told by Scout Pal and are short. Wish they had more interesting stories like Snow White or other classics that Scout Pal could recite. Children can write their own stories word by word but there is no option of saving it.

The display screen is quite small and is not colorful like the screen on Leapster Explorer. Probably that's the reason my son did not show much interest in this toy.Or maybe he just loves to read from colourful books. The display screen could have been more spacious as it is vital for eyes of a young child not to be strained because of a really small screen.

This toy does have interesting features that allow you to customize or personalize it with their names, favorite colors etc.It comes is green and pink colors for a boy or girl.

My Own Story Time Pad  retails for $34.99 or from Amazon.ca for $32.19.

Thanks to Leapfrog Canada, one lucky Canadian reader will have the chance to win a Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket worth $29.99

LeapFrog Alphapet Explorer ( R+G)

After reviewing LeapFrog's Scribble & Write, My Scout Pal and Leapster Explorer, I am more than convinced that LeapFrog is definitely the way to learn, for children. Over the few weeks, my son's letter recognition has certainly improved greatly and he shows more interest now in trying to write the letters. I was more than thrilled to review another awesome product from LeapFrog - The Alphapet Explorer.

The theme of the toy is "pet" centered. The keys are shaped like little bones and the puppy shaped slider moves to various functions. I like this much better than the Scribble and Write as this is a first step towards learning by listening before they start to learn writing skills.

When a button is pressed here's what the child can listen to from this toy:

• The child can hear what alphabet he/she pressed.

• The child can hear the phonic sound.

• The buttons also act like keys of piano whereby you can play a song.It is just to encourage music and also I think it is nice to have "one" different function.

• The child can also play a game of identifying the letters on the keyboard as the puppy's voice tells them what letter to find.

There are 2 sound levels which is nice to have. We plan to take it on a trip in the car and I am sure that it will be enjoyable for my son. It is a perfect toy to be introduced at around 2 yrs of age and alphabet learning will be a breeze. It is a highly interactive toy.

I used a lot of flash cards with my son and enjoyed the precious time we spent together. But at times, I really appreciate having toys that encourage self-learning skills. He can also practice what he learned with me. I would say that his letter recognition skills are 95% right now, when asked to read a word. He just has to get them together. I do not push him as I want it to be something he takes interest and initiative to learn and mommy is more than happy to stay beside and help. These learning toys from LeapFrog has stimulated a lot of love for alphabets which are the foundation of a strong vocabulary.

He loves to sit at the table and read a book.He first goes to tell the story by himself and now as a new habit he recognizes the alphabets in the page. What can I say but that I am a happy mommy of an energetic little bookworm!

You can buy the LeapFrog  Alphapet Explorer for $19.99

Now, a BIG thank you to LeapFrog Canada for sponsoring an awesome My Own LeapTop in pink color, worth $ 29.99.

Mega Toddler Giveaway will start from June 27 - July 22 

(Open to residents of Canada only)

Prize pack worth almost $300 and still adding!

You will have the chance to win a mega toddler prize pack which will include this My Own Leaptop.

 

(Disclaimer: Thanks to LeapFrog Canada and the PR company for sending me the featured product for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.)

 

LeapFrog's My Pal Scout : R+G

LeapFrog is known for their interactive toys and they keep the children occupied for times when you really need to get things done. They are educational too so you can be assured that your child is learning and playing. One such wonderful toy is My Pal Scout. When you see how many functions it has, you will realize why a child will not let go if this Pal!

• Scout comes with 5 pre-loaded songs, or you can select and download your choice of learning tunes and lullabies from an online list of 30 songs.
•  Press a paw to play music, learning songs or games.
• Learning Skills:
  - First words
  - Daily routines
  - Early number sense
  - Feelings and emotions
  - Animals

Babies are sure to get stuck on this Pal ! It is soft and cuddly with pleasant colors. Babies will be thrilled to know how Scout can sing and talk at the press of a button. My son liked it but he is a little big for it. It still made him laugh and he wanted to press the buttons to hear Scout over and over again. It is a great learning tool for younger babies who still haven't formed their first words. The music was very soothing and my son took it to bed with him and fell asleep.

It will be an awesome gift for a newborn or baby's first or second birthday. For $24.99 it is a wonderful package of learning ideas all put together in a cuddly form.

Sponsor Connect:

Fan Leapfrog Canada on Facebook to get the latest scoop!

Mega Toddler Giveaway will start from June 27 - July 22 

(Open to residents of Canada only)

You will have the chance to win a mega toddler prize pack which will include the following:

Toys

• LeapFrog - Scribble and Write - $24.99
• LeapFrog - My Scout Pal -$ 24.99
• Tonka TS 4000 Dump Truck  -$ 34.99
• Tonka Ricochet R/C - $79.99
• NCircle Entertainment DVD - Animal ABC's and Animal 123's - approx $14

Books:

• Free Spirit Publishing :Mealtime - $7.95, 
• Zondervan:  S is for Snowman -$15.99, Thank you God : A Lift the Flap Book - $6.99.

How would you like to win all of this for yourself ? Yes, this time ONE winner gets it all! There is possibility of adding more to the prize pack, so just keep checking and look forward to this huge giveaway and be prepared to punch in those entries!

(Disclaimer: Thanks to LeapFrog Canada and the PR company for sending me the featured product for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.)

LeapFrog's Scribble & Write ( R + G)

My son loves to play with anything educational and LeapFrog products are not just educational but also fun and entertaining. So my little LeapFrog fan was very thrilled when we got the Leapster Explorer for review last year. He is using it everyday and learning to draw shapes and alphabets. Thanks to LeapFrog for such a cool product that is helping my child trace alphabets at a young age.

I was pretty thrilled when I received another WONDERFUL product form LeapFrog. Scribble & Write is learning toy exclusively for children to learn alphabets. Though there are bits of other things, many games are meant for children to familiarize and recognize alphabets. It is a really neat product where the interactive voice helps the child to trace the alphabet or push a particular button when they are finished. My son can understand all instructions that the voice gives, so it is pretty simple, straight and short.

The pen is very accurate and has a nice rounded yet focused point. The little screen lights up with tiny LED lights to form alphabets. There are different functions for learning upper case and lower case. It also sounds the pronunciation for each alphabet.

The screen doesn't sense it when the child traces the alphabet wrongly, so that could be improved. I was a bit concerned when my son was just scribbling on the screen and he heard the interactive voice saying that he wrote the alphabet correctly.So I took it and showed him repeatedly how to trace the alphabet and related the voice to the right cause. The cause being writing the alphabet correctly. After a few days he started to trace a few letters correctly and he loves it! It also helps toddlers gain pencil control skills. In the beginning he thought it was like a touch screen on Leapster Explorer, but slowly started to use the pen.

This handheld tablet is very portable and can be taken for long or short trips or just a great company while they sit in the stroller! It is an awesome gift and will be very much appreciated by the child and the parents.

It retails for $ 24.99.

Sponsor Connect:

Fan Leapfrog Canada on Facebook to get the latest scoop!

Mega Toddler Giveaway will start from June 27 - July 22 

(Open to residents of Canada only)

You will have the chance to win a mega toddler prize pack which will include the following:

Toys

• LeapFrog - Scribble and Write - $24.99
• LeapFrog - My Scout Pal -$ 24.99
• Tonka TS 4000 Dump Truck  -$ 24.99
• Tonka Ricochet R/C - $79.99
• NCircle Entertainment DVD - Animal ABC's and Animal 123's - approx $14

Books:

• Free Spirit Publishing :Mealtime - $7.95, 
• Zondervan:  S is for Snowman -$15.99, Thank you God : A Lift the Flap Book - $6.99.

How would you like to win all of this for yourself ? Yes, this time ONE winner gets it all! There is possibility of adding more to the prize pack, so just keep checking and look forward to this huge giveaway and be prepared to punch in those entries!

(Disclaimer: Thanks to LeapFrog Canada and the PR company for sending me the featured product for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.)

Christmas Cheer #9: Learn with LeapFrog ! ( R+G) 11/30

This post is a part of Christmas Cheer, a Holiday Gift Event, that will run on my blog from Nov 1-30.

 LeapFrog 's Leapster Explorer™, is an extraordinary new learning experience that encourages children to discover something new every day with endless ways to play and learn--from games, e-Books, videos, and online play to customizable learning skills and more.

I was sent the Leapster Explorer and I reviewed it with my son. It comes with a CD that  has a step-by-step installation. It is mentioned that it can be installed using Mac, but I had trouble installing it and had to use Windows to get it installed.

Once it was done, my son was all set to have fun. The benefits of this toy can be fully exploited by  older children as they tend to be have more focus on exploring. For toddlers, it is a great toy to stimulate curiosity as they really don't know the reason behind pressing a button, they just love to press buttons! It came with a "leaplet" or a card that you could use to download a game according to the age of your child. The leaplets can be purchased for $19.99 and it comes with 2 download codes . I wish the leaplets were a bit more affordable but you can grab them when they are on sale.

It certainly is a great learning tool that comes is a case packed with fun.I'd rather have my son play with a educational system than other addictive video games. I like the fact the the learning doesn't get lost in the fun. I downloaded "Mr Pencil saves Doodleburg" and I sit with my son and let him watch the screen.He asks "What's that mommy?" every time the screen changes and I get to tell him, so mommy is still in the picture :) It won't be long before he will be  way too busy with this toy.If you have a little princess, Leapster Explorer comes in Pink too!

 The best feature I like about the Leapster Explorer is that it is the perfect size for little hands.The screen is just the right size. I know I can survive long trips with this toy! You can enhance the Leapster Explorer with some great accessories that are available online.With a camera accessory, it turns into a camera and video recorder.It really a fun, educational toy.This is my first LeapFrog products and I am impressed and look forward to using more of LeapFrog products for my children.

•  A library of more than 40 games and activities includes cartridge games, download-able learning apps (games, e-Books, videos, flash cards and more), a camera/video recorder** and more.
•  Children can learn school skills like reading, math, science and geography, plus creativity and life skills like music, health and problem solving.
•  Expand the fun and learning in LeapWorld™--a safe, online world of learning games and activities. Children can play unique games that connect their online and on-the-go play and learning.
• Parents can connect to the online LeapFrog® Learning Path to see what their child is playing and learning, and explore ways to expand their child's learning journey.
  
  
  
  Buy it: You can buy Leapster Explorer for $79.99.
  
  LeapFrog is giving 1 of my lucky Canadian readers a chance to win this Candles Counting Birthday Cake!
  
  
  
  
  
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  This Giveaway is open to Canada until Nov 30, 2010.Random Generator will choose a winner and winner will be announced on Dec 1, 2010.There is no limit to the no.of times that you can win on my blog! Feel free to enter all Giveaways even if you have won before!
  
  (Disclaimer: Thanks to LeapFrog and the PR company for sending me the featured product for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way.All opinions expressed here are only my own.)