Leap into Gaming with LeapTV: Hot Holiday Gift for the 3 to 8 Year Old Set

#MommyParties and LeapFrog sent me a #LeapTV system to review with my closest 3-10 year old friends. The opinions within this post are 100% mine.

Last year my daughters received an Xbox 360 as a gift from a family friend. It came with a bunch of horrible, violent games that I immediately banned my youngest three from playing. So they wouldn’t feel left out, I picked up a few age-appropriate games for the little ones to play. Unfortunately, the Xbox 360 games are really expensive and the kids get bored with them very quickly. And there really aren’t that many games created for the under-10 age bracket.

I thought several times how it would be nice to have a gaming system that was specifically made for the younger kids. I guess LeapFrog read my mind because this fall they released LeapTV!

The LeapTV system gets kids into the action while teaching core skills across reading, mathematics, science and problem solving. Games adapt to each child’s level—starting with age, and then automatically adjusting the learning for just the right challenge.

 

Designed specifically for children ages 3 to 8 (but my 10 and 11 year olds also had fun playing), the LeapTV video game system changes the way children learn by combining activity and movement with educational games. LeapFrog games draw from 2,600 skills across core subjects like reading, math, science and creativity, and seamlessly blend LeapFrog’s comprehensive curriculum into age-appropriate gameplay and videos that keep children learning.

The LeapTV system includes the LeapTV console, a cool transforming controller with wrist strap, motion-sensing camera, camera mount, HDMI cable (you read that right, you do not have to run out and buy one), 16GB of memory and built-in Wi-Fi for downloads.

Setting up LeapTV couldn’t have been easier. You simply connect the AC power adapter to the back of the LeapTV console and plug it into the wall, use the HDMI cable to connect the console to your TV, connect to the Internet and then plug in the camera to the port on the back of the console. From there you just turn on the console and follow the on-screen guided setup.

Within a few minutes the LeapTV was ready to go and the kids were fighting about who got to go first. You only get one controller in the box, thankfully I purchased two more to keep the arguing to a minimum.

What is really nice about LeapTV, aside from the ease of use no matter what your age, is that it uses cartridges instead of dvds! So no more scratched, unusable games!

The menu screen is an easy-to-use carousel-style interface with audio prompts to differentiate each selection, so even non-readers can navigate the menu. The images on the tv screen looked fairly clear with little distortion.

We found calibration of the camera to be simple, you step into the body outline on the screen until you are mostly filling in the outstretched arms and body area. Your child does not have to be exactly within the frame, just close to the outline. The instructions mention that you need to have plenty of light for the camera to work properly.

We took a vote and everyone decided to start out with the Dance & Learn game. This cartridge includes nine dancing games that help build reading skills.

Dance Machine & Banana Boogie where the favorite games. In Dance Machine you wave both arms in the air to make compound words. This was a little more difficult for the younger kids to do, so we decided to play in teams to help make it fair for everyone.

In Banana Boogie, you reach up, move around and smack fruits according to adjectives.

Sports! was up next. This game taught math skills and the kids really loved it.

Soccer and karate were the favorite, but there is also bowling, baseball, swimming, and skateboarding. I was surprised to see how easily the game automatically adjusts to each child’s learning level! When it seemed a little too easy, the game would kick it up a notch to make it more challenging.

We had kids from almost 2 to 11 playing on the LeapTV and it was a big hit with them all, even some of the adults were sneaking in a few turns. There were lots of laughs and silliness going on throughout the party. I have a feeling this gaming system is going to be a popular item with Santa this year.

Read below for more information provided by LeapFrog.

Gaming Just Got Smarter
The LeapTV video game system gets kids into the action while teaching core skills across reading, mathematics, science and problem solving. LeapTV provides access to LeapFrog’s Learning Library of more than 100 game cartridges*, game downloads and videos all designed or approved by LeapFrog’s team of gaming and learning experts.

Three Unique Ways to Play
The LeapTV video game system puts learning in motion with three ways to play: body motion, pointer play and
classic control.

• Body Motion: Children become the star of their own game. The motion-sensing camera captures a child’s
  moves and instantly puts them into the game as they explore activities like dance and martial arts. Children
  can run, hop and tip-toe or wave their arms to defend goals, karate-chop fast-moving blocks, scuba dive and
  more.
• Pointer Play: Pointer play takes pretend play to new levels of engagement. The controller transforms into a
  pointer with a simple twist and lets kids snap jungle vines, slice through coconuts, swing from building to
  building and more.
• Classic Control: Classic control puts fun at a child’s fingertips. They can press the A and B buttons for
  fast-paced gaming, or tilt and shake the controller to sled through an enchanted garden or race in a classic
  kart-racing game.

*Currently there are only 8 games available, with more expected by the end of the year.

 #MommyParties and LeapFrog sent me a #LeapTV system to review with my closest 3-10 year old friends. But the opinions within this post are 100% mine.