Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase through my links I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.
This year’s newest member of the Leap Frog family is sure to take Christmas Lists of kids everywhere by storm!
The new Leap TV is a huge step forward in kids’ technology, bringing educational and active fun to a gaming system that is perfect for children ages 3-8! Leap TV offers three fun ways to enjoy all of the educational games Leap Frog offers: using a Classic Controller, A Pointer Controller (the controller can be switched back and forth between classic and pointer!) and Body Movement, using the included motion sensing camera!
Body Motion
Dance, jump, hop and karate-chop.
Kids’ movements control the on-screen
action, and they see themselves on TV!
Pointer Play
Twist, turn, and move like never before
using the controller as a pointer for
motion-controlled fun.
Classic Control
Shake and tilt the controller
for fast-paced game play and
supercharged action.
My family is a bit of a tech-forward family, and we gave the Leap TV a full test drive with a few of our little friends! Just wait till you see this system in action-it’s a blast! We tested out the Sports! and Dance and Learn games this go around, and they are the perfect starter games for kids in this age bracket! Tons of action, but packed with tons of educational elements!
With the Dance and Learn game, different challenges are met with fun dancing to learn things like Phonics, Letters and Words. There are nine different games, each with three different modes in which to play them! This game is for ages 4-7 but I would say it is best suited for the older end of that spectrum, as my 5 year old was struggling a little with some of the word games. Over time, he is becoming a little more familiar though.
Sports! Uses different mathematics concepts through the fun of familiar sports! Kids learn things like adding, subtracting, patterns and shapes by playing things like soccer, rope climbing and bowling! There are 9 sports games in all, and you can play a quick game or play to earn medals in each event! This is for ages 4-7 and I think this is spot on, and kids even older can enjoy it too!
Karate (in the Sports! game) had to be the fan favorite around here! You karate chop different shapes depending on which they tell you to find! The motion sensing camera is incredibly accurate, even when the kiddos would get too close or too far away…which happened often!
Skateboarding was another favorite. Using the Classic Control to navigate the skateboard through obstacles and listening to instructions for which path to follow, using shapes!
The console itself is a low profile thin oval that sits vertically, and the motion sensing camera sits nearby. Games are small cartridges that are exclusive to the LeapTV, and are available in so many varieties already including some from Disney and Marvel and there’s sure to be more to come! You are also able to wirelessly download apps to your Leap TV, such a cool feature!
My only complaint is the camera in different lighting. You need to make sure your play area is well lit for the best results, but it is NOT necessary. The games still work perfectly in low light, it just is a little harder for your child to see themselves as well. We just made sure that the play area was right under our overhead light so that evening play wasn’t harder on my son.
Another problem we had (and this has nothing to do with the LeapTV, but something to keep in mind) is that my son has Sensory Processing Disorder. Things like loud noises or overwhelming visuals give him anxiety and make him very uncomfortable. He was able to comfortably play some games, but others will take more time for him to grow comfortable. You know your child’s comfort level, but I really find this a great form of almost therapy for him! He is able to take on the Visual Processing in a comfortable environment (home!) and turn it off when it becomes too much to handle!
This is a great gaming system for a younger child to keep on track with education rather than focusing on the gaming aspect! If your family (like mine) is a tech-forward family, it may feel less technological than some of the main gaming consoles on the market right now, but this system is an amazing LEARNING product! This is a great way to drive home the concepts you wish for your child to learn, all while they are having a blast playing games!
Emily lives in Idaho with her husband and three sons, and they love spending time at local parks and family attractions. She was previously a nanny for ten years, and has seen it all when it comes to kids. Emily loves giving other mom's advice and ideas to help make motherhood just a little easier, and in her spare time she is a professional photographer and loves working with her hands: sewing and making all sorts of fun things for her boys and crafts to decorate her home with. She loves to laugh, cook, find a great bargain, and share great recipes and deals!
Email: emily@simplyrealmoms.com
