leapfrog electronic systems????

[polkadot14]

we're going to be doing some travelling (kind of unexpectedly) this summer, and i'm looking for some things to keep my 2 year old occupied in the car, and at grandma's house. so - i've been thinking about one of the leapfrog systems, but i'm a little lost regarding all of the choices! and to be honest, i like the looks of the leapster, and am wondering if he could 'grow into it' as far as the educational aspects, and just use it right now for entertainment. a friend purchased the fisher price power touch learning system for her 3 year old, but i haven't heard how happy they are with that system.

i would appreciate any opinions on these items - and any other ideas to make travel more fun!

thanks so much!!

kelly

[egoldber]

Even though I swore I would NEVER buy one of these things, we have a TON of air travel coming up, and I bought the FP Power Touch System for DD. (Never say never I guess.) It has not yet arrived, but it should be here tomorrow or the day after.

I tested them in Target for awhile. I ended up getting the FP system because it seemed very intuitive to use. I found the LeapFrog system to be much less intuitive. For a younger kid, I would think that intuitive would be better. The upside of the Leap products is that there are a TON of books/games available for them. Not so many for FP, but I was happy with the ones that were available for the FP system right now.

Just something to think about, I doubt that this is something your DS will use for years and years. There are always new systems coming on the market. I went with a cheaper system now, thinking that in a couple years, DD will probably be ready for something else.

[August Mom]

We have the Little Touch Leappad and DS can basically operate it himself, but he's not terribly into it. I do need to set up the mode in the beginning, but he is able to press the go button on each page along with other images. The main problem is that he likes to press the on/off button. Once it's turned off, you have to reprogram the modes and settings. Is someone going to sit in the back to help? If so, a sticker book keeps DS occupied for a long time. He can do some stickers by himself, but it's better if someone can help get them loose. Other possibilities are a Lauri puzzle (crepe rubber), felt board or fun board books. A book that DS really liked on our drive from Texas (about 20 hours) was the Little People Songs that Move. It has buttons that each play a different song. It also has a keyboard that allows the child to play the songs. DS really enjoys it.

On our big trip, we had a lot of presents for DS to unwrap periodically. It helped to have someone in the backseat and have new things to look at periodically. As for things to do at Grandma's house, Play Doh and crayons are always fun options, along with balls.

[polkadot14]

thanks to you both for your replies. i took a quick trip to tru last night and tried out several of the systems. i agree that the fp seems a lot more intuitive, but i'm still not sure my son could understand it yet. we unfortunately have cramped quarters in our car, so no adult can be in the back seat with him to assist! i guess we'll be waiting on an electronic learning system...i TOO once said - i will NEVER buy one of those things!

the books are a good idea. he LOVES to read. if i can get to our local teacher's store, i'll see what i can find in the way of puzzles / felt boards.

thanks so much for the advice!

kelly

[lukkykatt]

We just got a Leap Pad as a present. It's really not my kind of thing, but my older son loves it so far. I just wanted to point out that I just found the books at BJ's for 3 for $24.99 - we bought a set today.

[Jeanne]

Andrea,
Thanks for posting that your older son likes it. I just picked one up yesterday because it was so cheap and put it away for Christmas next year. It says for ages 4+ and was wondering if it seemed worth it. I didn't want to get into buying the books if it wasn't an interesting toy.