There’s no greater feat than when you trick your kids into eating their vegetables—except, perhaps, when you trick your kids into playing with educational toys. With LeapStart, the interactive learning system from LeapFrog, kids will have so much fun as they pick up new skills and experience different challenges, that they will forget that minor detail that they are actually learning through play. Mission accomplished.
Whether your child wants to build on an already sharp skill, or tackle areas where they usually struggle, there are tons of different books available in subjects including STEM, problem solving, reading comprehension, phonics, communication skills, and more. Additionally, each book has a specific learning level, with four distinct learning levels that span the entire collection. The system opens up with a spot to insert the book, which then enables the interaction once it is turned on. When kids use the stylus to click on different pictures and sections in the book, they will be able to participate in different activities and games.
For example, ABC Adventures is a Level 1 one book that is a preschool level and geared towards kids ages 2 to 4. It features music and interactive activities, such as when kids must identify the objects on the page that begin with a specific letter, or when they are given the task to help the pirate collect all the right letters inside the treasure.
On the other hand, Space Scientist is a Level 4 book that is made for 1st graders. Throughout the book, kids will have to identify constellations and look for new stars, learn space history that ranges from the early days of Galileo all the way to today’s International Space Station, and explore the inside of a spaceship.
Throughout each book, there are four miniature pictures—a green star, orange stars, a light bulb, and a hand—located at the bottom corner of the page that talk when kids press on it with the stylus. The green star activates Level 1 of the activity on that page; the orange stars are for a more challenging activity; the light bulb will give a hint for when kids struggle with one of the activities; and the red hand stops any activity that is currently happening on that page.
Although LeapStart does come with a sample book, it mainly acts as a tutorial and an intro into all the fun activities that the system does. Luckily, the interchangeable books that are sold separately are available at an affordable price so parents won’t have to put too much of a dent in their wallet to add new accessories for their little learners.
Additionally, the system is available in two different styles. The Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten platform, which is white and green, features a stylus made for smaller hands and comes with a handle for kids to easily carry from their bedrooms to the living room to Grandma’s house. The Kindergarten and 1st Grade platform is teal and silver and features a sleeker design and stylus to help kids develop finer motor skills. The books are all interchangeable with both systems, so there is no need to replace one as your kid graduates through different stages.
For parents that like to keep kids engaged during playtime, and kids who always have their thinking hats on, LeapStart is the perfect learning companion that will adapt through the different stages of learning.
