School-Aged Children
LeapPad looks like a iPad for kids...WDYT???
I just got an e-mail from Leap Frog about the new LeapPad. I showed my daughter the video and she was like "wow mommy can we get that?". I think it looks awesome, and I am sure it is not as expensive as an iPad. Not that I was going to buy here an iPad she is 5 going on 6. I do seem to see alot of children with iPads and iPod touch gadgets which is beyond me since they are nowhere near teenager years.
I was going to get her a Leapster Explorer for her Birthday but I might just opt for the LeapPad.
How many of you have kids who are tech savvy? Do you think you would buy this LeapPad? Do you think your kid(s) will enjoy it?
Happy Hump Day everyone 
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Re: LeapPad looks like a iPad for kids...WDYT???
I probably shouldn't admit this on here, but my nearly 6-year-old (early August bday) is getting a deactivated iPhone. No calls/email/texts, but he will be able to play games and watch movies on it - essentially it will function as an iPod Touch.
He can operate my smartphone as well as I can, I suppose. The impetus for this is that we have a couple of long road trips this summer and he can use it for that. They fight over my phone, so now he'll have his own and she can use mine. Or she can use his Leapster - which he's kind of over (the regular Leapster 2, not the Explorer).
We're getting it from a friend for 50 dollars and he's paying for some portion of it (allowance and tooth fairy money). As far as being responsible enough to take care of it, he has a trial period and if he doesn't maintain it up to par, then I get it and he has to ask me for it).
We waffled about an iPod Touch or a DS. DS games are expensive and you can download apps onto a Touch or an iPhone for free.
I haven't seen the LeapPad yet, but I have a feeling it may be outgrown too quickly for the price. He's pretty tech-savvy...
My ILS bought my girls each an Ipod Touch Hanukkah (now 3 and 5) and while I hate that they have them, we have very heavy restrictions on when they can use them and honestly - they are great. The girls love them. We have a bunch of educational games on them plus some movies and TV shows. We typically bring them with us for long car rides or to places like the doctors where we might end up waiting a long time and even out to dinner in case we end up having to wait a very long time. They also use them while waiting for the other to finish a class. They are both very tech savvy - both of their schools have computers in their classrooms, older DD's speech preschool uses a lot of technology as part of class and her district is starting a program where all kids will get an ipad for class use. If you program these correctly and restrict the use, I don't see an issue. My kids are very active and love running around, being outside and dancing and know that the computer stuff is something they can earn and time is limited with it.
This from above post - We waffled about an iPod Touch or a DS. DS games are expensive and you can download apps onto a Touch or an iPhone for free.
I have the explorer and Leapster does not have the technology to make the touch screen sturdy and dependable like an ipad or iphone. Our explorer, though cared for very well, has a touch screen that works some days and doesn't others. (This is the same problem other companies pre-apple had because the technology was lacking a bit.) The problems start after about 6 months of use.
I think I would just buy a nintendo DS (or whatever they are called now) and buy a few educational games.