Leap into Gaming with LeapFrog’s LeapTV #MommyParties

Kevin is spending more and more time playing video games lately.

The Nintendo 3DS is his favorite which he got as a birthday gift from his Grand Parents this year! At first, he was not too keen on playing with DS, but it changed when he got a cool Batman game (again, as a gift, for no apparent reason) from his Grandma recently. He has so much fun playing the DS- taking pictures of anything and everything around the house and earning points doing tasks as part of the game. I like that he loves DS and that it keeps him occupied at his leisure time but DS doesn’t get brownie points from me since I see him mostly cuddled up in sofa with it. No movement, no action for his little body and I am all about being active- be it myself or my little ones.

For this reason, I was very excited when I got an opportunity to review LeapFrog’s LeapBand, of course with the help of my kids back in September.This cool activity tracker encourages kids to get active with customizable virtual pet pals. The great thing is that the LeapBand tracks kids’ every movement and suggests fun active challenges-and the more they move, the more points they earn to unlock virtual rewards for their pets and get to new levels! Kevin and even Krista, my younger one had great fun testing it out. And the LeapBand passed our test/review with flying colors! You can read my full review on LeapBand here!

And when I thought LeapFrog cannot come out with anymore of these cool Educational/Informative toys like LeapBand or LeapPad Ultra, it surprised me again! This time with one of a kind gaming console system exclusively for kids known as LeapTV! Imagine a cross between Wii and Kinect- and you get LeapTV! Targeting little gamers aged between 3 and 8, the system uses a motion-sensing camera and controller that fits small hands. Audio instruction makes it simple for even the youngest kids to play solo or with a friend! I love the fact that LeapFrog gets kids into the action while teaching core skills across a variety of subjects including: reading, mathematics, science and problem solving. And the best part?  You do not have to go after kids to teach them any of this. They will come after you to get them set up with this teaching experience! See what I mean? 😉

LeapTv Games

LeapTV Games consists of a library of 9 cartridge games at launch. LeapFrog hopes to add 100+ LeapFrog educator-approved games and videos available by year-end- this means, kids will never run out of fun with LeapTV!As part of the review, we were provided with two games- LeapFrog Sports and LeapFrog Dance & Learn. Both were great! And Kevin, Krista and the friends they invited over to share the fun with testing LeapTV had such fun time playing game after game after game. They would have played non stop without food or water if I let them 🙂

The coolest thing I loved about LeapTV is its full body motion gaming aspect. The  small 640 x 480 resolution camera works great capturing your child’s image which you would see on the TV screen. Kevin and Krista went bonkers seeing themselves on TV and it was a sight to behold and treasure 🙂

Few things to mention about the LeapTV controller

Designed specifically for smaller hands, Controller is made of plastic with some rubber at the end of long arms making it nice and easy to grip. It is flexible and flips out into Pointer Play for certain games. Its pretty cool to watch, actually!

Moving your Body

With LeapTV games, kids will jump, dance, bounce, hop-you name it!And its fun to watch physical movements control your onscreen action too!

Agreed, LeapTV is a bit expensive for a children’s toy. But it does not feel the same if you consider this as an investment for your child’s growth and progress. How does that work? Well, the LeapTV games can cater to each child’s age and level up based on their performance. With the support of the gaming library, there are plenty of opportunities to learn and develop for little ones.

Kevin spend some time everyday after school playing LeapTV these days. I think it works wonders for him already in the learning and FUN department, hands down! Happy kids, Happy Parents 🙂

When you buy LeapTV, this is what you get: 

 LeapFrog LeapTV Educational Gaming System

• LeapTV console and Console stand
• Motion-sensing camera and Camera mount
• 1 Transforming Controller with Wrist Strap
• 6′ HDMI cable, AC power adapter, Built-in Wi-Fi plus Ethernet port
• 16GB memory
• Bonus game: Pet Play World when you register your LeapTV

Can think of anyone on your holiday shopping list who would love to get a LeapTV as a gift? 😉

****Disclosure: I received one or more of the  products mentioned above for free from Mom Select to facilitate a review . The opinions expressed here are my own.****