LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer series - As I was wishing my children goodnight on a recent Sunday evening, I brought our youngest three year old girl to bed as her older five year old brother read Toy Story 3 on his younger sister’s LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer. Once she noticed her brother was playing with the LeapPad Explorer on his bed next to hers, she of course wanted to play with it. I asked him if she could read along next to him, to which he replied, “That’s okay Daddy, I’ll just start the story over from the beginning.” And the two began to share their LeapFrog LeapPad as they read together before bed; it was a touching and tender moment that I brought with me to the upcoming busy and hectic week at work.

The LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer was a gift for our three year old daughter that my wife bought an entire five months before her birthday! Her older brother had benefited from the LeapFrog Leapster, Scribble & Write, Text & Learn, My Own Leaptop and several other learning toys from LeapFrog. And she enjoyed them as well as hand me downs, though it’s tough to call them that since they continue to be actively used in our home multiple years after their initial purchase; LeapFrog makes some really great and durable educational learning toys!

But my wife felt our daughter needed a LeapFrog to call her own, and the LeapPad Explorer was the perfect gift. Celebrating our daughter’s interest in still and video camera’s, the LeapPad Explorer comes with a built in 640 x 480 resolution camera and a 320 x 240 video camera.

At the time, the first generation LeapPad Explorer boasted 100+ games, but since it was such a successful learning toy, LeapFrog decided to introduce a second generation LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer, increasing its games to over 250 titles, and even comes with five apps included. My wife did order the LeapFrog App Center Download Card which let her choose fifty apps to download. To accommodate a growing library, the LeapPad 2 doubled its internal memory capacity from a generous 2GB to 4GB!

The five inch touch screen has beautiful crystal clear imaging at 480 x 272 pixel resolution, and the original LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer did come with four apps which included the Pet Pad, Story Studio, Art Studio and an additional customer choice app.

The input for both LeapPad Explorers included the slim and stylish LeapPad Stylus Pen, a microphone, a touch screen, a motion sensor and of course the camera.

The cartridges with over 250 titles are interchangeable in the series, and the box comes with a USB connector, Leappad AC Adapter, audio jack and an installation disk for your computer. Getting online allows you to take advantage of the app resources as well as the occasional freebie, and even includes the option of being emailed with your child’s progress.

Battery life is long at approximately eight hours, but the required four AA batteries are sold separately. My wife, as always, did the smart thing and bought the Rechargeables StayCharged AA Batteries to use with a battery charging station she has for the other children’s electronic toys.

The LeapPad Explorer is excellent in multiple ways, from being highly educational to interactive and even entertaining. Multiple apps allow for interactive and free form creativity, while animated stories bring familiar and loved characters to life.

Our kids love to read, and reading from the LeapPad offers a different and unique dimension in their young and growing experience.

As an adult, it’s easy to appreciate its calming and entertaining effects on long road trips and even long waits at the doctor’s office.

Checking up on them a little while later, I found our girl snuggly sleeping in her own bed as she retired on her own volition, and our boy negotiated the final few moments of his story, which we both enjoyed together to its end, then he went to sleep in quiet and joyful satisfaction.