Toy of the Week: Leapster 2

My son loves video games, even at age 3!!! I blame both myself and my husband on this as we both love video games. But not the new high-tech video games, we love the traditional Mario games!! We both own a Gameboy Advance and Super Mario 3 along with other games. In October, we moved and were without entertainment for the kids for a few days so we decided to let Little Man try the Gameboy. Big mistake...he rarely put it down. So for Christmas, I decided to get him a video game machine that was educational. After a lot of research and comparing, I opted to get him the Leapster 2. I even managed to get him the Star Wars Edition, which he loves!! It came with one game, Jedi Math and we purchased a few additional games.

He plays it constantly and enjoys the games. It is a great item for traveling and for when we are out and he has to wait. It keeps him occupied. He has learned different aspects of math, counting and numbers with the Jedi Math. We purchased a game called Digging for Dinosaurs where he has learned about dinosaurs and science facts. In the other games we purchased, he has learned word recognition, letters, colors and shapes. The nice part is that he is always learning even though he is playing a video games. It isn't mindless, he has to think to advance through the games. And I know that he is learning!! I can hook the game up to the internet and see exactly what he excels in and what he struggles in, which helps me focus on his learning throughout the day.

The Leapster 2 is backwards and forwards compatible, so old games can play inside it and the new games can be played in the old system (The Original Leapster). The system plugs into a USB cable, and you can download your kids’ progress as a part of LeapFrog’s Learning Path. Parents just create a profile for their children on a computer, then connect the Leapster 2 handheld to it. This is a way to keep track of what kids are learning, and it’s a way of building confidence and enthusiasm for learning–both from parent and child. When kids connect to the system, they can upload and unlock online rewards–like baby Achievements! Like the first Leapster, Leapster 2 auto-levels to make sure keeps are continually challenged. It is a great system!!

The Leapster 2, which is recommended Ages 4-8, is available for around $69.99 but I have found that Leapfrog.com has some great budle prices!! The only recommendation I can make is to purchase the rechargable battery pack. It has saved us on batteries and has already paid for itself!!