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About two years ago my wife and I were shopping for Christmas presents for our kids, trying to find toys that would have long-lasting value while being both educational and fun. At the time our children were between three and four years old. After checking a few different stores and a number of different toys, we settled on the Leapster Learning Systems, one for each child. These toys are worth their weight in gold!

The Leapster is a portable gaming/educational system that fits nicely on a child's lap. It comes with several buttons, a video screen, and a toy pen used to touch the video screen while playing the games. The video screen is touch-sensitive, so there are several activities the child can do with the pen, including simple drawing and selecting various images on the screen by tapping them with the pen. By the way, the pen is completely plastic with a blunt tip.

The Leapster is technically a video game console but Leapfrog's games have a strong educational focus. Skills like counting, pattern recognition, spelling, arithmetic, and so on are integral to their games. There are many simple puzzles embedded in the games. There is plenty of audio content to match the graphics. The controls are simple to use while giving younger children a chance to practice skills.

The target audience for Leapster is children of pre-K age up to fourth grade. The Leapster comes pre-loaded with a series of games designed for this age group, but you can also purchase a number of games designed for specific age groups. Popular children's characters are featured in a number of the games, including: Thomas the Tank Engine; Disney Princesses; the characters from Madagascar, Cars, and Finding Nemo; Spider-Man; and the Batman.

One of the greatest features of this system is its portability. You can take it anywhere! The system does support a power adaptor in addition to battery usage (4 AA cells). It's a fun way for kids to spend time while learning new skills. Leapfrog also has a related product called the L-Max which allows the child to play the games on a TV screen instead of the unit's own video screen. It costs more than Leapster, but does offer additional options. You can use the same games on both systems if you decide to switch from one console to another.

The only significant criticism that I would have about the Leapster system is a relative lack of content. There are twenty-three games available for the Leapster, which is adequate but much smaller than the offerings for the average gaming console. I'm stretching a bit here, though, because this is a really good toy!

Our kids have had their Leapsters for almost two years and they still love to play with them. If you are looking for a high-quality tool with years of playability, you really should take a look at Leapster. It's educational and fun!

Learn more about this author, Mark Dykeman.
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