5 Good Reasons To Buy A LeapFrog Leapster or LeapPad Game System

I am a stay-at-home Mom of 2 little boys, so I am always on the lookout for fun games with an educational twist. One of my all time favorite educational toy is the Leapster from Leap Frog.

If you have a moment to spare I will tell you why I think every child and parent will benefit from playing the fun and educational Leapster games. But before we begin, here's a quick overview of the different Leapster game systems currently on the market:

These are the different Leapster Systems currently sold by Leap Frog. Some of the earlier systems like the original Leapster and the Leapster2 are still being offered on Amazon as brand new.

Advantages of the older systems are the huge library of games that are all still fun and relevant for little kids. The cost for these game cartridges can really add up, so with the older systems you'll have better chances of finding used games for cheap.

We all know that small children tend to learn faster and better when learning is fun. Not only that, when a game is a lot of fun kids don't even notice that they're learning at the same time.

For exciting, fast-paced action there are arcade style games that challenge your child without violence.

In addition to LeapFrog's own characters like Leap, Tad and Lily, many Leapster games feature well-known characters kids love: Thomas The tank Engine, Disney/Pixar's Cars, Nemo and Ratatouille, SpongeBob, Dora The Explorer and more.

And I have to say I love the fact that it captivates my kids' attention and engages them for an extended period of time. This can be a sanity saver on long car trips or waiting periods. No reason why Mom's shouldn't benefit a little bit as well :)

They teach essential skills needed for school like:

• Letter names:
  Young children typically recite or sing the alphabet before they recognize individual letters. By preschool they begin to identify letters by name and shape.
• Phonics skills:
  To learn to read, a child must understand the letter-sound relationship and distinguish individual sounds, or phonemes, within words. Crucial to reading, phonics skills help children sound out new words (If I can read "pot," then I can read "hot" and "spot").

The act of rhyming directs a child's attention to the similarities in words (hat sounds like cat). Because sensitivity to rhyme comes quite naturally, it is an excellent entry into phonological awareness, or the ability to distinguish individual sounds in words.Spelling:Children first learn to spell by breaking down words into sounds. But many sounds in our language have irregular spellings.

Children must learn the fundamental spelling rules and recognize commonly misspelled words.

Numbers:To begin their study of math, children must distinguish numerals from letters and shapes and to understand that numbers are symbols for amounts.Addition:Once children know that numbers are symbols for objects (2 stands for two cars) they learn to count sets, or groups of objects, to find sums.

Finally, sets of objects can be replaced by numerals and added together in equations.

Encouraging children to create music deepens their understanding of music as a form of self-expression. Experimenting with basic musical elements such as rhythm, tempo and mood helps lay a foundation for parallel concepts such as those found in poetry.

There are several implications. Since the Leapster Game System is of high quality they take a bit of abuse. Which means they stand a good chance of outlasting the Leapster phase of you child. As you can see from the eBay listings, they still fetch a pretty penny even when used. In light of its resale value, the price of a new Leapster becomes really a bargain.

The same goes for Leapster game cartridges. Unless they've been damaged by brute force or liquids they're virtually indestructible. There's no reason I can think of why you shouldn't supplement your child's Leapster game library with some used ones.

My 2 boys really enjoyed playing games on their Leapsters because they were "so cool". We had the regular Leapster, and the Leapster L-Max, and although by now they have outgrown their handheld Leapsters they think that the new LeapPad is the coolest game ever.

The hand held Leapster game consoles look much like the cool game consoles the big kids have. (PSP, Nintendo, etc.). The latest tablet style Leapster LeapPad even mimics the ultra-cool iPad of Mommy and/or Daddy!

Yet all the games available for Leapsters are non violent and have an educational agenda. They are appropriate even for our littlest ones.

Leap Frog is a reputable company and has garnered many recognized awards. The Leapster and Leapster L-Max Game Systems in particular has won a veritable string of awards, such as:

* 2006 KYW-TV, CBS 3-On Your Side Toy Test Honorable Mention

* 2006 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Platinum Award

* 2006 Toy Industry Association, TOTY Award - Educational Toy of the Year finalist

* 2005 Dr. Toy, 10 Best Software/CD-ROM/High-Tech Products Award

* 2005 Dr. Toy, 100 Best Children's Products Award

* 2005 FamilyFun Magazine, Toy of the Year Award, Ages 5-7 Learning Toys

* 2005 iParenting Media, Greatest Products Award

* 2005 KTVU, Great American Toy Test Fab 14 Top Toy Award

* 2005 Nick Jr. Magazine, 50 Best Toys Award

* 2005 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Best Educational Toys Award

* 2005 Parents' Choice Foundation, Parents' Choice Recommended Award

* 2005 The National Parenting Center, Seal of Approval

* 2005 Toy Wishes Magazine, Hot Dozen Award

* 2005 Dr. Toy, Best Smart Play/Smart Toy Product Award

* 2005 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Gold Seal Award

* 2004 Top Toy of the Year Award, Creative Child Magazine

* 2004 Teacher's Choice Award, Learning Magazine

* 2004 Great American Toy Test/KTVU, Top Educational Award

* 2004 Technology & Learning Magazine, Award of Excellence

* 2004 Parents' Choice, 2004 Parents' Choice Recommended Award winner

* 2004 Seal of Approval 2004, The National Parenting Center

* 2004 T.O.T.Y. award, Best Educational Toy

* 2004 T.O.T.Y. award, Most Innovative Toy

The action on a Leapster doesn't quite compare to a regular video game, but keep in mind that this is for little kids and the main purpose is educational. Younger kids love this.

Your kids, I'm sure, will love some games more than others, depending on their interests and skill level. But certain games seem to perform well with a majority of kids and parents and it would be interesting to find out which ones. It helps to decide which Leapster game to buy next and which ones to pass. So feel free to change the order by voting games up or down.

The Leapster Carrying Case protects the Leapster console whenever it is not in use. Especially if your kids take the leapster along on trips this will protect it much better than a regular bag. Since no other items can be included there's nothing that can scratch it. It also helps to minimize the impact if it gets dropped.

What Game Systems do they work with?

For the older generation Leapsters, there are 3 types of Leapster games: The regular Leapster game, the Leapster L-Max game with TV connectivity, and the arcade-style game.

All of these Leapster game types work interchangeably on any of these Leapster Game System!

The earlier Leapster Systems are:

• The classic Leapster Game System, triangular (older) or rectangular (newer).
• The Leapster L-Max Game System (added features when connected to a TV)
• The Leapster2 Game System
• The Leapster TV Game System
• .

In addition, US-bought Leapster games also work on Leapster Systems in Canada, the UK, Australia, and on other country versions. This I know for a fact, as I have sold a lot of games to the UK and Australia, even to France. I also mailed the Leap Frog company directly with this question, and they confirmed this.

The current Explorer family of Leapsters is different. Previous game cartridges do not work with these systems!