LeapFrog LeapTV Review {Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids}

This post brought to you by LeapFrog.// I had the good fortune of being asked to write up a review of what my kiddos thought of LeapFrog's new LeapTV gaming system. I'm going to tell you why this toy was a hit with my kids...and me.

If you haven't heard about the new LeapTV, it's an all new gaming system designed to get minds and bodies moving. Although it was created for kids ages 4 to 7, my 8 year old had just as much fun playing as did my 6 year old and their 4 year old cousin.

What makes LeapTV special?

• 3 ways to play: body motion (the camera catches them and they can see themselves on the TV!), classic control (it can tilt and shake for gaming fun), and pointer play (the control transforms into a pointer!)
• Designed specifically for young children with age-appropriate games
• Reinforces learning through movement (kids wiggle, jump, point, and swipe to play)
• Games adapt to your child (the games automatically level as your child's progresses in proficiency)

Why did my kids (even the 8 year old!) love it?

Set-up only took a couple of minutes, so they didn't have to bounce around waiting. They figured out how to use the controls themselves in no time at all, and had a blast choosing from fun games to play. Our system came loaded with Kart Racing, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Sofia the First, and some others. These were pre-loaded for review purposes, but all are available in the library of 100+ game cartridges (approved by educators!), downloads, and videos! The system has WiFi, so you can download games with your account without having to be at your laptop.

My problem solver oldest loved that she had to answer some math questions in order to play the racing game, and the creative middle child enjoyed practicing her reading skills with Sofia. The dog even looked interested (see above), and so did the baby, who picked up the TV's remote control and tried to swipe it around.

Why did I (mom) love LeapTV?

As a mom who is conscious of the ever encroaching toy clutter around this time of year, I had to do a little cheer when I saw how small and unobtrusive the gaming system is. No big, unwieldy plastic pieces that require their own shelf on the media center. Everything goes neatly back into the media center when they're finished playing.

Another plus? It’s super easy to put together, and the kids were able to figure out how to navigate between games soon after we took it out of the box. Nice graphics, although the sound was a bit off on the initial run…could have been our TV though.

While I limit my kids’ screen time already, I like that when they do have LeapTV time, they are generally up and moving. No sitting like bumps on a log, staring at a screen.

This is a great Christmas purchase, especially if you have more than one kiddo in the 4 to 7 age range…they will love playing against each other…alongside some of their favorite characters!

Well done, LeapFrog! Their new gaming system would make an excellent addition to a Christmas wish list for kids 4 to 7.

What's the top toy on your kiddos' wish list this year?

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Disclosure: LeapFrog provided my family with a LeapTV system for review purposes, but I was not paid to write this post. All opinions are, as always, 100 % my own.