Innotab/Leap pad/mobigo

[spankswife]

I'd like to get DD one of these for xmas. She is 2.5. Her friend had a mobigo, and she loved it (for the 10 min she saw it). Also, I notcied the games for it are geared for younger children (3-5), compared to the Leap pad games(4-7). My concern is she really loves playing with my ipad, but I'd rather get her something of her own. I wonder if the Leap pad is a closer match....

Does anyone have any thoughts? I am also afraid she won't like any of them because they don't compare to the ipad....

[8675309]

I'll wait for responses because I have this exact same question. My DD will be 3 in January and I would like to get her something so she leaves my ipad alone!

[birdmom]

MIL got DS the Innotab2 for Christmas. Obviously we haven't used it yet, but I think it is similar to the Leap Pad. It might be for kids a little younger.

[lindyanne]

I can only comment on the Leap Pad. I have the first gen. I like it and there are games geared towards younger kids and ones for a little older that I can play with DS (3). They're a little pricey though. I don't know what the other things offer but I'd much prefer a tablet or an ipad mini or something of the sort where you have an endless supply of free or really cheap games to keep your DC interested.

[statlerwaldorf]

I got DD a LeapPad for her 3rd birthday. It was pretty easy for DD to figure out. She plays with it a lot. It uses a lot of batteries, so make sure to get an a/c adapter or rechargeable batteries. She has trouble with the tracing games, but she loves the Dora game.

[Deleted]

For those with a leap pad, would you still go with that again or get a Kindle Fire now that they've come down in price so much? I'm trying to decide what Santa should get DS

[EloiseWeenie]

I got my son a LeapPad for Christmas one year. The games are pricey, but he doesn't need many. Stores do run sales on cartridges, but the LeapPad App Store never has sales.

I would buy it again. It's rugged, sturdy, and built for destructive toddlers. The biggest selling point for me is no Internet. My son knows how to get to YouTube through almost every app on my phone or iPad (he's 3) by clicking the "extras" or "help" links. Then he clicks like crazy through the suggested videos. Not to mention that I had to set up extra password protection because he was buying app upgrades

[cjeanette]

Nov 3, 2012 6:56:08 GMT -5 @lcap said:

For those with a leap pad, would you still go with that again or get a Kindle Fire now that they've come down in price so much? I'm trying to decide what Santa should get DS

This was our debate as well. Since my kids are 4 and 7 we decided the Kindle was worth it. Plus I know the kids like it and know how to use it since they always steal mine.

[GailGoldie]

we got my older son a leap pad last year for xmas. He was 4yo and my twins were 2.5. The leap pad, at 3.5, is still a little hard for them - it requires a lot more control than an iPad, and most games are geared towards older kids.

games are NOT cheap either - if i had realized i would have not bothered with it... my kids love the ipad much more - and with free or cheap apps, there's so much more they can do on there.

[suburbanzookeeper]

DD has a Leappad and an Innotab (the originals), she turned 3 in September. The apps aren't cheap with either but I was able to pick up several on clearance last year after the holidays. I prefer the Innotab for being able to load movies/TV shows of our own choosing on which has made my OB visits much easier. She can handle some of the games, likes the drawing apps on both, and the interactive story books. For both we use the rechargable batteries from Costco (Sanyo).

She's dropping both products multiple times and they've survived just fine. I wouldn't be OK at this point giving her a real tablet, especially since she can browse the internet so easily and download crap as it is on my smartphone.

[vanillacourage]

My DS is going to be 4.5 at Christmas and I was thinking of getting him a Leapfrog tablet. Worth it, and if so which one? I'd want to age up instead of getting one aimed at 3 year olds.

We do have a Nook tablet that DH bought me last year, but it's buggy. I'm sort of thinking about getting an iPad since we'll have an influx of cash soon and DH has promised to get me something nice. I could use an iPad for work purposes too.

[statlerwaldorf]

I thought about getting a Kindle Fire, but I heard a couple horror stories about kids accidentally buying a lot of in game content. Plus I like that she can't stumble across inappropriate things. The LeapPad has been dropped down the stairs and other things and still works fine.

For a 4.5 year old, I would consider a Nintendo DS if you are not set on getting a tablet.