LeapPad or something else for 3 year old?

[gncntry]

Is LeapPad THE only children's electronic learning game? or is there something else I should be investigating? This is for a 3 year old...

 

[akcire]

Is LeapPad THE only children's electronic learning game? or is there something else I should be investigating? This is for a 3 year old...

I don't know your relationship to the child, so that has some bearing. From everything I have heard the LeapPad is good with a low by in cost, but the cost of games is $10-15.

For my daughter, who is 2.8 we let her use an Ipad. We wanted to buy one for the house and did about a year ago. We purchased a super sturdy case, and it has been no problem. Since I bought the Ipad I have spent less than $10 on games for her as most are free. I did buy a couple leagfrog games featuring Scout at $1 or $2, but that is only because she likes the two dogs. It was definitely not needed. Now obviously an Ipad has a larger up front cost. For us it worked because we wanted to finally get one for ourselves. The only extra costs for letting our daughter use it come from the case and her few games/books.

Also her speech teacher and our neighbor an OT both recommended the Ipad and gave me a list of free or nearly free games that they hand out to all their patient parents. I've loaded some of their list, but many did not apply to my daughter.

That said, I didn't do research into other tablets. I just knew we wanted one and it could work for her. It's been great.

 

[LaurLaur04]

I got the leappad for my daughter when she was 4 and she is 6 now. She is beside me playing it right now. Best money I've EVER spent! So educational too.

 

[ShayBells]

I got it for my DS when he was three. He played it for a couple months and quit. It depends in the child I guess. He likes my phone better always has. He's five now (just turned) and we got him a nabi.

And I didn't see any real educational value except maybe writing letters but the leap pad makes it so hard you have to be perfect half the time I couldn't write letters without it telling me to try again. It's calibration isn't very good and can be frustrating.

Depending on the price of the thing these days I would reconsider it unless the child asked for it specifically. Maybe take the child into target and see if they will play with it there if they have a working one out (I know ours does). Like I said every kid is different some love it but I think my kid was spoiled by the iphone he's been playing with it since he was one so to compare it to something so different. He just wasn't interested. The nabi tablet gives him the same things my iPhone can do. Maybe consider the Nabi Jr. I have heard good things about that. And it's only 99$!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[MSSANDRA]

Leap Pad is not the only kid's system but it is pretty much the top of the line for this type system and was a total waste of money for us. DS was between 3 and 4 and wanted a DS or an ipad and we thought he was too young. He really had 0 interest in the LP and by four was pretty much using our pad or iphone. Much better system and can grow with them for years. He does now have a 3DS, and and ipod. We have considered a ipad for him but he has pretty much free access to all our stuff and has not asked again for his own. Many of his friends have their own. Do invest in a good cover and teach him how to take care of it.

 

[kiramay]

Mine has a Nabi 2 tablet, which we love. He was 2.8 yo when he got it, now nearly 4. Educational stuff, games, even Netflix (and Facebook on "mommy mode".) We all use it occasionally! Lol

 

[gncntry]

Thanks for all the replies. She is my great niece so I don't think I'm going to get her an iPad . I'll look at the nabi and talk to her mother before I buy anything. Her birthday is in February so I may wait until then so I have more time to investigate.

 

[Fjobe]

We had a poor experience with the leappad. We got 2 for our DDs for Christmas the first year they were available. Our older DDs stopped working 2 weeks after Christmas. After that, neither girl showed interest in the working leappad for months. About 8 months later they showed some interest and played it on and off for a few weeks. The 2nd one has now stopped working. One of my coworkers got some for her boys at the same time. They both still work. I guess we just weren't very lucky.

 

[wiigirl]

I got the leappad for my daughter when she was 4 and she is 6 now. She is beside me playing it right now. Best money I've EVER spent! So educational too.

 

[WantToGoNow]

My dd9 got a LeapPad three years ago. She was at the upper end of the age then and was already reading quite fluently then. She used it all the time then and still gets it out occasionally. She does like my Kindle more now and will be getting an Ipod Touch for Christmas.

 

[feistygalkmc]

We are going to get our DD (16 months tomorrow) the leaptop for christmas. She LOVES to try to type on our laptop or PC so we saw this when scouting the leap/vtech sections and thought it would work for her. I want to get her the leap pad so bad already but I know it is way too soon lol I have downloaded some Fisher Price free apps for my kindle that she loves to play.
I have been doing some comparisions on the innotab and the leappad and they each have their own advantages. I know the day to get her one is coming soon! I have found some good videos on youtube that compare the two if that helps. You just have to search innotab leap pad comparisons.