As a parent I am a big Leap Frog fan. My son loved Leap Frog products from a very early age (we had the LeapFrog Learning DVDs before he was 2 years old). When he was 2 1/2 we purchased a Leapster Learning System for him for Christmas – hard to believe that was 3 years ago now! Back then, I was hesitant about purchasing what I perceived as a ‘gaming system’ for my son but did my research online and through talking to other moms and decided that the Leapster would be a good fit for my little guy.
The rest, as they say, is history. Cliche, maybe, but my son loved his Leapster and all the games he learned to play on them. Leapster games feature educational concepts like basic alphabet and reading skills, phonics, comprehension and math too. Having his favorite characters to make learning fun along the way doesn’t hurt. One of his oldest and still favorites is Scholastic Clifford The Big Red Dog Reading.
Now that my daughter is 2 she has definitely become interested in the Leapster…and so the fight begins! Though my son has other gaming systems he still uses his Leapster and is possessive. When Leapster offered me a Leapster2 to review, I jumped at the opportunity. The awesome thing about this company is that all Leapster games work with all systems so all the games we have can be used in both!
I definitely like the new Leapster2 Learning System better than the original right on sight. The Leapster 2 is designed to be easier to hold – through the shape and the materials used. The original Leapster was plastic all around, but the Leapster2 is easier to hold with graspable sides.
New to the Leapster2 is the Leapster Connect application which enables parents to hook the Leapster2 up to your computer and download additional games, track your child’s progress to see what he is learning and more. Actually the online options are for the kids too – when you first get everything set up, you can actually go online with your child and choose from 4 games to download for free immediately. There’s bonus games online available too as well as game previews. We received 2 new games with the Leapster2 as well – Star Wars Jedi Reading and Wolverine and X-Men (my son was thrilled with both!)
The Leapster2 operates on 4AA batteries, but soon we will be purchasing the Leapster2 Battery Charger so no game play gets interrupted (it also includes an AC adapter). 
If you, like many parents I know, are considering a gaming system for a younger child (the Leapster2 is recommended for ages 4-8) I’d definitely recommend starting out with the Leapster2 Learning System. Years from now chances are the kids will be asking for the same systems adults use, but for those few precious years when you still get a say, why not get them a system that’s educational as well as fun? As a mom, I don’t at all feel guilty when my kids are playing the Leapster or Leapster2 as I honestly don’t consider it ‘gaming’ time. Right now my 2 year old just pokes the stylus at the pictures and listens to the stories and that’s ok too!
1 reader is going to win a Leapster2 Learning System from LeapFrog! To enter, just go to LeapFrog and check out the games available for the Leapster2. Leave me a comment here telling me which one caught your eye.
For additional entries:
~ Follow me (join this site with Google Friend Connect)
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~ Follow @FeistyFrugal on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway ★Leapster2 Learning System Giveaway★ @FeistyFrugal Holiday 2009 Gift Guide from @LeapFrog http://tinyurl.com/y9f9jq3 (CDN/US entries!) (RT 1x per day)
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Please ensure your profile is public or leave me your email address in your comment. This giveaway will end on December 22nd at 9:00pm CT. I will use Random.org to choose the winners, email the winners, and post the win here. Giveaway is open to Canadian and US addresses.
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