I think the leappad is just rubbish

[emkana]

Dd1 who is four has one and two books to go with it - Princess Stories and a Winnie the Pooh one.

Wanted to buy her another one for Christmas but none of them look appealing - they are all based on films she hasn't seen (Nemo, Lion King) or there's Bratz, which I don't like...

Why isn't there anything else???

And then there's the leappad plus writing now, and if you want the books to go with that then of course you have to buy a whole new machine...

a rip-off IMO.

I read an excellent article about school nativity catastophes in the Independent today and it included baby Jesus being rocked too energetically at one performance, whereon he started bleating robotically and very loudly, "my name's Tammy, please give me a cuddle". FoS, talking toys really creep me out too!

snort at Tammy

but marina, don't you just adore it when Tad plants a smacker and then says "I LOOOOOOOOVE YOU!" in a rather high pitched American accent??

We can't get enough of that in this house

pph! Ds calls it "that bloody frog" and for once I don't immediately day "no swearing ds"

Oh no, we have taken Baby Tad to our hearts....... SMACK! I LOOOOOOOOOVE you, Tad

i thought I was the only one who didn't get the leap pad thing
just don't get them

cant bear them. Agree with others about books.

wouldn't own one .. don't like the concept .. I like books

Ds loves his Leappad, but he also loves books. Both have their place, and the Leappad is infinitely preferable to the tv.

why is a leappad preferable to a TV

is that because the TV is the font of all evil?

pah

I like books and TV

No! Ds would sit in front of it all day if he could! Tv has its place too.

Hmm - liked the idea - anything to encourage real books. But having bought DS a Leapad - he is not really that interested.

Also bought a Leapster which he does like on long car journeys.

DD has one and loves it. She has had "real" books from birth and is a book freak! The Leap Pad is just added to that, not a replacement for real books. Just different. DD doesn't really use it to "read" the books, more for the interactive parts of the books - the games, the letters, etc.

We also have a VTech VSmile console (mentioned earlier). DD really enjoys that too and is getting into more and more.

But as I said before - these are not INSTEAD of real books and paper./pen. These are used far more often than the Leappad.

Leappad good for cars and journeys away IOE.

I prefer books, as does DD(6), but she has had a leap pad for two years, and still uses it loads. She has disney books, and Richard Scary books, and two french story ones. Bought by french family, but have helped her practice, as I'm just rubbish at it. Definitely has its uses - particularly when driving to Farance in a car with no stereo!

not really looked into it as always seemed such a big expense but glad to hear these comments.
ds1 and dd seem to be learning to read OK.
Obviously some people like them (can see why they would be good for long car journeys) but we tend to walk everywhere and I guess spend time indoors doing other stuff.