Educational, Active Video Gaming for Kids: LeapTV by LeapFrog {#LeapTV}

As a mom, I feel constantly torn between all of the choices that I make for my children. I want them to eat healthy, they want foods that are as sweet as possible. I want them to get plenty of sleep at night to be well-rested and they want to stay up as late as they can to not miss out on any fun.

When it comes to video games, sure they would love to have all of the latest and greatest gaming systems so that they could play game after game all day long, but we all know that staring at a screen isn't the most beneficial activity ever.

Fortunately, we have now been introduced to a way to incorporate education, movement and action into gaming all in one unique, child-friendly way thanks to LeapTV by LeapFrog.

LeapFrog is known as a leader in education innovation throughout the world. Their award-winning learning toys, interactive book and map experiences, reading systems, educational gaming handhelds and learning tablets are age-appropriate, trusted by parents, valued by teachers and loved by children.

Which is why I wasn't surprised to hear that LeapFrog figured out how to make gaming smarter with their new LeapTV. This innovative system provides three ways to play — body motion, pointer play and classic control — to keep kids ages 3 to 8 entertained, involved and having a blast!

Knowing that just about any kid would have a great time pointing, jumping, wiggling, dancing, twisting and more (while also practicing their reading, math, science and problem solving), it was time to try out this great new device during our LeapTV Party!

I love seeing my kids have fun and I love seeing my kids learn, so when a LeapTV and two games arrived, I was excited to see my girls and their friends have the opportunity to spend an afternoon being entertained in an educational way.

Right off the bat, setting up the LeapTV proved to be just as easy and convenient as I had hoped. After simply plugging in all of the included cables and cords, it only took a few minutes of connecting the LeapTV to our internet connection and completing the registration process.

Then it was time to play!

Just as I suspected, we had a blast!

The kids were immediately curious about the transforming, easy-to-hold controller and the instant the colorful home screen appeared, there was no stopping them from getting started.

As opposed to traditional gaming systems where I have had to spend time explaining every last detail about the gameplay to my children, the LeapTV has a simple and intuitive user interface (and clear audio prompts) that kids are able to understand and control immediately. I barely had to say a word or give an instruction the entire time each of the kids took turns playing again and again.

We began with the included Pet Play World game, which proved to be a perfect introduction to the system as a whole.

From selecting and customizing a pet (breed, colors and name) to feeding it, washing it, playing with it, designing its home, racing it and more, this "starter game" itself received plenty of attention and compliments. Our guests loved returning to change their pet, replay games, try new ones and more!

Although we probably could have continued playing Pet Play World throughout the party, I decided to mix things up by putting in LeapFrog's Dance & Learn cartridge to see what the girls thought of it.

Designed for ages 4-7 (pre-K to 1st grade), the nine dance games included in this collection got the kids into action right away as they waved, danced, shook, drummed and more right along with the upbeat music and colorful characters.

At the same time, Dance & Learn does a great job of incorporating educational curriculum right in with the fun. I don't think the kids even noticed that they were practicing rhyming, making compound words, defining action verbs, working on phonics and more — they were too busy laughing (and laughing and laughing!) while they high-fived with hamsters or froze in sassy dance positions!

Even better, it didn't take long for the girls to realize that multiple players could participate in many of the Dance & Learn games (without the need for a second controller), so they were soon taking turns as Player 1 and Player 2... as well as just joining in with each other to turn the whole thing into one big dance party!

For continued learning mixed with exercise and active movement, we ended our LeapTV Party with the Sports! cartridge, which allowed the kids to interact with new as well as veteran LeapFrog characters.

Sports! is also designed for ages 4-7 and, like Dance & Learn, has the ability to be played by a solo child or with up to four players without needing to add another controller. From practicing subtraction while batting in baseball to recognizing patterns throughout an action-packed skateboard race, the nine games in this collection had the girls laughing, pointing, jumping and more as they played again and again.

By the end of the party, I was even more impressed with LeapFrog for inventing this active video gaming system than I had thought. I love the way that kids of all ages (our guests ranged from 5 to 8) had no problem using the controller (and transforming it from a classic controller into a pointer) or moving easily between options and games.

All of the girls got a kick out of seeing themselves right in the action ("I'm on TV!") and the way that LeapFrog designed the games to automatically adjust the levels depending on the age of the player ensured that they were challenged without being frustrated. They truly have made gaming smarter, more educational and perfectly appropriate and kid-friendly!

While we have long loved LeapFrog and the way that their unique toys and learning solutions provide entertainment as well as educational advancement, the addition of the LeapTV fits right in. Kids are able to express their creativity and have active, happy fun all while learning and practicing a wide variety of educational skills. What more could I ask for?

Here's a quick peek at the girls in action showing off their LeapTV love!


This innovative video game system is available now from LeapFrog, Amazon and in stores near you with an MSRP of $149.99. With a library of 100+ LeapFrog educator-approved game cartridges, game downloads and videos to include, kids will never run out of fun!

Find out more about LeapTV and all of the available games and accessories available for it by visiting LeapFrog.com and connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

I received free products in order to host the LeapFrog sponsored MommyParty. The opinions expressed here are honest and my own.