The Educational, Active Video Game System for Kids: LeapFrog LeapTV {Review}

As a mom, I feel constantly torn between all of the choices that I make for my children that contrast what they want. 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, they would surely 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 just sitting and staring at a screen isn't the most beneficial activity ever.

Fortunately, we have been introduced to a way to incorporate education, movement, and action into gaming all in one unique, child-friendly way thanks to the 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 interactive 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, problem solving, etc.), it was time to spend some time 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 effortlessly. I barely had to say a word or give an instruction the entire time both kids took turns playing again and again.

Even better, as the LeapTV features today's most popular kids' characters, who is going to want to say no to playing (and learning) with buddies like Elsa, Anna, and Olaf?

The LeapTV has a library of 100+ LeapFrog educator-approved game cartridges, game downloads, and videos, so the likelihood of running out of fun is pretty small!

In Disney Frozen: Arendelle's Winter Festival (ages 4-7), users can play solo or with a friend as they proceed and interact with five magical, fun-filled Arendelle adventures.

Sculpt ice; create jewelry from snowflakes; join in a festival by using counting, addition, subtraction, place value, shape recognition, and number sequencing; and much more!

I find it hard to believe that any Frozen fans wouldn't have a blast trying to make Olaf fall into the dunk tank or creating an ice skating path for Elsa and Anna. This game is the perfect mix of enchantment and wonder with great math skills!

For slightly younger children who are into a little more action, Blaze and the Monster Machines (ages 3-5) focuses on the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills all while helping Blaze and his friends build an awesome stunt track.

Featuring everything from number recognition to physical science and problem solving, this game is part monster truck and part educational adventure!

Or, when ramps, loops, and straightaways aren't cutting it, LeapTV Letter Factory Adventures (also ages 3-5) brings children through a variety of adventure games as they take a train ride through the alphabet from A to Z.

At each train stop, players learn the name, shape and sound of the letter, build words, customize an alphabet book, and more.

Even though this game is a little too young for my girls, they have had a great time bending and twisting themselves into letter shapes, popping bubbles to find letters and complete words, and racing the clock to show off their alphabet knowledge. Overall, this game is a fun and active way to play solo or with a friend to ride the rails to learning fun!

Finally, for the ultimate in constructing your own custom island, Mr. Pencil Presents DoodleCraft involves a little bit of everything: creativity, building, sorting, memory, observation, matching, and much more.

Players earn blueprints to construct buildings; unlock art tools to add paint, patterns, doors, windows, glitter, stickers, and more; and go on quests to unlock and explore five different neighborhoods to find hidden objects and locations.

I love that, along with educational skills, this game also promotes important everyday skills, as players recycle, clear away obstacles, tidy up messes, scrub buildings clean, and more to keep their residents happy. Whether played alone or as a team (or two players can make their own separate islands and go visit each other!), Mr. Pencil Presents DoodleCraft is open-ended and challenging enough to encourage kids to return to it time and again.

Since the arrival of the LeapTV and these games, I have been nothing but impressed with LeapFrog for inventing such an active video gaming system. I love the way that kids of all ages (we have had players between the ages of 5 and 9) have had no problem using the controller, transforming it from a classic controller into a pointer, or moving easily between options and games.

My girls and their friends have gotten 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 ensures that they are challenged without being frustrated. They truly have made gaming smarter, more educational, 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?

This innovative video game system is available now from LeapFrog, on Amazon and in stores near you with an MSRP of $59.99 (a crazy good deal for the holidays, considering its debut price was $149.99!) with game cartridges sold separately for $19.99.

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, and Pinterest.

As a LeapFrog Mom Ambassador, I receive products, promotional items and educational material to use and share as I see fit. However, any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.