The LeapFrog Tag system has been on the market for a while, but now there’s a new version that lets the tiniest toddlers get in on the Tag fun. Tag Junior is a book-reading system for kids ages two to four. It sells for $35 with one book and additional books are $11 each.
The "book pal" is a small optical scanner that is easy for a small child to hold and operate. It reads the dot patterns hidden in the art work and text (I can barely see them!) and plays up to 150 sounds per book. The books are sturdy board books with stories, activities and sounds. Kids push the book pal down like a rubber stamp. It’s really easy enough for a two-year-old child to manage, and my almost-four-year-old son won’t share it with his little brother!
The library of Tag Junior books is extensive with licensed books including Dora the Explorer, Winnie the Pooh, Dr. Seuss and Curious George. Each book focuses on a different subject including the alphabet, colors and animal sounds.They challenge kids to "find something blue!" or ask, "Which animal makes this sound?"
LeapFrog Learning Path is a robust online system that ties together all of the LeapFrog learning products including Tag, Tag Junior, Leapster II and Didj. By linking the toys to a PC with the included USB cable, parents can track the child’s progress. It’s like an online report card that lets parents see what the child plays over and over and even which questions they’ve missed. If they’ve mastered a certain area, like colors or letters, the system will suggest the next software title to try. It’s great if you use LeapFrog products for a moment of peace and don’t want to watch every single second of the child’s gameplay. (We’ve all got the sound tracks memorized already!)
The book pal can greet the child by name. Parents just connect to a PC and enter the child’s name. If your child’s name isn’t among the 1900 names supported, LeapFrog takes suggestions and notifies parents when their child’s name is added. In the meantime, it can call your child by your favorite nickname, like "Buddy" or "Princess".
One downside is that the book pal only holds five books at a time. Though it’s really easy to go online and select the ones you want, only the included book is ready to go out of the box. I can see some impatient birthday party guests and I wish I didn’t have to explain that, if we buy that sixth book, one of your old books is going to be unreadable with the book pal.
Tag Junior even has a volume control so it’s a great thing to bring along on a trip. My kids are loving this system and I love anything that has them spending independent time with a good book!
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