just percolating...
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In follow-up to my "Ho! ho! ho! ribbit! ribbit! ribbit!" post, I am happy to share this toy review* with you -- just in time for Christmas. It's for the LeapFrog Tag Reading System. What is it? The Canadian Toy Testing Council awarded this toy with the Children's Choice Award in 2009 and since then the company has continued to expand its library of books to accompany the system. It's a unique system and I think the best way of really … [Read more...]
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*** at the bottom of this post you can vote for which children's charity will receive a LeapFrog donation of toys -- please voice your suggestion! *** It's time to get serious about Christmas! Like many things I used to scoff at, shopping early for Christmas is something I now do. I used to think that people who shopped early for Christmas were either too organized for their own good or just plain liked shopping far too much. Now I know … [Read more...]
LeapFrog's LEAPSTER 2 Multimedia Learning System If you are hunting down a toy for a special preschooler in your life, this review may be of interest to you. (Disclosure details and other LeapFrog toy reviews can be read here.) What is it? It's a hand-held multimedia system for preschoolers that offers game-play, reading, drawing and videos. The focus is on educational fun. You can try a demo here. Price point: Approx $70 (see Toys R … [Read more...]
The AlphaPet Explorer LeapFrog age guide: 2-6 years Price point: Approx $25 My testers*: I had this toy tested with a friend's 18-month-old girl and another friend's 2-year-old boy (detailed reviews are below). It was also tested in my own home by my 17-month-old son and 7-year-old daughter. The result? None of these children took any kind of lasting interest in the AlphaPet Explorer. Although the concept of the toy seems … [Read more...]
The AlphaPet Explorer Toy Test LeapFrog age guide: 2-6 years Price point: Approx $25 The result? None of the children who tested this toy with me took any kind of lasting interest in the AlphaPet Explorer. Although the concept of the toy seems well-founded, it just doesn't seem to execute. We found the games too complex and the buttons too small for children up to 3 years of age, and for over-3 set, the toy seemed too "baby-ish" or … [Read more...]
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Below, you'll find three reviews of the LeapFrog Tag Reading System. (My original post and disclosure note are available here.) TESTER #1: Trish (and son T, age 6) Trish, why were you interested in testing the Leap Frog Tag reading system?T is actively interested in math and science but reading has been much slower. I’ve been looking for new ways to inspire him to pick up a book. Tag has done that for sure. Did T take an immediate … [Read more...]
Tag Junior by LeapFrog Tester parent: Kelly Tester: Danika, Kelly's daughter Tester's age: 2 years and 11 months Price: $39.99 (currently on sale for $29.97 here) *********** FIRST IMPRESSIONS Danika was quite intrigued with this product. The cute face-like features really attracted her attention. It is very easy to hold especially for little fingers. She was able to use it independently right away and seemed to understand … [Read more...]
We all know Christmas spending can easily get out of control. But really, most young kids like a $20 gift as much as a $200 gift -- they don't know the value of money, it's just about having some fun! So, in that spirit, I thought I'd share some gift ideas that I think are "winners" under the $30 price range. Some are products that were sent to me to review and some are simply things I've come across on my own. 1. Walrooz sleds: These … [Read more...]
Here's something to make you feel warm on a cold, windy day. This note just arrived from the Youville Centre -- your charity pick from the Ho! ho! ho! ribbit! ribbit! ribbit! post. Hello Julie, Just to let you know that we received the parcel from LeapFrog today and to thank you and everyone who chose Youville Centre's Moms and children to be the lucky recipients. In the package we found 5 boxed Tag Junior book pals, an additional 5 books … [Read more...]
Coffee with Julie welcomes businesses with products or services that would be of interest to readers (aka cool, smart or cute!). Who are my readers? Just so you know, my readers tend to be fairly brilliant, with a good sense of humour, often university-educated, and live almost exclusively in the United States and Canada. That's according to Alexa (I added in the brilliant and good sense of humour part!). They're also often female -- and … [Read more...]
As my daughter started to grow out of her toys, I would give them to friends or donate them to charities. I only kept a few toys -- ones that were of high quality or particularly popular -- on the chance that we'd have another child. Now we have a 7-year-old girl and a 16-month-old boy. With a six-year age gap, you would think that these two would never share the same toys. And yet, when I recently dug out Stella's old Word Whammer and put it … [Read more...]
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