Life and News Blog

Texting has become a commonplace thing. Anywhere you go you are bound to see people texting each other. Gone are the days when you would just place a call. Now you can send a short message. Teens, by far, make up the largest group of consumers who send text messages. It is nothing for an average teen to send and receive over 10,000 text messages in a single month. Younger children want to feel included and so Leap Frog has come out with the LeapFrog Text and Learn device to let toddlers feel as if they are texting as well. But is it the right educational toy for your child?

The LeapFrog Text and Learn is not an actual texting apparatus. It is simply another hand held gaming device offered by Leap Frog. It has a full QWERTY keyboard and it does allow the child to pretend he or she is texting just like adults do every single day.

The games your child can play on the Text and Learn are primarily focused on them learning the alphabet, improving their typing and learning rhyming. Those are beneficial as long as they do not pick up the “text talk” that is so prevalent among text users. An example of texting language is “U R gr8″ which translates to: you are great. It may not seem like a big deal for some but for many it really does hamper spelling skills.

A huge downside of this toy is that it is specifically designed to communicate with the LeapFrog My Pal Scout. Scout is a stuffed puppy that receives the texts and the child can have online adventures with but you have to know up front that the Text and Talk does not come with this pal. You will have to pay an additional $20 to own him.

Another downside is that you cannot download or buy any additional games. So this makes this toy pretty much a one shot wonder. It is not expensive, though, which is the bright side. You can easily find this toy for around $24 which makes it pretty inexpensive as far as electronic gadgets are concerned.

It really is a toss up on whether the LeapFrog Text and Learn is truly an educational toy. Granted it does have games that teach your child his or her alphabet but truth be told…there are a lot of educational toys that do the same thing. Leap Frog has a wide assortment of toys that may be better suited and far more practical than pretending to send text messages. Your child will have ample enough opportunity when he or she gets older to send plenty of text messages.

An important concept for preschoolers to learn is how to tell time. Childrens alarm clocks offer not only an educational opportunity that will help with this skill, but with so many fun designs available in either a girls or boys alarm clock, your child will be eager to learn.

categories: Leapfrog Text and Learn,toys,children,parenting