A couple months ago I shared our thoughts on the Leapster Explorer, an educational gaming system recommended for kids ages 4-9.  If you didn’t read it, take a little detour and check it out, then come back here to find out our thoughts on the Leapster Explorer Camera and Video Recorder!

We have been sorely in need of new Leapster Explorer games – we’ve had the opportunity to try the Mr. Pencil Saves Doodleburg game (which you would think is all about drawing but it’s so controlling of what you draw that it leaves no room for actual free creativity and bores my daughter to pieces) and a couple of the simple, inexpensive ($7+) downloadable games available for the Leapster Explorer but none of them have really impressed us as awesome yet.  I determined that for her birthday I would make sure to get her something new.

I decided on the Leapster Explorer Camera and Video Recorder because Emma is always asking to use my phone to take pictures.  I knew she would love to have her own camera (and I would love to give her something I didn’t have to worry about her breaking).  So that’s what Emma received from us for her birthday, and she couldn’t wait to try it out!

When you open the package, you find that there is no game cartridge – it’s actually an accessory that plugs into the base of the Leapster Explorer.  I like this because it can stay in the Leapster Explorer permanently, even while it’s charging in the charging station.

After downloading the software , you’re ready to use the camera!  I was delighted to discover that it’s not just a camera and video recorder – there are also a myriad of fun activities like:

♥  Edit your photos, add stamps, draw on them, or add special effects.
♥  Create themed cards – like putting your child’s face in a rock star scene.
♥  Write silly stories and add your photos to them.
♥  Play a space game with your child’s photo in the space ship, zapping specific letters or numbers.
♥  Make puzzles from your photos.
♥  Add music to your videos.
♥  Download photos to your hard drive, share them via Facebook, email them, or print them!
♥  And much more!

One of my favorite games for Emma to play is the one that sends her on “missions”.  It gives her a describing word (and says it out loud) like “hairy”, “green”, or “tasty” and she is to find something matching that description and take a photo of it.  There are different categories for each mission, too – shapes, alphabet, and emotions being some examples.  It’s so much fun!

Here are some photo examples:

There is really SO much to do, and there are so many ways to be creative, I can’t name them all in this review.  I can tell you that this is WELL worth buying for your Leapster Explorer, and even worth buying the Leapster Explorer or LeapPad Explorer for this game!

I really can’t think of anything I don’t like about this accessory.  The fun factor makes it a great purchase for young children!  As far as photo quality goes, you won’t get the best photos with this, but as a camera for little kids I find it more than adequate!  I know that my 4-year-old is more than thrilled with her photos and doesn’t mind that they’re not perfectly clear.  That said, she still has taken quite a few nice pictures.  Here are some examples:

Notice that it takes better pictures in bright light.  :)

Official Trailer for Camera and Video Recorder:

Want It?

Right now there is an AWESOME deal on this camera accessory, which is already affordable at $24.99 regularly – get it for $15.45 with free shipping!  It’s from an Amazon store called UKforLess, and it says it takes up to a month to get to you, but mine arrived in a week (they sent it air mail).  I’m really happy with my purchase and the great deal!

Do you have a Leapster Explorer?  If so, I would love to know what your favorite games are!  I need suggestions on which ones to buy next.  :)

My Amazon affiliate links are included in this post.  This review is not sponsored in any way – I purchased the product and wanted to share our thoughts on it with you!

We celebrated Emma’s 4th birthday on Saturday!  At her request, it was My Little Pony themed.  I haven’t done a lot of themed parties in the past, but this was fun!  And I was able to find a My Little Pony Party Pack online, so that took much of the party-shopping work off my shoulders.  :)

We started out Saturday morning for my parents’ house – lucky them, they usually host all the get-togethers because they have the biggest house.  I stopped at Walmart first to grab hot dogs and buns for lunch, and everything I would need to make Emma a cake, except the pony-head shaped cake pan which I already had ordered.  Two rainbow cake mixes and an assortment of pre-made frostings and I was ready to go.

The cake turned out really cute!  The mold worked well and I was able to figure out where everything should be on the horse’s head while decorating.  I’m no professional cake decorator, that’s for sure – my sister and I just jumped in and had fun with it.  In the end it was whimsical rather than accurate, but Emma LOVED it.  Seriously, she’s 4 – all she cared about was how fast she could get the frosting in her mouth.  ;-)

All of Emma’s favorite cousins came to her party, and her much-loved vivacious auntie Kristy really helped bring about the party atmosphere.  Aunt K. even blew up the humongous My Little Pony balloon by herself!  The kids had a blast playing catch with it, let me tell you.  I didn’t feel bad at all that I hadn’t had a chance to get it filled with helium before the party.

Emma was gifted My Little Pony play figures and Schleich horses, games, some gardening supplies (she loves gardening!), and some random little candies.  It was hilarious how excited she was by the candy – she stopped to hug the Laffy Taffy I threw in with her Schleich horse figurines, she was so happy to see candy.  The only other thing she showed that much exuberance for was a big toy horse Aunt K. gave her that had a brushable mane, hair clips, comb and mirror, and a little hair dryer that really makes noise – she loves it!

I was very happy with the My Little Pony Party Supplies I received from Discount Party Supplies.  Everything was super cute, good quality, and Emma absolutely loved that her party hats were crowns!  Hers said, “Princess of the Party”.

I also received some party favors like mini paint sets, a beaded My Little Pony bracelet, curvy straw, and whistles.  I love that they have so many different fun options!  I can definitely recommend shopping there for your next themed party, they have a great selection and competitive pricing.  And it’s so much easier to shop online there than try to find everything you want in-store (this I know from bitter experience).  If you’re not sure what your next party theme will be, they may even give you some great ideas – just check out the boy party decor and the girl party decor categories!

I know Emma was more than thrilled with her party because after we came home and before bed that night she said to me, “Mommy, that was my most favorite birthday EVER!”.  :)  Happy mom here!

What theme does your child want for his or her next birthday?

I received party supplies thanks to the awesome people at discountpartysupplies.com so that I could share my thoughts on them with you.  I always give my honest opinion uninfluenced by the company or free product provided.

About a year ago I thrifted an old-school Leapfrog Leapster for my daughter, and it was a total hit with her!  It was old old OLD, too – one of the first models, big and bulky and gray.  I don’t even think you can find it anywhere anymore.  Although it was touch screen, it wasn’t near the quality and sensitivity touch screens nowadays have, but Emma still loved it.  It had already been through a lot when we received it, so it didn’t last too long in Emma’s 2-year-old hands.  When it died, she was very very sad, and I made up my mind that I would get her a newer Leapster at some point in the future.

Fast forward to now.  Thanks to the wonderful people at Leapfrog, I was sent a Leapster Explorer to review!  Emma has been asking for a Leapster for her birthday (in May), so it really came at the perfect time.  She also started preschool this month and I was hopeful that this would be a good educational toy for her.  Leapfrog is known for their games that are educational yet appeal greatly to young minds, and they have terrific reviews of their Leapster 2, Leapster Explorer, and LeapPad, so I was very excited about this.

About the Leapster Explorer:

With the Leapster Explorer (recommended for ages 4-9), your child can play games, read ebooks, watch videos, look at flashcards, and even take pictures with the Leapster Explorer camera attachment!  You can download games, videos, and ebooks online in the Leapfrog App Store, or buy cartridge games.  The LeapFrog Learning Path allows parents to see their children’s learning progress!

Our Experience with the Leapster Explorer

I have lots of info, pros, and cons to share that I hope will help you when making the decision whether the Leapster Explorer is right for your family!  Read on.  :)

Here’s what you get when you buy a Leapster Explorer:

• The Leapster Explorer game console
• The Software Installation CD-ROM and Quick-Start Guide
• Parent Guide and Instructions Booklet
• USB cord to connect from Leapster Explorer to computer

Unpacking and setting up was a breeze for me.  I actually did it myself after Emma went to bed so that I could have it all ready for her to play in the morning.  I removed the screen protector, put in 4 AA batteries, and it was ready to go!  At first, you go through a start-up video which tells you how to get games and use the console.

Here’s a quick overview of the Leapster Explorer’s features:

Design and Screen Sensitivity:

I think the design is great – not too chunky but not too small and fragile for little hands, either.  The stylus has space you can store it when it’s not in use, and I like that it’s not in the way.  I like that the headphone jack is on the bottom, the control buttons are similar to other popular game consoles, and the volume buttons allow the sound to be pretty loud, but also very quiet.  The touch screen is amazingly clear with great graphics and without too much glare, is more sensitive to the stylus, and is bigger than other Leapster models.

Apps & Games:

The first thing you realize when you start up your Leapster Explorer is that there isn’t much that comes with it in the way of pre-loaded games.  You get one free game, like it says on the packaging, but you only get to pick from two inexpensive ($7.50) downloadable games.  We were able to choose from Sugar Bugs (get the teeth clean within a certain time to move on to the next level) and a train game (move the tracks around so the train can make it to its destination). There were also a couple of cute ebooks and videos that we could choose from.  I chose the Sugar Bugs game and although Emma plays it once in awhile it really doesn’t appeal to her (should have chosen the train game!).

The saving grace for those who didn’t buy a cartridge game with the console is the preloaded virtual pets game on the Leapster Explorer, and I can’t tell you how much Emma LOVES it (she’s very into animals).  She can play it for hours – it is by far her favorite game.  You can feed, bathe, play with, and learn with your pet, and change his or her appearance, pet type, and name.  It really is very fun, and I appreciate that there is letter writing practice involved (see screenshot on left).

The only thing I really don’t like about it is that there is an inventory and when you run out of snacks and shampoo, you have to hook the Leapster Explorer up to the computer and redeem “tokens” that are earned through gameplay for more shampoo and food for your pets.  And despite hours of play on this game, Emma doesn’t seem to earn many tokens, so she’s telling me she needs more snacks and/or shampoo multiple. times. a. day.  It doesn’t just not let Emma feed or bathe her pets, either – it tells her to hook the Leapster to the computer to get more.  I really wish there was a way to disable that, and I don’t see why she can’t have ways to earn more shampoo and food on the console instead of making us hook it up to the computer.  From what I’ve read, you earn tokens by playing games, so I’m hoping when we get a few cartridge games this will even things out and she’ll get more tokens and have more to do besides play with the pets.

Update:  I was able to get my hands on the Mr. Pencil Saves Doodleburg cartridge game and it is a hit!  It doesn’t completely solve our pet game token woes, but Emma does seem to have more than she did before.  I have to say that I do understand why they made tokens something your child earns so that he or she can take care of their pet – it’s real life, right?  But I still wish it was easier to earn them.  Maybe that’s something that will change in the future.  :)

If you want more games (and you will), you can easily go online and download more game and activity apps, or there are 25+ cartridge games you can buy.  The app store pops up the minute you hook the Leapster Explorer to the computer, so it’s super easy and convenient.  Games and activities range anywhere from $7.50 to $25.00.

Quick suggestion to Leapfrog?  Freebie games and apps every once in awhile would be AWESOME.  :)  Or even some kind of rental program where we could pay a certain amount each month and have access to everything.  I would love that!

Access to LeapWorld!

When you buy a Leapster Explorer, Leapster 2, LeapPad, or Tag Reading System, you are given free access to LeapWorld, a safe online environment for your child to play games in.  It’s part of the installation package, so when you insert your installation CD and hook your Leapster Explorer to the computer, the screen that pops up and lets you buy and download apps, redeem your tokens, and follow your child’s learning activities also gives you access to LeapWorld.  Your child creates a character and a pet, and is able to explore the world, playing games along the way.  It’s a lot of fun and something Emma is most definitely interested in.

Monitor Your Child’s Progress:

Parents are given the ability to follow their child’s activities on the Leapster Explorer.  I can see what games Emma has been playing and how long she has spent on them (that includes online games in LeapWorld), see what her top skill is (right now it’s the alphabet), and get suggestions for other games she might like.

Final Thoughts:

So, after all is said and done, is the Leapster Explorer worth buying?  I say yes!  Emma can play with hers for literally hours, and that’s before we’d even bought any real games!  Yes, initially I was disappointed that there weren’t more pre-loaded games and that I have to pay at least $7.50 every time I want a new app, but I decided that it’s still very very worth buying.  I would recommend that you buy through Leapfrog.com and build a Leapster Explorer/Game bundle, getting a percentage off your order and free shipping!  Or Amazon.com has a bundle with the Leapster Explorer, Leapster Explorer case, and Globe Trotter game.

The only other thing I want to note is that, although the Leapster Explorer can also be used a camera and video recorder, you have to buy a separate attachment to be able to do that ($24.99).  It does come with what looks like really fun activities (drawing on and putting clipart on your photos), and it appears to take great pictures, so I think it will be worth adding on to our Leapster Explorer and plan to get it for Emma’s 4th birthday.

Another reason I love the Leapster Explorer?  Emma asks every day to play with it and so it’s become wonderful for quiet time (meaning some uninterrupted quiet time for mommy, too!) and is a strong incentive for her to “earn” her Leapster time.  Finally, my little girl is given a reason to be responsible!  And I really don’t mind letting her play knowing she is working hard to keep a steady hand and trace the letters of the alphabet, or is learning to spell short words, or is learning about numbers and math through these games.  I really love it!

 Video Demo:

Want It?

You can buy the Leapster Explorer from Amazon.com in pink or green.  It retails for $69.99 but is on sale at the time of this post for $44.00!

Note:  I would like to thank the awesome folks at Leapfrog for sending me a Leapster Explorer for review purposes.  This post is 100% my own opinion and thoughts!