Kids these days are so tech savvy. My little ones can text and use an iPad better than I can. It can be a little overwhelming, but I love that technology can make for some pretty special toys, and two of my kids’ favorite toys are some pretty fun tech toys, that actually teach them something, perfect for the kids on your gift list this holiday season.
LeapFrog Touch Magic Ocean Music School
Touch Magic Ocean Music School allows kids to explore the deep sea without getting wet. The fun ocean creatures and bright colors invite kids to play and learn. There are three different modes—compose, play, and game. My one-year-old son loves the play mode, where he can work with different instruments as he taps, beats, and slides different parts of the toy. He loves to play all of the five different instruments (his favorites are the trombone and drums) and see how the sounds come together. Some musical experiments sound better than others, but he has the best time exploring and learning all about music and instruments.
Once he gets a little older, I’m sure my son will love the compose option, where kids can record their own songs and play them on a loop or with a backup band—perfect training for my little DJ. When the toy is in game mode, kids play to learn colors, ocean animals, and instruments. What’s so great about Ocean Music School is that there are so many options. My son will never get bored because there is always something new for him to learn and explore. It really grows with the kids and I know my son will be playing with it for years. Plus, music is so good for a child’s development and can help them in so many ways. It makes me feel good to know my son is developing and learning.
While my son is busy learning about music in the ocean, my five-year-old daughter is exploring language and learning how to read and write. LeapReader is a complete system that teaches reading and writing, and since it’s made by LeapFrog you know it’s one of the best.
Learning to read can be difficult for some kids and is a pretty big endeavor. LeapReader works with more than 150 books and has games and lots of activities to get kids excited about reading and writing. My daughter (and me) love how interactive it is—she can follow along as the books are read in fun character voices and learn the words as she spells them out loud with the toy. My favorite part is the handwriting help—I’ve never seen anything like it. My daughter gets help with her letters by practicing them on ink-free, mess-free LeapFrog Learning Paper. The program takes her through each word and letter stroke by stroke, so she doesn’t get frustrated when she tries something new. There have been multiple times when she has run up to show me a new letter or word she learned to write and read.
I’ve never seen my daughter so excited about reading and writing, and she is having so much fun as she learns. With so many books and activities to choose from, she will be playing with her LeapReader for a long time.
No matter your kids’ age, there is a fun learning toy for them. With the LeapReader for older kids and Ocean Music School for the little ones, my kids are entertained and learning. And if they keep it up with these tech-savvy toys, soon they will be teaching me a thing or two.
I just love educational gifts! I find that kids seem to get more use out of them too.
That would be perfect for my twins. They are at that stage right now.