Leapfrog Tablets are a favorite among young children because they’re easy to operate and provide hours of fun.
Your child will love learning all that Leapfrog has to offer, which ranges from the basics to more advanced lessons such as simple math activities.
In this article, we will look at three great Leapfrog tablets, why they’re the best, and leave you to decide which is the best tablet.
Leapfrog Tablets: My Top 3
#1 Leapfrog LeapPad Academy Kids Learning Tablet
What is this Tablet?
This is the tablet your kids can use with their Leapfrog Academy Subscription. It teaches science, math, reading, and offers brain puzzles for kids to enjoy.
It is designed to get young children started with the foundations of learning. It’s good if you cannot afford to send your child to preschool, or you don’t have the time to do it.
It makes learning a game and offers kids the chance to get ready for kindergarten at home and lets you keep track of how well they’re doing. They will play their way to knowledge.
Plus, it helps kids learn about technology. This will help your child get started using many of the tools we use at work and school each day, such as computers, tablets, and other devices.
What About The Subscription?
You can choose a few options when it comes to the Leapfrog Academy. You could pay every month, every six months, or each year. When you sign up for a yearly plan, you can save lots of money over time.
It’s a great subscription service for children 3-6 years of age. It’s a good, fun, and safe way to promote school readiness. They’ll hit the ground running in Kindergarten.
Why Is This Tablet Worth It?
It’s got everything in one device, and it’s all in one location. Specifically, it’s got parental controls, a kid-safe browser, and a timer that parents can use to make sure their child is getting just the right amount of screen time.
The tablet features 16 gigabytes of storage, and you can use the SD card to attain more storage. About 25 games can be stored on this device. Its operating system is Android, so use the Google Play store to get more games.
The tablet itself is like regular ones- you recharge the battery when it’s time. Unfortunately, the battery doesn’t last more than 6 hours. But this will be enough to provide your child entertainment that is enriching if you are not feeling well, on a road trip, or your child needs something to do other than watch cartoons on a rainy day.
How Can Parents Track Progress?
You can enjoy up to five profiles on the LeapPad. This enables you, the parent, to share the tablet among your children and you can click on their profiles to see how they’re doing with the material.
You can see where they’re doing well and where they need additional help. This enables you to hand-select activities that are challenging for them so they can get better and better.
What Do Kids Like Most About this Leapfrog Academy Tablet?
The kids and parents I’ve spoken to about this tablet all say that they love the games. The games are clever learning tools disguised as video games/mobile games.
The children don’t even know they’re learning, but they have a ball.
Pros
- Parents are in full control of the tablet.
- 20 games are already included.
- Helps kids prepare for kindergarten at home.
- Free 3-month trial to Leapfrog Academy with your purchase
Cons
- The battery only lasts 6 hours.
- The tablet runs a bit slowly.
Also See Children Learning Reading for a fun way to teach kids the joy of books (no tablet needed).
#2 Leapfrog LeapPad Ultimate
What Is This Tablet?
You can choose two great colors with this tablet- pink or green. This tablet offers children the chance to get ready for kindergarten, all in the comforts of home.
The tablet is packed full of school-readiness learning apps, and thanks to the “Just for Me” learning tech, your little one is ready to play and have their progress assessed as they play on. The curriculum will then adapt and change to keep them interested, motivated, and challenged.
Inside the package, you get:
- Music player which includes 10 songs
- Kid-friendly internet browser, LeapSearch
- Dual cameras in front and back so kids can test their photography skills
- Rechargeable battery, AC cord, and adapter
- The tablet of course- with 8GB storage
What About The Subscription?
As with the other Leapfrog products, you can choose to buy your Leapfrog Academy subscription on a monthly, yearly, or six-month basis. It’s best to go with a “bulk” subscription because you save money that way- our family for example uses the 6-month option.
The month-long trial, included with your purchase, is a good way to see how your kid fares with it. Chances are you’re going to love it and end up going for a subscription- after all it’s like a portable preschool!
Why Is This Tablet Worth It?
- Parental Controls: This feature is great for parents who want to keep their little ones on-task and limit their screen time.You can manage your children’s playing time and make sure the experiences are age-appropriate and challenging for them.
- It’s Kid-Safe: The Web browser included in this tablet is filtered and offers kids thousands of safe and educational videos, websites handpicked by the company, and plenty more. Everything is reviewed by child experts and the tablet has only pre-screened sites that are safe for kids to view.
- It’s Tough: Ever hand your phone or tablet to your child and pray no cracks or bumps occur? Not with this tablet. The hard bumpers around the device keep it safe from all the falls and drops that will occur. You can rest assured your investment is protected.
- Good-size screen: At 7 inches, this is a screen worth looking at. Your kids won’t squint or strain their eyes, and it truly brings the tablet’s graphics to life.
How Can Parents Track Progress?
Parents can stay in control and track progress by clicking on their child’s profile and seeing what their child is excelling at, as well as what they need some more help with. Parents can adjust the subject matter accordingly to make sure their child works on material that challenges them.
What Do Kids Like Most About this Leapfrog Ultimate Tablet?
Kids and parents love how durable this tablet is. They love that the games are fun, entertaining, and challenging and that they are educational.
Pros
- Designed just for little hands- no “fat finger” touches will be had on this tablet!
- Features plenty of room to download games and apps.
- The screen is nice and big.
- Very durable, especially in the hands of youngsters.
Cons
- The tablet tends to run rather slowly.
#3 Leapfrog My First Learning Tablet
What Is This Tablet?
This is the tablet designed for babies and very young toddlers under 3 to enjoy tablet learning at a pace that works for them.
The price is right, also! It’s great for helping little ones feel included when everyone’s using their device, and it allows them to learn through playing.
Your child can role-play taking pictures with a camera, using apps on a tablet, and even learn about the weather, health, and sports. This tablet is a pretend device, but that’s how young children at that age learn- through imitation and play.
Included with your purchase are 25 pretend apps, 20 melodies and songs, three modes of play, and a fun light-up touch screen sure to make your child laugh.
Also: See Animal Island Learning Adventure for a great tablet-based learning system for kids aged 2 and up!
What About The Subscription?
There is no subscription with this particular tablet. It’s ideal for parents who want their baby/toddler to get the hang of using a tablet but they don’t want to worry about the child dropping the device or possibly injuring themselves. This tablet is just one that you pull ou to of the box, turn on and let your child run wild.
Why Is This Tablet Worth It?
This tablet promotes pretend play among little kids- and at the early ages of 0-3, this is how children learn. They do everything by imitation and pretend. They learn to speak by imitating the sounds we make. They learn to interact with others by acting out the same things we do- hugging, waving hello, saying “I love you.”
And just as we use our devices- playing games, making phone calls, listening to music- our children can do the same and imitate the use of technology, a skill they will need as they become older!
How Can Parents Track Progress?
This tablet is a pretend tablet, so there’s no method by which to check your child’s progress. However, you are going to notice that they recite the names of colors, sing songs, and say numbers. This is a great benchmark for very young children as they prepare to enter preschool and kindergarten.
What Do Kids Like Most About this Leapfrog My First Learning Tablet?
My daughter had this very tablet when she was a one-year-old, and she just loved it. She enjoyed pretending to be like me on my iPad, listening to music, and playing games. The batteries come with it, too! Just like my iPad, my daughter loved swiping her finger and watching the apps light up.
As a parent, I like that it turns off after 45 seconds of no activity- great for those moments she falls asleep after a busy morning of play!
Pros
- Turns off after 45 seconds of inactivity
- Offers physical activity games for kids as well
- Sensitive to kids’ touch
Cons
- The tablet is not as sturdy as the other two reviewed today.
Buying Guide
Not sure what to look for when it’s time to get your kiddo their own LeapPad? Use our buyer’s guide to help you decide:
Age of your child
The top LeapPads are designed for kids aged 3-6 years old. If your child is in that range, go for it! If they’re older than that, you might wish to consider a child’s version of a grown-up tablet, such as the Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition. A very young child, under age 3, will do just fine with the My First LeapPad as it teaches them the fundamentals and still provides an educational experience.
Purpose
What are the reasons you’d like your child to have this tablet? For example, you might want them to get ready for school- in that case, you should look at the LeapPad Ultimate as that one promotes school readiness.
If you’d like your child to simply enjoy fun learning activities and do enriching things while still getting their screen time, the LeapPad Academy is just fine. Both of these tablets are educational for your child, but some parents might wish to opt for one tablet over the other.
Price
With anything, price is usually the first thing we look at. The LeapPad Academy is less expensive than the LeapPad Ultimate but offers a wonderful learning experience for your child. Meanwhile, the LeapPad Ultimate has more features and “apps,” but does cost more. The trade-off with this one is that your child does get more comprehensive school-readiness activities, also.
Storage Space
The LeapPad Ultimate comes with 8GB of storage, meanwhile, the LeapPad Academy comes with 16GB. It will be up to you to decide which one you want- after all, kids can take pictures and video with their tablet, so if your budding photographer needs their space, the Academy version could be the best.
In Conclusion
These Leapfrog tablets are wonderful ways to keep kids engaged and get them their screen time. It’s also a load off the shoulders of parents everywhere, because they can let their child run free with it and they don’t have to fear the kid stumbling onto something unsavory or unsafe.
Whichever tablet you choose, you’re sure to love it. Kids everywhere enjoy these fun Leapfrog tablets, and it’s all because they get to grow their brains but still have a blast playing video games, singing songs, and reading. Get yours today!