We've been a huge fan of the Tag pen and books, and this one is no exception. Actually, it might be the best one that we own yet. I think that there's only one negative aspect to the Tag reading system, and that is that the Tag pen will not hold enough books. Keep that in mind if you're looking to get more Tag books. This book takes up a good chunk of the pen's memory storage, so if you already have a lot of Tag books loaded on your pen, you'll probably have to make some room.
is it worth it? Definitely. It is a kid-friendly introduction to the body. With a press of the pen, the child can learn about various systems-the skeletal, nervous, digestive, respiratory and muscular systems. There's a "board game" that quizzes the child on what they've learned with true/false ("yes" or "no") answers. For example, the game will ask if the femur is part of the skeletal system, and if they get the correct answer, they move an extra space. This game can have one or two players, which is great because my son can play by himself or invite his younger sister, a friend, or me to join him. There are tons more that this Discovery Pack teaches-my son has literally already spent hours playing with it, and I'm sure he has hours more before he'll even begin to get bored. He's traced the path of the digestive system. He's learning about how different animals' bodies differ from our own. He's learned about the brain being the control center of the body. He's learning correct words for parts of the body that I would never expect a 6 year old to know! The Discovery Pack even has an original song that he's been singing along with. He's learning, and he's having fun-it makes me so happy to witness!
The Discovery Pack also includes some stickers, which we haven't even touched yet. The stickers work with the Tag reading pen, which sounds like they'll be a lot of fun, too. He'll be able to build a glow in the dark skeleton and fill out milestones on a growth chart.
I'm very excited to learn what else my son will discover with this set, and possibly get more of these Read and Learn packs! We might have to make more room on our pens, but I think it will be worth it.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program First off, the Human Body Discovery Pack is pretty neat...it's not book form like the other Tag products, but an accordian style board with 9 views of inside and outside the body. Skeletal, muscular, digestive, respiratory, nervous system: these are four separate pages. One is a "making healthy choices" game board, 2 pages are an up-close anatomy view, one page on skin, and one on the body's ability's to do many things. Kids can play a game (two levels), repeat sections aloud,and the others are interactive generic pages. I like it that kids are asked questions.Age wise, this was perfect for my five year old. The pictures aren't too detailed, and not over simplified either. I'd like to think he could learn all the different names for bones, etc...but if not, at least he sees how complex his body is, and I've already used it to show him where his tummy-ache is coming from.
It also comes with a cute fold out growth chart with health reminders.
In all, the information is useful and age-appropriate.
But here's the thing: it's the TAG system itself that annoys me. When you have a TAG, you buy the device and you buy the books or games, but you aren't done. Instead of providing audio (the basis to which the entire program works) on CD, you have to install Leapfrog's setup on to your computer (which took quite awhile, even though I already had the LeapFrog Explorer). You have to connect via USB, follow the vague computer instructions and finally, slowly, download the audio to your computer and THEN download it to the TAG reader. It seems an extra hassle. I wouldn't mind it if it were on a CD, but it seems unreasonable to have to go online to get to the guts of it all, especially if you have a kid breathing down your neck eager to play.
Additionally, while you can download the audio to your TAG, it can't hold every book/game you've purchased, so at times you have to get rid of audio files on TAG (they remain on your computer, though) to make room for new ones. That means keeping track of which games/books are "in play" and which aren't.
I like the TAG, I've also purchased the Phonics set, the Solar System, etc (not on VINE, on my own) and my son does like them. Each time I do the downloads for audio though I get irritated. Perhaps because this isn't a "cartridge" game system...which ultimately is much easier to manage.
However, my two cents is this: buy the Leapfrog Explorer or LeapPad. Yes, it costs more, but has more options. He doesn't get bored with that, ever. Whereas with TAG he gets distracted easily. And believe it or not, his eye doctor actually recommended the Leapfrog Explorer for his eyes because one was wandering a bit (it helps the two focus together).
TAG will not last (in interest) as long as the more expensive Explorer, which makes games up to eight and nine years of age. TAG ages out about 5 or 6. You'll get far more use, and more sturdiness, from the Explorer.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I'm a bit surprised to see all the positive reviews of this product. It's definitely geared more toward older kids (ones who can read), and while it's definitely educational, I can't say it's very fun.The set comes with a double-sided, fold-out, six-panel "book" that contains information on the skeletal, muscular, digestive, respiratory/circulatory, and nervous systems along with the skin and a large three-pane diagram of the body and a selection of games. Also included is an interactive growth chart (with songs) and stickers. Tag reader is not included (though Vine reviewers were sent one).
I was expecting it to be like the rest of the Tag books, where it contains a story and a variety of fun games. This is not like that. There's no overarcing explanation to follow along. It's just touching parts and getting the names, along with a bit of explanation. Props for its interactivity, a great way to learn without simply memorizing the names and functions. Some of the systems are presented well. Others (such as the muscular system) are so basic it was barely worth including them. The games are a bit too challenging or vague, such as body detective, which says near/far as random organs are pressed. I found the songs jarring and annoying; my son didn't care for them either. There's a lot here, but none of it seems very engaging or coherently presented in my opinion.
This is sure to be a hit if your child is already showing an interest in how the body works. Otherwise, another Tag product might be better for them. My son is six and he didn't get much of anything out of this. Maybe in a few years it will make more sense.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program My daughter is five years old and is starting Kindergarten very soon. While she has general familiarity with anatomy I thought it couldn't hurt to give her a little extra. We've got several TAG books which she thoroughly loves reading as well as a TAG map of the United States which she's less interested in so I wasn't entirely sure how she'd take to this one.The Interactive Human Body Discovery Pack is sort of between being a book and a board game. It's sized like a book, has a total of 12 'pages', and can be read like a book. But like a board game it's made from the same sort of heavy card stock that board game boards are made of and it can completely unfold accordion-style. This double-purpose setup means that my child can explore the book just as easily in the back seat of the car as she can spread out on her play table at home. One small improvement I would have liked to see is better waterproofing of the pages. My daughter accidentally spilled some water on it and, though it was quickly wiped up, the paper soaked up the water pretty quickly. No lasting damage came about but still, better waterproofing would have been appreciated.
Before I continue, a note to prudish parents: There is no penis, vagina, or boobs in this product. The closest your child gets to "naughty bits" is the rectum and its inevitable byproducts.
Each side of the board has six panels (pages). One side of the board has the intro page giving a brief exposition on how people are all different on the inside and the outside, as well as icons letting you select Level 1 or Level 2, the latter giving a slightly more challenging set of games for your child. There's also a page extolling the virtues of "your amazing body" and the things it can do, and a page about your skin and the different parts of it. Those three panels are "top to bottom" panels that you read like a book. The remaining three panels form a single image giving a general overview of the inside of your body and are meant to be viewed "centerfold style" where you have to turn the book to see the whole thing.
The flipside of the board covers the skeletal, muscular, digestive, respiratory & circulatory, and nervous systems, plus has a small board game called "Making Healthy Choices". Every panel has a bunch of facts and sound bytes that your child can freely explore, as well as a simple game tailored to each specific system. For example, the muscular system game may ask the child to identify a muscle used when running, while a digestive system game may ask the child to trace a path from the mouth to the stomach.
I've found that the panels provide a good amount of information without getting too detailed. The panel for the skeletal system, for example, points out just 21 bones, a far cry from the 206 bones in an adult human. But the 21 call-outs are logical in their distinction and many of them are properly pluralized (e.g., "metacarpals" as a group). This provides a good amount of accurate information without unnecessarily overwhelming younger readers. Oddly, however, the muscular system panel is unique amongst the panels in that it has no call-outs at all, though tapping the TAG reader on the muscles does give you the information.
The "Making Healthy Choices" panel is sort of like Candy Land as you play it. The goal is to travel the path from morning to night while making healthy choices along the way. The game inevitably allows the child to win; it's virtually impossible to make an "unhealthy choice" as you play the game.
So, what's not to like about this system? Not much. The games can get a little repetitive to adult ears, but my child seems to enjoy the repetition and there's no doubt that she's learned a few things through that repetition. And like all TAG titles you need to download and install the TAG data to the stylus. I don't see this as being a negative but like all TAG titles there's no immediate gratification for the child, so you can decide that for yourself. And I would have liked to have seen a "Level 3" difficulty level as well as having the ability to set the level for individual panels.
Overall I think this is an excellent introduction to the human body for young children and recommend it highly.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I am a mom of four boys, ages 3 to 10, and we are big fans of the Tag learning system. This Human Body Discovery Pack is a fun addition to our library. The book itself isn't really a book, but more like a fold-out board book. It has six panels, firmly connected, and decorated both front and back. It gives a basic overview of the body systems and the hidden clues and catchy little songs make it fun for the kids to explore.I'd say my 3-year-old and 5-year-olds have enjoyed it the most because the body is still quite a mystery to them. My older boys have learned quite a bit in school already and were less impressed with the information presented.
It's a fun system, but I will warn you that the picture makes it look like there is a lot more included than there really is. There are several sticker sheets that DO work with the tag pen, but my kids made short work of them, creating different monsters out of body parts, and then the stickers were never seen again. So I wouldn't say that was a very durable part of the package. However, I would absolutely recommend this for a road trip when they would have plenty of time to explore each and every thing. It would keep them busy for hours.
