Discount Discovery Kid Eco Systems-Hammer Head

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List Price: $9.99
Sale Price: $9.89
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This toy is very good in all respects except its size the inside of each eco sphere is too small.

Everything is done in wonderful detail, but it's hard to see.

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LeapFrog Explorer Disney Pixar Monsters University Learning Game Review

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List Price: $24.99
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I admit, neither my 4-year-old nor I have played any LeapFrog games before this one. I played plenty of video games in my youth, and spend perhaps too much time playing games on my phone these days, so i at least am not naive to the world of gaming.

A good game teaches you how to play, building up the pieces one at a time, then sets you loose. This game teaches you how to play, but builds up the pieces far too quickly.

There are a couple different components of this game. There's a collect-the-widgets part, where the characters are lead through very simple mazes to collect all of the pennants. This is a pretty simple concept, but builds slowly into greater complexity you have to avoid being seen by the bad guys, you can find bonus prizes, and so on. There are also locked doors, and to get the key you have to play a card game, like a memory game (matching cards in pairs) or a rule-out games (rule out cards based on features, like number of eyes or color of fur).

Here's the problem, though: the concept of lead-the-character-through-the-maze has only just been introduced when the match-the-cards-to-get-the-key part comes in. Especially for younger children, this is too much, too fast. If the game taught the maze part, then had a few simple mazes to practice, THEN brought in the memory game, it might work. This design, with all the game modes piled on top of each other, is just confusing. In addition, new functions are taught in the middle of the game. When spitballs are introduced to blow out candles, there's not a mini-tutorial before the game. No, instead the player will be halfway through a maze, land on a spitball, and the game will STOP for an explanation. This game was not designed with any sense of flow.

The flow of the game breaks all the time. If the character finds one of the monster cards, it stops the maze game for a splash screen of the card, reminding the gamer to go look at their card collection some time. Not now, of course, you're in the middle of a maze, so finish the maze, then... yeah.

There's a subgame of building your own monster then testings its ability to scare a child. This has nothing to do with the maze/memory game, except that you need to collect the cards from the mazes to make the scary monsters.

Worst yet, there are bugs in the game. When you come back to a maze from the card games to get a key, sometimes the bad guys are just randomly placed instead of on their little walking tracks. Sometimes the last card from the memory game tutorial stays on the board for the first run through the memory game, making it very confusing for a kid trying to learn it.

Would this be fine with older kids? Possibly. Would this work better for kids who've played a lot of LeapFrog games already? Probably. But i really question the assertion that this game is good for 4-year-olds. It's too busy interrupting itself in the early stages, teaching too many things at once instead of gradually building skills.

It's built on the same premise as a lot of other LeapPad games, that constantly interrupt the child's use of the product, endlessly blurting out instructions or suggestions that distract the child from what they're trying to do play and learn.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program My son is 7 yrs old, and will start the third grade in Fall '13, and he was completely addicted to this game within minutes. At first, I thought it would be too easy for him, but as the player progresses through the levels, it does become more challenging, even for older children. My son has always loved mazes and puzzles, so this particular game theme is perfect for him.

The only problem I have with the LeapPad 2 games is the constant need to connect to the internet through a computer. Considering the prices of the system and the games, it's frustrating to have to go online to access all the features for something that you've purchased. Now, granted, I received this particular game free through the Vine program, but we've purchased other LeapFrog games, and I can't stand having to go online to get everything that is supposed to be included with the game. (For example, you have to go online to download all of the features for the game LeapFrog I SPY Super Challenger.)

Nevertheless, I am really happy with the positive effect that these games have had on my son's critical thinking skills. He's learning problem solving in a variety of situations, but he thinks he's just having fun. :)

Best Deals for LeapFrog Explorer Disney Pixar Monsters University Learning Game

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This Leap Frog Monsters University game is not just a single game, but a collection of several learning games in one. The goal is to learn all your scare skills and graduate from the Monster school. For each game there are several levels of difficulty, letting kids play how they want to, whether it's untimed, without opponents, etc. Once the child gets better at the games (such as memory, where they are flipping card over) they can then play with opponents who make the game more challenging. As your child plays through the mini-games, they collect items for their Monsters University "dorm room" to decorate it with.

There's also a monster creator which lets kids create/customize their own monster and even use the LeapPad's built in camera to let kids take a photo of them self and put the photo on the monsters face. When we were playing with it, we thought it would be even cuter to take a photo of grandma's little black dog and use it for the monster's face instead.

While the game is about Monsters, it's not scary at all, just like the movie. It by no means has the smoothness or the graphics of games you'd find for the Nintendo DS, but the age range is perfectly suited for those who might still be a bit young for those games. Perfect for those in Kindergarten to first grade, I'd say. Any older and it probably won't be challenging enough for them. And it's a fun way for kids to play simple games with a education-based design.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program We have two of the older LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System Green and 11 of the various cartridge games. I can honestly say we love each and every one of them. I had high expectations for the Monster's U game on the LeapPad, and unfortunately I am disappointed. The game has two problem areas for me.

1) It is extremely repetitive. The main part of the game is a series of easy mazes with obstacles and monsters to avoid and things to collect and use. One particular level might have 3 things to teach you (tools, strategies, etc.) but not only will it make you go through ten extremely similar mazes, and you don't ever HAVE to use any of the strategies or tools AT ALL.

2) It is not educational. The mazes are totally not challenging, even to my 3 year old. You don't need to use any of the strategies or tools the game suggests, so why bother? One of the small side games is a version of the classic game Guess Who. We love guess who and play it all the time. The Monster's U version takes all the thinking out of it. For example, one clue might be that the monster in question is blue. Great, so your kid learns process of elimination by turning over the other colors. Unfortunately the game immediately TELLS YOU to turn over the other monsters. Your kid does not have to turn on their brain and THINK at all. Just follow the instructions like a little robot. It makes me insane.

I was so worried that my kindergartener's Leapster 2 would be soon forgotten when our shiny new LeapPad 2 and Monster's U game arrived, but he finds the Monster's U game so boring that he sticks with his Leapster and it's excellent, fun, and challenging games. It breaks my heart to give a bad review to a Leapfrog product, but it seems like all the effort went into the flashy LeapPad and none of the effort went into the game :(

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Editing to add that we now have two of the LeapPad2 and have found tons of excellent games, challenging, educational, fun for the kids, on the LeapFrog website. The kids especially love the Roly Poly games, Solar Taxi, and Elements on the Loose. As a bonus when you download a game you can load it on up to three compatible LeapFrog devices.

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Who doesn't like Monsters Inc? And of course a video game based on it is just icing on the cake! Grandkids enjoy it very much.

Reviews of Crayola Creativity Play Station

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First this was very easy to put together. I had my husband get me the screw driver before he left for work and didn't have to leave my chair until I was finished with it. It needs a phillips head screw driver and a larger phillips head and that's it. The table and stool are very sturdy and can take the punishment my 2 year old dishes out. She loves it. There is a paper towel roll on the side that would be great for kids who are a little older, mine ran through them a little too quickly for me to replace them right away. There is also a place for a 12" paper roll which I love. My daughter loves to paint, and is too prolific for me to always keep up, the roll makes it easy. I'm using this, Alex Paper Roll White, 12"X100' which is working well. The table comes with 3 spill proofed paint cups and an excellently designed placement for them on the table. If you want more than three colors at a time however you have to just find a blank spot for them. The paint containers are good. I need to twist them open, but right now that's a plus. You need to use small brushes with the spill proof lids, but with the paint cup holders my daughter does pretty well with the lids off. I find the mesh pocket at the top of the table too deep for easy use, but an older child might use it to store bigger paint containers, or a small school supply box. I'm trying to find a way to make it shallower and divide it to hold brushes, colored pencils, chalk and dry erase crayons. We haven't used the dry erase side yet. The chalk board works well, but looked alot flimsier than I was expecting. The manufacturers warn you against using the easy to find sidewalk chalk which is too abrasive, so I have a lot of broken pieces of the thinner school type chalk. The eraser that comes with the set is not adaquate for the chalk board, so I'd recommend getting another. I haven't found a use for the little shelves in the table legs yet. The mesh bag on the table leg prooved too fun for my daughter to empty for now, but has potential.

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My two year old son enjoys the creativity play stations. He uses it all day to color and draw. The only thing that I was disappointed on was the $15 worth crayola coupons that came with it. The coupons expired a year ago. I wished they would have updated the coupons prior to sending them to me.

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This was a gift for my son's second birthday. He uses it every day.The only thing I would change is the bag on the side legdoesn't stay attached like it shows on the picture, but kinda hangs off to the side. Not a big deal in my opinion.

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Love it love it, great design. Practical, nice colors, excellent product!!!!I recommend it for all the parents and kids. :)

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This was for a birthday gift for my 5 yr old grandson. It was perfect. It was the right size to fit in his bedroom. Now when he wants to be creative, he has everything in one place and he can do it whenever he wants. I am so glad I mad this purchase for him.

Colorbok Build, A, Bear Kit, Sweetheart Review

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I gave this to my 5-year old niece. She was super excited and had seen these in the mall. The bear requires some sewing with a kid-friendly needle and she was too young to do this on her own. But it was a really nice activity for us to do together. We got 2 hours of bonding and then she got a really sweet bear. Recommended.

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This was a gift for a Build-A-Bear fan, and she loved it. It is nice that they can have the store experience of creating a friend in the home.

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I bought this for my 5 year old niece and she loved it. She is into arts and crafts and this was appropriate for her age. It works as advertised and was a good price.

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I bought this for my sister on christmas and she absolutely loves it i'm unsure on how long it took to sew together since I made my mother do it but all in all it was worth the price

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My 6-year old love DIY craft projects and we worked on this together as a gift for her little sister. Both girls love the final product! Adult help is most likely needed to stuff the bear properly and with the closure stitches.

Animal Cell Cross Section Model; no. LER1900 Review

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Just as advertised, took a while to get here, but I wasn't in a hurry...I am pleased with this purchase

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The Animal Cell Cross Section Model was just a wonderful item. I actually also ordered the Plant Cell Model too because I loved the quality of this product! Fast service too!

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Just so you understand that there are only 2 parts. It's not like all of the little organelles can be taken out. Soft, seems durable for big kids.

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My son was so excited to pull out his own cell this Christmas. He loves the pictures of the organelles, and the soft, ball-like texture of the cell as a whole. The two sides fit together loosely, so there is no difficulty in getting it apart.

Each side of the cell has it's own purpose. One side's organelles are labeled, and the other's have only letters and arrows, which makes one side a quiz for the other. There is also a paper included which describes each part of the cell and its function.

The pictures seem to be on a thin film of some kind, so I'm not sure that they wouldn't come off with a lot of rough play. This makes me nervous to just let my little ones use it when I'm not around, but I have no proof that it is or is not durable yet.

We plan to get the plant cell and bacteria for his birthday, and I look forward to watching him play with the set. These would be excellent home schooling or classroom tools as well.

Best VTech V. Reader & MobiGo 2 Stylus Set Deals

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I found the exact same product with the three replacement stylus pens on the Vtec sight for $3.99. I would recommend buying this accessory there.

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This is a great buy for anyone with this tablet. My child is always losing the stylus so it is nice to have backups

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Needed extra my kids like to chew on it while reading unfortunately, broke one and needed a replacement, good to have on hand.

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It's handy to have extras to keep around. My daughter wanders around with her v reader so the stylus could end up anywhere. Now I've got extras for backup! :-)

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My kids are always losing the pens to their vreaders. So, getting three extra pens was a great stocking stuffer.

Buy ALEX® Toys - Alex Jr. Maxville Blocks (30) -Baby Wooden

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List Price: $43.99
Sale Price: $28.19
Today's Bonus: 36% Off

These blocks have so much potential. They have interesting shapes, fantastic colours and offer curious toddlers a variety of ways to explore. They can fit shapes together, stack, balance, mix and match, learn about similar colours, contrasting colours, shiny, matte, sparkly, shapes that are identical, shapes that are complimentary...its really terrific in that regard. The shapes do not have rounded edges so if your child does play with these, I suggest you be close by as you do not want them to get hurt if they fall. However, I give this product a low rating for one major reason THE PAINT FLAKES OFF.....A LOT. It's really quite surprising. We have had it out for 4 days and it looks like it has been played with and banged around for a year. It is now at the point where I don't let my daughter play with them anymore as I certainly don't want her ingesting any of that stuff. Its a real shame that these blocks are not durable in the least. Hopefully Alex Toys will do something about this as it is not acceptable. Until they fix this issue, I say, don't bother find something else your kids can play with.

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These were so colorful, interesting shapes and designs (different on either side) but paint seems to chip off quite quickly. Warning: any adults around while this is opened for the child will find it extremely difficult (if not impossible) to keep their hands off of them. Might consider getting a second set for the "big kids" as well.

Best Deals for ALEX® Toys - Alex Jr. Maxville Blocks (30) -Baby Wooden

!My one year old son just received these blocks from my mom today. My 5 yr old, the baby, my husband and I have all had an amazing time playing with these sturdy, visually appealing very unique blocks. You can make flowers, people, buildings, and anything else you could imagine with this set. I am so excited to go play again!

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Good quality and looks, and so right for cultivating imagination and tactile dexterity so much lacking from most of today's mind-programming tech toys.

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Blocks are nice quality and very colorful. Many sizes to play with to provide many building options.

These will keep her entertained for many, many hours.

Discount 3B Scientific Glossy Paper Female Urinary Incontinence Anatomical

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explains types of incontinence and treatment options. get the laminated one, it's worth the extra (costs more to laminate yourself.) nice illustration of PFM and pelvis

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Best Polydron Frameworks Large Set (Set of 138) Deals

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List Price: $94.95
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Cheaper and lighter than the original polydron set, this is a great product for exploring 3-D geometry.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars is that assembling it is still a challenge even for dexterous 7 year olds.

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Best Grading Calculator - E-Z Grader Teacher's Aid Scoring Chart Deals

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List Price: $12.95
Sale Price: $8.53
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This is a great little tool for anyone who is a teacher. I found it easy to use.

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EZ Grader came in a timely manner and was in excellent condition! Very pleased!

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E-Z grader has been around for ever and as a teacher, I love using it. An old tool for an old teacher (26 years teachers) and still works like a charm! Highly recommended!

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This goes with everything else in my classroom...PINK! And it stands out from the boring green ones, so it won't get mixed up with everyone else's.

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I'm so relieved to finally have my own E-Z Grader as I use it daily during the school year and no longer have to track one down to borrow. And I'm especially happy about it being pink 1) in honor of breast cancer and 2) all the other ones at school are green, so mine is easily identified.

Best Guidecraft Shape Sorting Pounder Wooden Puzzle Deals

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List Price: $19.32
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My now 18mo old has been playing with this toy consistently (it is rotated with other toys) for the last few months. What I like about it is that the shapes truly DO hold the dowels snugly, so she isn't pounding them all the way through, and I'm not having to deal with yet more loose toy parts. She'll hammer the dowel down and then flip the shape over and start again. Basic but fun.

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I bought this as a gift for a boy, but soon discovered that it was a popular toy for girls as well. Once opened both my kids wanted to play with it. The 3 kids, ages 2-5, all took turns pounding away. It was a great way for them to burn off energy. It is also made of very durable wood. My only complaint is that if they hit it really hard, which most kids do, it can get loud. Also if hit too hard the rod will go all the way through the shape and out the other end...but that only happened once. All in all a great toy!

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My kids love it. It actually kept them busy for more than 5 minutes. I will purchase other products like this one.

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I got this for my nephew for Christmashe's 18 mos. He likes itwhat kid doesn't like something to hammer? The pieces all seem to come apart easily, including the base. I think that's on purpose so the kid can put it back together and have more playbut I'm not sure.

Reviews of Schoenhut 8 Note Star Group Thumb Piano (Multicolor)

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I purchased this for my grand daughter who is 15 months old and loves music.

She could make sounds with it the first time she picked it up!

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This is a beautiful little musical instrument and makes a wonderful gift for any child above the age of 3. My son and daughter love it! The 4 star for durability is because the pieces move a bit in the space if you hit the wrong but maybe it's meant to do that.

Learning Resources Pop for Letters Game Reviews

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This game is great for young learners. I usually rotate games out of my learning centers at school, but Pop for Letters has remained in the Alphabet center ALL YEAR! Children pull popcorn pieces out then say the letter aloud. You can make the game harder by having them name words that start with that letter or even write them down!

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My four year old loves to play and teach her 3 year old brother the letters. They play it quite a bit and haven't tired of it yet.

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With my little boy being only four years old, it is really important to keep up with his learning. Being consistent is extremely important, at such young ages. Since my little boy is in Preschool he is learning the difference in ABC's big and little, the sounds and of course the vowels. Knowing what he is learning gives me the advantage of being able to continue his learning while at home. Since my little boy already knows his ABC's big and little, I used the game for the sounds of each letter. Then with my little girl I can change up her studying for spelling words by having her sort the letters out into the words. Using the game as more of a sound game for each letter helps both of my kids. With learning how to spell, read and simply to know the sound. This is a great game for kids that are at the age learning the ABC's big and little, and sounding them out.

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My daughter just turned four and knows her upper case letters quite well, but struggles with her lower case. She loves playing games, so I picked this up in hopes that it would help her learn her letters. She enjoys playing it a lot. I also have a six-year-old who plays along. He obviously knows his letters, so to make it more challenging for him, we require him to say a word that starts with the letter he picked. The only con to the game is that it can take a very long time. There are a lot of popcorn pieces and when a player draws a "POP" piece, he or she must return all of his/her pieces back to the popcorn box. We often quit at a set time and whoever has the most pieces wins the game. All in all, it's a fun way to teach young kids their letters.

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Nice game that keeps them entertained while learning their letters. The only thing I had to take the lower case letters out then introduced them after they learned the cap letters.

Best FLY™ Pentop Computer Deals

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List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $59.00
Today's Bonus: 41% Off

I was DESPERATE for a birthday present for my hard to buy 11 year old son! Hated to spend this kind of money on a present before Christmas but I was afraid he was tired of getting the usual LEGO'S, Video games...etc! I purchased this knowing NOTHING about it. The store clerk said, "we sell alot and never get any back!" The day before his birthday, I took a chance and purchased this. IT WAS NOT A MISTAKE!

The unit is a PEN that actually writes. You MUST have the special paper which is 9.99 per notebook. Caution your children that this paper is for the Fly Pen use ONLY!

The pen works with a AAA battery. I did not purchase the charger. You will want the speaker though.

This package gives you everything you need to familiarize yourself with the product but buy another notebook and a speaker!

You will want to open this one early and spend some time familiarizing yourself with it before giving it to your child. The functions take practice and patience! DO Purchase a Fly Notebook and practice with this so you can start your child off correctly. I did this so I did not have to mess with the "start-up" kit that comes with this package. With practice and patience, I found this to be easy to figure out..and I DO NOT consider myself to be a technology buff. We busy moms like things quick and easy!

You turn the pen on, and touch the point on the icons that are on the bottom of the (fly notebook) sheets of paper...(these notebooks are sold separately). The pen will give you menu options, similiar to "phone menu choices". YOu select your choice by touching the icon. It pretty much guides you through the process. It will ask you to write letters, (usually the initials of what you want to play) and circle them. For example "Fly Tones" you write FT and circle it. It will guide you through the process of drawing your keyboard. "draw nine vertical lines", "connect them at the bottom", for example.

This DOES take practice and patience. My 11 year old has spent quite a bit of time with the instruction manual and the pen attempting to "figure it out." He is that kind of kid though. My soon to be 8 year old wants one for Christmas and I will have to help him learn to use it.

This is Certainly NOT a toy and is NOT an out of the box and instant fun thing. I can see it having quality educational value over time. I have purchased the spelling and math packs (29.99 a pop..WHEW...) and will review them when they are opened. So far, this pack has been enough.

This comes with earbuds and a small plastic case.

This package with a AAA battery, the additional speaker, a notebook, patience, practice, and time are all you need to get started with the Fly Pen.

I recommend it despite the "priceyness" of the actual unit AND the accessories because as with MOST "Leap Learning" tools, their abilities are far beyond what the item exposes with the first couple of uses. Like most parents, I have never been disappointed with this company's products. I am amazed at this product's abilities with my and my sons limited exposure to it over this past weekend.

Finally, I LOVE how this FORCES you to write neatly AND follow-directions! This is perfect for those middle school children who are still in "primary-land" as far as their writing skills are concerned.

Great product from the folks at "LEAP"!

Rosemary

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It's unfortunate a few posters feel the need to bash this product, it is obvious that they haven't used the product. Get a life. Here is my review:

After reading about the Fly over the last several months, I had to go buy one just to satisfy my curiousity. I was first struck by the weight, I thought it would be much heavier and clumsy to use. But that is not the case well done. Then I "tapped" through the initial settings card, and was impressed that it was recognizing the areas that were tapped. Immediately you are left thinking "how does this work?"

From there I wanted to check out the letter and word recognition. I wrote a letter, and it was announced back. Again, scratching head, "how'd they do that?" That was fine and all, but what I thought was more interesting were the game and educational sheets that were included. There is a map of the United States, and you can tap on any state and have the state or capitals aanounced. Games are "built-in" to this map, for instance you are told to tap on the correct state after a city is announced. If I tapped on the incorrect state, the FLY would say "try 200 miles northeast". Thought that was cool.

In addition to the map, there are crossword puzzles, quizzes, calculator, other puzzles, music games, weird sounds, schedulers, etc.

I didn't realize all this came with the FLY, and I was sort of blown away by the power of this pen at that time. My mind started to realize that there are numerous possibilities and uses for this device which will evolve over time.

Before trying out the FLY I was sort of skeptical, since it isn't your normal computer with a screen and keyboard, with all interaction being audio. But I was surprised to find myself immersed in the environment. This type of interaction completely makes sense for a range of applications such as those included with this pen.

My three year old (soon to be four) watched me and then started using it. He was very excited about it, and can only play with some of the applications right now. I have seen some reviews say it may be hard to use, but that is far from the truth. The kids will have no problems. If my three year old had no problems tapping on sounds, drums, countries to hear national anthems, then anyone can use this.

To sum up my review: Excellent job done, my hats off to the designer and all those responsible for taking this idea all the way. I'm looking forward to future software applications and to my child getting older!

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Jameson Thottam on a great gift thats not just for kids

My wife and I purchased the Leapfrog Fly Pentop Computer for our cousin as a Christmas gift this year. I have to say that it is impressive. I find it difficult to believe this gadget markets toward children rather than adults. It would take only minor tweaking to make this unit into a fully functional piece of portable hardware equal to a PDA for adults. Marketed age on the box states it is for children 8 years old and older. However, I have to admit that it is hard to figure out who likes this device more cousin, or her mother.

Perks and Problems ^Jameson Thottam^

Like most gadgets, it has highs and lows with perks and problems. Overall, any child will enjoy the Fly but I believe academically gifted children will find it more enjoyable than the average child who is more into sports rather than math, science, or reading. The musical games will hold any child's attention but beyond that, I can't say for certain. My cousin is in the academically gifted group. She would rather read a book, play a math game, or solve a puzzle than play outside. It is simply her nature. She does not fall into the athletic group.

The Technology ^James Thottam^

The Fly Pentop Computer relies on an optical scanner. It scans everything written on the special Fly paper. It records, provides playback, and can translate languages in addition to working out math problems with a hand-drawn calculator. The computer costs approximately $99 and comes with the follow:

One Fly Pentop Computer

Earbud headphones (Great device!)

Plastic Case

Fly Launch Pad Guide

17 Games

35 pages of special Fly paper

3 interactive Fly cards

1 silver face plate (other interchangeable colors available)

2 rechargeable batteries

1 charging station

The computer comes with a cartridge to allow play straight out of the box. The interactive guide walks you through setting up the pen including time, date, volume control, and many others. The Fly paper allows immediate game play and educational play. For example, you can draw a calculator just like the face of every calculator on the market and then tap the pen tip to the numbers, math signs, and then equal sign to get your answer. Draw a set of piano keys or a drum set to begin playing music from the paper. Or, open the interactive guide to play with a multitude of musical instruments where you compose your own sounds, record them, and play them again and again. The musical card section offers a sort of musical Simon-says game. The computer will begin playing musical sounds and then let you copy them. Each level becomes more difficult than the previous one. This enhances memory skills with music while allowing free musical expression. Write out important dates to have the computer remind you later. Play games with friends with their own Fly pens. The possibilities are endless especially with new cartridges called Flyware on the way. Encourage penmanship with the Fly computer. It has difficulty reading sloppy handwriting so improved penmanship is important. Many compare the Fly pen to a child-size PDA that has educational and outright fun games that teach as they provide enjoyment. The learning curve is not difficult. Simply tap the M on the special paper or draw the letter M in a circle and tap it with the pen tip to get access to the menu commands. Follow the prompts to be on your way to calculating math, playing games, composing music, and making scheduling dates.

Accessories are still there ^Jameson L Thottam^

Accessories can become expensive over time but once obtaining other modules, it evens out. The modules for Fly include Fly Journal, Fly through Spanish, Fly through Spelling, Fly Games, Fly Ball, Fly Ball Expansion Pack, Fly through Math Multiplication and Division, Fly through Tests 6-8 th grade Math, Science, Social Studies, and two sizes of Fly Notebook along with Fly Paper.

Modules ^Jameson Thottam^

Fly modules run approximately $8 through around $30. The ink refills are a 2-pack for around $8. Fly Catcher Paper, 35 sheets with Fly Pentop, costs around $5 for 3 pads of 25 sheets. Fly offers a Batman module strictly for fun for about $30. Additional extras include a nicer pen case, a carrying bag with plenty of space for the charger and pen along with cartridges and paper. Additional face plates come in four different colors and are relatively cheap to purchase.

Saving the Best for Near Last ^Jameson Thottam^

The best part about the Fly Pentop Computer and the accessories is the fact that many local department stores carry them in stock. Leapfrog does not force parents to special order accessories or replacement items through expensive catalogs, online stores, or telephone orders. A stop at the local department store such as Walmart, Target, K-Mart, and others saves time and shipping costs.

The modules as well as the games are educational-related; any child that plays with the computer pen will undoubtedly improve in academics.

Pitfalls ^Jameson Thottam^

The Fly Pentop Computer does have some downfalls or areas where improvement would be beneficial. The pen itself is a bit heavy but not so much that it is too heavy on the top end. In a way, this is a good thing since it makes the unit larger and less apt for a child to loose it. If redesigned for adults, a thinner, sleeker version would be best.

Fixes ^Jameson Thottam^

I wish the pen could compute on regular paper. My cousin is an avid writer so she goes through paper rather quickly especially with the Fly Journal. Her mother and I have purchased two of the replacement Fly Catcher Paper and one extra Fly Journal.

The pen on and off button is a but cumbersome. It has an on/off switch but also has a switch to engage the pen. This is really no biggie but it would be nice if both turned on at the same time it clicks into pen mode. So far, the ink holds up well but I plan to purchase refills within the next week.

The pricing of the modules could stand to come down a bit too. Perhaps that will happen as the Fly Pentop becomes more popular.

Jameson Thottam

Honest reviews on FLY™ Pentop Computer

In any event, I read the comments and many of them say how expensive it is. Well, I bought one for my son and let me tell you, it is not nearly as expensive as the iPOD he wants or the Xbox he wants. It ranks up there in terms of top gifts for kids. So, if you are worried about spending too much, buy the pen instead of the iPOD people!!!!

The games and things are fun, but what I found really valuable is the spelling module. I spend a lot of time working with my son on spelling for school spelling tests and the FLY pen makes it fun and uses his words for his class.

So, in summary:

Fun YES

Expensive No, have you seen the XBOX prices and what about the prices for add'l games.

Cheap Also No

Educational Definitely

I have to give it 5 stars.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for FLY™ Pentop Computer

Bought this for my daughter's 10th birthday. She wanted it very much and I thought it would be such a hit. Well initially it was, but it's in the playroom, sitting on it's charger, where it's been for several days now. I wanted to make sure she would have things do with it, so I bought flygames, the journal and the speaker as well. She did get a big kick out of it at first and did some of the activties in the games book. The pen works very well and she had no problems getting it to work. The games book requires you to draw in it with the pen's ink, so you cannot reuse the games and I haven't seen other versions of the game book, so once it's used then what??? She wants the spanish translator for Christmas which isn't cheap and I'm not sure if I want to drop any more $$$ into this thing.

Just a note: My daughter is an avid reader, but is not as motivated to write, so maybe if your child loves to write/draw the Flypen would be better for them??