My daughter is 2.5 years and she has bonded with her leap pad. This toy occupies her time well and she enjoys the music.

I love this toy! It's very educational and fun. My 2 1/2 year old son loves it so much that I just bought a second one for my younger son (currently 9 months) to use when he gets older. The toy is pretty durable, but with constant use I fear it won't last to pass on to my youngest. Amazon is a great place to buy the books for it, but I have to say the $69.99 list price here is a joke! I just bought a My First LeapPad (same as here), a First Touch LeapPad, AND 3 books at the manufacturer's website for less than that, including taxes and shipping. So look around. You can also buy the older blue and pink models for cheaper on Amazon, and they are just the same.

We got this for our 3 y.o. because, frankly, we didn't want to spend the money on the bigger Leap Pad. I figured this would be a good introduction for him and he is perfectly happy with this it. At first I was concerned that he would outgrow it quickly but there is a good variety of books to go with the product so I think it will last a while.

It did take a bit of instruction for him to be able to put the book on by himself but the cartridges go in very easily so now he is quite independent with it. It also seems very sturdy and so far has stood up to the drops and bumps kids provide. I also like that the pages of the books are very sturdy and will take a lot of abuse.

We bought this for my son who is too little for the bigger LeapPad. After reading so many good reviews and enjoying other LeapPad products, we were very disappointed when after about 2 weeks of infrequent use, it stopped recognizing the cartridges that go with it. Unfortunately, after Googling the problem, it turns out to be somewhat common for this product. I called their customer service they are going to send me a mailer to return/get a replacement, so I'll update after that. Their customer service rep claimed she had never heard of that problem (which I find a bit suspect after the number of people online who claim to have returned theirs) and asked me three times in a 10 minute call if I was sure the cartridge was for the My First LeapPad, even AFTER I explained to her that it the cartridge I was using had worked fine up to this point.

My son likes this toy, even though at 2 1/2 he can't play with it alone. We are really hoping the replacement works better.

I bought this for my 4 and 3 year old grandsons. They are having trouble with the sounds of some words. I was hoping that LeapPad would help them both. Well, they are both enjoying it. I have noticed that especially with the 4 year old, it is now easier to understand him when he talks. He likes to set by himself and play with his LeapPad. It is also helping them both with added books I have purchased from LeapFrog. Books that help with learning colors, numbers etc.
LeapFrog is like Sesame Street, you can't grow up without them!

This is a really fun and educational toy, my two children really seem to enjoy it. We bought one for each of them. I believe the targeted age group begins at three, however, my younger of the two, is 2yrs and she seems to do quite well with following the directions and navigating through the pages.

One issue I have with this toy is that the on and off switch is located (for right-handers) right under where the kids lean their wrists to use their pen on the pages and it ends up turning it off a lot. Then, when they turn it back on there is a pause that is about 2 seconds too long causing them to think it didn't turn on so they push it again and it turns off. It then becomes a vicious cycle of on and off until I have to hold an impatient finger back for it to come on properly.

The other issue is the clip that holds the book in wasn't very well thought out. With busy little hands and bodies, the spiral binding on the book pops out of the notches that are supposedly meant to hold it onto the pad itself constantly. The pages of the book won't fold under, you just flip them up as you move to another page, so with the pages hanging over like that it easily "catches" on pants, hands, knees, etc. when they use it, particularly when sitting the leap pad on their laps.

So, a few tweaks and it would be perfect!! I wouldn't make it a deterrent in purchasing this item...just know going in you'll need some patience in helping your little ones with a couple things pretty regularly.

This is a great idea - my 3 year old daughter recieved it for her birthday. So long as I help her put the book and memory cassette in all is well! She plays with it for a long time, listens to the instuctions and seems to be learning numbers/letters etc along the way.

The LeapFrog educational toys are in general creative and fun. My First LeapPad is certainly innovative, and taking into account the age group it caters to [3-5 yrs], it has myriad activities that will not only keep young preschoolers entertained, but also serve to educate them at the same time.

The item is easy to use - it comes with a platform [that requires 4 AA batteries], a Magic Pen, and a book. Once the book is attached to the platform, one needs to push the On/Off button, and use the Magic Pen to start a page, by pressing the word "GO". Then, the pen may be used to play various games that teach things like parts of the body, deductive reasoning, shapes and colors, numbers, letter names and sounds, and pre-writing skills, not to mention the Spanish language. The games are simple, and with the guidance of an adult, a preschooler as young as 2 may be able to participate, learn and have fun with the different activities.

Music is also incorporated into the learning system, such as the letter piano where a child can tap the letters to hear the sounds on the piano. Different musical intruments are also represented with the accompanying sounds.

This is a high-quality learning tool that serves to enhance a child's understanding of basic concepts and is a fun tool that may be enjoyed by a young toddler with the help of an adult or used independently by an older preschooler. My almost 3 yr old had some trouble manipulating the pen, but with my help she was able to use it with minimum difficulty.

Final verdict - a great learning tool for preschoolers!

This is a great learning toy; the books are more simplistic and less busy than the regular LeapPad books, and it would be a perfectly good toy for kids aged 18 mos - 3 or maybe even 4.

However, I recommend you at least consider the LeapPad because it will have a longer lifespan. In our home, the LeapPad is still being used by our 3rd grader. And my youngest son hardly ever played with his "My First LeapPad" when he was a toddler, preferring his siblings' LeapPad.

Another reason to look at the regular LeapPad is that the regular books also start at pre-K, and contain far more activities and games than the "My First LeapPad" books.

On the other hand, the "My First LeapPad" books are sturdier, more like board books, whereas the regular books are a just a thick, high quality paper.

And if you are not concerned with longevity or don't wish to invest the extra $ for the regular LeapPad, your young child is bound to enjoy this pared down version.

One other thought, one of my kids tended to absently chew the cord on the pen if he wasn't supervised. I wrapped them with tape and the pens continued to work, but if you have a child who tends to put things in their mouth or who is teething, you will want to supervise the use of this toy.

At first I thought the color was kinda odd, but to my kids - it made no difference whatsoever! They love this toy, the books and pen are easy to replace and the battery life is great! Really awesome!

This is a good educational toy. My 4 year old son would spend a long time playing on his leappad. He would play his favorite book every morning . When the toy started to mess up, he really got disheartened. I ended up ordering this new one. It hasn't quite regained his total interest even though, he has learned a lot from it.

I got this for my daughter's third birthday and it's a hit with her. The pad goes over all the basics, colors, shapes, parts of the body, music, Spanish and more! I love this toy and my daughter loves playing with it. If you're looking for something to keep your little one occupied and be educational at the same time, buy this! It's a great item!!

I got this toy to keep my child entertained on an airplane and it worked great. The pen response and books are a lot of fun. It looks like a keeper!