Play Time | Mommies With Style

Fun for the Kids & A Great Easter Gift: Wuggle Pets

January 31, 2012 By Whitney 1 Comment

So if you or your kids are As Seen on TV junkies like us, you may have witnessed the commercials for Wuggle Pets. While not exactly the same, Wuggle Pets remind me of the Build-A-Bear experience. Here’s how it works.

Kids get a unstuffed animal and using the Wuggle Pet Kit they can stuff their pets at home with stuffing, magic dust and adorable key words to give your animal “traits” that they’d like them to have.

Check out my boys here with the Starter Kit ($19.99+ S&H).

Here’s are the key ingredients that come in the box including two pets, stuffing and the Fun Factory:

Here Cole added the Magic Dust and stuffing to go into his Wuggle Pet:

Connecting the Wuggle Pet to the Fun Factory:

Cole was so excited to twist and add the stuffing and Magic Dust:

Cole selected “cool” and “brave” as personality traits for his new Wuggle Pet:

Overall, it was a fun and engaging experience for my kids. They have named their Wuggle Pets and have been carrying them around! Love the idea of a Wuggle Pet kit for Easter.

Filed Under: Play Time Tagged With: as seen on tv, easter, Easter toys, wuggle pets

For Your Baby: Baby Einstein Activity Table

January 22, 2012 By zareen Leave a Comment

I have had an activity table for all my kids. I love them. They are so entertaining for babies/toddlers and they can be educational too. The activity table has been especially great for my kids when they are learning to pull themselves and stand.

They are encouraged to pull themselves up and stay standing at the table while they play. I already have the Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table by Disney for my infant and can’t wait to watch her interactions with it as she grows. The Baby Einstein Activity Table even has pull off legs so that babies can play on the floor. The table helps babies learn colors, shapes, and counting to five in three languages and plays five classical melodies. The light up colors and sounds attract babies’ attention and are just fun.

You can buy the Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table at Target for $39.99.

Filed Under: Babies, Misc, Play Time, Toys Tagged With: activity table, baby einstein

Images of the new American Girl Doll for 2012: McKenna Brooks

December 26, 2011 By Whitney 3 Comments

Embargoed until today is the news that the new American Girl doll for 2012 will be McKenna Brooks. According to the press release, she’s into gymnastics and stuggling in school.

She ends up having to get a school tutor and keeps it a secret. She also apparently befriends a handicapped girl in a wheelchair.

Not much more info but I’m sure those of you with girls will be excited to hear more about McKenna as it comes out on January 1st!

Here are some images from the new book:

Filed Under: Kids, Play Time Tagged With: american girl, american girl doll, mckenna brooks

The Rockin’ Rider Pony – It sings and talks!

December 22, 2011 By zareen Leave a Comment

Need any last minute gifts for your 2 year old? The Rockin’ Rider by Tek Nek Toys is an adorable ride-able play horse whose mouth moves as he sings “I’m a Little Pony” and neighs and whinnies to your child.

The sounds and mouth motions are activated by gently touching a button in his year. Rocking ponies have long been a favored toy and the Rockin’ Rider’s sounds, singing and mouth movements make it all the more fun and entertaining for your child. The pony is available in either pink or brown and features a soft and plush body, non-slip foot steps and easy to grip handles.

Check out Rockin’ Rider’s Facebook page for more information.

Filed Under: Misc, Play Time, Toys

Great Gift for Animal Lovers: Stuffed Animals from Hansa, 15% off Coupon Code

December 21, 2011 By Whitney 2 Comments

Seen one stuffed animal, you’ve seen them all, right? Not so much. The stuffed animals from The Animal Place are created after significant research from Hansa, a company known for their realistic reproductions of the world’s most loved animals.

Trust me, your child’s favorite animal is on the site. They have dozens of lovely looking stuffed animals available like this Squirrel Monkey pictured on the right for $25.

They also make life-sized animals that look just breathtaking for true animal lovers! Visit the AnimalPlace.com and use coupon code MWS2011 for 15% off your order before December 31st.

And guess what, you can STILL get this in time!!! There’s free 2-day Fed-Ex shipping with orders over $50.

Filed Under: Kids, Play Time

A Favorite Last Minute Holiday Gift: Buckyballs

December 20, 2011 By Whitney 3 Comments

No matter how much planning I do with gift giving, there’s always someone left in the end. Are you guys with me? The good news is that today, December 20th, there’s still time to buy online and receive your gifts in time! Not everywhere but here’s a few items and ideas that will arrive in time – this one’s my all time fav:

Buckyballs – Orignal Edition, $34.95 with free shipping. Because typically that last person you are buying for is the person you had no idea what to buy for, am I right? And Buckyballs are a great gift for anyone (beyond the toddler years & kids who will mouth these). My kids love these, I love these, I’m sure my grandmother would love these.

For all ages – these small magnet balls are just all around fun. Amazon Prime members can get free two day shipping and if you aren’t an Amazon Prime member, pay a couple of bucks and get this in time.

Filed Under: Kids, Misc, Mommy Time, Play Time Tagged With: Bucky Balls, buckyballs, holiday 2011

Ride Your Way Into the Holidays (Winners Annouced)

December 13, 2011 By kate 25 Comments

Congratulations to our giveaway winners – Cari, Sonya and Tabitha!

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I love the look on my kids’ faces when they see something with wheels under the tree. Here are my picks for some great ride-on toys for every age – and 3 great giveaways in a super short contest below!

Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug – Perfect for tiny riders over the age of 1, the Prince Lionheart Wheely Bugs are just as fun to ride as they are adorable to look at. Available in 6 unisex designs, choose from a ladybug, bee, cow, mouse, tiger or pig to take for a whirl. The seat is padded, easy to clean and resistant to potential “accidents” from over-excitement. The multi-directional coaster wheels and handy handle will keep your tiny rider amused ride after ride. Safe for indoor or outdoor use. (Also available with a large seat for kids 3+.) $50 at Amazon.com

Kickboard USA Mini and Maxi scooter – These 3-wheeled scooters definitely make it on my top 10 list of must-haves. My kids were riding the Mini version before they were two years old and now at 5.5 and 4, they can zoom around corners, jump off of curbs and do a handful of other head-turning tricks. And we’ve had no major wipeouts or ER visits! The scooters are durable, stable, easy to ride, come in a ton of fun colors and are fairly compact. The Mini Kick is geared for kids 2-5 years old while the Maxi Kick is best for kids 6-11 (or up to 120 lbs.) The Mini comes with a T-bar handle while the Maxi also has the option of the pilot stick which allows for the best performance and handling.

Kickboard has also been adding to their collection of accessories for the scooters including bags, bells, lights and plush buddies. But don’t let the kids have all the fun! Kickboard USA also makes 2-wheel and 3-wheel scooters for the 11-111 crowd. I recently tried out this 2-wheeled number and had a blast zipping around the block with my kids. Now if only it had a cup holder to make my walk to Starbucks faster…. Starting at $85 at Kickboard USA and totally worth it. (Scroll down for a giveaway!)

KaZAM Balance Bike – When your tot is ready to trade up, consider skipping the training wheels and going to a balance bike first. With my first, we did training wheels and it took some time to ween him off them. With my second, I’m hoping to bypass the transition by using the KaZAM Balance bike. What sets KaZAM apart?

It took a few minutes for my son to get a hang of it, but I’m hoping this will help us bypass training wheels in a few months and go straight to a regular bike. The KaZAM seems durable and is easy to steer. I only wish the seat was a little wider. KaZAM comes in red, blue, orange, green and pink and also comes bundled with a helmet for a complete ready-to-ride package. $100 at KaZAM (Scroll down for a giveaway!)

Trek Jet 20 – When your rider is ready for a real bike, Trek makes superb, sturdy bikes that will easily last through multiple children. I’m not a particular fan of cartoon characters plastered over bikes, and I love that Trek bikes look and are made like grown-up bikes. The Jet 20 is geared for kids 6 and older depending on height and ability. It features 20″ wheels, the option of either coaster or hand breaks (one of my fav features) and cool extras like a kickstand, fenders, plates, pads. The bike has a lightweight aluminum frame that means I can hoist it up on our bike rack, and a construction that will last through everything from neighborhood rides to off-road adventures AND still be passed down to younger brothers. The Jet 20 comes in blue or green though girls may prefer the color selection of the similarly designed Mystic 20. Like all Trek bikes, the Jet 20 has a lifetime warranty. Available for $220 at Trek Bikes.

** GIVEAWAYS ** Three awesome giveaways in this short contest! Enter once for all three items (if you’re only interested in one of them – mention that in the comments so I don’t send you something you don’t want!) Enter by leaving a comment below. Here’s what’s up for grabs:

1) a Kickboard USA Mini or Maxi scooter(color options may depend on available stock)

2) a Kickboard USA white 2-wheeled Kick Scooter for teens or adults (up to 220 lbs)

3) a KaZAM Balance Bike in any color (except pink)

Earn additional entries by tweeting about the contest with the hashtag #MWSridegiveaway or posting about the contest on Facebook. Be sure to leave us an additional comment for each extra entry you do.

Contest is open to U.S. residents only. Sorry no PO boxes. Contest open until 11:59pm on Wednesday, December 14th!

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Note: MWS was not paid for this post. Some of the companies provided samples for review.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Holiday 2011, Kids, On The Go, Play Time, Toys Tagged With: balance bikes, bikes, holiday gifts, kazam, kickboard, ride-on toys, scooters, Trek, wheely bug

A Wii Under the Tree

December 12, 2011 By kate Leave a Comment

Don’t get pulled into the thinking that the only good gifts are brand new. There are lots of great gift ideas that have been around for a while and guess what – they are still awesome. Take the Wii for example. Originally released in 2006, the Wii is still the worldwide leader in gaming console sales with new games being released throughout the year. The nice thing about the Wii is it can appeal to the whole family. There are sports games, fitness programs, games for kids, teens and adults ranging from driving, cooking and surgery to music, dancing and of course destroying alien invaders.

And it keeps getting better. Current Wii consoles are shipping with the brand new Wii Plus remote with built-in MotionPlus technology (it used to be a separate, add-on accessory). This new hyper-sensitive remote controls your Wii games with the natural, fluid movement of your hand, without having to think about pressing a button. You get better control with less work. A win-win.

There are also a bunch of recently-released Wii games that will make a perfect pair with a Wii console.

Barbie: Jet, Set & Style: Budding style mavens will jump at the chance to perfect their hair, makeup, nail and fashion skills. Travel around the world with Barbie picking up style tips from Paris and London to Tokoyo and Moscow. Hone your glamor skills to win the ultimate prize – styling Barbie herself for an international fashion show! Rated E (THQ)

Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident: New to Wii for the first time is the exciting hidden object puzzle play of the Mystery Case File series. Scour the island, locate hidden objects and use clues to solve inventive puzzles throughout the game. My kids love the I Spy-style of this game, and while it was too hard for them to play alone, it was a great family game using our collective detective skills and eyesight. Rated E (Nintendo)

Family Game Night 4: Your kids may think that board games are soooo old school, but now you can introduce your kids to your favorites – with a twist! With Family Game Night 4, you’ll be off the couch and laughing as you choose between CONNECT 4 Basketball, YATZHEE! Bowling, SCRABBLE Flash, BOP-IT Boptagon, and SORRY! Sliders. My kids were hooked on YATZHEE! Bowling having just learned how to do both parts separately in the last few months. This was a great game to enjoy as a the whole family! Rated E (EA)

Monster High Ghoul Spirit: If your daughter loves the Monster High dolls, they’ll be of fan of Ghoul Spirit where they can work to become the coolest ghoul in school by making friends, building a reputation, doing all sorts of “creeptastic” activities and more. Select your hair, skin, and outfit to create your own creepy character and do you best to win the ultimate prize – winning the title of Scream Queen. Rated E (THQ)

Wii Play Motion: If you already have a Wii, this is a great introduction to the Wii Plus remote which comes bundled with the game that highlights all of the new remote’s hyper-sensitive capabilities. With 12 mini games to choose from like Jump Park, Skip Skimmer and Treasure Twirl, the games are easy enough for younger kids to play while still offering enough challenge for adults. Rated E 10+ (Nintendo)

Rayman Origins: From the creator of Rayman, Beyond Good & Evil and the Raving Rabbids, comes Rayman Origins. Choose from over 100 characters while you adventure through 12 beautifully drawn worlds and over 60 levels attempting to save their home, the Glade of Dreams, from trouble. Pick up important skills like swimming, diving, slapping and of course the “HairlyCopter” in an attempt save the Glade and defeat the enemy. A fun game for older kids and adults alike. Rated E 10+ (Ubisoft)

Skylanders – Spyro’s Adventure Starter Pack: This unique game comes with three creature action-figures called Skylanders and a “Portal of Power” that syncs with the console and “teleports” the creature into the game. Each Skylander has a different ability or power and remembers its place in the game – even if you use it on a different console. Use your Skylander’s special power to battle Kaos, an evil tyrant, and protect your homeland. A multiple player function allows you to join forces with a friend or battle head-to-head. Plus you can expand the game by purchasing separate Adventure Packs. And the Skylanders are perfect entertainment on their own. Rated E10+. (Activision)

Add on the new uDraw Tablet from THQ and you can try out these new games.

Pictionary – Ultimate Edition: You know the game, but not like this! Pictionary Ultimate takes drawing to a whole new level. Play regular Pictionary with over 3,000 drawing clues (junior and adult levels) or try out Pictionary Mania with crazy drawing modes like tool confusion, eraser only and rotation frustration where the screen rotates while you’re trying to draw! Plus when you’re done playing, the free draw mode is perfect to hone your skills. Rated E (THQ)

Spongebob Squigglepants: Join Spongebob, his friends and the president of the Spongebob fan club, Patchy the Pirate, in this dizzying adventure of more than 100 fast-paced mini-games and challenges. The games are easy enough for younger kids, but the time limits add an element of challenge for older kids too. You can also draw, paint and color tons of never-before-seen images of Spongebob from the Nickelodeon vaults. A must-have for Spongebob aficionados. Rated E. (THQ)

Disney Princess – Enchanting Storybooks: Budding artists can bring color and life to scenes from their favorite Disney princess movies staring Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Tiana. With over 100 coloring pages, activities, sticker pages and stories, your little princess will have fun recreating her favorite scenes from her favorites stories. Sadly this one was lost on my boys, but I admit I had fun reliving some of my own Disney memories. Rated E. (THQ)

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Note: MWS was not paid for this review. Samples were provided for the review.

Filed Under: Dads, Electronics, Entertainment, Games, Holiday 2011, Kids, Misc, Play Time Tagged With: electronic gifts, holiday gifts, video games, wii

Hot Holiday Pick for Girls: Little Miss Muffin

December 1, 2011 By Whitney 1 Comment

These pop-up dolls from Little Miss Muffin could not be any cuter, right? Maybe it’s the fact that I only have two boys to buy for but I’m totally enamored by the cuteness of these little pop up dolls. They kind of remind me of a series of Strawberry Shortcake & friends dolls I had as a kid.

These dolls convert from a muffin to pop out to a doll. Find out more info about Little Miss Muffin Dolls on their website – check out the cute activities for kids (and recipes!)

You can choose from an assortment of Little Miss Muffin Dolls on Amazon. They range in price starting around $15 for one.

Filed Under: Kids, Play Time Tagged With: girl toys, holiday 2011, little miss muffin

Hot Holiday Toys: LeapFrog’s My Own Story Time Pad & #Giveaway

November 23, 2011 By kate 110 Comments

WINNER ANNOUNCED! Congrats to Ada Miller who won the LeapFrog My Own Story Time Pad! Thanks to all who entered!

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Giveaway #3 is here! This time it’s LeapFrog’s new My Own Story Time Pad – an easy-to-use tablet for little LeapFroggers. Perfect for kids 2+ years (though fun for younger kids too), the Story Time Pad is a lightweight tablet that includes stories, songs and activities that can be personalized for your child! Scout, Violet and the other LeapFrog friends educate and entertain as your child learns about letters, phonics, storytelling, music and more.

One of the coolest features of the My Own Story Tim Pad is the ability to personalize a number of the activities. Using LeapFrog’s Connect Application, you can have Scout or Violet say your child’s name, customize parts of stories and songs, and create pretend emails and messages from friends or family members. Toddlers will get a kick out of hearing Scout call them by name, mention their friends and talk about their favorite places.

My Own Story Time Pad comes pre-loaded with 1 story, 1 email, and 3 songs, but by connecting to the LeapFrog Connect Application you can download additional stories and songs (up to 5 stories, 10 songs and 3 emails at a time).

Some of my favorite feature:

- No tablet envy. I love that the tablet looks and feels similar to LeapFrog’s LeapPad tablet and other adult tablets but is geared for younger learners. No more arguing over who gets to use the tablet! With the My Own Story Time Pad, my 3 year old can have a tablet geared just for him.

- No wrong buttons. Whenever I give my kids my phone to play a game, I inevitably find stuff rearrange, reprogrammed or downright missing. One of the great things about the Story Time Pad is that there are no wrong buttons! Kids can press buttons is any order, at any time and the tablet will not delete content, harm the activities or self-destruct. Plus any button they push will likely make a sound, start a new activity or provide some kind of giggle-inducing feedback.

- Durable. LeapFrog makes stuff for kids. Kids that drop stuff. So they’ve made the My Story Time Pad out of durable plastic that can handle the bangs and bumps of life.

- Lightweight. The tablet weighs in at just over 1 lb. and is easy for a child to hold in the car or fit on his lap.

- Multiple volume settings. The Story Time Pad features two volume settings which is nice, but unfortunately no headphone jack which I wish it had.

Visit Leapfrog.com to learn more and purchase a My Own Story Time Pad – available in white or purple for $29.99 (Be sure to sign up for LeapFrog’s emails to hear about great holiday deals and sales too.)

** GIVEAWAY ** Win a My Story Time Pad of your very own! To enter, leave a comment below telling us what tech gadget is on your holiday wishlist. (And be sure to check out Whitney and the other Gift Guide Girls‘ post on innovative, adorable and drool-worthy tech gifts here!) You can earn additional entries by doing any of the following – be sure leave us separate comments to tell us you did! 1) Like LeapFrog or Mommies With Style on Facebook, 2) Follow LeapFrog or MWS on Twitter, 3) Follow me on Twitter, or 4) Tweet about the giveaway with the hashtag #MWSgiveaway. Entries must be received by Monday, December 5th 11:59pm, PST. One winner will be picked via random.org and notified via email. Sorry, no P.O. boxes. US residents only.

MWS was not paid for this review. LeapFrog provided a sample of the product for review.

Kate Bayless is a writer, editor and is hoping Santa brings her a tablet. She has been very good this year. Her work has appeared in Parents, American Baby, Fit Pregnancy, iVillage and other publications. Visit her at www.katebayless.com or @katebayless.

Filed Under: Coupons & Freebies, Electronics, Giveaways, Kids, Play Time Tagged With: electronic gifts, giveaway, holiday gifts, LeapFrog, My Own Story Time Pad, tablets

Holiday Picks from the Gift Guide Girls: Babies

November 16, 2011 By Whitney Leave a Comment

Holiday Gift Guide: Best Baby Gifts

I’ve partnered up with bloggers: Vera Sweeney of Lady and the Blog, Colleen Padilla from Classy Mommy and Whitney Wingerd from Mommies with Style to bring you a fabulous and extensive Holiday Gift Guide. We’ve come up with 12 Holiday Gift Guides, all ranging in different topics, to bring to you our favorite Holiday Gift ideas this Holiday season!

Today’s Guide is all about… Baby Gifts.

It’s always fun to shop for babies during the Holidays! None of us have babies anymore, so it’s extra special this time of year for us to pick out some of the best baby gifts! Enjoy this time, it goes by so quickly… here are some gifts that will bring some joy to the lucky baby in your life!

Here are 10 of our favorite Holiday Baby Gift ideas:

Wonderous Wedge $33.00

SESAME STREET PLAYSKOOL LET’S ROCK! Elmo $69.99

Maxi Cosi’s Piazzo Play Yard $189.99

Patemm Pad

Pottery Barn’s Oatmeal™ Bear Benefiting St. Jude

Red Envelope’s Handcrafted Language Blocks $39.95

Carlton Cow $130.00

PLAYSKOOL POPPIN PARK ELEFUN BUSY BALL POPPER $29.99

Laugh & Learn Learning Letters Mailbox by Fisher-Price $28.00

Spin & Explore Sea Gym by Lamaze $34.95

Dandelion Soft Stacker $34.99

Filed Under: Babies, Holiday 2011, Play Time Tagged With: gift guide girls, holiday 2011, holiday guide

Nintendo DS Review & Giveaway: Pillow Pets Game (Plus a Plush Pillow Pet)

November 9, 2011 By Whitney 172 Comments

Remember how hot Pillow Pets were last holiday season? I don’t know about all of your kids, but my kids still sleep with each of theirs every night. For kids who are Pillow Pets fans, there is now Pillow Pets for the Nintendo DS [$16.00 on Amazon].

This game is rated E for everyone and looks adorable. Players have to visit Dreamland and try and rescue Pillow Pets who have become stuck there. Once rescued, then can bring them home and adorn their virtual “bedroom” with their pillow pets. Sounds like an all play, right?

Giveaway: One lucky Mommies with Style reader will win a copy of Pillow Pets for the Nintendo DS as well as a plush Pillow Pet! Retail value on both of these is $39.98.

To enter, leave a comment on this post.

For additional entries:
Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter & follow me on Twitter @WhitneyMWS:

Enter to win a Pillow Pets Nintendo DS game & a plush Pillow Pet via @WhitneyMWS http://bit.ly/aatNRf

3) “Like” Mommies with Style on Facebook (if you already do, comment to let me know!)

4) Subscribe to my feed or email newsletter and stay on top of all of my daily posts! If you already subscribe, please leave a separate comment letting me know that you are currently a subscriber (thank you!).

Filed Under: Coupons & Freebies, Electronics, Games, Giveaways, Play Time Tagged With: nintendo ds, pillow pets

For Girl’s Next Birthday Party: American Girl Party Supplies

November 7, 2011 By Whitney Leave a Comment

Even I, a Mom of two boys, know how special American Girl is to little girl’s around the world. Their dolls, the stories they tell and everything that goes along with the American Girl experience are the kinds of things that childhood memories are made of.

What I didn’t know was that American Girl also has a line for birthday parties – American Girl Party Supplies. Planning your daughter’s next birthday party? These American Girl branded party supplies are affordable and fun for little girls!

They have invites, plate ware and adorable little add-ons like these cupcake holders pictured on the right. These products are widely available at stores like Michael’s Crafts and online at Amazon.

Filed Under: Kids, Misc, Paper Products & More, Play Time Tagged With: american girl, crafts, party supplies

Kids Crafts Just Got Easy with KiwiCrate.com

November 5, 2011 By Whitney 3 Comments

Despite the fact that I’m not the craftiest of Moms, my kids love to do crafts. I’m always looking for cute, easy and cheap crafts options when I’m at Michael’s or AC Moore. And while I try and keep it affordable, I always seem to spend $30+ every time I walk into Michael’s or any other local craft store. Who’s with me?

Love this new craft option for kids with KiwiCrate.com. For $19.95 plus free shipping, you can get a shipment of two crafts for your kids. Each box comes complete with everything you need for your children for the craft – paper products, instructions, scissors and whatever else you may need. Each box is geared at kids ages 3-6 (although as you can see from the photos, my almost-8 year old was doing these with his 5-year-old brother and having a grand old time).

Our box contained spinning tops and paper to draw additional spinning tops which was neat. The kids had a blast making fun creations that looked totally different once they spun the tops:

Drawing the top for the spinner

End result - his design

What it looks like when it spins

Fun design from my almost-8 year old

After the tops, we worked on our framed stained glass creations. My boys LOVED this, it was really easy and clean up was a breeze!

All the materials spread out

Laying out the stained glass

Finished product - neat, huh?

Sign up for monthly shipments or for one box only as a gift at KiwiCrate.com. (Love this for a gift to send the grandkids from some grandparents!) Each month is different so you’ll never get a dup!

Filed Under: Kids, Play Time Tagged With: arts and crafts, kids crafts, kiwi crate, kiwicrate.com

Hot Holiday Pick: V-Tech InnoTab ($79)

November 3, 2011 By Whitney 1 Comment

While the iPad’s great, it’s expensive and can be a lot to handle for little hands. There’s where something like the V-Tech InnoTab comes in. This touchscreen handheld system is both educational and entertaining for preschoolers.

This multimedia tablet includes age-appropriate e-books that kids are sure to love. You can update and customize through your USB cable and the computer and you can buy cartridges for different games.

Age recommendation is 4-9 years old; the screen is 5-inches.

The V-Tech InnoTab is $79 with free shipping on Amazon.

Filed Under: Family Travel, On The Go, Play Time, Toys

Hot Holiday Toys: LeapPad by Leapfrog & Giveaway (Winner Announced)

October 26, 2011 By kate

AND THE WINNER IS….Congratulations to our lucky winner of the LeapFrog LeapPad giveaway – Marcia Campbell. Thanks to all who entered and check back soon on Mommies With Style for additional holiday products from LeapFrog! More giveaways of new LeapFrog products coming soon!

* CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED *

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I am thrilled to be working again with LeapFrog this holiday season to bring you some sneak peaks and great giveaways of LeapFrog’s latest releases. Today we’re starting with their hottest new item for the holidays: the LeapPad.

Just like you want an iPad, your kids are going to want to get their hands on a LeapPad. Even better, I have one to giveaway to one lucky MWS reader! Read on…

The LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet is the newest all-in-one device from LeapFrog. You can play games, draw pictures, read books, hear stories, watch videos and even take your own pictures or movies! My boys have been fans of the Tag Readers and the Leapster Explorer, but the new LeapPad offers the best variety of activities. Here are just a few of the reasons you’ll love the LeapPad.

Variety. Numbers, letters, shapes, words, adding, subtracting, comparing, problem-solving, time, coloring, drawing, measuring, logic, reasoning, patterns, charts, phonics, geography, foreign languages. What can’t you learn on the LeapPad? With a library of over 100 games, ebooks, apps, videos and flashcards, the LeapPad provides an endless supply of learning opportunities.

Durable. LeapFrog makes stuff for kids, and they know how kids treat things. Keep teaching your kids to be careful, but know that the LeapPad comes with a sturdy, yet sleek, outer shell, a scratch resistant screen and 2 stylus pens (though you can use your finger too).

Compatible. One of the big complaints about LeapFrog products in the past is that they kept coming out with great products! Well, that wasn’t the problem as much (Apple seems to have survived this flaw), but that the games you’d buy for one game couldn’t transfer to the new device LeapFrog was coming out with. They heard the complaints and adjusted, and the new LeapPad is compatible with all the Leapster Explorer games – and vice versa. Already own Leapster Explorer games? They’ll work on the new LeapPad. And if you buy games of the LeapPad, you can load them on your Explorer too.

Adaptable. My oldest boys are close enough in age that we have few toys that are clearly for one child or the other, but they are not at the same level academically. With the LeapPad (and many of the the LeapFrog products), you can create different log-ins for each child and set the games for each child’s level. So both my boys can help WALL-E sort trash or explore the ocean floor with Dory on the Pixar Pals game, but can answer questions and do activities set to their specific level.

Snap & Record. While previous LeapFrog products had cameras as an add-on device, the LeapPad comes with a camera and a video recorder built-in. These are fun just by themselves, but add in a few apps like Story Studio which allows you to create your own story and record it or Photo Studio where a simple photo can be stamped or drawn on to create unique final products and the fun is endless. Parents can even share their kid’s creations via Facebook or email.

Follow. I think a lot of parents may not utilize LeapFrog’s Learning Path software, but I highly recommend it. You download it onto your computer and then whenever you plug in your child’s LeapPad to update it, download new games, etc, it will track your child’s progress. Learning Path can show you which activities your child spends the most time on and which they never play, which kinds of questions they get right and which they struggle with, which skills they are learning and which they need work on. I love that while my son is enjoying playing games, reading books and doing activities on the LeapPad, I can get an individual look at different academic skills he’s developing or struggling with.

What’s in the box?

LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet (with 2GB Storage)

Built-in Camera & Video Recorder

Pet Writing App

Story Studio App*

Art Studio App*

Free App Download*

USB Cable

LeapFrog Connect CD & Quickstart Guide

Extra stylus with tether

2 App Center Download Cards (value of $40 total)

1-year limited warranty

*To download these apps you must install the LeapFrog Connect Application and complete registration.

LeapFrog also sent along two of their new games – Disney Pixar Pals and Pet Pals 2. Pixar Pals has games with the characters of WALL-E, Toy Story and Finding Nemo. My 5-year-old has been loving learning about recycling and the environment with WALL-E while my 3.5-year-old is more enamored with washing, feeding and caring for his pet dog on Pet Pals 2. He thinks he’s playing with a cute computerized puppy; I know he’s learning how to count, add and subtract.

The Less Than Great. I’ve always been impressed with LeapFrog’s products, but the LeapPad truly is my favorite to-date. The two things I’m less than thrilled about are the battery life and the price of the game cartridges. The LeapPad requires 4 AA batteries and it eats through them pretty fast. You can purchase a separate AC adapter if you know you’ll be using it at home a lot, but since we always bring these in the car on long trips, the battery life can become an issue. As for buying additional content, most of the apps you can download about $5-$10, but the game cartridges are $24.99. My kids aren’t into true video games yet, so maybe this is cheap in comparison, but this was higher than I was hoping for.

The LeapPad retails for $99 and you can buy it individually at places like Amazon, but I recommend buying one of the bundles through LeapFrog.com. You’re going to want additional games and activities and the LeapFrog’s Store offers a number of different money-saving bundles to suit your needs – Reading & Writing, Reading & Math, Ultimate Boys Bundle, and bundles with $40 in app downloads. Definitely worth it.

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WIN! Here’s your chance to win a brand new LeapFrog LeapPad of your very own along with Disney Pixar Pals, Pet Pals 2 and $20 in download credits. To enter, tell us in a comment below what feature you’re looking forward to the most on the LeapPad. You can earn one additional entry for each of the following – leave a comment below to let us know you did: (1) follow LeapFrog on Facebook or (2) Twitter, (3) tweet about the contest using the hashtag #LeapPad, (4) follow MWS on Facebook or (5) follow me on Twitter. Entries must be received by Saturday, November 5th, 11:59pm PST. One winner will be picked via random.org and notified via email. Sorry, no P.O. boxes. US residents only.

Filed Under: Electronics, Games, Giveaways, Movies & Music, Play Time, Toys Tagged With: electronics for kids, holiday gift, hot toys for 2011, LeapFrog, LeapPad, Toys