LeapPad/LeapFrog thoughts wanted

P. Tierney wrote:
I've not avoided them to the same degree that I've avoided, for
example, violent toys. But I've tried to minimize them and have not
had a ton of success. Others?


Since I have no clue what LeapPad is, I skipped the thread, until
I noticed this interesting discussion inside. Before I became a parent,
my opinion on electronic toys was that they are all a bunch of noisy
and useless gadgets, not in the least educational.

Although I have changed it somewhat to the positive, as I have found
that some electronic toys can be fun and educational, I still find
many of them way too noisy. Except for the blinking lights on some,
DS does not show an increased interest in them either. He does however
very much like to play with the everyday things we use, like empty
bottles, cookie jars, plastic cups, etc. Although spoons, pots and pans
can also be very noisy :-\ I find it better to stand.

So far we have managed to avoid electronic toys, even as gifts. Friends
and family either know or share our opinion and try to find alternatives.

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

"Astromum" wrote:

Although I have changed it somewhat to the positive, as I have found
that some electronic toys can be fun and educational, I still find
many of them way too noisy.

And it's fairly uncommon for them to have any sort of volume
control. 20%, I'd guess.


P. Tierney

P. Tierney wrote:
"Astromum" wrote:

Although I have changed it somewhat to the positive, as I have found
that some electronic toys can be fun and educational, I still find
many of them way too noisy.


And it's fairly uncommon for them to have any sort of volume
control. 20%, I'd guess.


And if they do, it is a switch that lets you choose
between very loud and extremely loud...

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

I don't get too worked up over the electronic toy thing. The girls had one
or two electronic things when they were toddlers. One electronic thing was
really cool, it had the ABC's and numbers and spoke the sounds of the
letters. I don't usually buy any electronic toys and it seems that my family
doesn't buy them either, so we haven't had too much trouble with it. Some
toys have batteries and some we have taken them out if it becomes to
annoying. Honestly though, I just buy toys that are cool and what I think
they would have liked when they were smaller. I didn't worry that it wasn't
educational or whatever. Everything that goes on in a babies life is
educational.
--
Sue
mom to three girls

P. Tierney wrote in message
news:OmgPa.23122$OZ2.4100@rwcrnsc54...
"Nan" wrote:

Fwiw, I do tend to agree that not all toys need to be electronic, nor
do they need to be touted as "educational", for that matter. And I
tend to avoid electronic toys like the plague, in favor of the more
traditional type.

How successful are you (or anyone else?) at doing this? I've tried to
do the same, but I still have two leapfrog products (gifts), a keyboard
(which I like), sit and spin (which I asked for and received as a gift,
but
had no idea that it lights up and plays music), and a fair number of
other little gadgets, mostly as gifts. And at my in-law's, *everything*
makes tons of noise, all from toys that they bought at garage sales
and the like.

I've not avoided them to the same degree that I've avoided, for
example, violent toys. But I've tried to minimize them and have not
had a ton of success. Others?

(And I've not decided on the LeapThing yet, btw. I'm still hoping to
read some more messages, and perhaps look at the books, as someone
here suggested.)



P.
Tierney

Astromum wrote:
P. Tierney wrote:
"Astromum" wrote:

Although I have changed it somewhat to the positive, as I have found
that some electronic toys can be fun and educational, I still find
many of them way too noisy.


And it's fairly uncommon for them to have any sort of volume
control. 20%, I'd guess.


And if they do, it is a switch that lets you choose
between very loud and extremely loud...

Lol, that's funny. Once, there was a little red fire truck, that he saw at
a yard sale, the lady gave it to him. It had flashing lights, bells and
whistles (I knew why they were getting rid of it A couple days later our
very gentle Belgian Tervuren begins holwing at 3:00 a.m. I could hear
sirens and bells, from what seemed far away. It didn't go away, so I went
out to see, and have a talk with the dog. Anyway, it had rained during the
night, and the new truck had been left out in the sandbox. The rain must
have caused the switch to activate, and it wouldn't shut off and the dog
wouldn't either. So I brought it into kitchen, this woke everyone else up.
I tried to remove the batteries, but there was a set screw down the deepest
and most narrow hole possibly imaginable. There was not a tool in all the
house that would fit down that hole. I ended up taking it down to rec. room
and covering it up with everything I could find. My wife was bit perturbed
and son thought it was hilarious, but the dog was quiet again. We went back
to bed, but I could still hear it, or at least imagined I could. The next
day I made a special trip to store to buy some really narrow long
screwdrivers. The batteries by then were wore down, but I removed them
anyway to prevent corrosion. At least something good did come of this, a
few days later he was playing with the new truck in his sandbox,
improvising and making his own siren like noises. It didn't bother dog at
all. Has this ever happened to anyone else, having water problems with toys
or a hard time removing or replacing batteries?
Dennis

wrote in
:

ospam (AGreen1209) wrote:
Our son (3 years old) got a LeapPad for Christmas. He has yet to
even use it, if ever. I have heard some children like it when they
start learning to read, but it isn't anything I would have bought
him. I'm not really sold on all these electronic "educational" toys,
anyway. I think toys that require imagination are more educational
than those electronic gadgets.

Amanda

Hi Amanda,
I think three may be a bit young for Leap Pad. Of course you
two could use it together, to help with basic phonics and word
association and variety together time. Or consider removing the
batteries and putting it in storage awhile.

it depends on the kid. my son has had a Leap Pad since he was 2.25 & we
bought it because every time we were in a store that had one since he was
a year old, he'd gravitate to it & spend 15 minutes playing with it. most
of his books are level one since the pre-k ones don't appeal to him as
much. it's good to amuse him while i'm cooking dinner or when we go on
long car trips (i admit i have an extremely high tolerance for 'noise'.
i'd really rather hear him playing the Thomas the tank engine Leap Pad
book over & over than hear hours of "let me out! let me out!", since he
hates his carseat). it gets played with in fits & starts at home. i don't
expect it to really *be* "educational" either. it's just another toy he
likes, just one that can grow along with him for a bit. and just like any
other toy, your kid's mileage may vary.
in general, i find Boo prefers toys that allow him to play out what we
do around the farm... we have more 1:64 scale tractors & implements
underfoot... plus i have to explain what he's talking about to his speech
therapist, since she can't tell how his pronunciation is going when she
doesn't know the words he uses. it's kind of funny.
for those who dislike electronic toys, try finding a teacher's supply
store or
http://www.hearthsong.com/
has lots of great stuff. i also like Rosie Hippo and Magic Cabin Dolls.
http://www.rosiehippo.com/home.asp
http://www.magiccabindolls.com/


lee wooden toys are durable!
--
It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate
between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital
connection between them. -Leo Buscaglia, author (1924-1998)

"P. Tierney" wrote in news:wbDPa.34416
$GL4.8687@rwcrnsc53:


"Astromum" wrote:

Although I have changed it somewhat to the positive, as I have found
that some electronic toys can be fun and educational, I still find
many of them way too noisy.

And it's fairly uncommon for them to have any sort of volume
control. 20%, I'd guess.

lee's hint for the day: tape! place tape over the speaker to lower the
volume on electronic toys. any type of tape will do, i use regular Scotch
tape. more layers = lower volume. you may have to open some toys to get
at the speaker though.

lee the Boo *hates* loud anything
--
It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate
between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital
connection between them. -Leo Buscaglia, author (1924-1998)