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I think children are active by nature but sometimes they can use a little direction. That’s where the LeapBand by LeapFrog comes in handy. This wearable activity tracker encourages active play by suggesting specific activities and reminds kids about healthy eating habits though interaction with personalized virtual pets. Kids can earn jewels for virtual rewards like items for their pets or unlocking additional games, challenges and levels of play.
With activities like “Walk like a crab” and “Pop like Popcorn” kids can get their sillies out without any required equipment. Giggling is exercise, right? The activities are so cute! I’ve enjoyed watching my daughter play and it’s great when her brother and sister are at school because it gives her something to do on her own. There doesn’t seem to be a volume control and while the volume is at a normal level, sometimes I wish it were a bit quieter. There is a silent mode however. Just hold down the left arrow button for 5 seconds.
I took a short video of Parker playing with the LeapBand when she first got it. The first activity is “ice skating”. This will give you an idea of what she thinks of it!
The LeapBand activity tracker comes with eight different customizable pets from LeapFrog’s popular Pet Pals franchise – a cat, dog, dragon, monkey, panda, penguin, robot and unicorn –which can be customized by color and name. With their virtual pal, children can play 10 preloaded activities and challenges with access to 40 additional free challenges. As they earn points, kids can unlock the additional eight pets and earn virtual toys for them with mini‐games including Pet Boogie, Pet Chef and Pet Salon.
This device is worn like a watch and has 4 buttons and a high resolution color screen. My daughter who just turned 4 didn’t have any problem at all picking up how to use it immediately. She can find out what time it is, check the battery meter, play with her virtual pets or do a challenge all on her own. The LeapBand is available in blue, green or pink and retails for around $40. For us, the battery life lasts a full day but has needed to be charged each night as she’s playing with it a lot (and her brother and sister have been checking it out too). Typically, the battery should last 3-4 days though. The only way to charge it is by plugging it with the USB cable. It would be nice if it came with an A/C Charger as well but I just charge it on my laptop and it works out fine for us.
The LeapBand is durable and water resistant which are both important for active children. The screen won’t shatter if it does happen to break though. LeapFrog did a good job with the design. The watch band is adjustable and fits comfortably on my daughter’s arm.
The features of the LeapBand are well thought out. Parents can set the device for School Time, Night Time and Quiet Time so that it can’t be played with during those set blocks of times. Activity points are still tracked and the time feature will still function but children won’t be able to access any of the other activities.
The LeapBand is really fun and engaging for my daughter. In fact, the first week she used it she told everyone she came into contact with all about it. Checkers at the grocery store, parents in the hallway at school, her soccer coach…. I think it’s safe to say she really enjoys the LeapBand. I would definitely recommended it to other parents! It was designed for ages 4-7 and while my 7 year old was interested in it, I think it’s more suited to the 4-5 and maybe 6 age range, depending on the child.
Overall, I think the LeapFrog LeapBand is a really good value and would make an excellent holiday gift. You can find out more about the LeapBand at www.leapfrog.com.