I have a slightly different prize up for grabs this week. It’s not wooden, it’s not sustainable, it doesn’t really scream ‘natural’, but it’s a fab little gadget, and one we absolutely love. It’s called the Leapfrog Tag Junior Reading System.
As Ameli faces down the barrel of two years old, she’s developed an amazing interest in books, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a tinge of pride when she climbed the stairs and counted them as she went… one, two, three, four, five, six, eight, seven, nine, TEN. Or at least, that’s how it usually goes. We’ve never sat trying to teach her letters or numbers, but I’m certain that the stories we’ve been reading since she was just a few months old have had a part to play.
Now, with number two on the way, I’m aware that I might not always have the time that I’ve had thus far to devote to her, so we thought we’d try this Tag Junior Reading System.
The Tag Junior is a base handset onto which you can pre-load a set of Tag Junior books – there are 28 books and games – and the Tag Junior will ‘read’ the stories, add sound effect, and add extra little bits and pieces to the story along the way.
In order to load the books, you set up an account, buy and download the books and you’re off. You personalise the Tag with your child’s name, so it greets them personally when you switch on and off. On the downside, when you accidentally put the wrong name in, it seems almost impossible to change it without resetting the entire thing, but that’s easily remedied by not putting the wrong name in in the first place!
The great thing about the Tag Reading System is that it doesn’t have to be a parent replacement system. You can sit together and ‘read’ together with the reader. We let it ‘read’ the story, then I might ask questions, or ask Ameli to point it to different things and so we play together. The books follow different themes, for example the Disney Pixar Cars book, based on the first movie, deals with shapes and uses road signs to introduce things such as circles, squares and triangles. It uses kites to introduce diamonds and even signs for stars.
There’s definitely been an educational element to it, as on our road trip at the moment, Ameli points out all the triangles (yield signs, for example) and circles (like speed notifiers) along the way.
The books also ask some questions, like on the last page there’s a circle, and they tell you to find another circle somewhere else in the book. We have a lot of the books now, like Dora the Explorer who counts through the book, and a musical instruments one too and we’ve also got Winnie the Pooh lined up waiting for Ameli’s birthday. (It’s worth mentioning too that we don’t actually watch most of the programs associated with the books, like Dora the Explorer, but that doesn’t detract from their usefulness. Children don’t have to know the characters in order to benefit from or enjoy the stories.)
Leapfrog also offer an online ‘learning path’ that parents can keep track of to see how their child is developing, but that’s more useful when they can use the whole system on their own, which Ameli can’t yet.
The only real negative I have found with this systems is that Leapfrog don’t recommend reusable batteries, which are a bit of a landfill problem and something I am not keen on, so our way around that is to use reusable batteries until they no longer work, then move them into a toy which requires less battery power, and drains them in a week or two before we recharge them.
Leapfrog have offered one Diary of a First Child reader the chance to win a Tag Reader. To be in with a chance to win this system, head over to the Leapfrog website, have a look at the books on offer, then come back here and let me know your favourite story.
Competition ends at 23:59 on 29 August, and the winner will be selected randomly using Random.org
You can follow Leapfrog (and Diary of a First Child) on Facebook. If you do, be sure to let them (Leapfrog) know I sent you, and leave a comment below to tell me you have.
AND the winner is katherine grieve
Toy Story
For my little girl it would have to be………
Disney Princesses
Dr Seuss Mr Brown Can Moo
Disney Winnie the Pooh
My favourite is Winnie The Pooh; brings back such lovely memories for me and my daughter loves it too
My son is Thomas the Tank Engine mad.
Toy Story 3 for me-My son is obsessed with Buzz Lightyear
Disney Cars 2
LeapFrog Tag Junior Book Pal (Pink) woooould love this one please
like both from tubbyjpin
thomas the tank engine
Its got to be toy story 3 for me (well my son) cant beat leap frog for learning toys they are fab
Winnie the Pooh
I aready like you, and have now liked Leapfrog on Facebook. I have commented to say you sent me.
Disney Pixar Toy Story 3. My boys love it (and so do I)
Disney Winnie the Pooh is my favourite!
Tag Junior Book Winnie the Pooh Piglet saves the day
It would have to be Disney Princesses – my daughter is princess mad!!
definately curious george
toy story 3 is my fav
Tag Junior Book – Disney Princesses
Perfect choice for my little princesses!!!
Definitely has to be Toy Story 3!! All my kids are Toy Story mad, the boys room is all Toy Story. I can’t think of a better way to get them to learn than with Toy Story 🙂
Has to be Toy Story 3, my daughter is buzz lightyear mad 🙂
Dr Seuss, Mr Brown Can Moo
Curious George as I love it just as much as my grandsom does.
Disney-Winnie The Pooh
Following Leapfrog and Diary of a First Child on Facebook 😉
Tag Junior Book – Disney Pixar Toy Story 3
WINNIE THE POOH FOR MY GRANDAUGHTER
LeapFrog Tag Junior Dora The Explorer Book as would keep for 3 year old daughter happy for hours as she loves Dora
Leapfrog Junior Dora The Explorer Book
LeapFrog Junior Tag Dora The Explorer Book
I love the Sesame Street Monster Faces book
I like both you and leapfrog on FB
Dora The Explorer
My favourite is Dr Seuss, Mr Brown Can Moo because every child should experience Dr Seuss!
Winnie the Pooh
Tag Junior Book – Disney Pixar Cars – just has to be this one, we went to see the new film Car 2 last week as a treat and the whole family enjoyed it. This book would be welcomed with open arms in our petrol head house.
I love the Disney Winnie the Pooh book – classic story and I’d love it for my little one x
Cars
LeapFrog Tag Junior Dora The Explorer Book
@katherine grieve, Congratulations (belatedly!) on winning the Leapfrog Tag Junior!
My daughter is a massive winnie the pooh fan so she would love that book
Winnie the Pooh
Mine has to be Sesame Street, I remember watching that when I was younger!!
LeapFrog Tag Junior Book Pal (Green) my favorite
My favourite would be Thomas The Tank Engine
Winnie the Pooh
Toy Sory 3
toy story 3
My little boy is a huge curious George fan so it would have to be that one.
Disney Princesses – I would look forward to reading that and figuring out how to become a princess – let alone a little one!
It would have to be toy story 3!
Cars 2 Junior Book for sure, would keep my son quiet for hours 🙂
I like both you and leapfrog on FB
Toy story 3 for sure! even i would enjoy reading that! 😉
Disney Winnie the Pooh
Tag Junior Book – Eric Carle, Panda Bear
My favourite is Tag Junior Book – Eric Carle, Panda Bear…such a lovely book.
Disney princess
Dr Seuss, Mr Brown Can Moo
Dora the Exporer
Dr Seuss, Mr Brown Can Moo
Disney Princesses for me – both mine and my daughters fave!
LeapFrog Tag Junior Dora The Explorer Book
Tag Junior Book – Dr Seuss, Mr Brown Can Moo
Disney Pixar Toy Story 3
My little boy is 15 months old and already has a love for Thomas so i would have to say the Tag Junior Book – Thomas The Tank Engine
Sesame Street Monster Faces
The Eric Carle Panda Bear book
toy story – my little chap is obsessed with anything ts
Winnie the Pooh
Toy Story
Toy Story
Cat in the Hat 🙂 xx
Thomas the tank engine i use to read them to my son now i’m reading them to my grandchildren
Toy Story 3 – no question
It’s got to be Winnie the Pooh, a favourite in our household!
My kids love Dr Seuss, so we’d love the Tag Junior Book – Dr Seuss, Mr Brown Can Moo. We love to laugh at the silly words and laugh at me trying to read it all!
curious George – both my children love this story and relate to all of George’s moods 🙂
LeapFrog Tag Junior Book – Disney Pixar Cars Thanks
would be Thomas the tank engine as is a story i would love to read with my young boys, both myself and younger brother grew up with Thomas books so im pleased hes still going strong so that my boys can enjoy him too
Would be Toy Story in our house, with 3 boys all aged 6 and under would get a lot of years worth of use as they all grew 🙂 xx
Curious George
My favourite story has got to be curious George…reminds me of childhood. 🙂
My favourite is the sesame street one! loved it when i was a child and so do my boys 🙂
Tag Junior Book – The Backyardigans
My grandson is sitting here with me now pointing to Tag Junior Book – Disney Pixar Cars (he’s car mad at the moment, sounds like most boys/men never change as far as cars are concerened) I think these tag books are great what a wonderful revolutionary way to learn!
eapFrog Tag Junior Book Pal (Pink)
love the speaker!
LeapFrog Tag Junior Animal Orchestra Alphabet Book 🙂
Disney Princesses
Sesame Street Monster Faces looks fab!!
Thomas The Tank Engine 🙂
Toy Story 3
I would say BACKYARDIGANS is a great wee story and its suitable for both boys and girls, Its a story that the children would get really involved with and love to read over and over again x
My Son Cooper is car mad so has to be the Tag Junior Book – Disney Pixar Cars Broom Broom
Curious George
My girls would love Toy story 3
Got to be Beauty and the Beast, it’s a classic 🙂
Toy Story 3
We love Dr Seuss, Mr Brown Can Moo
Dr Seuss 🙂
Disney Winnie the Pooh
My favourite story would probably be the Winnie the Pooh one!
Loving the Sesame Street Monster Faces
my grandaughter loves dr-seuss mr brown can do
Tag Junior Book – Disney Princesses, well it’s my daughter’s favourite anyway!
Toy story 3. Big favorite in our household. <3
DISNEY PIXAR CARS! :o)
TOYSTORY 3 FOR ME ITS GREAT
Thomas the tank engine, its been a family favourite too!
due to spending time in spain i have to say Dora
Favourite Tag Junior Book – Disney Princesses
Thomas the tank engine 🙂
Dr Seuss, Mr Brown Can Moo is my favourite.
Tag Junior Book – Sesame Street Monster Faces.
I love Sesame Street!
Dr Seuss, Mr Brown Can Moo
The Backyardigans, my son loves them
We love all the Dr Seuss books and Mr Brown Can Moo is a particular favourite.
Dora The Explorer
My favourite is Thomas The Tank Engine
My favourite book is Panda Bear by Eric Carle, love his other books too.
My favourite is Curious George!
Toy Story 3 here too, my lo is obsessed with it at the moment!
would have to be the Toy Story 3 book. My little girl just loves that film.
My favourite is Disney Princesses 🙂 xx
favorite book – whinne the pooh
my favourite story is the disney princesses one – my daughter would be in 7th heaven 🙂
Tag Junior Book – Disney Pixar Toy Story 3
I just adore leapfrog my eldest had one when she was younger so would luv to win 1 for my son.My fav is Thomas Tank engine 🙂 x
My Favourite is Disney Pixar Cars
Thomas the Tank Engine for my beautiful boys
My grandson is a huge fan of Toy story so my favourite book would have to be Disney Pixar Toy Story 3
Would have to be Toy Story 3-all the Toy Story films have been great
LeapFrog Tag Junior Animal Orchestra Alphabet Book
I’ve liked both your page and leapfrog on facebook, and tagged you in a post to Leapfrom to let then know that you sent me =)
My favourite book is Panda Bear by Eric Carle, I can just see my little boy’s face light up when he saw this =)
My favourite book is Winnie The Pooh – Piglet Saves the Day. My little girl would love it!
Eric Carle, Panda bear
My favourite is LeapFrog Tag Junior Animal Orchestra Alphabet Book
Thank you x
Has to be Thomas the Tank Engine as my poor 11month old only seems to have his 2yr old sisters book to read at the moment! about time he had some ‘boys’ stuff!
Has to be the Spiderman one!!
disney princesses
Curious George looks good.
Has to be Panda Bear by Eric Carle. He’s such a great children’s author
Thanks for the giveaway. I like the ‘Disney Winnie the Pooh’ book xxx
For me and my Grandson Lightening Mcqueen steals the scene!!! so “CarsRus” sorry cars for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
there’s so many to choose from, arhhh ok, I’m going with Toy story 3 as my favourite!x
I love the Dora or Winnie the pooh one.
I really love Disney Winnie the Pooh. Thanks
Best book has to be Thomas the Tank Engine…..I love that little blue train.
My favourite is Sesame Street Monster Faces 🙂
xx
Mine and my twins favourite is Winnie the Pooh
like you fb page already and now liking leapfrog and have told them you sent me 😀
I’m a fan of yours and Leapfrog’s fb pages and have let them know you sent me 🙂 (@kate_strickland)
I like the look of the Eric Carle, Panda Bear book. (Twitter @kate_strickland)
My favourite story is Disney Pixar Cars
Panda bear!
Favourite book has to be ‘Thomas The Tank Engine’
@littleboo_21