|
Browse categories
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 Product Description
Brand New & Factory Sealed TOP SELLER FOR XMAS 2007. POSTAGE VIA SPECIAL DELIVERY. Limited stock...GRAB YOURS QUICK!!!
Customer Reviews
Best birthday present ever!, 25 Nov 2008
We bought this for my 4 year old for his birthday and it really is the best thing ever as far as he's concerned.
The pictures aren't great quality but I bought this with the full knowledge that it was a toy, that it is intended for quite young children and that it's main purpose is to be robust. So far it has lived up to expectations.
My son took 200+ photos on the first morning. Most of them are blurred snaps, but then he's 4, not David Bailey. However, he did manage to take a fantastic photo of his 1 year old sister.
If you recognise this toy's limitations then it's a great present. If you're expecting top quality pictures then buy a normal, high res digital camera and not a toy.
My son loves this camera.....make sure you get the latest version though!!, 10 Nov 2008
We bought this camera for my 3 year old son this time last year after showing an avid interest in using my own Digital SLR's! As has been pointed out in previous reviews, image resolution is low and shots with flash are often burnt out. However, even with that, my son loved the camera showing great pride in taking pictures and immediately showing the person the picture displayed on the monitor (no matter how good or bad it was!). Always with a grin and enjoying it immensely - which is what it's all about IMO. Sure, the twin viewfinder suffers from parallax error at close distances but my son soon learned to frame using the rear monitor. We never bothered trying to print any images as I know there's little point with the 640x480 resolution and anyhow, at his age, my sons more interested in taking pictures than printing them.
As for build quality, the camera appeared very good with a robust casing covering what is obviously a low quality digital camera. I have to say 'appeared' as I noticed around a month ago that the camera often wouldn't power up despite new sets of batteries. My son was somewhat upset at this so I checked the Vtech website and dropped them a short email (having no original receipt etc). To my surprise they apologised and stright away sent me a returns form by first class post. Three days after returning the form we received by courier a brand new camera! Thank you Vtech.
What I noticed straight away is that the image quality, particularly with flash, is improved immensely. The packaging states 'improved sensor quality' & instructions mention improvements with the latest versions - I would say that's correct. Close up shots with flash no longer burn out every time - which is what the majority of shots on this camera are going to be after all. Image quality on the small monitor also looks somewhat better than the old version & the delay between pressing the shutter and the picture being taken, though not immediate, is again improved. Incidentally, the instructions mention that the 'photo editor' includes an interpolation feature to enlarge files up to 2mB in order to print 'high quality' images. Of course, interpolation isn't going to get you sharp prints but it gives you an option if you want to try and get something half decent.
So, if you are looking for a fun camera for your kids and aren't going to lose sleep over image quality or a few shortcomings, I don't believe that you can go wrong with one of these (just try and make sure that you get the latest version). Buy a cheap SD card and let them shoot to their hearts content! If your kids are older and more camera aware then look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a fun introduction to photography & I have to say kudos to Vtech for being so proactive in offering a replacement.
£50 well spent, 07 Nov 2008
I bought this camera for my daughter's 3rd birthday and I have to say it is fantastic, so much so that my 6 year old is now desperately jealous and has written to father christmas to ask for one. If I had read some of the reviews on here before buying I would probably not have bought it, luckily I didn't bother to. Yes sure, the quality is not perfect but it is tough, easy to use and produces reasonable results in the hands of a 3yr and 6yr old. They love the extra frames and added stamps which mean you can put granny in a pirates hat or transport your barbie to a snowy scene. They haven't explored the games yet but I did when they went to bed and particularly liked the one which makes a puzzle using their own photos. I think that if you have an unusually steady handed and very careful child then sure, buy them a real camera but if you have real kids, then buy this. I speak as someone whose 6yr old (who is a quite normal, fairly careful girl) has now had 3 grown up cameras ranging in price from £20 to £40 each and has broken everyone of them by one drop onto a hard surface. We shall be instructing father christmas to get us another one please!
My son loves this camera!, 15 Sep 2008
I read the reviews on this camera before buying it and decided that durability and ease of use were more important than picture quality - not least because it was to be a present for my 4yr old, but his 2yr old little brother was bound to use it, so it had to be tough enough to cope with a toddler. We opened and experimented with it before giving it to our son, so we knew how to get decent images (Hold it still, make sure there's plenty of light - natural if possible - and don't get too close), and could coach him.
My son is utterly delighted with it. Both boys have taken decent pictures with it, and my 4yr old was familiar with the main functions within minutes. he can snap away with it and has produced a lovely record of his typical day, and what interests him. He's never had a computer console, so he's just as pleased with the (very basic) games as with the camera.
It is only really camera phone quality, and you get the best results with natural light, but I remember my first camera being much more fiddly to use and giving poorer results. My son is more interested in taking photos and knowing he has them than actually reviewing them so he has yet to notice that I delete the less successful ones!
My only gripe is the batteries. We are using duracell and getting a decent battery life from them, but rechargeable ones would be so much easier (and cheaper) to use. The memory cards are pretty cheap, so it's worth getting one to avoid losing photos when the batteries go.
I wouldn't get one of these for an older child who could be trusted to look after a proper camera, but for a pre-schooler (especially one with younger siblings), it is just the job.
Kidizoom, 11 Sep 2008
I find the kidizoom camera to be a great toy for the children to play with. The features on it are great fun and give the whole family a laugh. It has been dropped many times by my 4 yr old and has proved to be very durable. My two children love taking it everywhere with them, and we get some great photos which the kids have taken, some very interesting, and we all love taking the time as a family to look at them either on the TV or computer. For the price of the camera i believe the quality to be perfectly fine, considering that it is only a child's toy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product Description
Learn how to draw, write and create with more than 100 interactive lessons and all the creative tools you need masterpiece!
Customer Reviews
Best birthday present ever!, 25 Nov 2008
We bought this for my 4 year old for his birthday and it really is the best thing ever as far as he's concerned.
The pictures aren't great quality but I bought this with the full knowledge that it was a toy, that it is intended for quite young children and that it's main purpose is to be robust. So far it has lived up to expectations.
My son took 200+ photos on the first morning. Most of them are blurred snaps, but then he's 4, not David Bailey. However, he did manage to take a fantastic photo of his 1 year old sister.
If you recognise this toy's limitations then it's a great present. If you're expecting top quality pictures then buy a normal, high res digital camera and not a toy.
My son loves this camera.....make sure you get the latest version though!!, 10 Nov 2008
We bought this camera for my 3 year old son this time last year after showing an avid interest in using my own Digital SLR's! As has been pointed out in previous reviews, image resolution is low and shots with flash are often burnt out. However, even with that, my son loved the camera showing great pride in taking pictures and immediately showing the person the picture displayed on the monitor (no matter how good or bad it was!). Always with a grin and enjoying it immensely - which is what it's all about IMO. Sure, the twin viewfinder suffers from parallax error at close distances but my son soon learned to frame using the rear monitor. We never bothered trying to print any images as I know there's little point with the 640x480 resolution and anyhow, at his age, my sons more interested in taking pictures than printing them.
As for build quality, the camera appeared very good with a robust casing covering what is obviously a low quality digital camera. I have to say 'appeared' as I noticed around a month ago that the camera often wouldn't power up despite new sets of batteries. My son was somewhat upset at this so I checked the Vtech website and dropped them a short email (having no original receipt etc). To my surprise they apologised and stright away sent me a returns form by first class post. Three days after returning the form we received by courier a brand new camera! Thank you Vtech.
What I noticed straight away is that the image quality, particularly with flash, is improved immensely. The packaging states 'improved sensor quality' & instructions mention improvements with the latest versions - I would say that's correct. Close up shots with flash no longer burn out every time - which is what the majority of shots on this camera are going to be after all. Image quality on the small monitor also looks somewhat better than the old version & the delay between pressing the shutter and the picture being taken, though not immediate, is again improved. Incidentally, the instructions mention that the 'photo editor' includes an interpolation feature to enlarge files up to 2mB in order to print 'high quality' images. Of course, interpolation isn't going to get you sharp prints but it gives you an option if you want to try and get something half decent.
So, if you are looking for a fun camera for your kids and aren't going to lose sleep over image quality or a few shortcomings, I don't believe that you can go wrong with one of these (just try and make sure that you get the latest version). Buy a cheap SD card and let them shoot to their hearts content! If your kids are older and more camera aware then look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a fun introduction to photography & I have to say kudos to Vtech for being so proactive in offering a replacement.
£50 well spent, 07 Nov 2008
I bought this camera for my daughter's 3rd birthday and I have to say it is fantastic, so much so that my 6 year old is now desperately jealous and has written to father christmas to ask for one. If I had read some of the reviews on here before buying I would probably not have bought it, luckily I didn't bother to. Yes sure, the quality is not perfect but it is tough, easy to use and produces reasonable results in the hands of a 3yr and 6yr old. They love the extra frames and added stamps which mean you can put granny in a pirates hat or transport your barbie to a snowy scene. They haven't explored the games yet but I did when they went to bed and particularly liked the one which makes a puzzle using their own photos. I think that if you have an unusually steady handed and very careful child then sure, buy them a real camera but if you have real kids, then buy this. I speak as someone whose 6yr old (who is a quite normal, fairly careful girl) has now had 3 grown up cameras ranging in price from £20 to £40 each and has broken everyone of them by one drop onto a hard surface. We shall be instructing father christmas to get us another one please!
My son loves this camera!, 15 Sep 2008
I read the reviews on this camera before buying it and decided that durability and ease of use were more important than picture quality - not least because it was to be a present for my 4yr old, but his 2yr old little brother was bound to use it, so it had to be tough enough to cope with a toddler. We opened and experimented with it before giving it to our son, so we knew how to get decent images (Hold it still, make sure there's plenty of light - natural if possible - and don't get too close), and could coach him.
My son is utterly delighted with it. Both boys have taken decent pictures with it, and my 4yr old was familiar with the main functions within minutes. he can snap away with it and has produced a lovely record of his typical day, and what interests him. He's never had a computer console, so he's just as pleased with the (very basic) games as with the camera.
It is only really camera phone quality, and you get the best results with natural light, but I remember my first camera being much more fiddly to use and giving poorer results. My son is more interested in taking photos and knowing he has them than actually reviewing them so he has yet to notice that I delete the less successful ones!
My only gripe is the batteries. We are using duracell and getting a decent battery life from them, but rechargeable ones would be so much easier (and cheaper) to use. The memory cards are pretty cheap, so it's worth getting one to avoid losing photos when the batteries go.
I wouldn't get one of these for an older child who could be trusted to look after a proper camera, but for a pre-schooler (especially one with younger siblings), it is just the job.
Kidizoom, 11 Sep 2008
I find the kidizoom camera to be a great toy for the children to play with. The features on it are great fun and give the whole family a laugh. It has been dropped many times by my 4 yr old and has proved to be very durable. My two children love taking it everywhere with them, and we get some great photos which the kids have taken, some very interesting, and we all love taking the time as a family to look at them either on the TV or computer. For the price of the camera i believe the quality to be perfectly fine, considering that it is only a child's toy.
So good I had to buy 2, 13 Aug 2008
I originally bought this for one of my twin sons and they fought over it so much that I had to buy another. They both love it and there are no more fights.
This is a must for all Leapster owners!, 19 Feb 2008
My 5 year old son received this game for Christmas and still thoroughly enjoys playing on it. He doesn't realise that he's "learning"! He particularly enjoys tracing the shapes and then making the lines disappear to see how well he has done. There are easy-hard mazes to follow with the pen and pictures to colour. All in all a really great and educational game for both boys and girls who like to draw, colour or write!
great software, 08 Nov 2005
My 5 year old daughter loves the Draw & Learn software for Leapster, especially the colour-in feature. It is really useful for long car journeys (can be seen in the dark & no lost pencils)! There are various activities that promote pencil control (e.g. a maze game) and letter formation is also covered (good for younger users). Very happy with it!
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Product Description
Children and parents will be amazed at what this interactive, talking globe can do. Touch the globe with the NearTouchTM pen and listen to what it tells you. The world's most intelligent talking globe. Learning about geography is magic! Touch the Globe and learn amazing facts. Instant pinpoint global identification of countries, continents, oceans and more! Provides distance and flying times between two points.Accurate information on population, currency, music, time of day and more!Includes challenging learning games that everyone in the family can play.Progressively helpful hints that lead to the correct answer. 8 Years +As learning aids go, they don't get much better than the Explorer Globe from LeapFrog. Touch the globe with the electronic pen included and it will spring to life, naming the country or ocean you've touched and giving you one or more of a number of facts--ocean depth (in feet and metres), country capital, population, land area, continent, even music (a rather eclectic mix!). Touch it again, and you'll get another nugget of information. You can choose which information you want on precisely which area of the globe, from: name, capital, population, area, high point, money, music and continents/countries/states. The globe will also compare one place with another and tell you the distance in miles between them, if you touch two points in succession. But the real potential of the globe lies in its game, "Eureka: a Game of Discovery". Touch the Eureka button, then choose from continents, countries, country capitals, states, state capitals or a free-for-all random round. Set the game going and you must find the points that the globe instructs you to find. You are running against the clock and the instructions and accompanying music become increasingly quicker as you progress. The multi-player option means healthy competition can be introduced and as you progress, you can choose between "tourist", "frequent flyer" and "globetrotter" levels, which become increasingly difficult. The voice recording on the globe has an American accent but diction is clear and precise and in no way does this detract from the final product. This is a fast, furious and fun way to learn geography, (physical, human, political and economic as well as musical!) and though aimed at children, adults may be surprised at how healthy it is to do a little revision now and again. As well as being an effective learning aid, the globe can be a fun, family game. Simply superb and suitable for children aged 7 to 77! --Lucie Naylor
Customer Reviews
Best birthday present ever!, 25 Nov 2008
We bought this for my 4 year old for his birthday and it really is the best thing ever as far as he's concerned.
The pictures aren't great quality but I bought this with the full knowledge that it was a toy, that it is intended for quite young children and that it's main purpose is to be robust. So far it has lived up to expectations.
My son took 200+ photos on the first morning. Most of them are blurred snaps, but then he's 4, not David Bailey. However, he did manage to take a fantastic photo of his 1 year old sister.
If you recognise this toy's limitations then it's a great present. If you're expecting top quality pictures then buy a normal, high res digital camera and not a toy.
My son loves this camera.....make sure you get the latest version though!!, 10 Nov 2008
We bought this camera for my 3 year old son this time last year after showing an avid interest in using my own Digital SLR's! As has been pointed out in previous reviews, image resolution is low and shots with flash are often burnt out. However, even with that, my son loved the camera showing great pride in taking pictures and immediately showing the person the picture displayed on the monitor (no matter how good or bad it was!). Always with a grin and enjoying it immensely - which is what it's all about IMO. Sure, the twin viewfinder suffers from parallax error at close distances but my son soon learned to frame using the rear monitor. We never bothered trying to print any images as I know there's little point with the 640x480 resolution and anyhow, at his age, my sons more interested in taking pictures than printing them.
As for build quality, the camera appeared very good with a robust casing covering what is obviously a low quality digital camera. I have to say 'appeared' as I noticed around a month ago that the camera often wouldn't power up despite new sets of batteries. My son was somewhat upset at this so I checked the Vtech website and dropped them a short email (having no original receipt etc). To my surprise they apologised and stright away sent me a returns form by first class post. Three days after returning the form we received by courier a brand new camera! Thank you Vtech.
What I noticed straight away is that the image quality, particularly with flash, is improved immensely. The packaging states 'improved sensor quality' & instructions mention improvements with the latest versions - I would say that's correct. Close up shots with flash no longer burn out every time - which is what the majority of shots on this camera are going to be after all. Image quality on the small monitor also looks somewhat better than the old version & the delay between pressing the shutter and the picture being taken, though not immediate, is again improved. Incidentally, the instructions mention that the 'photo editor' includes an interpolation feature to enlarge files up to 2mB in order to print 'high quality' images. Of course, interpolation isn't going to get you sharp prints but it gives you an option if you want to try and get something half decent.
So, if you are looking for a fun camera for your kids and aren't going to lose sleep over image quality or a few shortcomings, I don't believe that you can go wrong with one of these (just try and make sure that you get the latest version). Buy a cheap SD card and let them shoot to their hearts content! If your kids are older and more camera aware then look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a fun introduction to photography & I have to say kudos to Vtech for being so proactive in offering a replacement.
£50 well spent, 07 Nov 2008
I bought this camera for my daughter's 3rd birthday and I have to say it is fantastic, so much so that my 6 year old is now desperately jealous and has written to father christmas to ask for one. If I had read some of the reviews on here before buying I would probably not have bought it, luckily I didn't bother to. Yes sure, the quality is not perfect but it is tough, easy to use and produces reasonable results in the hands of a 3yr and 6yr old. They love the extra frames and added stamps which mean you can put granny in a pirates hat or transport your barbie to a snowy scene. They haven't explored the games yet but I did when they went to bed and particularly liked the one which makes a puzzle using their own photos. I think that if you have an unusually steady handed and very careful child then sure, buy them a real camera but if you have real kids, then buy this. I speak as someone whose 6yr old (who is a quite normal, fairly careful girl) has now had 3 grown up cameras ranging in price from £20 to £40 each and has broken everyone of them by one drop onto a hard surface. We shall be instructing father christmas to get us another one please!
My son loves this camera!, 15 Sep 2008
I read the reviews on this camera before buying it and decided that durability and ease of use were more important than picture quality - not least because it was to be a present for my 4yr old, but his 2yr old little brother was bound to use it, so it had to be tough enough to cope with a toddler. We opened and experimented with it before giving it to our son, so we knew how to get decent images (Hold it still, make sure there's plenty of light - natural if possible - and don't get too close), and could coach him.
My son is utterly delighted with it. Both boys have taken decent pictures with it, and my 4yr old was familiar with the main functions within minutes. he can snap away with it and has produced a lovely record of his typical day, and what interests him. He's never had a computer console, so he's just as pleased with the (very basic) games as with the camera.
It is only really camera phone quality, and you get the best results with natural light, but I remember my first camera being much more fiddly to use and giving poorer results. My son is more interested in taking photos and knowing he has them than actually reviewing them so he has yet to notice that I delete the less successful ones!
My only gripe is the batteries. We are using duracell and getting a decent battery life from them, but rechargeable ones would be so much easier (and cheaper) to use. The memory cards are pretty cheap, so it's worth getting one to avoid losing photos when the batteries go.
I wouldn't get one of these for an older child who could be trusted to look after a proper camera, but for a pre-schooler (especially one with younger siblings), it is just the job.
Kidizoom, 11 Sep 2008
I find the kidizoom camera to be a great toy for the children to play with. The features on it are great fun and give the whole family a laugh. It has been dropped many times by my 4 yr old and has proved to be very durable. My two children love taking it everywhere with them, and we get some great photos which the kids have taken, some very interesting, and we all love taking the time as a family to look at them either on the TV or computer. For the price of the camera i believe the quality to be perfectly fine, considering that it is only a child's toy.
So good I had to buy 2, 13 Aug 2008
I originally bought this for one of my twin sons and they fought over it so much that I had to buy another. They both love it and there are no more fights.
This is a must for all Leapster owners!, 19 Feb 2008
My 5 year old son received this game for Christmas and still thoroughly enjoys playing on it. He doesn't realise that he's "learning"! He particularly enjoys tracing the shapes and then making the lines disappear to see how well he has done. There are easy-hard mazes to follow with the pen and pictures to colour. All in all a really great and educational game for both boys and girls who like to draw, colour or write!
great software, 08 Nov 2005
My 5 year old daughter loves the Draw & Learn software for Leapster, especially the colour-in feature. It is really useful for long car journeys (can be seen in the dark & no lost pencils)! There are various activities that promote pencil control (e.g. a maze game) and letter formation is also covered (good for younger users). Very happy with it!
Great idea. Shame it was broken!, 28 Dec 2007
This globe certainly is a fantastic idea. My seven year old was desparate for a globe for christmas, and this seemed the ideal choice as we would all be able to play with it together over the holiday. How dissapointing then when he opened it on Christmas morning and discovered that it was convinced that most of the northern hemisphere was the artic ocean! We are sendning it back (to Santa) for one more go.
Better Than School Geography, 23 Oct 2007
My 8 year old daughter knows more about countries and capitals than any 16/17 year old that babysits for us, a fun educational toy, would recommend it to any parent!!
Fantastic toy!, 22 Feb 2007
What a great toy! I bought one of these for my 6 year old son for christmas. He plays with it every single day.
The one we received is a different colour to the one pictured and features an Engish voice. My son really enjoys the quizzes - finding the capitals, oceans, countries etc before the time runs out. There are a few levels - fun for all ages, including adluts! The globe will also tell you facts about each country, and plays a song which is related to each country (not sure if these are accurate, but the kids like them)!
So, all-in-all, a great toy. It is expensive, but my son has literally played with it every single day since Christmas. So well worth the money. We are still on the set of demonstration batteries that came with the globe, so they last a long time, and it seems really well built.
A must have!, 27 Jan 2007
After considering conventional globes I am extremely pleased with The Explorer. There can be no better introduction to Geography for young children. It provides a huge amount of factual information and the inclusion of games in the form of timed tests of your knowledge have provided a lot of fun for both young children and those a little maturer in years (such as myself). The simple concept of the globe speaking provides the key to this excellent product. Children can learn at their own pace and simply hearing the correct pronunciation of some quite tricky words and place names can give the youngsters a head start when they progress onto the subject at school. All in all a great introduction and well worth the money.
Leapfrog Globe is an Excellent Purchase, 23 Jan 2007
Even though it is a little expensive, I feel that this purchase was money well spent. My children aged from 6 to 14 all love this toy and constantly fight over it. My youngest now knows her capital cities and countries better than I do. A brilliant, educational toy.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Product Description
Hamleys Awards nominee, Smart Cycle is tipped to be one of the top toys for this Autumn.
This interactive bike and game package encourages both learning and physical activity by leading the child through games using the cycle as a key to play. Pl
Customer Reviews
Best birthday present ever!, 25 Nov 2008
We bought this for my 4 year old for his birthday and it really is the best thing ever as far as he's concerned.
The pictures aren't great quality but I bought this with the full knowledge that it was a toy, that it is intended for quite young children and that it's main purpose is to be robust. So far it has lived up to expectations.
My son took 200+ photos on the first morning. Most of them are blurred snaps, but then he's 4, not David Bailey. However, he did manage to take a fantastic photo of his 1 year old sister.
If you recognise this toy's limitations then it's a great present. If you're expecting top quality pictures then buy a normal, high res digital camera and not a toy.
My son loves this camera.....make sure you get the latest version though!!, 10 Nov 2008
We bought this camera for my 3 year old son this time last year after showing an avid interest in using my own Digital SLR's! As has been pointed out in previous reviews, image resolution is low and shots with flash are often burnt out. However, even with that, my son loved the camera showing great pride in taking pictures and immediately showing the person the picture displayed on the monitor (no matter how good or bad it was!). Always with a grin and enjoying it immensely - which is what it's all about IMO. Sure, the twin viewfinder suffers from parallax error at close distances but my son soon learned to frame using the rear monitor. We never bothered trying to print any images as I know there's little point with the 640x480 resolution and anyhow, at his age, my sons more interested in taking pictures than printing them.
As for build quality, the camera appeared very good with a robust casing covering what is obviously a low quality digital camera. I have to say 'appeared' as I noticed around a month ago that the camera often wouldn't power up despite new sets of batteries. My son was somewhat upset at this so I checked the Vtech website and dropped them a short email (having no original receipt etc). To my surprise they apologised and stright away sent me a returns form by first class post. Three days after returning the form we received by courier a brand new camera! Thank you Vtech.
What I noticed straight away is that the image quality, particularly with flash, is improved immensely. The packaging states 'improved sensor quality' & instructions mention improvements with the latest versions - I would say that's correct. Close up shots with flash no longer burn out every time - which is what the majority of shots on this camera are going to be after all. Image quality on the small monitor also looks somewhat better than the old version & the delay between pressing the shutter and the picture being taken, though not immediate, is again improved. Incidentally, the instructions mention that the 'photo editor' includes an interpolation feature to enlarge files up to 2mB in order to print 'high quality' images. Of course, interpolation isn't going to get you sharp prints but it gives you an option if you want to try and get something half decent.
So, if you are looking for a fun camera for your kids and aren't going to lose sleep over image quality or a few shortcomings, I don't believe that you can go wrong with one of these (just try and make sure that you get the latest version). Buy a cheap SD card and let them shoot to their hearts content! If your kids are older and more camera aware then look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a fun introduction to photography & I have to say kudos to Vtech for being so proactive in offering a replacement.
£50 well spent, 07 Nov 2008
I bought this camera for my daughter's 3rd birthday and I have to say it is fantastic, so much so that my 6 year old is now desperately jealous and has written to father christmas to ask for one. If I had read some of the reviews on here before buying I would probably not have bought it, luckily I didn't bother to. Yes sure, the quality is not perfect but it is tough, easy to use and produces reasonable results in the hands of a 3yr and 6yr old. They love the extra frames and added stamps which mean you can put granny in a pirates hat or transport your barbie to a snowy scene. They haven't explored the games yet but I did when they went to bed and particularly liked the one which makes a puzzle using their own photos. I think that if you have an unusually steady handed and very careful child then sure, buy them a real camera but if you have real kids, then buy this. I speak as someone whose 6yr old (who is a quite normal, fairly careful girl) has now had 3 grown up cameras ranging in price from £20 to £40 each and has broken everyone of them by one drop onto a hard surface. We shall be instructing father christmas to get us another one please!
My son loves this camera!, 15 Sep 2008
I read the reviews on this camera before buying it and decided that durability and ease of use were more important than picture quality - not least because it was to be a present for my 4yr old, but his 2yr old little brother was bound to use it, so it had to be tough enough to cope with a toddler. We opened and experimented with it before giving it to our son, so we knew how to get decent images (Hold it still, make sure there's plenty of light - natural if possible - and don't get too close), and could coach him.
My son is utterly delighted with it. Both boys have taken decent pictures with it, and my 4yr old was familiar with the main functions within minutes. he can snap away with it and has produced a lovely record of his typical day, and what interests him. He's never had a computer console, so he's just as pleased with the (very basic) games as with the camera.
It is only really camera phone quality, and you get the best results with natural light, but I remember my first camera being much more fiddly to use and giving poorer results. My son is more interested in taking photos and knowing he has them than actually reviewing them so he has yet to notice that I delete the less successful ones!
My only gripe is the batteries. We are using duracell and getting a decent battery life from them, but rechargeable ones would be so much easier (and cheaper) to use. The memory cards are pretty cheap, so it's worth getting one to avoid losing photos when the batteries go.
I wouldn't get one of these for an older child who could be trusted to look after a proper camera, but for a pre-schooler (especially one with younger siblings), it is just the job.
Kidizoom, 11 Sep 2008
I find the kidizoom camera to be a great toy for the children to play with. The features on it are great fun and give the whole family a laugh. It has been dropped many times by my 4 yr old and has proved to be very durable. My two children love taking it everywhere with them, and we get some great photos which the kids have taken, some very interesting, and we all love taking the time as a family to look at them either on the TV or computer. For the price of the camera i believe the quality to be perfectly fine, considering that it is only a child's toy.
So good I had to buy 2, 13 Aug 2008
I originally bought this for one of my twin sons and they fought over it so much that I had to buy another. They both love it and there are no more fights.
This is a must for all Leapster owners!, 19 Feb 2008
My 5 year old son received this game for Christmas and still thoroughly enjoys playing on it. He doesn't realise that he's "learning"! He particularly enjoys tracing the shapes and then making the lines disappear to see how well he has done. There are easy-hard mazes to follow with the pen and pictures to colour. All in all a really great and educational game for both boys and girls who like to draw, colour or write!
great software, 08 Nov 2005
My 5 year old daughter loves the Draw & Learn software for Leapster, especially the colour-in feature. It is really useful for long car journeys (can be seen in the dark & no lost pencils)! There are various activities that promote pencil control (e.g. a maze game) and letter formation is also covered (good for younger users). Very happy with it!
Great idea. Shame it was broken!, 28 Dec 2007
This globe certainly is a fantastic idea. My seven year old was desparate for a globe for christmas, and this seemed the ideal choice as we would all be able to play with it together over the holiday. How dissapointing then when he opened it on Christmas morning and discovered that it was convinced that most of the northern hemisphere was the artic ocean! We are sendning it back (to Santa) for one more go.
Better Than School Geography, 23 Oct 2007
My 8 year old daughter knows more about countries and capitals than any 16/17 year old that babysits for us, a fun educational toy, would recommend it to any parent!!
Fantastic toy!, 22 Feb 2007
What a great toy! I bought one of these for my 6 year old son for christmas. He plays with it every single day.
The one we received is a different colour to the one pictured and features an Engish voice. My son really enjoys the quizzes - finding the capitals, oceans, countries etc before the time runs out. There are a few levels - fun for all ages, including adluts! The globe will also tell you facts about each country, and plays a song which is related to each country (not sure if these are accurate, but the kids like them)!
So, all-in-all, a great toy. It is expensive, but my son has literally played with it every single day since Christmas. So well worth the money. We are still on the set of demonstration batteries that came with the globe, so they last a long time, and it seems really well built.
A must have!, 27 Jan 2007
After considering conventional globes I am extremely pleased with The Explorer. There can be no better introduction to Geography for young children. It provides a huge amount of factual information and the inclusion of games in the form of timed tests of your knowledge have provided a lot of fun for both young children and those a little maturer in years (such as myself). The simple concept of the globe speaking provides the key to this excellent product. Children can learn at their own pace and simply hearing the correct pronunciation of some quite tricky words and place names can give the youngsters a head start when they progress onto the subject at school. All in all a great introduction and well worth the money.
Leapfrog Globe is an Excellent Purchase, 23 Jan 2007
Even though it is a little expensive, I feel that this purchase was money well spent. My children aged from 6 to 14 all love this toy and constantly fight over it. My youngest now knows her capital cities and countries better than I do. A brilliant, educational toy.
Expensive but worth it, 07 Nov 2008
I purchased this for my 3 year old son's 2007 christmas present. It cost alot but he has played with it every day. I also invested in rechargable batteries as it's quite thirsty.
New games are quite difficult to source and most have annoying american accents.
His friends all make a bee line for it when they come to play.
Not Good Value, 11 Mar 2008
This was bought for my 5 year old boy and he played with it a few times and thats been it. Its very much a novelty toy that they only want because its advertised well. The graphics are very poor, the game is not very responsive, and it does not hold interest for very long. Maybe my 2 and 3 year old girls will play with it, but they have not shown any interest yet. There are far better things to spend £99 on and thats a lot of money for something thats not played with! Dont bother.
Disappointed, 22 Feb 2008
I have to disagree with the other reviews as my four year old found a lot of the games to be too childish to play.I was also disappointed with the graphics and the selection of games.It is very hard to buy other software titles and when we finally got hold of one it was basically the same games as the cartridge that comes with the cycle.I would not recommend anyone spending this much money on something so limited.
Fantastic Idea for indoor exercise!, 24 Jan 2008
Title says it all really - I'm all for the kids playing outside, but during cold winter months and on rainy summer days (of which there were many last year...) the Smart Cycle is absolutely fantastic! Admittedly not all of the programs use the pedals but the ones which don't definitely make up for it in educational value. Top marks to Fisher Price.
Excellent fun!, 15 Jan 2008
I bought this for my 3 year old son for Christmas. It is easy to put together as the instructions are easy to follow. Don't expect wonderful graphics on the screen - compared to the picture on the box it doesn't quite match up! However my son absolutely loves it and has learnt to work his way round all the games himself so needs very little help. The pedal broke on mine afew days into playing, but Amazon were exceptional and arranged for it to be picked up, sending me another one before this had even been done - he is now happily peddling away again!
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Product Description
Cool portable educational gaming system designed for the hands and minds of 5-9 year oldsUpdated design with flip screen and touch padImproved viewing angle for superior game-playWorks with the extensive library of V.Smile Learning GamesConnects to the television for larger game-playEasily adapted for right or left-handed playFeatures a car phone jack and adaptor socket 5 - 9 Years
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Product Description
Power up the learning Simply plug the adapter into your ClickStart My First Computer Console and AC wall outlet for more hours of fun.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Product Description
is safely back home and is very proud of his fathers journey to find him. Nemo wants to be brave just like his Dad, so he sets off on a new ocean adventure of his own. Come and explore the ocean with Nemo Its underwater fun with Nemo and friends Teaches spelling, counting, animals, logic, colours, shapes and problem solving.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Product Description
Oh no Ticos coll new Air-Car Boat-Mobile is broken Help Dora and Boots find all the parts and get them back to Tico before Swiper the fox can swipe them. Using the colours, shapes, numbers and logic knowledge you must help Dora and Boots on their adventure. Colours Shapes Numbers Animals Spatial Skills Logic Problem Solving Suitable from 3-5 Years Compatible with the Vtech V. Smile Learning System
Customer Reviews
Best birthday present ever!, 25 Nov 2008
We bought this for my 4 year old for his birthday and it really is the best thing ever as far as he's concerned.
The pictures aren't great quality but I bought this with the full knowledge that it was a toy, that it is intended for quite young children and that it's main purpose is to be robust. So far it has lived up to expectations.
My son took 200+ photos on the first morning. Most of them are blurred snaps, but then he's 4, not David Bailey. However, he did manage to take a fantastic photo of his 1 year old sister.
If you recognise this toy's limitations then it's a great present. If you're expecting top quality pictures then buy a normal, high res digital camera and not a toy.
My son loves this camera.....make sure you get the latest version though!!, 10 Nov 2008
We bought this camera for my 3 year old son this time last year after showing an avid interest in using my own Digital SLR's! As has been pointed out in previous reviews, image resolution is low and shots with flash are often burnt out. However, even with that, my son loved the camera showing great pride in taking pictures and immediately showing the person the picture displayed on the monitor (no matter how good or bad it was!). Always with a grin and enjoying it immensely - which is what it's all about IMO. Sure, the twin viewfinder suffers from parallax error at close distances but my son soon learned to frame using the rear monitor. We never bothered trying to print any images as I know there's little point with the 640x480 resolution and anyhow, at his age, my sons more interested in taking pictures than printing them.
As for build quality, the camera appeared very good with a robust casing covering what is obviously a low quality digital camera. I have to say 'appeared' as I noticed around a month ago that the camera often wouldn't power up despite new sets of batteries. My son was somewhat upset at this so I checked the Vtech website and dropped them a short email (having no original receipt etc). To my surprise they apologised and stright away sent me a returns form by first class post. Three days after returning the form we received by courier a brand new camera! Thank you Vtech.
What I noticed straight away is that the image quality, particularly with flash, is improved immensely. The packaging states 'improved sensor quality' & instructions mention improvements with the latest versions - I would say that's correct. Close up shots with flash no longer burn out every time - which is what the majority of shots on this camera are going to be after all. Image quality on the small monitor also looks somewhat better than the old version & the delay between pressing the shutter and the picture being taken, though not immediate, is again improved. Incidentally, the instructions mention that the 'photo editor' includes an interpolation feature to enlarge files up to 2mB in order to print 'high quality' images. Of course, interpolation isn't going to get you sharp prints but it gives you an option if you want to try and get something half decent.
So, if you are looking for a fun camera for your kids and aren't going to lose sleep over image quality or a few shortcomings, I don't believe that you can go wrong with one of these (just try and make sure that you get the latest version). Buy a cheap SD card and let them shoot to their hearts content! If your kids are older and more camera aware then look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a fun introduction to photography & I have to say kudos to Vtech for being so proactive in offering a replacement.
£50 well spent, 07 Nov 2008
I bought this camera for my daughter's 3rd birthday and I have to say it is fantastic, so much so that my 6 year old is now desperately jealous and has written to father christmas to ask for one. If I had read some of the reviews on here before buying I would probably not have bought it, luckily I didn't bother to. Yes sure, the quality is not perfect but it is tough, easy to use and produces reasonable results in the hands of a 3yr and 6yr old. They love the extra frames and added stamps which mean you can put granny in a pirates hat or transport your barbie to a snowy scene. They haven't explored the games yet but I did when they went to bed and particularly liked the one which makes a puzzle using their own photos. I think that if you have an unusually steady handed and very careful child then sure, buy them a real camera but if you have real kids, then buy this. I speak as someone whose 6yr old (who is a quite normal, fairly careful girl) has now had 3 grown up cameras ranging in price from £20 to £40 each and has broken everyone of them by one drop onto a hard surface. We shall be instructing father christmas to get us another one please!
My son loves this camera!, 15 Sep 2008
I read the reviews on this camera before buying it and decided that durability and ease of use were more important than picture quality - not least because it was to be a present for my 4yr old, but his 2yr old little brother was bound to use it, so it had to be tough enough to cope with a toddler. We opened and experimented with it before giving it to our son, so we knew how to get decent images (Hold it still, make sure there's plenty of light - natural if possible - and don't get too close), and could coach him.
My son is utterly delighted with it. Both boys have taken decent pictures with it, and my 4yr old was familiar with the main functions within minutes. he can snap away with it and has produced a lovely record of his typical day, and what interests him. He's never had a computer console, so he's just as pleased with the (very basic) games as with the camera.
It is only really camera phone quality, and you get the best results with natural light, but I remember my first camera being much more fiddly to use and giving poorer results. My son is more interested in taking photos and knowing he has them than actually reviewing them so he has yet to notice that I delete the less successful ones!
My only gripe is the batteries. We are using duracell and getting a decent battery life from them, but rechargeable ones would be so much easier (and cheaper) to use. The memory cards are pretty cheap, so it's worth getting one to avoid losing photos when the batteries go.
I wouldn't get one of these for an older child who could be trusted to look after a proper camera, but for a pre-schooler (especially one with younger siblings), it is just the job.
Kidizoom, 11 Sep 2008
I find the kidizoom camera to be a great toy for the children to play with. The features on it are great fun and give the whole family a laugh. It has been dropped many times by my 4 yr old and has proved to be very durable. My two children love taking it everywhere with them, and we get some great photos which the kids have taken, some very interesting, and we all love taking the time as a family to look at them either on the TV or computer. For the price of the camera i believe the quality to be perfectly fine, considering that it is only a child's toy.
So good I had to buy 2, 13 Aug 2008
I originally bought this for one of my twin sons and they fought over it so much that I had to buy another. They both love it and there are no more fights.
This is a must for all Leapster owners!, 19 Feb 2008
My 5 year old son received this game for Christmas and still thoroughly enjoys playing on it. He doesn't realise that he's "learning"! He particularly enjoys tracing the shapes and then making the lines disappear to see how well he has done. There are easy-hard mazes to follow with the pen and pictures to colour. All in all a really great and educational game for both boys and girls who like to draw, colour or write!
great software, 08 Nov 2005
My 5 year old daughter loves the Draw & Learn software for Leapster, especially the colour-in feature. It is really useful for long car journeys (can be seen in the dark & no lost pencils)! There are various activities that promote pencil control (e.g. a maze game) and letter formation is also covered (good for younger users). Very happy with it!
Great idea. Shame it was broken!, 28 Dec 2007
This globe certainly is a fantastic idea. My seven year old was desparate for a globe for christmas, and this seemed the ideal choice as we would all be able to play with it together over the holiday. How dissapointing then when he opened it on Christmas morning and discovered that it was convinced that most of the northern hemisphere was the artic ocean! We are sendning it back (to Santa) for one more go.
Better Than School Geography, 23 Oct 2007
My 8 year old daughter knows more about countries and capitals than any 16/17 year old that babysits for us, a fun educational toy, would recommend it to any parent!!
Fantastic toy!, 22 Feb 2007
What a great toy! I bought one of these for my 6 year old son for christmas. He plays with it every single day.
The one we received is a different colour to the one pictured and features an Engish voice. My son really enjoys the quizzes - finding the capitals, oceans, countries etc before the time runs out. There are a few levels - fun for all ages, including adluts! The globe will also tell you facts about each country, and plays a song which is related to each country (not sure if these are accurate, but the kids like them)!
So, all-in-all, a great toy. It is expensive, but my son has literally played with it every single day since Christmas. So well worth the money. We are still on the set of demonstration batteries that came with the globe, so they last a long time, and it seems really well built.
A must have!, 27 Jan 2007
After considering conventional globes I am extremely pleased with The Explorer. There can be no better introduction to Geography for young children. It provides a huge amount of factual information and the inclusion of games in the form of timed tests of your knowledge have provided a lot of fun for both young children and those a little maturer in years (such as myself). The simple concept of the globe speaking provides the key to this excellent product. Children can learn at their own pace and simply hearing the correct pronunciation of some quite tricky words and place names can give the youngsters a head start when they progress onto the subject at school. All in all a great introduction and well worth the money.
Leapfrog Globe is an Excellent Purchase, 23 Jan 2007
Even though it is a little expensive, I feel that this purchase was money well spent. My children aged from 6 to 14 all love this toy and constantly fight over it. My youngest now knows her capital cities and countries better than I do. A brilliant, educational toy.
Expensive but worth it, 07 Nov 2008
I purchased this for my 3 year old son's 2007 christmas present. It cost alot but he has played with it every day. I also invested in rechargable batteries as it's quite thirsty.
New games are quite difficult to source and most have annoying american accents.
His friends all make a bee line for it when they come to play.
Not Good Value, 11 Mar 2008
This was bought for my 5 year old boy and he played with it a few times and thats been it. Its very much a novelty toy that they only want because its advertised well. The graphics are very poor, the game is not very responsive, and it does not hold interest for very long. Maybe my 2 and 3 year old girls will play with it, but they have not shown any interest yet. There are far better things to spend £99 on and thats a lot of money for something thats not played with! Dont bother.
Disappointed, 22 Feb 2008
I have to disagree with the other reviews as my four year old found a lot of the games to be too childish to play.I was also disappointed with the graphics and the selection of games.It is very hard to buy other software titles and when we finally got hold of one it was basically the same games as the cartridge that comes with the cycle.I would not recommend anyone spending this much money on something so limited.
Fantastic Idea for indoor exercise!, 24 Jan 2008
Title says it all really - I'm all for the kids playing outside, but during cold winter months and on rainy summer days (of which there were many last year...) the Smart Cycle is absolutely fantastic! Admittedly not all of the programs use the pedals but the ones which don't definitely make up for it in educational value. Top marks to Fisher Price.
Excellent fun!, 15 Jan 2008
I bought this for my 3 year old son for Christmas. It is easy to put together as the instructions are easy to follow. Don't expect wonderful graphics on the screen - compared to the picture on the box it doesn't quite match up! However my son absolutely loves it and has learnt to work his way round all the games himself so needs very little help. The pedal broke on mine afew days into playing, but Amazon were exceptional and arranged for it to be picked up, sending me another one before this had even been done - he is now happily peddling away again!
Great!!!, 12 Apr 2007
I bought this game for my son when he was about two and he has been playing with it now for five months... and you know what??? He loves it... It's not that difficult and yet it's so exciting... The adventures are great fun and very educational... My son loved it so much that he kept playing over and over again!!! I thought Winnie the Pooh was very good, but this one has got to be better... Try it...
Grab it while you can, 03 Jan 2007
This is the best v smile game going!!!!!!!! My daughter, aged 4 who is Autistic love this game, it's so easy for her to play, has spoken instructions which she is able to follow and keeps and holds her attention. The first day she had it she was glued for 3 hours playing it, which is a first for her and peace for us. She has since finished the whole game 4 times over and it still holds her attention, which in my opinion means it's one of the best!!!
One of the easier, fun games for younger players worth buying, 18 May 2006
My daughter is 4 and enjoys playing the vsmile, especially winnie the pooh. Dora the Explorer has now ended up neing her favourite as she finds the game easier to control than others such as The Little Mermaid. There is a lot of help in the Dora game such as advising "press the enter button to jump" when a jump is required. However the doesn't make the game to easy, it just allows easy traversing between sections of the game. The puzzles are stimulating for a child, especially the scales puzzle where the ball has to be directed into the pot on the scales by moving litlle platforms the correct way. There are also shapes and maths puzzles amongst others. My daughter finds that because it is easy to move Dora around the game she can finish sections and concentrate on the puzzles. The only slight irritation in the game is the repetition of instructions at various events but this is only a very minor gripe. It is definitely one of the better games on the Vsmile.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Product Description
Cool portable educational gaming system designed for the hands and minds of 5-9 year oldsUpdated design with flip screen and touch padImproved viewing angle for superior game-playWorks with the extensive library of V.Smile Learning GamesConnects to the television for larger game-playEasily adapted for right or left-handed playFeatures a car phone jack and adaptor socket 5 - 9 Years
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product Description
Learning is child's play with the new and improved TV pre-school console that turns gaming into a learning adventure! Learn spelling, object identification, colours, counting, shapes and problem-solving with Thomas and Friends. Teaches children all the pre-school basics (English, maths, logic, science, etc.). Connects directly to your TV (not included).
Customer Reviews
Best birthday present ever!, 25 Nov 2008
We bought this for my 4 year old for his birthday and it really is the best thing ever as far as he's concerned.
The pictures aren't great quality but I bought this with the full knowledge that it was a toy, that it is intended for quite young children and that it's main purpose is to be robust. So far it has lived up to expectations.
My son took 200+ photos on the first morning. Most of them are blurred snaps, but then he's 4, not David Bailey. However, he did manage to take a fantastic photo of his 1 year old sister.
If you recognise this toy's limitations then it's a great present. If you're expecting top quality pictures then buy a normal, high res digital camera and not a toy.
My son loves this camera.....make sure you get the latest version though!!, 10 Nov 2008
We bought this camera for my 3 year old son this time last year after showing an avid interest in using my own Digital SLR's! As has been pointed out in previous reviews, image resolution is low and shots with flash are often burnt out. However, even with that, my son loved the camera showing great pride in taking pictures and immediately showing the person the picture displayed on the monitor (no matter how good or bad it was!). Always with a grin and enjoying it immensely - which is what it's all about IMO. Sure, the twin viewfinder suffers from parallax error at close distances but my son soon learned to frame using the rear monitor. We never bothered trying to print any images as I know there's little point with the 640x480 resolution and anyhow, at his age, my sons more interested in taking pictures than printing them.
As for build quality, the camera appeared very good with a robust casing covering what is obviously a low quality digital camera. I have to say 'appeared' as I noticed around a month ago that the camera often wouldn't power up despite new sets of batteries. My son was somewhat upset at this so I checked the Vtech website and dropped them a short email (having no original receipt etc). To my surprise they apologised and stright away sent me a returns form by first class post. Three days after returning the form we received by courier a brand new camera! Thank you Vtech.
What I noticed straight away is that the image quality, particularly with flash, is improved immensely. The packaging states 'improved sensor quality' & instructions mention improvements with the latest versions - I would say that's correct. Close up shots with flash no longer burn out every time - which is what the majority of shots on this camera are going to be after all. Image quality on the small monitor also looks somewhat better than the old version & the delay between pressing the shutter and the picture being taken, though not immediate, is again improved. Incidentally, the instructions mention that the 'photo editor' includes an interpolation feature to enlarge files up to 2mB in order to print 'high quality' images. Of course, interpolation isn't going to get you sharp prints but it gives you an option if you want to try and get something half decent.
So, if you are looking for a fun camera for your kids and aren't going to lose sleep over image quality or a few shortcomings, I don't believe that you can go wrong with one of these (just try and make sure that you get the latest version). Buy a cheap SD card and let them shoot to their hearts content! If your kids are older and more camera aware then look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a fun introduction to photography & I have to say kudos to Vtech for being so proactive in offering a replacement.
£50 well spent, 07 Nov 2008
I bought this camera for my daughter's 3rd birthday and I have to say it is fantastic, so much so that my 6 year old is now desperately jealous and has written to father christmas to ask for one. If I had read some of the reviews on here before buying I would probably not have bought it, luckily I didn't bother to. Yes sure, the quality is not perfect but it is tough, easy to use and produces reasonable results in the hands of a 3yr and 6yr old. They love the extra frames and added stamps which mean you can put granny in a pirates hat or transport your barbie to a snowy scene. They haven't explored the games yet but I did when they went to bed and particularly liked the one which makes a puzzle using their own photos. I think that if you have an unusually steady handed and very careful child then sure, buy them a real camera but if you have real kids, then buy this. I speak as someone whose 6yr old (who is a quite normal, fairly careful girl) has now had 3 grown up cameras ranging in price from £20 to £40 each and has broken everyone of them by one drop onto a hard surface. We shall be instructing father christmas to get us another one please!
My son loves this camera!, 15 Sep 2008
I read the reviews on this camera before buying it and decided that durability and ease of use were more important than picture quality - not least because it was to be a present for my 4yr old, but his 2yr old little brother was bound to use it, so it had to be tough enough to cope with a toddler. We opened and experimented with it before giving it to our son, so we knew how to get decent images (Hold it still, make sure there's plenty of light - natural if possible - and don't get too close), and could coach him.
My son is utterly delighted with it. Both boys have taken decent pictures with it, and my 4yr old was familiar with the main functions within minutes. he can snap away with it and has produced a lovely record of his typical day, and what interests him. He's never had a computer console, so he's just as pleased with the (very basic) games as with the camera.
It is only really camera phone quality, and you get the best results with natural light, but I remember my first camera being much more fiddly to use and giving poorer results. My son is more interested in taking photos and knowing he has them than actually reviewing them so he has yet to notice that I delete the less successful ones!
My only gripe is the batteries. We are using duracell and getting a decent battery life from them, but rechargeable ones would be so much easier (and cheaper) to use. The memory cards are pretty cheap, so it's worth getting one to avoid losing photos when the batteries go.
I wouldn't get one of these for an older child who could be trusted to look after a proper camera, but for a pre-schooler (especially one with younger siblings), it is just the job.
Kidizoom, 11 Sep 2008
I find the kidizoom camera to be a great toy for the children to play with. The features on it are great fun and give the whole family a laugh. It has been dropped many times by my 4 yr old and has proved to be very durable. My two children love taking it everywhere with them, and we get some great photos which the kids have taken, some very interesting, and we all love taking the time as a family to look at them either on the TV or computer. For the price of the camera i believe the quality to be perfectly fine, considering that it is only a child's toy.
So good I had to buy 2, 13 Aug 2008
I originally bought this for one of my twin sons and they fought over it so much that I had to buy another. They both love it and there are no more fights.
This is a must for all Leapster owners!, 19 Feb 2008
My 5 year old son received this game for Christmas and still thoroughly enjoys playing on it. He doesn't realise that he's "learning"! He particularly enjoys tracing the shapes and then making the lines disappear to see how well he has done. There are easy-hard mazes to follow with the pen and pictures to colour. All in all a really great and educational game for both boys and girls who like to draw, colour or write!
great software, 08 Nov 2005
My 5 year old daughter loves the Draw & Learn software for Leapster, especially the colour-in feature. It is really useful for long car journeys (can be seen in the dark & no lost pencils)! There are various activities that promote pencil control (e.g. a maze game) and letter formation is also covered (good for younger users). Very happy with it!
Great idea. Shame it was broken!, 28 Dec 2007
This globe certainly is a fantastic idea. My seven year old was desparate for a globe for christmas, and this seemed the ideal choice as we would all be able to play with it together over the holiday. How dissapointing then when he opened it on Christmas morning and discovered that it was convinced that most of the northern hemisphere was the artic ocean! We are sendning it back (to Santa) for one more go.
Better Than School Geography, 23 Oct 2007
My 8 year old daughter knows more about countries and capitals than any 16/17 year old that babysits for us, a fun educational toy, would recommend it to any parent!!
Fantastic toy!, 22 Feb 2007
What a great toy! I bought one of these for my 6 year old son for christmas. He plays with it every single day.
The one we received is a different colour to the one pictured and features an Engish voice. My son really enjoys the quizzes - finding the capitals, oceans, countries etc before the time runs out. There are a few levels - fun for all ages, including adluts! The globe will also tell you facts about each country, and plays a song which is related to each country (not sure if these are accurate, but the kids like them)!
So, all-in-all, a great toy. It is expensive, but my son has literally played with it every single day since Christmas. So well worth the money. We are still on the set of demonstration batteries that came with the globe, so they last a long time, and it seems really well built.
A must have!, 27 Jan 2007
After considering conventional globes I am extremely pleased with The Explorer. There can be no better introduction to Geography for young children. It provides a huge amount of factual information and the inclusion of games in the form of timed tests of your knowledge have provided a lot of fun for both young children and those a little maturer in years (such as myself). The simple concept of the globe speaking provides the key to this excellent product. Children can learn at their own pace and simply hearing the correct pronunciation of some quite tricky words and place names can give the youngsters a head start when they progress onto the subject at school. All in all a great introduction and well worth the money.
Leapfrog Globe is an Excellent Purchase, 23 Jan 2007
Even though it is a little expensive, I feel that this purchase was money well spent. My children aged from 6 to 14 all love this toy and constantly fight over it. My youngest now knows her capital cities and countries better than I do. A brilliant, educational toy.
Expensive but worth it, 07 Nov 2008
I purchased this for my 3 year old son's 2007 christmas present. It cost alot but he has played with it every day. I also invested in rechargable batteries as it's quite thirsty.
New games are quite difficult to source and most have annoying american accents.
His friends all make a bee line for it when they come to play.
Not Good Value, 11 Mar 2008
This was bought for my 5 year old boy and he played with it a few times and thats been it. Its very much a novelty toy that they only want because its advertised well. The graphics are very poor, the game is not very responsive, and it does not hold interest for very long. Maybe my 2 and 3 year old girls will play with it, but they have not shown any interest yet. There are far better things to spend £99 on and thats a lot of money for something thats not played with! Dont bother.
Disappointed, 22 Feb 2008
I have to disagree with the other reviews as my four year old found a lot of the games to be too childish to play.I was also disappointed with the graphics and the selection of games.It is very hard to buy other software titles and when we finally got hold of one it was basically the same games as the cartridge that comes with the cycle.I would not recommend anyone spending this much money on something so limited.
Fantastic Idea for indoor exercise!, 24 Jan 2008
Title says it all really - I'm all for the kids playing outside, but during cold winter months and on rainy summer days (of which there were many last year...) the Smart Cycle is absolutely fantastic! Admittedly not all of the programs use the pedals but the ones which don't definitely make up for it in educational value. Top marks to Fisher Price.
Excellent fun!, 15 Jan 2008
I bought this for my 3 year old son for Christmas. It is easy to put together as the instructions are easy to follow. Don't expect wonderful graphics on the screen - compared to the picture on the box it doesn't quite match up! However my son absolutely loves it and has learnt to work his way round all the games himself so needs very little help. The pedal broke on mine afew days into playing, but Amazon were exceptional and arranged for it to be picked up, sending me another one before this had even been done - he is now happily peddling away again!
Great!!!, 12 Apr 2007
I bought this game for my son when he was about two and he has been playing with it now for five months... and you know what??? He loves it... It's not that difficult and yet it's so exciting... The adventures are great fun and very educational... My son loved it so much that he kept playing over and over again!!! I thought Winnie the Pooh was very good, but this one has got to be better... Try it...
Grab it while you can, 03 Jan 2007
This is the best v smile game going!!!!!!!! My daughter, aged 4 who is Autistic love this game, it's so easy for her to play, has spoken instructions which she is able to follow and keeps and holds her attention. The first day she had it she was glued for 3 hours playing it, which is a first for her and peace for us. She has since finished the whole game 4 times over and it still holds her attention, which in my opinion means it's one of the best!!!
One of the easier, fun games for younger players worth buying, 18 May 2006
My daughter is 4 and enjoys playing the vsmile, especially winnie the pooh. Dora the Explorer has now ended up neing her favourite as she finds the game easier to control than others such as The Little Mermaid. There is a lot of help in the Dora game such as advising "press the enter button to jump" when a jump is required. However the doesn't make the game to easy, it just allows easy traversing between sections of the game. The puzzles are stimulating for a child, especially the scales puzzle where the ball has to be directed into the pot on the scales by moving litlle platforms the correct way. There are also shapes and maths puzzles amongst others. My daughter finds that because it is easy to move Dora around the game she can finish sections and concentrate on the puzzles. The only slight irritation in the game is the repetition of instructions at various events but this is only a very minor gripe. It is definitely one of the better games on the Vsmile.
V tech V smile - V Unhappy!, 26 Jul 2008
I had been trying to think of ways for our 3 and half year old to start recognising his alphabet - unfortunatley he hasn't taken to the jigsaws my older son enjoyed and I didn't want to push him into anything, but wanted to make it fun.
When I saw the V smile I thought 'Bingo!' - this will interest him as he is already familiar with playing basic games on cbeebies website and I noticed there was an alphabet game available (together with his interest in Thomas - I thought I'd cracked it!!!!)
So - I read 1 or 2 vague reviews here and there - but convinced myself that this was definitely the toy to have.
I decided to get everything working when the boys were in bed - so that I could avoid the inevitable impatience of me unwrapping and setting everything up. I cannot put into words how disappointed I was with the whole thing. Thank goodness they didn't see it (and never will).
Firstly the most noticable thing is the awful quality of the graphics
Secondly the sound quality isn't up to much at all and how a child is supposed to follow the vocal instructions I'll never know
Thirdly the controls for the games and the variation of what they need to understand to control the game is so confusing - I cannot comprehend that we're in the 21st century and a major toy company can get away with selling this as a quality educational toy.
As far as I'm concerned V-tech have created this cheap to manufacture but relatively costly toy (especially as you think you should buy the mains adaptor and the 2nd joystick and not to mention the phenomonally dear games)as an introduction to 'gaming' and not a quality educational toy.
I have definitely learned my lesson - going forward I will thoroughly research a toy before getting drawn into the hype.
If you're happy with the 1980's quality of the 'ZX' computer then go ahead and buy it - but I strongly advise you to re-think how you are spending your hard-earned cash.
Disappointing..., 04 Jan 2008
V-tech promises an award winning learning platform with entertaining graphics and funky coloured consoles but in reality the product is somewhat of an enigma.
The console and joystick are all well styled, feel durable and the whole system is easy to set-up. My kids were really excited at the look of it and even more engaged with all the enticing images on the packaging and individual games.
It looks like they spent a lot of time and effort designing it....and then you turn it on!!
The graphics are appalling with a fuzzy distortion which makes it very difficult to sit in front of for more than a few minutes. Added to this is a muffled sound navigation which is barely audible and text navigation which isn't always easy to read against the background.
I completely concur with a previous reviewer who likened this console to an early 80's computer and, whilst I didn't expect something that delivered XBOX or Nintendo gaming, it really disappointed against the most basic of expectations.
Keeps the kids quiet., 11 Dec 2007
Not sure what the previous reviewer was expecting for less than £40 - an XBOX 360 perhaps? Clearly this isnt a games console its a learning *toy* which our children like very much. We had the vision to buy the 2nd controller which was bundled with a game so was almost free anyway.
Graphics and sound are basic but not as bad as made out by previous reviewer - think Sega Master System rather than Vic20!!
All in all not a bad buy, the main downside is that the kids will grow out of it in time so think of it as having a lifespan of about 5 years max.
Not recommended..., 08 Dec 2007
We were really disappointed with this console.
Our pre-school children find the controller confusing. Its got big buttons and little buttons, and coloured buttons, and a pen pad, and a joystick. If I'm honest I find it confusing too.
On screen, the user interface is very inconsistent. The children can't work out which buttons to press.
The graphics look like something from the mid 1980's, think Vic20/ZX Spectrum quality and you won't be far wrong. The sound seems muffled, making it difficult to hear what's being said. The music is ZX Spectrum quality - you'll want to make it stop after 2 minutes.
Inserting the games requires more force than our kiddies can muster.
Many of the games and navigations rely on text... which is fine for older children, but pre-school kiddies can't read. Though some navigation items are also spoken, the sound is so poor its often hard to make out whats being said.
There is only one controller in the pack (even though some games for the console are two player). Which provokes fights between our two. Additional controllers are ~£15 new (half the price of the console!).
Overall, we were very disappointed. If you're looking for a Christmas or birthday present think hard before you buy this.
Good PC games are generations ahead of this console (try Bob the Builder's Castle Adventure for example! I like playing that one, so do the children).
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Product Description
Learning is child's play with the new and improved TV pre-school console that turns gaming into a learning adventure! Teaches children all the pre-school basics (English, maths, logic, science, etc.). Connects directly to your TV (not included).
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Product Description
Crayola Clock Radio. Kids will feel all grown up with their own radio and alarm clock. And parents will love the help in getting kids up and ready for school. This brightly coloured, inviting unit includes a clock radio with AM/FM radio that allows kids to wake to the radio, an alarm buzzer, or even a personalized message that they can record. The 10 second voice message recorder lets them record their own first-thing-in the-morning reminder, a favourite joke, or verse, or personal message! Replaceable patterns on the front panel let kids customize their own look. Station presets make finding the right station easy. There's even a gradual wake system, and a snooze function for that little bit of extra sleep. An adjustable sleep timer lets kids drift off to music. There's even an auto-switching 3-color night light. Back-up battery remembers the time and alarm setting in the event of a power failure, and will activate the alarm. AC power with AC adapter included. Back up power requires 4 AA batteries (not included). It's the perfect way to introduce your child to the world of music and creativity. Onl | | |