Posts Tagged ‘baby’

Jack was given the LeapFrog Little Leaps Grow-With-Me Learning System for his second birthday. We didn’t end up using it right away. Instead, once I finally decided to add it to our gadget collection, I realized I had misplaced the directions! Luckily, I found the info I needed on LeapFrog.com. In two minutes, I had printed the instructions and was able to get the system to work pretty quickly.

Now I had to learn how to use it so I could teach Jack. It has two modes based on the child’s stage of development. Baby Mode, where the child can push the three chunky colorful buttons to get a response from the TV (great for teaching cause and effect). Then, Toddler Mode, where Jack can use the wireless controller to play the interactive games. The programs are run with learning discs which pop into the console easily. The system comes with three sample games, each with a basic Baby Mode and the slightly more advanced Toddler Mode.

Jack and I were able to learn the system very easily, and he LOVES it! I think it is an excellent introductory computer game for him. He’s learning that what his hands do with the console (think primitive mouse and/or video game handset) immediately controls what he sees on the screen, building visual-motor coordination and eye-hand coordination. The developmental benefits are an awesome bonus to the educational programming on the interactive learning discs!

The Little Leaps Grow-With-Me Learning System retails for about $40 and promises to be a very welcome addition to any toy pile. The system says it’s appropriate for 9 months to 3 years old, but my friend’s 4 ½ year old son Ryan sure loves to compete with Jack using these programs. Hey, there’s nothing like motivation!

I take Jack to a daycare here in LA that I LOVE! The lady who runs it helps me test out gadgets on all the different age groups in her care. She recently asked me for a gadget to help her with a VERY fussy baby that cries all day long. I offered her The Why Cry Analyzer gadget and she laughed. She thought the concept alone was hilarious. It’s a device that has five expressive baby faces on it and a “cry analyzer” inside that’s activated by a child’s cry. The analyzer then lights up the descriptive face based on why the child is crying, which lets you know if the child is hungry, bored, fussy, needs new diapers, etc.

After testing it she was still laughing, although she did say that her husband liked it. She asked to try out another gadget and this next round of research lead me to a winner! TheSweetPeace Newborn Soothing Center by Graco ended up doing the trick. Basically it’s a swing, but the thing that’s unique about it is that it swings from side to side, not back and forth! Not only that, but the chair is a super cushion of comfort that allows the baby to fall into deep relaxation with the help of hanging toys and a shade helps the baby fall asleep. Want more? The music on this thing is really good! It’s not just mini-tunes of kid’s songs; it’s actually stereo-tunes of popular classical music that can be played to help relax the mood of an entire room of hyper kids. Try it out!

*Photo licensed to: Graco