If you haven’t heard or seen the LeapTV in stores, it is a gaming system for kids that is not only educational but it also gets the kids active. We have had ours for a couple of weeks now and while we limit gaming time in our house, the LeapTV is one gaming device we are happy for the kids play during their allocated gaming/technology time.

We love the LeapTV because it encourages children to get their minds and bodies moving. LeapFrog have kept the system very easy to use, with first time players in mind so it is great for children of all ages (recommended for ages 3-8). The LeapFrog LeapTV offers three unique ways to play – body motion, pointer play and classic control.

Body Motion – The motion sensing camera captures them and automatically puts them in the game so every action they make can be seen on the screen. Their actions are incorporated into the game as they explore different activities such as dancing, playing with unicorns and martial arts.

Pointer Play – the pointer play takes pretend play to a new level by utilising the transforming controller with a simple twist. The control allows children to slice through coconuts, swing from building to building and much more.

Classic Control – As you would expect the control can also be used as a classic controller. Children can press A and B buttons to perform actions, shake to sled through enchanted forests or tilt the controller to make the character (or race car) turn.

Designed for little hands the controller is the perfect size. My 18 month old can hold it comfortably when she plays with the unicorns, as can my 6 and 8 year olds when they play their race car game. The LeapFrog LeapTV offers an educational, active video gaming experience for children with a wide range of games available. For more information on stockists and LeapFrog products visit the LeapFrog website.

Disclosure: I received a LeapFrog LeapTV for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

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Opening her Christmas presents Poppet squealed with joy when she ripped off the wrapping to her very own LeapFrog My Puppy Pal, Violet. No other presents mattered, she had everything she needed. This is no ordinary Puppy Pal though; it has been personalised. That’s right, you can now get the much loved Puppy Pal in a customised version.

The LeapFrog My Puppy Pal Scout (green) and Violet (purple) feature amazing educational technology that can be customised to suit your childs’ personality. These gorgeous little puppies can be personalised to encourage little ones to interact and engage in dialogue by incorporating the childs’ name and favourite things (food, colours, animals, songs, etc). The best thing is it only takes a couple of minutes, seriously about 3!! You can even customise it while it is still in the box; making the LeapFrog Puppy Pal an excellent gift!

Poppet plays with Violet everyday, has since learnt 3 different animal sounds and loves to interact with her little puppy friend. The LeapFrog Puppy Pal teaches children about emotions by telling the child “I am happy ‘Childs name’ will you smile with me?” or “I am feeling sad, can I please have a hug?”. It discusses daily routines by talking about things you do at certain times of the day, counting and even switches to lullaby mode.

The lullaby mode is used most nights here by Poppet. She pushes the lullaby button on Violets’ foot, lays down and drifts off to sleep. This bedtime feature is amazing because it gives you the option of playing soft gentle music for 5, 10 or 15 minutes by simply pressing the foot once, twice or three times. It is the perfect bedtime pal.

Suitable for ages 6-36 months. RRP $39.99. For more information visit the LeapFrog website.

2x WINNERS

Each Prize Includes: 1x Personalised My Puppy Pal Scout. RRP $39.99. Total Prize Pool: $79.98.

**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries however I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family. Sharing is caring and karma loves kind people. **

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions: 
1. Australian residents only.
2. Judges decisions is final
3. Winners must make contact within 72 hours.
4. This is a game of skill. Chance plays no part!
Therefore no extra points are given for sharing however it is good karma!!
5. All Mum Said is not responsible for delivery of prize.
NOT endorsed by or have anything to do with facebook.

If you want to enter more giveaways click over here.

Disclosure: I received 1x LeapFrog Puppy Pal for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

The post LeapFrog My Puppy Pal + GIVEAWAY appeared first on All Mum Said.

Encouraging children to stay active is proving harder these days with so many gaming devices, smartphones, tablets, etc. enticing them to play games online and using the latest and ‘so-called’ greatest kids apps. LeapFrog have realised this issue and have released the LeapBand which is basically a fit band for kids. It isn’t over the top exercise based but it does encourage physical activity. Featuring 50 different activities and challenges the LeapBand is designed for kids to get them moving and having fun. Like we have all come to expect from LeapFrog the activity tracking LeapBand is educational in numeracy and literacy but it doesn’t end there. It also teaches children how to establish healthy habits and exercise through everyday play.

B1 and B2 have been using their LeapBand for the past 2 weeks and have reported that they love it! By fulfilling the activity prompts they earn jewels (joules energy gems) that can than be used to unlock extra features and new rewards. In addition to the exercise and healthy habits, they can also name, customise and play with their virtual pet while also taking care of it. B1 and B2 have shared a few of their favourite features: collecting a treasure chest of jewels (who would’ve guessed, a boy who loves treasure chests?! haha), feeding the virtual pet, it has a stopwatch and also doubles as an analogue or digital watch. I love that it doesn’t require batteries to be changed regularly and is as simple as plugging the USB into the computer to charge it, the colour screened LeapBand also features a battery meter so the kids know if it is going to need charging soon.

For parents who are concerned it will be a distraction at certain times of the day, don’t fear as the parental settings allow you to set school hours and quiet times. It is also water resistant so a little splash of water or sweat will not affect the use. For more information check out the LeapFrog Australia website. Designed for children aged 4-7 years and RRP $59.99.

GET UP!

GET ACTIVE!

GET MOVING!

Disclosure: I was gifted with 1x LeapFrog LeapBand for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own or that of my children.

The post LeapBand – the fit band for kids appeared first on All Mum Said.

Like all kids, mine love adding new toys to their collection. It is Poppet in particular this time as LeapFrog have added a few fantastic new products to their range that are perfectly suited to her. She has been playing non stop with 2 toys in particular – the Roll & Go Rocking Horse and the Mobile Med Kit which appears to be her favourite. Check out some of the new LeapFrog toys below.

 New LeapFrog toys

Roll & Go Rocking Horse

Designed for children 6-36 months this is a great product for developing gross motor skills and encouraging bub to crawl or move. The LeapFrog Roll & Go Rocking Horse features fun light and sound effects so every time it is rolled the lights blink and plays funny horse sounds, songs and rhymes. Each time bub touches the horse or pushes its saddle it plays short phrases like ‘Let’s go on a ride together!’ which provides exciting ways for the children to interact. I love that there are 3 volume options on the Roll & Go Rocking Horse; OFF, Quiet (which as an adult is easy enough to tune out) and of course Loud (which isn’t overbearingly loud). RRP $24.99 ea.

Mobile Med Kit

While this toys is recommended for 2+ years my 1 year old absolutely loves it! With the push of the siren button, sounds and lights will be activated to let everyone know there is an emergency and your little one is on the way with the Mobile Med Kit. It is an exciting way to combine learning with play. Included with the med kit is a stethoscope, otoscope, thermometer and syringe for authenticity and so your child can perform pretend check ups. When the Mobile Med Kit is rolled it plays phrases that teach your child about the body and sings songs like ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’. A fantastic option for role-play, learning and lots of fun!  Just like the Roll & Go Rocking Horse, it features the same wonderful volume options. RRP $34.99 ea.

2x PRIZES UP FOR GRABS

Each Prize contains: 1x LeapFrog Mobile Med Kit. RRP $34.99 each. Total Prize Pool: $69.98

**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries however I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family. Sharing is caring and karma loves kind people. **
a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you are wanting to enter more giveaways click over here.

Disclosure: I received the above items for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

The post New LeapFrog toys + giveaway appeared first on All Mum Said.

Trying to find interactive games that are educational and fun is often a hard task to accomplish; add in the fact that you want it for a 5 year old and you want them to love it adds another dimension of difficulty. I’m pretty impressed with myself because I have done it! I found a LeapFrog game called Adventure Sketchers for my sons LeapPad, it is innovative and brings their art to life. The kids love that it is interactive and they can record phrases that play in the game and then there is the pictures they create that appear while they are playing.

This is great for on-the-go or if you need 5 minutes quiet and the kids won’t even realise you are benefiting from it (they’ll think you are great for letting them play).  If you are looking for a game that entertains, encourages imagination, story telling and promotes learning then I recommend the LeapFrog Adventure Sketchers!

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Enter below to win: 1 of 3 LeapFrog Adventure Sketchers! games. RRP $44.99 ea. (Total Prize Pool $134.97)

LeapPad tablet is required to play these games. LeapPad not included in prize.

**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries. It’s good karma though and I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Adventure Sketchers brings art to life appeared first on All Mum Said.

We live in a very technology rich world and our kids are learning to use devices like the LeapPad 2 that we couldn’t have dreamed of using at such a young age. While I let my children indulge in the ‘toys’ of today they are time limited on the games they play, education games on the other hand are given some leeway.  When looking for tablets (or similar) for kids you want something strong, something that in the unfortunate event it is dropped it will survive. Something that is going to be able to handle those little fingers poking at the screen.

I was offered the opportunity to try out the LeapFrogs LeapPad 2 Limited Edition Disney Monsters University Bundle and I must say I am not disappointed, neither are the kids! There is probably a reason LeapPad from LeapFrog is the number 1 kids’ learning tablet. This Monsters bundle and the Disneys Princess are exclusive to Target and LeapFrog‘s online store for RRP $169. The bundles include the limited edition LeapPad 2 tablet, ‘Sulley’ cleaning cloth, $30 App centre downloadable card, exclusive stickers and wallpaper and the amazing ‘Mike’ moulded gel skin. While this does seem like a lot  of money you definitely pay for quality. I can vouch that these are tough! My 1 year old has grabbed it off the couch or taken it from the boys bedrooms and dropped it the tiles on more than one occasion and you would never know, there is not a scratch, mark or dent on it which makes this a great first tablet option.

The features don’t just end at surviving the drop test; it has front and back cameras plus a video camera. With a 4GB memory it is capable of holding up to 20,000 photos and 70 apps! Oh and it comes with 9 apps already loaded to it but when you are ready to add more you can choose from a library of 400+ educator approved apps and games so you are bound to find something that appeals to your little ones.  My 5 year loves his LeapPad 2 and is expanding his knowledge whilst having fun. If you are looking at introducing your child to tablets then I’d seriously consider the LeapPad 2.

Disclosure: As mentioned above I received a LeapPad 2 to review for the purpose of this post. All opinions are my own.

The post Limited edition LeapPad 2 Bundles {Review} appeared first on All Mum Said.

It’s my party and I’ll celebrate if I want to!! We are 2! Can you believe it? Today is our 2nd blog birthday or otherwise known as blogoversary and we want to celebrate by throwing a wonderful jamboree of prizes. It’s a huge birthday giveaway. I cannot believe that we have survived another year and things are only looking better and better each day. Before we get to the party I want make a toast *clinks knife on glass* If it weren’t for the dedication, compassion and loyalty from wonderful readers, the amazing generosity from fantastic PR and businesses, life in general and of course the Mad Mummas team we wouldn’t be here today. We love being able to offer support, reviews, every day articles, giveaways, discounts, freebies and much more and we know it wouldn’t be possible without you all. If we can help just one person from a post we count it as a win. So to wrap up this speech as Benjamin Disraeli says “I feel a very unusual sensation – if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude.”

Let the festivities begin!!

Birthday giveaway

We have teamed up with some incredible businesses to bring you all an amazing giveaway so if you can find a few spare minutes after entering to pop over and thank a couple we would really appreciate it.

BooBoos Beauties – 1x Handmade Lace Dream Catcher ($15 value)

This gorgeous dream catcher is both delicate and beautiful. A stunning addition to any bedroom as it is perfect for any age from birth to adulthood. They are well made and make an eye catching feature to a little girls room. I have purchased one similar to this from BooBoos Beauties for Miss H and I love that because they are handmade there are no 2 identical. They also sell gorgeous headbands and clips for girls aged newborn and up.

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Pretty Little Peppers  – 1x Custom Made Flutter Dress ($25+ value)

What little girl doesn’t love a flutter dress that has been made especially for her? Pretty Little Peppers is a handmade business that is local to me and is owned and run by a mum of 4. Miss H has a couple of her dress creations already and we will definitely be getting more as she grows. Only top quality fabrics and a whole lot of love goes into making these precious dresses. The range does extend further than just dresses and are absolutely adorable!

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Something Pretty Something Blue –  1x $20 Voucher ($20 value)

This voucher can be used on any of their stunning SPSB jewellery. Wanting rings, bracelets, necklaces or something else? Each product is as beautiful as the next and the range varies so there is truly something for everyone.

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Feathered  – 1x Harmony Ball in pink ($20 value)

 The Harmony Ball is a symbol of relaxation and calm and is said to create a feeling of tranquillity or harmony to whoever wears it. Feathered provides great quality jewellery at a fraction of the price other retailers charge; the Harmony Ball retails for $69 else where but you can purchase it for only $20 with free postage from Feathered.

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Molossi – 1x $50 Prize Pack ($50 value)

The prize pack includes flowers, Bling, Brads, Stickers plus more which is such a wonderful prize for all those scrapbookers out there. Molossi pride themselves on their customer service and have everything you could want or need for scrapbooking and papercraft. The range is extensive and quality is second to none.

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Tumble Monkey Handmade –  1x Starter Pack ($20 value)

I am a MASSIVE fan of wool dryer balls and have used them for about a year now so I was thrilled when Tumble Monkey Handmade wanted to come on board with the giveaway. The Starter  Pack includes 4x 100% natural wool dryer balls that are presented in a gift box. These are a great product to have if you are trying to be energy efficient,  environmentally conscious or have sensitive skin not to mention they cut down your drying time!

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Pollylou and Boo  – 1x Hair Bow Clip Prize Pack ($10 value)

This prize pack contains handmade hair clips for little girls (or big girls!), these bows are gorgeous and made with a mothers love. Pollylou and Boo only started business this year and are making their ribbons and bows known to many homes each day with their quality and range.

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Soda Baby Boutique  – 1x Personalised Towel ($29.95 value)

Having a baby or know someone who is? Maybe you are just looking for a special gift for a little one? Well this personalised prize from Soda Baby Boutique is available in 3 designs – Lion, Giraffe and caterpillar. It can be personalised with a name and a date to create a gorgeous keepsake.

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Fertile Mind  – 1x Hugabub Organic Pocket Wrap ($99 value)

Do you want  to be hands-free and able to do what you have to do while providing your baby a sense of closeness and connection? With Hugabub carriers you can take your baby everywhere and still have the freedom to everything you need to do and have 2 free hands. For more great products visit Fertile Mind. *Winner can choose from colours: Cream, black, blue, pistachio, raspberry.

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Mylight – 1x $50 voucher ($50 value)

Mylight is a fantastic business that allows you to create your very own personalised one of a kind night light. For any age or occasion – baby, child,  wedding, man cave, etc. Check them out for full details and pricing at www.mylight.com.au. They have a special on for Mad Mummas readers at the moment ~ A free upgrade to their premium remote controlled light type (valued @ $39.95). Select the remote controlled light type in the design section of their site and enter the code:- RGB for your discount to be applied.

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Gingerlilly Sleepwear  – 2x Lara Dressing Gowns ($119.90 value)(Total prize pool $239.80)

2x lucky ladies will each receive one of these gorgeous dressing gowns from Gingerlilly Australia.  This wool robe is a luxurious blend of wool and nylon and will keep you nice and warm this winter while having the softest feel against your skin. The waist tie is attached which keeps the garment figure flattering with a cardigan feel. This garment is pure luxury.

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Jujo Baby  –  1x Ripple Stripe Shwrap ($64.95 value)

If you have a baby or are expecting than add a Shwrap to your list of things to get because they are absolutely wonderful! Miss H wore hers almost everyday when she was a baby. It is also great if you are breastfeeding because it is long enough to cover you up while they are wearing it.  A very versatile and unique blanket with sleeves knitted in 100% supersoft cotton. Jujo Baby also has a wide range of gorgeous baby and toddler wear. *Winner will receive: Colour – Mint. One size: Approx 0-8mths.

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Plum Baby  – 1x 2.5TOG Sleep Bag ($69.95 value)

Plum Sleep Bags are soft, safe and absolutely adorable and are designed in Australia. Care and attention is taken with every last detail to ensure that the sleep bag is not only soft and cozy for babies but one that looks great and will last too. It is important for babies to sleep well and warmth is one of the major factors to ensure a good nap. Plum Sleep bag features that ensure baby is as safe and comfortable as possible.  These features include double zippers with tabs at both ends, protector tab at the base of the zip and at the top to protect babies chin, a travel function on selected designs, underarm snaps for smaller babies, on selected designs double press stud snaps on the shoulders. *Winner can choose print: Animal, Polar Bear or Puppy.

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Johnson’s Baby  – 10x Baby Bath Milk 500ml ($7.99 value) (Total Prize Pool $79.90)

This soap-free and pH neutral Baby Milk Bath cleanses and moisturises your baby skin with nourishing milk extracts and vitamins. It is mild and made with a gentle NO MORE TEARS^® formula which makes bath time even better. Johnson’s Baby products are trusted and always on hand in our house, now they can be in yours as well. 

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LeapFrog – LeapReader ($99.99 value)

Read, write and listen with LeapReader, the first ever reading and writing system for children.  Designed to help children become confident, independent readers and writers by learning to build reading fundamentals, sound out words, read sentences and trace letters.  The LeapReader reads over 500 interactive touch points in each specially designed LeapFrog book, writes on the ‘Learn to Write’ pressure paper, and allows your child to listen to the catalogue of audio books.  For more information, visit www.leapfrog.com.au

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Funtastic – Flutterbye Flying Fairy ($49.99 value)

For centuries fairy lore has captivated young girls, leaving them wondering if fairies are real.  Now we know the magic is real!  Flutterbye Flying Fairy is the only real flying fairy.  You can easily control Flutterbye Flying Fairy with the wave of your hand.  She responds to you and her surroundings, floating above your hand, soaring into the sky.  Flutterbye Flying Fairy will spin through the air for five minutes from each 30 minute charge.  Launch her from her jewel box charging station or from your hand.

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Funtastic – Air Hogs Atmosphere ($39.99 value)

Thanks to Funtastic you can now soar to new heights with the Air Hogs Atmosphere! This powerful levitating sphere requires no remote control and hovers above any surface! Its spherical shape allows the Atmosphere to smoothly bounce off walls and ceilings for non-stop flight. You are the controller with the high-tech hovering power of the Air Hogs Atmosphere!

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Chill Factor – 4x Slushy Maker ($14.95 value) (Total Prize Pool $59.80)

What’s quick, fun and cool?  The Slushy Maker from ChillFactor!  CHILL FACTOR™ Slushy Maker is an amazing, quick and easy at-home slushy making sensation. No mess, no fuss! In less than a minute, you can make a delicious frozen slushy treat. Just add your favourite chilled drink to the frozen cup, put on the lid and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze! In less than a minute, you can make a delicious frozen slushy treat.

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Birthday Giveaway ~ I have 31x Amazing Prizes up for grabs!! Total Prize Pool over $1000.00.

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**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries. It’s good karma though and I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK & Thank you for your continued support!!

The post {HUGE Birthday giveaway} appeared first on All Mum Said.

I have shared my love of LeapFrog here on the blog a few times now and that’s because it is a brand that just keeps giving. I love that they continually produce products to suit a range of ages and encourage learning from the start. Mr 5 has a LeapReader that he uses daily and we recently added a new book to the collection that is proving to be very popular with not only him but every other child that visits; Doc McStuffins: The New Girl. The book encourages good vocabulary skills and healthy habits while educating children about cultures, health and social skills.

LeapFrog

The fun new AlphaPup aimed for 1-3 year olds is a fantastic product that teaches the alphabet, phonics and is great for improving gross motor skills. It is full of colour and has a range of settings for sound that include: the alphabet, singing and dog phrases. Miss H loves pulling this behind her she crawls along and gets so much joy from the bright coloured buttons. The AlphaPup is going to be a hit in our house for a long time yet.

Disclaimer: I was gifted the above items for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own and those of my children.

The post Learning with LeapFrog appeared first on All Mum Said.

Parents often ask themselves how can we prepare our children for school because I don’t want them to behind or struggle. How do we educate them to differentiate letters, how do we teach them the basics for reading, how do you make them want to learn? In all honesty some kids are just plain not interested and need to be encouraged. Kids want (and often need) to know that learning can be fun and thankfully many of the new tools available to parents today do exactly that.

My 4 year has been ‘playing’ with the new LeapReader for the past month and I say playing because that’s exactly what he thinks he is doing. He doesn’t realise that he is learning to take his time and listen to instructions before racing into the activity. Kye is also being more assertive with letters and is now excited to read and write. The LeapReader is designed to assist children in becoming confident, independent readers and writers. It does this by building their knowledge of reading fundamentals, sounding out letters and words, trace letters and eventually read sentences.

 I love that it takes an approach in education that is suitable for all ages and all levels of learning. With over 40 different books available for the LeapReader (and a wonderful selection at that) there is definitely something to suit every childs interests. We have been using the Learn to Write with Mr Pencil the most because it teaches children to write upper and lower case letters, shapes, direction, helps to understand letter sounds, correct stroke order and pencil control. Most importantly though – It is fun! The LeapReader is available from all major department stores and independent toy retailers for $99.99. For more information click over to the LeapFrog website.

As the title suggests I have a giveaway for Mad Mummas readers! I have 1x LeapReader with sampler book (RRP $99.99) that LeapFrog has generously given me to giveaway.

  To enter all you have to do is follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below.

Winner is decided based on skill and chance plays no part. Australian residents only! Sorry everyone else. **The mandatory instructions MUST be completed or your entry will be void!**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries. It’s good karma though and I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

The post Learning with LeapFrog + GIVEAWAY appeared first on All Mum Said.