LeapFrog Epic and VTech 4-in-1 Stroll & Grow Tek Trike™

As a parent, vtech and LeapFrog have been part of my vocabulary since 2008. They helped keep our babies entertained and engaged, keep their toddlers doing imaginative play, and kept our school-aged kids learning, safely.

When we got the opportunity to try out the latest and greatest from two of our favourite brands we jumped at the chance. Their eyes lit up when the packages arrived and revealed the vtech 4-in-1 Stroll & Grow Tek Trike™ and LeapPad Epic Academic Edition.

vtech 4-in-1 Stroll & Grow Tek Trike™

Our youngest was the only one in our house without a bike and although I wouldn’t say he was devastated he was for sure delirious with joy when the 4-in-1 Stroll & Grow Tek Trike™ showed up. He slid the box all over the house following me until I caved and put it together with him. It took an hour with a very involved 3-year-old yelling telling me to hurry up and screw it together but once we got it all figured out he sat on it for all waking hours of 2 days.

We are still not allowed to look at the bike because if he notices he quickly sit down and let us know it’s “HIS” bike. Being the youngest of four and living in an endless supply of hand-me-downs means new toys are a rare occurrence.

The Tek Trike is best for ages 9 months to 6 years (great value) and I know from experience that toys that grow with our kids are the ones that have longevity in our home. Add in the fantastic interactive electronic panel that changes with each stage of the bike and we have adventures for years. The panel lets your LO explore their neighbourhood, teaches left and right, helps to reinforce road safety and encourages role-play. My son has mastered screaming ‘vroom-vroom’ closely followed by ‘push me, mommy’.

Our youngest is a big boy so we opted out of the seatbelt, footrest and wrap around safety bar but kept the push handle so that we could control his hijinks. The handle can easily be moved up and down to accommodate different caregivers from pushing the trike around.

Since he is still learning how to pedal he is enjoying being pushed around but in due time I will unlock the front tires to give him control of steering and eventually he will get all the bells and whistles with unlocked back tires allowing him to drift.

You read that right, once he’s got his B2 (second level of graduated licensing system I made up for bike riding) you watch out because our little guy will be drifting :/

PS. Since originally writing this post he has, in fact, got the hang of pedalling so we have unlocked the front tires and let him do as he pleases while still keeping the handles so we can grab control in case it is needed. Follow along with vtech on their Facebook and Youtube channel for the latest news and releases.

Click the link below to get yours today!

LeapPad Epic Academy Edition

We have a lot of LeapPads in this house that we have accumulated over the past 10 years. They are the one toy we have consistently purchased for our kids and actually one of the best quality toys we have purchased. We never had to buy a new LeapPad because they broke we always ended up getting our kids the newer model as they kept making them better.

So we heard about the LeapPad Epic Academy Edition and it seemed like the perfect way to get our youngest daughter off of my phone and tablet and onto her own. Little did I know that the newest LeapFrog epic would actually become a hit between three of our kids.

I have still not taken off the protective plastic sheet over our screen because I am overprotective like that (the actual screen has zero scratches) but this unit comes with both the shatter-safe screen and the protective case that does indeed keep it safe from unexpected drops.

The tablet was a small worry compared to what they could find on the internet so I am appreciative of the ability to set time limits and control what they have access to on the tablet. This particular one offers LeapSearch web browser that has kid-friendly videos (Disney music videos included) and websites. As your kids get older and/or more responsible you can add more approved sites and Android apps and this mama approves of that.

Preloaded with oodles of learning games you can set the epic up and hand it right to your child. Although you have access to over 750 educator-approved games, eBooks, videos and more I am finding that my kids are more than happy with what came with the system. From our previous LeapPad experiences we found that if our kids had special occasions like birthdays, Christmas, or just for good behaviour we could reward with a new game or two. Some of the games even include learning games that adjust to meet each child’s current learning level.

One of the biggest reasons that this epic Academy Edition tablet really caught our eyes though is the 3 months of LeapFrog Academy that comes included. The step-by-step learning program provides your child with a learning program that grows with them. It is disguised as a video game and I feel no shame telling my kids to go play the Academy game while I get some work done. It is helping them stay on top of their math, reading, creativity and problem-solving skill during the summer and preventing that dreaded summer slide. Plus you can track your child’s progress to know where they may need some extra help.

If you are looking for a way to introduce your little ones to tech that will help them grow and learn without the dangers of the internet the LeapFrog epic is a perfect choice. Kids don’t realize that they are learning when they play on the epic and I think that is my favourite part. Follow along with LeapFrog on Facebook and Instagram for their latest release.

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Aneta Alaei

Aneta is a Toronto-based mom of four that loves a good meal, great company, and learning something new. In her free time, you can find her trying to keep yet another plant alive.

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