Best Leapfrog Toys for 3 Year Olds

March 27, 2021 2 Comments

It’s very hard but very simple to buy toys for a 3-year-old. It’s simple because an average 3-year-old is not fussy. They don’t care if it’s affordable, topical, low cost, recommended by reviews, top-rated, etc. It’s complicated because you want to educate your child as well as entertain them. That’s where Leapfrog toys come in. They are a top interactive educational solution and also very popular with tots. So, what is the best leapfrog for 3 years old?

To answer that we looked at no less than 9 leapfrog games for 3-year-olds and frankly had a lot of fun playing with leapfrog learning games for more than 40 hours.

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Before we look at all 9 LeapFrog toys in detail, here are our top 3 leapfrog products for 3-year-olds that we think will keep them very happy.

The best ‘Leapfrog’ toys for a 3-year-old

EDITOR’s PICK
Best for long term learning
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We love this leapfrog computer for 3-year-olds that can still keep them happy and educated as they grow for years.
Pros:
— A rich learning environment for a typical 3-year old;
— Gets kids started on web browsing but in a fae and appropriate way;
— Music and video as well as applications and learning;
— Somewhat open-ended web design means kids can carry on using the tablet for several years as the get into their 4th and 5th years.

Cons:
— A bit complex for younger kids, who will probably need an adult carer to help them.
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Best starter Leapfrog set
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you want a fun affordable way to get kids started on literacy and numeracy, this old-school toy is great for 2-3-year-olds and is a low cost too.
Pros:
— Simple to use;
— Could be ideal for some late-2-year-olds and great for 3-year-olds;
— Very affordable;
— Improves motor skills like page-turning and pen holding.

Cons:
— Older tots may want to move on to something else once they hit age 4 (unlike our #1 pick product).
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Best pen and tablet interactive
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This award-nominated toy is all about identification, recognition, and understanding, and comes with a massive range of optional extra resources for a wide range of learning tasks.
Pros:
— Hours and hours of fun;
— Easy to use;
— Reasonably priced;
— Has 3D features not found on our #1 and #2 picks.

Cons:
— Not quite as good at creating a tech-savvy 3-year-old as our #1 Leapfrog pick.
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Choosing the right leapfrog toy for your tot

leapfrog for 3 years old
We know far more about child development and psychology now than we ever did before. Yes, it’s true that Newton, Darwin, Curie, and Einstein’s childhood toys probably weren’t much more than a hoop and a stick and some wooden soldiers. However, today’s 3-4-year-olds will grow up in a world increasingly dominated by AI and in a jobs market that is world-wide, not in a bucolic European village.

So, modern kids need modern toys to deal with the modern world. That’s really where Leapfrog wins out. The whole ethos of Leapfrog is for kids to have fun (which is important) but also enjoy learning at the same time (which is equally important). What’s more, leapfrog products often have some link to adult technology skills, especially around IT, soi that’s all part of preparing them for whatever the 21st century throws at them.

Kids, like adults, learn best when they are enjoying themselves and are being encouraged and rewarded. So, a lot of thought goes into leapfrog products to sugar-coat the skills the tot will pick up through play with enjoyment and the odd bit of humor.

For a long time, Psychologists of child development like Jean Piaget and schools like Montessori have shown that children’s brains and their styles of learning go through distinct developmental stages. That means that the way they learn and the way they play changes significantly over time.

What’s more, each child is different (and so is each parent or caregiver) so it’s great to think about something that will appeal to each individual child – it should not be ‘one size fits all’. For some kids leapfrog tablets or ultra games or platinum games will work best. But there are other kinds of leapfrog toys too. Some are suited to the child playing alone, others for collaborative play with other kids and somewhere the child and their carer can play together.

Choosing Leapfrog Games for 3 Year Olds

So, let’s pick out the best of the best leapfrog games in more detail with a detailed rundown of 9 suggestions.

1. LeapFrog LeapPad Academy Kids’ Learning Tablet

Best for long term learning


Computer, tablet, and smartphone skills are going to be part of all normal kid’s lives in the future (until we get those brain implants, that is). We love this leapfrog computer for 3-year-olds that can still keep them happy and educated as they grow for years. In a nutshell, you get an ergonomically designed for tots android tablet with supplied apps but also a safe search web browser that allows your child to go to carefully selected sites. What this means is that your tot gets basic IT training in looking for information, for starters and then has the added learning experience of the content too.

So, this is actually a triple win, as they pick up IT skills, gain general knowledge, and also do some maths and English on the way. The fourth win is that it is all fun too, with videos and music as apps as well.

Pros:
  • A rich learning environment for a typical 3-year old
  • Gets kids started on web browsing but in a fae and appropriate way
  • Music and video as well as applications and learning
  • Somewhat open-ended web design means kids can carry on using the tablet for several years as the get into their 4th and 5th years
Cons:
  • A bit complex for younger kids, who will probably need an adult carer to help them

Verdict: The Leapfrog Leappad is in our view a great investment that is more of a platform than a dedicated solution.

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2. LeapFrog LeapStart Interactive Learning System

Best starter Leapfrog set


If a tablet is a bit too much (and not affordable) ten why not try this fun affordable way in a more traditional package to get kids started on literacy and numeracy.

This interactive book is a more old-school toy (well if you count the 1990s as old school) and is great for 2-3-4 year-olds. It comes in at a lot less than our #1 pick and is a low risk / low-cost option. The child uses the stylus to select objects which creates an interactive play experience. This includes music, voices, animal sounds, and other fun sound effects. It’s a great way to start your 3-year old on the path to learning ABC and 123!

Pros:
  • Simple to use
  • Could be ideal for some late-2-year-olds and great for 3-year-olds
  • Very affordable
  • Improves motor skills like page-turning and pen holding
Cons:
  • Older tots may want to move on to something else once they hit age 4 (unlike our #1 pick product)

Verdict: Leapstart is a good possibility for your 3-year-old. It’s fun, it’s educational, it’s affordable and we recommend this interactive learning system book for 2-3-year-olds as ideal for a younger tot.

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3. LeapFrog LeapStart 3D Interactive Learning System

Best pen and tablet interactive


At first glance, our #3 entry looks rather like #2. It is another pen and book-based interactive product. What makes this model different is the 3D (sort of) animation, which is great for visual literacy. As well as sound, you get on-screen animations by the child using the greppable stylus to tap on the pictures and words in the book – and you can buy many different books so that the child can explore different aspects of reading, counting, naming, recognizing, problem-solving and a whole lot more.

It’s not just random tasks either, this is a finely tuned system aimed at first-grade skills taught in the USA and Canada, so everything is there for a reason and a purpose.

Pros:
  • Hours and hours of fun
  • Easy to use
  • Reasonably priced
  • Has 3D features not found on our #1 and #2 picks
Cons:
  • Not quite as good at creating a tech-savvy 3-year-old as our #1 Leapfrog pick

Verdict: Plenty here with the Leapfrog Leap Start 3D for the developing mind and some good motor skills training too.

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4. LeapFrog Mr. Pencil’s ABC Backpack

Best backpack learning toy

There is something about backpacks that some kids love. In this case, that backpack comes with a whole bunch of learning exercises, including the ability to do some handwriting (which is great and something not really present on any of the other toys we have reviewed thus far). Handwriting is a bit of a dying art, as we all now use keyboards, touchscreens, etc. more and more (and in fact use Alexa, Siri, Cortana, and many other voice AI interfaces too). That said, good handwriting still is a skill that needs learning for schoolwork (and later for life in general).

So, that puts this fun and well-designed leapfrog toy more aimed at literacy in the 3-6-year-old age range, rather than for a general toy for 2-3 years old.

Pros:
  • Great for phonics
  • Kids can take this to school or on trips with ease and it won’t get forgotten and / or lost as easily
  • Sturdy carrying handle and comfortable adjustable straps
  • Helps develop freehand writing motor and eye skills in your 3-year-old
  • Easy to use and plenty to do for your youngster
  • Some really fun games to play
  • Backpacks are cool, in our view
Cons:
  • Quite a narrow focus around literacy

Verdict: This Leapfrog backpack is a learning toy to buy for a specific need rather than as a general educational plaything. That said, it does what it is designed for really well and we happily recommend it. If you are on the school run in your Mum/Dad Uber role, this has to be worth a shot.

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5. LeapFrog 2-in-1 LeapTop Touch

Best keyboard training tool

We’re back to the keyboard now and a younger audience with the LeapFrog 2-in-1 LeapTop Touch computer. Of course, adult computers use QWERTY keyboards and this is laid out as ABC but it does get your youngster familiar with the basics of sitting at a keyboard and hitting the keys to get a result. Pretty soon they will be off to college and writing scathing political satire or new episodes of Game of Thrones. They will thank you then for this.

Anyway, back to the present day and one big plus is that some kids love to emulate adults (hence the market in child-sized gardening tools, cooking utensils, car mechanic stuff, etc.). In this case, your kid can ‘work from home’ if that’s what you do, happily punching (or munching) away at the keyboard, just like you do, and learning into the bargain. It flips over into tablet mode too, so a double plus strike in one product.

Pros:
  • Lets your tot learn both keyboard typing and basic tablet operation
  • Your tot can copy you while you work
  • Nice selection of activities
  • Reasonable cost
Cons:
  • Some other roughly comparable toys have a wider range of activities

Verdict: The Leapfrog laptop touch is a great way to get your little ones started on learning basic keyboard skills before they move on to a PC as they get older.

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6. LeapFrog LeapStart Go System


The Leapstart Go system is really a library of books but with the added fun of some electronic wizardry that creates an interactive experience.

You buy the pen, which hooks to a PC (not a tablet or phone) and buys the book sets (these are sold separately). Once you have the pen and the book sets you then hook the pen up to your computer to download the content for each “explore and go” book from Leapfrog onto the leapfrog pen, where it displays on a small screen. If that all sounds a bit complicated (and it is) this is still a great tool once you have it working that kids will love.

Some kids will read normal books, others find that dull, so this is ideal for that second group. Reading is fun again.

Pros:
  • A lot of fun and a lot of learning from this system
  • An unusual toy that has been cleverly thought through
  • You get one book for free with the package
  • Encourages kids to read books, not just look at screens
Cons:
  • Takes time to set up
  • You need to budget for more books

Verdict: A lot of toys designed for kids are also designed to appeal to adults – since it is the adults who are paying the money, after all.

In our experience, almost all kids will like this pen and book Leapfrog system but some adults might find it all a bit too complicated. However, this is intended for a kid’s appeal and works really well once configured by an adult. Put the effort in and you’ll get a good result.

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7. LeapFrog RockIt Twist Handheld Learning Game

Best handheld game

Now some kids love to learn, some just want to play games. In fact, that applies to teenagers and adults too. So, why not design a game and sneak the teaching element into it? That’s just what the LeapFrog RockIt Twist Handheld Learning Game System. Any adults who grew up in the ’90s or before will remember some of the handheld pre-tablet and pre-console computer games of the time and this award-nominated/winning interactive toy will bring back memories of plumbers, donkeys, ghosts etc. We know what we mean right?

If you don’t want to get a kid an Ipad, or Kindle etc. and want a self-contained, safe and inexpensive alternative, then check out all the games you can play on this. You have no worries with kids downloading stuff you don’t want them too, or getting hooked very early on on the internet. Just plain old fun with a bunch of supplied educationally minded but great to play games.

So, well worth taking a look at.

Pros:
  • Great for the kid who shouldn’t yet have a tablet
  • Cheaper than a tablet
  • More robust than a tablet
Cons:
  • For younger kids only – before they get their first tablet or smartphone

Verdict: It is simpler than a tablet, it is more affordable and safer too. So, there is just the right age range (we think 3 to about 4.5) where this hits the mark. We recommend getting the carry case as this is a great device for keeping your kid amused on those long car journeys or plane flights.

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8. LeapFrog Mr. Pencil’s Scribble and Write

Best for long air or automobile journeys

Now, we just mentioned in our #7 entry, the perils of a 3-year-old on a long journey but with nothing to do. Well, just to be safe, we’d get Leapfrog Mr. Pencil’s Scribble and Write as well as Leapfrog Rocket Twist. Yes OK you need to pay a bit more but it is so much cheaper than a divorce, a ticket from the highway patrol or ban from an airline isn’t it? Ok, we are kidding but you know a 3-year-old public meltdown ain’t a pretty thing to watch on a plane or be stuck inside a car with for 4 hours as you head to the coast.

What you get for your bucks are six different activities that build up your kid’s abilities in writing, drawing and spelling. All this is delivered with the help of Mr. Pencil who gives your child feedback on their progress. As well as entry via buttons, your child can use the supplied Mr. Pencil stylus on the touch screen, to trace each logical point.

Pros:
  • Teaches Uppercase/Lowercase letters, numbers, shapes, and phonics
  • Sturdy and travels well
  • Choice of colors
  • Plenty to keep your youngster from asking ‘are we there yet?’
Cons:
  • The screen could do with being a little brighter if used in a bright environment like a sunlit garden or car with a glass roof

Verdict: The killer use case for this Leapfrog gizmo is air travel. It’s not expensive so why not save yourself a grumpy travel experience and get into those free peanuts.

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9. LeapFrog LeapTV Educational Gaming System

Best TV game set

Wow, there are so many LeapFrog products we could have reviewed here and just didn’t have space. So, we wanted to end our list on something quite different from the vast LeapFrog product family and that is this mini-me X-box alternative games for a TV system. Now we all know about normal consoles like the aforementioned Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii etc. and some young kids have them – but the truth is that they are not designed for younger kids and frankly there are plenty of console games you do not want them playing at such a young age.

So, that’s the thinking behind this age-appropriate LeapFrog TV games system. Your kids can play age-appropriate console games, just like their older siblings (or these days their parents). There are a lot of games but of course, they are all sourced from LeapFrog and carefully crafted. So, you don’t need to worry about coming upstairs to find your 3-year-old battling an on-screen zombie apocalypse, using an AK-47 as part of a team including some odd adults. What you get is a safe and fun environment.

Pros:
  • Let your kids get into gaming but with no worries about what or who they are going to be exposed to
  • Reasonably priced, compared to a standard console
  • Reasonable games
Cons:
  • The game system is closed, so your choice of titles (and their price) is restricted

Verdict: Safe starter games console fun for a new generation that will be living online well into the late 21st Century

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Best Leapfrog Toys for 3 Year Old

So, that about wraps up our quick look at some of the 9 best Leapfrog tools for 3-year-olds. We could easily have added many more but wanted to give you a sample of some different kinds.

EDITOR’s PICK
Best for long term learning
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Best starter Leapfrog set
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Best pen and tablet interactive
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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In the end, you know the child you are buying for best, and you know what kind of use cases you have (at home, traveling, on vacation etc.) so you can pick from this list and it might make sense to pick a couple as these often complement each other.

Please leave any of your ideas, thoughts, or observations in the comments section and thanks for reading.

About The Author

Amy Macdonald

Amy’s parents emigrated to the US from Scotland when she was 5 and she feels this was a defining moment in her life. She talks about the excitement of a new country but also the challenges of integration. As a child, she was diagnosed with mild dyslexia which she successfully overcame and Amy is a trained relationship counsellor, specialising in CBT, and is the proud mum of three kids, now in their late teens. Living in Vermont, her family are very much outdoor types and she is a firm believer in “the family who plays together stays together”. She loves hiking, camping and generally getting away from the stresses of modern living.

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2 Comments

  1. Lilfroggy March 25, 2021

    What is the link with Leapfrog products and the child development stages?

    Reply
    • ModernParentOnline March 26, 2021

      The theories of Piaget we mentioned (and subsequent research) suggests that children need different kinds of toys at different ages, as their brains change and grow. In the Montessori system, it is four stages with 0-6 as a single stage. Piaget and his subsequent followers divide it much more finely, having many stages and substages. Roundabout age 2 the child moves from being passive through six sub-stages to the point of “Internalization of schemata”, which basically means that the child is starting to construct a working model of how the world around him or her works. The second stage is the one these toys fit into which is from age 2 until about age 7 and the child builds up the ability to speak fluently, reason, deal with abstract ideas, use symbols and representations, and so on.

      Leapfrog products are fine-tuned to this step-by-step model.

      Reply

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