My girls love their LeapFrog Explorer and so do I.  They have learned so much through play and though we do try to limit their time playing video games, we are happy to know when they do play they are getting something out of it.  But lets face it, fun is fun and the more fun they can have the happier they are!  Right? And happy kids make a happy mommy!

Well when I say that this new addition that we received for the LeapFrog explorer is fun, I mean it is REALLY FUN!  What I’m talking about is the Camera & Video Recorder.  This thing is amazing not only in what it can do but in the quality that it does it.

Here is what I love about the camera:

• It’s just a little piece that you attach to the bottom of your Explorer.  It goes on and off very easily.  I’m not sure if it takes up more battery power because we try to keep it on the charger when not in use (you do have to take the attachment off to put it on the charger but that hasn’t been a problem at least until they lose it)
• It takes amazing pictures for a kids camera.  I am very impressed.  We have actually printed out some of the picture that the kids have taken, and we’ve deleted some as well!  (I need to stress more to them that pictures of mommy first thing in the morning are not to be taken! LOL).
• You can do so many fun things with the pictures and we’ve had a blast making silly pictures.  One thing we’ve had fun doing is distorting the picture by dragging pieces of it along the screen with the pen.  My girls think this is the funniest thing ever!
• My 6 year old loves making stories with the camera.  You take pictures and record ‘sound bytes’ to add to the story and she’s come up with some really silly things.
• The video recorder does just as good as a job as the camera does!  My 3 year old likes to make up ‘little movies’ and she narrates them.  These will be little treasures as they grow older.

I’ve been downloading their creations as often as I can, but they can also delete things so I’ve missed out on a few.  But they have total control and it’s so much fun looking at the pictures they take and listening to the stories and ‘movies’ they’ve created.  My girls have big imaginations and the fact that we are capturing them while they are having fun is just priceless.

About the Leapster Explorer Camera & Video Recorder…

This new accessory snaps into the Leapster Explorer’s peripheral slot to expand the entertainment and learning possibilities. With the most built-in photo educational activities and LeapFrog’s largest, brightest full-color touch screen, the Leapster Explorer handheld with Camera & Video Recorder provides visual engagement in learning math and reading.

Using the Leapster Explorer Camera & Video Recorder, kids can:

—>Take, edit and store up to 1,000 pictures
—>Stretch, stamp and draw on pictures to create personalized snapshots or use them in activities
—>Play eight learning activities using their photos
—>Create personalized cards to email to family and friends
—>Show off photos and photo albums with voice captions and background music
—>Select one of six songs and direct a music video

If your child has the Explorer I highly recommend you consider adding this instead of a new game.  They truly can do so much and will have hours of fun playing with it.  And like I said above, you can download their creations and save them because lets face it, once these kids grow up we are going to forget the little silly things they did!  So to me, the camera and video recorder is more for preserving their silliness and for them it’s just plan silly fun!

Do you have this? If so what do you think? Do you love it as much as I do??  I’m sure the kids do!

Product Price: $24.99

Purchase Information: You can purchase it online at Leapfrog.com or at Toys R Us, Target, Walmart and on Amazon.

Disclosure: I received a Leapster Explorer Camera & Video Recorder for my review. This did not influence my post and as always, my words are my own.