LeapFrog Tag – A ‘Must Have’ Toy for this Christmas

This Christmas, the Practical Parenting Gold Award winning new LeapFrog Tag Reading System, will take learning to read to a whole new level. Combining the enjoyment of reading with an interactive learning experience through fun games and activities, Tag has already been tipped by Woolworths and Argos as one of the top new toys for Christmas.  [See Agros Top Christmas Toys and Woolworths Top Christmas Toys]

LeapFrog Tag

The Tag Reading System consists of an electronic reader which, when used with the range of exciting LeapFrog book titles, makes story time come to life. With every touch Tag’s built-in camera reads words and pages aloud, with characters and pictures making noises to enhance the reading experience. The groundbreaking Tag technology helps children learn to read, develop their vocabulary and learn how to spell, through games and activities within the books.

The Tag system works by “reading” by identifying dotted media. A small, sophisticated infrared camera works as an imaging system to recognize letters, words, and symbols when written on special dot-patterned paper. Using an optical pattern system and digital processing techniques the Tag reader can determine its precise location within the dot media. This enables a child to jump around within a book, or back and forth between different books in a seamless way.

There are more than nine titles in the LeapFrog Tag range, from classics such as Paddington Bear and Dr Seuss, to contemporary characters like Ariel from Disney Princesses and Po from Kung Fu Panda.

The current full list is:

Disney Pixar Cars
Disney Princess
Kung Fu Panda
Go Diego Go
SpongeBob Square Pants
Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends
Olivia
Paddington Bear
Dr Seuss The Cat in the Hat

Exciting titles due to launch in 2009 include Dora the Explorer, Scooby Doo and the eagerly anticipated Madagascar 2. Tag stores up to five titles and is small enough for learning on the go.

A unique benefit of Tag is that it connects to a brand new online Learning Path*: a dedicated website where kids can unlock fun rewards and activities and parents can follow their child’s learning progress.
Tag is suitable for 4-8 years old. RRP £39.99 which includes the title Ozzie & Mack

The new technology means that children are no longer confined to repetitive books. With Tag, reading becomes a joy and a game! Children are now able to get a sense of independence as they can to read by themselves or with their parent. For more information visit www.leapfrog.com/tag

Woolworths Toy Sale – 3 for 2 Offers

All this week, until Midnight Sunday 19th October, Woolworths have a great 3 for 2 toys offer.  Shop early for Christmas and get some real bargains.

The offer applies to all toys showing this tag:

3 for 2 on Toys at Woolworths

When you buy 3 toys you get the lowest priced toy for free.
For the girls the offer includes:

Hannah Montana Electric Guitar and Microphone

High School Musical Feature Doll – Sharpay

For the boys offer includes:

Indiana Jones 4 Temple of the Crystal Skull

Dr Who Dalek Helmet

For pre-school offer includes:

Thomas the Tank Engine and Cranky Deluxe Set

Black and Decker Toy Workbench

To see the full range click here.

Woolworths Top 10 Christmas Toys for 2008

Back in July, Woolworths predicted their top 10 toys for Christmas 2008.  There is something for everyone, with the return of 80s classic the Rubiks Cube, toys from new Star Wars and Indiana Jones films, a pen that reads books to children and Upsy Daisy from In The Night Garden predicted to be the hottest toys this Christmas.

So let’s analyse some of the items in the list.  One of the most eye catching is the return of the Rubiks Cube. Invented in 1974 and massive in the 1980s, the Rubiks Cube is the puzzle where players battle with colours and cubes to get all nine squares on every side to match.

It fell out-of-favour in the 1990s but is experiencing a revival thanks to the popularity of competitions, brain teasers and speedcubing – how fast you can complete the Rubiks cube.

It used to be all about whether or not you could complete the Rubiks Cube, today there are tutorials and speed demonstrations on Youtube, groups on facebook a World Cube Association and ever tumbling world records. The current world record, 8.72 seconds, was broken in May and is held by Yu Nakajima from Japan.

Now Woolworths will stock the cube again this Christmas and it is expected to be a massive seller.

If you were a kid in the 1980s you will also recognise two other entries in the top 10 list – Star Wars and Indiana Jones toys.

With the release of a new animated film, Star Wars toys will be on most wanted lists again this Christmas. Lego Star Wars toys are expected to be the most popular with new ‘Clone Wars’ ranges now in the stores.

With Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull already topping the UK box office charts, toys from the film will be big sellers this Christmas. Woolies expects the £19.99 replica whip to be the best seller.

The most hi-tech entry this year is a toy that makes reading fun for young children.

The Leapfrog Tag is a pen-shaped instrument that uses computer and infrared technology to read to children as it runs over specially created books. It also plays reading games that work on vocabulary, comprehension and rhyming letters and sounds.

Children’s classics are set to be available in the Leapfrog Tag format as well as books featuring Diego (from Go Diego Go), SpongeBob SquarePants and Kung Fu Panda.

The continued popularity of BBC TV show In The Night Garden means that for the second year running a character from the show is in the top 10. This year the best seller will be Upsy Daisy In Her Bed. Loveable Upsy Daisy has her own special bed in the show and she often has to catch it when it runs away. Her catchphrase is ‘Daisy Doo!’.

Hot toys for boys this year include the Ben 10 deluxe Omnitrix, Bakugan Battle Arena and Catcha Beast.

The Ben 10 Omnitrix is a watch-like device from the popular TV cartoon character series Ben 10. Ben 10’s Omnitrix gives him special powers to transform into a variety of alien creatures with unique powers.

New on the shelves for boys this Christmas will be the Bakugan Battle Arena, a Beyblades-style card-based warrior game, and Catcha Beast. Catcha Beast allows kids to trade, battle and play with collectable electronic beasts and ghouls.

For girls this Christmas it’s all about Meebas and sing-a-long High School Musical Dolls.

Meebas are similar to Tamagotchi, you care for and love your Meebas and are rewarded by a fully grown plush doll if you are good owner.

Parents should also prepare for their daughters singing-a-long to High School Musical hits on Christmas day. There are three new High School Musical Dolls (Sharpay, Troy and Gabriella) coming this Christmas and they all come with a microphone and play hits from the second movie.

Top 10 toys for Christmas 2008 as listed by Woolworths in no particular order is:
• Rubiks Cube, £9.99
• Star Wars Clone Wars Lego, from £34.99
• Meebas, £16.99
• Ben 10 deluxe Omnitrix, £15.99
• High School Musical Sing Together Dolls, £20.99
• Bakugan Battle Arena, £29.99
• Leapfrog Tag, £39.99
• In The Night Garden Upsy Daisy In Her Bed, £34.99
• Indiana Jones Whip, £19.99
• Catcha Beast, £19.99