New LeapFrog Products Ease Transition from Summer Fun to Back-to-School

August 6, 2008/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Parents and kids will find more than pens, pencils and rulers when they do their back-to-school shopping this year -- they will also find engaging new products that make it fun to get back into classroom mode. The new educational handhelds from LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. , a leading developer of technology-based learning products, provide kids from pre-K to fifth grade with a range of on-the-go learning fun at home, school and beyond. LeapFrog's learning products are used widely in homes and in more than 100,000 school classrooms.

"Back-to-school may mark the end of long summer days, but with the new Didj, Leapster2 and Tag handhelds it doesn't have to be the end of learning fun," said Dr. Jim Gray, LeapFrog's director of learning. "Whether parents want to help prepare their children for back-to-school learning or build on what they will be studying in the classroom, kids will enjoy learning with a wide range of engaging games and books that feature their favorite movie and TV characters."

Custom Gaming with Actual Schoolwork: 1st Grade to 5th Grade

The Didj system, an entirely new learning platform from LeapFrog, is the first totally customizable educational gaming platform. Customized learning for Didj is available, through online connectivity that makes it easy for parents and kids to connect gameplay with actual schoolwork. For example, a custom spelling list can be created from the 10,000-word database, giving students the ability to practice for regular classroom tests while playing their favorite Didj game. Children can also personalize the look and feel of the games, from designing their own avatars to choosing background scenery, color schemes and music.

Didj, with an MSRP of $89.99, is available at www.leapfrog.com/gaming and at major retailers nationwide. The Didj software library includes nine learning games, with an MSRP of $29.99 each, including Star Wars: The Clone Wars, SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog, Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants: Fists of Foam, and Nicktoons: Android Invasion.

New Gaming Handheld from Leapster Family: Pre-K to 3rd Grade

The Leapster2 handheld takes over for the groundbreaking Leapster handheld. Designed for a new generation of learning games, the Leapster2 handheld expands the gameplay online with fun activities and rewards that encourage continued play, while allowing parents to see what their child is learning. The Leapster2 handheld provides active learning fun for children from Pre-K to third grade.

Leapster2, with an MSRP of $69.99, is available at www.leapfrog.com/gaming and at major retailers nationwide. The Leapster2 software library includes five new titles and 10 refreshed Leapster titles, including Disney/Pixar's WALL-E, Scholastic I SPY: Treasure Hunt and Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer Camping Adventure: Explore Spanish Words!, with an MSRP of $24.99 each.

Tag Makes Reading Fun: Pre-K to 3rd Grade

LeapFrog's new Tag Reading System is the first interactive reading product that brings books to life with a simple touch. Using the Tag handheld reader, a child can touch any word or picture in a Tag-enabled book to hear an entire story, hear individual words or play captivating learning games. For pre-K through third-grade children, Tag helps engage kids so they not only are reading the words but also have the power to explore the characters, play games and interact personally with the book. Children who enjoy reading will ultimately want to read more frequently and have the potential to become lifelong readers.

Tag, with an MSRP of $49.99, is available at www.leapfrog.com/tag and at major retailers nationwide. The Tag Reading System comes with one book, Ozzie and Mack, and is compatible with a 20-volume library of children's classic stories and activity books, MSRP $13.99 each, as well as activity cards, MSRP $7.99 each, and activity boards, MSRP $13.99 each. Books include The Little Engine That Could, Olivia, Kung Fu Panda and Scholastic I SPY: Imagine That!.

Share the Learning: Parents Get Connected

The Learning Path, LeapFrog's proprietary online tool for parents, will be available later this month at www.leapfrog.com/learningpath. The Learning Path interfaces with LeapFrog products so that parents can share in their child's accomplishments and follow along to see what they are learning while they play. The Learning Path lets parents see how their child's activities map back to the Scope and Sequence of educational skills that LeapFrog has always built into every product.

SOURCE LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.