Yesterday was a culmination of sorts of my work with LeapFrog. They held a fabulous party for the Chicago Moms Bloggers and their families at the South Loop KinderCare.
Ten-year-old Smartypants begged out when he saw on the evite list that most of the partiers would be under age 5. My eight-year-old, Pikachu, tagged along hoping he would get a Didj of his own and he did! Plus he earned a few dollars from me for being a great helper. Best. Night. Ever.
Though my son was glued to his small screen for much of the time, most of the little ones played in the indoor playground. Grown-ups and some little tag-alongs enjoyed a discussion with two members of LeapFrog's Educational Advisory Committee. We talked about how we decide what toys to buy and the role of technology/electronic toys in our children's lives
After the talk, it was time for pizza and schmoozing or playing, depending on the guest's age. LeapFrog brought in a face painter and a caricaturist-really good ones! (I don't have the links yet, but they were great.)
And then it was a product free-for-all. Even though I've been working with them, I was unprepared for their overwhelming generosity. Seriously. Bloggers left with bags, armloads, and in some cases bags and armloads of LeapFrog product.
In our case, Pikachu got his Didj and two games, and I got their newest product, the Crammer. The Crammer makes electronic flashcards, serves up quizzes and doubles as an MP3 player. Okay, it's really for the boys, but I get to play with it first. Parents of younger kids took home Tags and other items for the preschool set, like uber-popular Fridge Phonics. It was a good time.
Even if you couldn't make it the the party, you can still celebrate with these specials at leapfrog.com: $10 off orders $50 or more for Leapster2 and Didj. Until 11/15/08 you can use code HY8BHPR at the checkout.
And check out LeapFrog's new online community; sign on if you're a fan.
(Sorry I don't have photos; I gave my memory card to LeapFrog.)
Ten-year-old Smartypants begged out when he saw on the evite list that most of the partiers would be under age 5. My eight-year-old, Pikachu, tagged along hoping he would get a Didj of his own and he did! Plus he earned a few dollars from me for being a great helper. Best. Night. Ever.
Though my son was glued to his small screen for much of the time, most of the little ones played in the indoor playground. Grown-ups and some little tag-alongs enjoyed a discussion with two members of LeapFrog's Educational Advisory Committee. We talked about how we decide what toys to buy and the role of technology/electronic toys in our children's lives
After the talk, it was time for pizza and schmoozing or playing, depending on the guest's age. LeapFrog brought in a face painter and a caricaturist-really good ones! (I don't have the links yet, but they were great.)
And then it was a product free-for-all. Even though I've been working with them, I was unprepared for their overwhelming generosity. Seriously. Bloggers left with bags, armloads, and in some cases bags and armloads of LeapFrog product.
In our case, Pikachu got his Didj and two games, and I got their newest product, the Crammer. The Crammer makes electronic flashcards, serves up quizzes and doubles as an MP3 player. Okay, it's really for the boys, but I get to play with it first. Parents of younger kids took home Tags and other items for the preschool set, like uber-popular Fridge Phonics. It was a good time.
Even if you couldn't make it the the party, you can still celebrate with these specials at leapfrog.com: $10 off orders $50 or more for Leapster2 and Didj. Until 11/15/08 you can use code HY8BHPR at the checkout.
And check out LeapFrog's new online community; sign on if you're a fan.
(Sorry I don't have photos; I gave my memory card to LeapFrog.)
Edited to add: This is Amy's daughter on the way home from the party. You know she had a blast. And check out that face painting.
16 comments:
Oh, the fridge phonics look great! I've been eyeing them..
I'm so sorry I missed it! It sounds like a fabulous time!
Steph
Oh, this makes me so excited for the party in Silicon Valley. We are serious Leap Frog lovers... have been buying their products for years.
I'm also sorry to have missed the party (and seeing you again)! It sounds like it was a blast!
I can't wait for the NYC event!!
The face painting and portraits were wonderful!
And I was so impressed with all of the kids' patience as they stood in line waiting their turn.
They all seemed to play well together too. My daughter made a new (boy) friend. He gave her his number (4).
We had fun!
I wish there had been more time for tech talk with the experts. (And less talk about Montessori and Waldorf.)
Sounds fabulous! You know I am a big fan of their company and their products.
p.s. that picture of Amy's daughter is priceless...she is in a serious fun coma ;)
We did have a fabulous time!! And they were amazingly generous. It was good to see you again. Hope to see you soon. :)
Blessings!!
I was so disappointed that I couldn't make it. Why did my husband have to be in another COUNTRY? I would have loved to have snagged Fridge Phonics for Kaitlyn.
Wow, what a shindig! Wish we could have been there.
Perhaps there will be a Wichita gathering one of these days. Not.
Sounds like a blast! We're a Leap Frog-loving household.
Thanks again for the invite!! We had a blast & the kid got a Star Wars game for the Diji.
I got the nephew a Crammer, but I might need it for the GRE that I still keep saying I'm going to take.
I will be writing about this event this week--all four of my boys, even my nearly-11-year-old, had fun. The caricatures and face painting were awesome and of course, so were the products. I couldn't believe how well-behaved all the kids were. I don't think I saw a single meltdown.
Leeanthro, I also wish we'd had a more focused discussion about the technology w/the experts; it did seem to veer off a lot into different educational philosophies, which probably wasn't what they were wanting to talk about.
Sounds like fun! Wish I could have been there- it would have been so great to meet all the Chicago mamas!
Of course my son slept right through it. Hopefully next time!
Here were the coolest moments for me: Seeing my three year old manipulating the Tag reading pen over the words and pics in an Olivia book and hearing her giggle at the sounds.
And Erin the Leapfrog rep telling me the back story: Ian Falconer, Olivia's creator (and David Sedaris' parter, BTW), insisted on Ana Gasteryer (yeah Wicked!) as the narrator, but he wanted Olivia's voice to remain imaginary. So the pen makes these funny wha-wha sounds when you click on Olivia's picture. Really cute and my Nora loved it.
Thanks for organzing!
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