Tag! Wanna win it?
November 30th, 2008 @ 7:12 | Filed under Resources, Travel Gear | 198 comments
Written by Kayt Sukel
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” After living with a toddler, I’m beginning to wonder if he wasn’t being literal and actually talking about your average three-year-old.
Take mine, for instance. He’s at the stage where he wants you to read him the same few books over and over again. And then a few more times after that. And maybe once or twice more just to get the real gist of the text. Though I enjoy reading to my child, there comes a point in time (usually about the 4,245th time through a single book) that I start to think I will lose my mind if Chet requests that same book again. Is a little variety too much to ask?
And when we’re traveling? I’m doing double duty. If the Captain has yet to turn off the Fasten Seatbelts sign, I’m looking at reading “CARS: Tales from the Track” at least 10 times before I start to suggest that our time might be better spent banging something against the tray table. It ain’t pretty.
But then I found Leapfrog’s Tag! Amazing Touch Reading System.
The Pros
The Tag! is a pen-like gizmo, about the size of an eyeglasses case, that actually reads the corresponding Amazing Touch books. But it’s more than that — within each special book there are also games and activities at multiple levels and special “hidden” sounds that your child can discover. But the best part is that your child controls the action. Does he want to read the book all the way through? Cool! Does he want to repeat the same funny page? That works, too. Currently, Chet likes to use the Tag! to make the tractors fart with his “CARS: Tractor Tipping” book. Especially since everyone on the plane looks over at me as if I’m responsible for the sound.
The Cons
The biggest con is that the Tag! only works with its own books. So until they work out a deal with Dr. Seuss’ estate, I’m still stuck on “Green Eggs and Ham” duty. And I should also mention that the Tag’s tip is metal, so if your toddler likes to enthusiastically work it against the book’s pages, it can result in tears. But with a little supervision, that is easily avoided.
The Bottom Line
Sure, you may spend your flight listening to fart noises or dinosaur roars but you can save your voice and maybe even spend a few minutes reading your own book selection. What could be better?
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And to share in the fun, we’re giving away one Tag! Amazing Touch Reading System. To enter, simply leave a comment with a line from that one book your child loves that is getting. on. your. last. damn. nerve by midnight Friday, December 5th. A winner will be chosen at random. U.S. only, please.
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