The new Leapfrog Crammer studio and sound system is a nice addition to a child’s Christmas gift list
Last month, Leapfrog, a well-known manufacturer of educational toys for children, introduced its new selection, called Crammer. This educational system combined with an MP3 player is aimed at the third through eighth grade market and aims to make studying on the go more fun.
The Crammer Studio and Sound System offers the ability to download more than 16,000 test questions in 1,000 practice tests. These quizzes are based on actual textbooks, so the questions are a great study tool. The quizzes cover math, social studies, science, and language arts. In addition to quizzes, you can also create digital flash cards for the same topics. Additionally, the Crammer comes with a built-in Spanish translator and two preloaded games. The unit can be connected to the Internet to create a learning path for parents to follow a child’s progress.
The Pocket Crammer can also be used as an MP3 player with 1GB of storage (approximately 10 hours of music) and a headphone jack. Download songs from any computer with a USB port. The unit is compatible with Windows and Mac. MSRP is $ 59.99.
Additional accessories for the Crammer include a carrying case (MSRP $ 9.99) and a Customizer screen protector and protector set (MSRP $ 12.99).
We have spent almost a month testing the Crammer with several children and are generally satisfied with the unit. Children have found it easy to use. The quizzes and flashcards are fun and challenging. The design is attractive and seems to hold up well at times. The navigation screen is easy to move using the rocker-style front screen (not a touch screen device as it might seem). The sound quality is decent and it is quite easy to download songs to the MP3 player.
Disadvantages of the unit are the limited amount of games and the fact that children got tired of testing with it. Also, our first Crammer wouldn’t turn off without removing the batteries. After changing the unit, we discovered that the new one had the same problem. Customer service recommended rubbing a pencil eraser over the battery contacts and the unit started working properly.
Overall, the Crammer offers a fun educational entertainment system that would make a great holiday gift for an 8-12 year old.