Connecting your LeapPad to more than 1 computer.

You will need to download the LeapFrog Connect application to all computers you want to connect your LeapPad to

In order to access your child's Leaplets, rewards, and Learning Path info, you will need to sign in using the same LeapFrog Parent Account on each computer.

To change the LeapFrog Parent Account associated with your handheld:

- Click the "Parent Account" tab in the top navigation.

- Click Set Up My LeapFrog Account.

- Log in with the email address and password that redeemed the Leaplet, and then indicate who plays with each player name on the handheld.

"Sneak peeks" = Nagging kids

What i am about to tell you, will save you from nagging and or disappointed children. 

When you revive your LeapPad there is a icon named "Sneak peeks" located dead center of the main menu screen.  

Your child will find this ! and when launched it will display a list of game and app trailers that your child can view. 

I have a sneaky suspicion that a good chunk of that first update download is a whole bunch of new up to date ad's to incite our kids into nagging us in till we get the new game they have just seen. 

Apart from the nagging us parents dread, there is another reason South African Parents will want to disable this feature as soon as you get the LeapPad, several of the trailers are for content we can not access in SA like the Disney Cinderella Ultra eBook 

Which my 5 year old daughter now wants "Soooooooooooo much".

I only found out after my daughter watched the "Sneak peeks" that they could be disabled after doing a Google it.  

All you need to do is access the  Parent Settings and turn off the "Sneak peeks"

The apps that Come with your LeapPad

When you buy your LeapPad you get 4 free apps included.

Pet pad 

Create a pet
You can choose a pre-made pet ( Cat, Pig, lima, rabbit, dog, sheep, dragon or monkey) or mix and match body parts to make something wonderfully wacky, choose its color and what sounds you want it to make.


Feed your pet
You need to feed your pet regularly to keep it happy (thankfully this pet is a lot less demanding than a tamagotchi)


Wash your Pet
You need to keep your pet clean as well by soaping, scrubbing, rinsing and drying it


Play Flingo with your pet
This is a cute little game where you have to launch your pet across a body of water and pop passing balloons.


Practice writing your alphabet 
If you want your pet to learn new tricks you need to write the letters of the alphabet correctly by tracing the dotted line on the screen, for each letter mastered your pet will preform a trick starting with that letter.
You can practice your upper and lower case alphabet while your pet gives you lots of encouragement, and praise for getting it right.


When you run out of shampoo and food  you need to connect your LeapPad to the computer to download more supplies, don't worry this does not cost anything your children earn tokens from playing the games and apps so you just trade the tokens for supplies.


Story studio - all about me

You create your own story books using a selection of themed template's; choose from 

• My birthday (2 templates), 
• My family (3 templates) 
• My Favorite things (4 templates) 
• My expressions (3 templates) 
• When I grow up (6 templates) 
• My friends (3 templates) 
• My imagination (3 templates). 

You can add as many pages as you want to each story.
The templates incorporate photos, drawings and sound recordings
You can also share these story books with family on Facebook or print them out. using the Connect software.


Art studio

With art studio you can create masterpieces using a variety of drawing tools and stamps.
Then you can share with family on Facebook, by email or print them out and display around the house using the Connect software


Your 4th app is one of your choice from the list provided in the app center.


 Note : Sadly, left-handed children have not been taken into consideration . The string, that attaches the stylus to the pad, is at the top right-hand corner and kind of gets in the way if the stylus is held in the left hand. This is not much of a problem with the Art Studio app, as the app flips 360 degrees depending on your rotation of the pad, BUT Pet Pad, which is pre-installed when you get your LeapPad, does not rotate. The app is based on your child "tracing" letters on the right side of the screen to teach their pet tricks. With my son being left-handed, I noticed that with his hand resting on the screen, the trace function is useless.  Considering , approximately 10 % of the world's population is left-handed, this should have been addressed appropriately.


I have put in a support ticket regarding the left handed issue and will let you know if there is a fix as soon as i know.


Update : After receiving a response  from LeapFrog there is no fix to the Pet Pad issue.
This is so far the only App i have discovered with this problem but will update if i find more. 

LeapPad Parent Settings

How to get there.

Turn on your LeapPad  press the "volume up" and "home" buttons simultaneously. 

As you can see the menu is self explanatory .
Once you are finished press the big Green "tick / check" to save your changes. Then the "home" button to return to the normal screen.

LeapPad Set Up Guide

System Requirements: 
High-speed internet connection
Monitor resolution of 1024 x 768
Available USB port
512 MB of RAM (1 GB recommended)
500 MB free disk space
Latest version of Adobe flash player.


PC Requirements:
Pentium 4 or equivalent
(2 GHz processor or faster recommended)
Windows XP, Vista, or 7
operating system with latest service pack


Mac Requirements:
Intel based Apple computer
(1 GHz processor or faster recommended)
Mac OS X 10.5+ operating system software.


Step 1 Install Connect Software 
Download or use disk provided to install the connect software  
Download link : http://www.leapfrog.com/en/pages/support/product_pages/leapfrog_connect.html


Step 2 Create a Parent Account

Account page link : http://www.leapfrog.com/en/login.html?redirect=http://www.leapfrog.com%2Fen%2Fplay%2Fmy_account.accountmanagementview.html

You need a parent account, so you can download learning apps, create custom skill sets with the Skill Selector option, and redeem tokens your child earns during game play for pet supplies and Micromods. It also gives you access to the LeapFrog Learning Path, which offers personalized insights into the skills your child is developing while playing with their LeapPad.

Step 3 Create your child's Profile on the LeapPad

When you first turn on the Leap Pad you will be prompted to select a Language.

I recommend UK English for South Africa. 

Then you will be prompted to set the time and date  

Your child's name and Grade level  (Use the list below to help select the correct grade level)

• Preschool, sometimes called Pre kindergarten  ages 3 and 4
• Kindergarten - age 5
• 1st grade - age 6
• 2nd - age 7
• 3rd - age 8
• 4th - age 9
• 5th - age 10
• 6th - age 11
• 7th - age 12
• 8th - age 13

Once you have done this you can turn off the LeapPad.

Step 4 Connecting the LeapPad to your computer 
Connect the LeapPad to your computer using the USB provided,  once connected turn on.  LeapPad will automatically launch the connect software (if it does not you can double click on the icon to launch it)


You will be prompted to login into your parent account at this point. 

Then it should self detect the LeapPad you have connected but if not press the find toy button.

Now you need to set up the information about your child for the learning path click on "This is played by:" to add information. 

You can add up to 3 children per LeapPad.


If you have more than one LeapPad, as I do, you will need to do this for each device individually using the same parent account.
Step 5 downloading your free apps


On the PC, click on the  app center tab 

As you can see, Story studio and Art studio are pre-selected for download, browse through the list of apps, watch the trailers and decide which other app  you want. When you have selected hit the download button.
(you will notice the list is very limited)

At this point I would go watch some TV as the first download takes 20 mins plus depending on your internet connection as you are not only downloading the apps but updates as well. 
If, like me, you have a second device to set up afterwards you should be happy to know it goes considerably faster than the first as the updates will have already downloaded to your PC. 


Step 6 Loading the apps to your LeapPad 


Now you need to click on the "on this LeapPad" button to load your downloaded gamed onto the device.

You do this by checking the boxes and it will load those apps to your LeapPad.
when you have finished press the "Eject" button at the top left of the screen and when your leapPad shows its safe to disconnect pull out the USB. and your good to GO.