Is the Leapfrog Smartglobe worth getting up at 4am?

[thundersweet]

lol I see Kohl's has this for $59.99 in the am. Is that a good price? Worth it to get up that early?

Thanks,
Sandy

[Heather in NC]

Nothing is worth getting up that early for! :D

[scrapbabe]

Well, they are usually $99. So you'd be saving quite a bit of money. I was looking at getting one. My hubby and I have most of our shopping done - we just like to go for the fun of it.

Smiles,
Shalynn

[Karen in CO]

Nothing is worth getting up that early for! :D

I'm with Heather - not at 4am.

I wouldn't get get up at 4am for a free one.

I don't shop for fun.

However, I have heard nice things about them. And $40 is $40.

[AnneC]

I paid $200 Australian for mine. It's truly worth it, sometimes we even let the kids have a go!:lol:

[Karen in CO]

I paid $200 Australian for mine. It's truly worth it, sometimes we even let the kids have a go!:lol:

Okay - for worthwhile at $200, what does it do? I have looked at them, but dismissed them because of the US price. I would spend that on a microscope or a bike, but there isn't any single thing educational or as a toy that I'd spend $200 on - don't ask what my book budget is.

[AnneC]

I'm assuming the one you are looking at is the same as we bought. It has 2 modes, one is instructional, you touch a country and it tells you information about the country. There is a whole bunch of stuff here like area of the country, the capital, money, population, you can compare two countries, it also will tell you the time relative to where you live. The other mode is a game mode for up to 4 players with 3 difficulty levels. You can chose topics such as continents and oceans, countries, country capitals, states and state capitals. You have a time limit to find as many as you can.

The kids love it, their favourite is the music, that includes excerpt from national anthems. DH and I have a running competition in the quiz (I'm ahead at the moment;))

HTH

[thundersweet]

Well, I wasn't going to get up but I naturally woke up at 3:15 thinking about that globe. :glare: I headed over to Kohl's and could not believe the line. :001_huh: Anyway, waited in line for a few minutesfor the doors to open, got the globe, and came home. Here's hoping the darn thing doesn't break. There were quite a few people on Amazon that had problems.

Sandy

[Testimony]

I purchased an Oregen Scientific Smart Globe for my older son. His globe tells population in a country, tells the capitals, the gross national product, currency exchange rate, the leaders of the country, the history, the climate condition, the area of the country, it has a special pull out map of the USA.

The difference between Oregen Scientific and Leapfrog is Orgen Scientific comes with a pen that you can use to update current events online. I got my son's globe at Toy R Us for $99 during a Christmas sale last year. I got my nephew an Oregen Scientific Smart Globe Junior for my nephew for $20 on sale over the summer. It was originally priced at $100.

I would definitely get the Smartglobe because it is an awesome gift. However, I have tried in the past to get up at 4 AM to go to the store and I have still failed.:auto:

Blessings,
Karen
www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[scrapbabe]

I got up at 11:00 pm to check on line as some of the items at Kohl's could be purchased there. I added the globe to my cart, but the internet was so overloaded that by the time I entered my credit card info, they were sold out.

I did get up at 2:45 and went to Kohl's, waited in line, and got my globe and was thrilled to get it.

I also hit 7 other stores and was done by 7:30. :tongue_smilie: My hubby and I have made a tradition out of going together - sometimes we don't even buy anything. :D We just enjoy the time together doing something completely out of the ordinary.

I hope you enjoy your globe!

Smiles,
Shalynn

[Lizzie in Ma]

And that would be the CBD warehouse sales. :)

[Jumping In Puddles]

Amazon.com has the globe now for 59.99 and free shipping if anyone is interested. link (http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-40002-Explorer-Smart-Globe/dp/B00005BYPA/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)

[scrapbabe]

Okay, not fair!!! What did I wait in line for at 3:00 in the morning? Of course if I hadn't have bought it at 4 am at Kohls, it would never have been on sale at Amazon.

Smiles,
Shalynn

[Jumping In Puddles]

ok... not to make anyone feel bad, but to inform anyone still interested, Amazon now has this for 49.99 free shipping. Link (http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-40002-Explorer-Smart-Globe/dp/B00005BYPA/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=IJCHXJ1KR3KB3&colid=2QSIY0M66HDUO)

My kids are too young for this, right?

[Alte Veste Academy]

ok... not to make anyone feel bad, but to inform anyone still interested, Amazon now has this for 49.99 free shipping. Link (http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-40002-Explorer-Smart-Globe/dp/B00005BYPA/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=IJCHXJ1KR3KB3&colid=2QSIY0M66HDUO)

My kids are too young for this, right?

No, your kids are the perfect age for this! My oldest two kids are the same ages as yours and I also have a 2.5 year old son. All three kids love this toy and they have learned so much from it, although obviously the eldest has learned the most. Still, my daughter (the 4 year old) shocked me one day at the teacher store by telling me out of the blue what a pretty shade of pink Papua New Guinea was. This is a great learning tool that they consider a toy. They have played with it every single day since we have had it and know their geography better than I do.

Incidentally, my mom bought this as a gift for my kids earlier this year. We are doing a world tour Kindergarten year and I find that this globe paired with a few good books (cultural atlas, Children Just Like Me, Material World, etc.) has given my young kids more knowledge about geography than I probably had until college. Sad, but true.

Sorry if this adds to your Christmas list. :)

Kristina

[ustasmom]

Well, I just ordered it so count me as one who just added to their Christmas list.

My kids have been asking for a globe anyway, so this will work out well for them.

Thanks for the heads up.

[Damselfly]

That was the QUICKEST $50 I've ever spent!! Thanks for the link to the great Amazon deal :lol:. Now to figure out how to justify it. I thought I was done Christmas shopping, so I guess this will have to count as "next year's geography curriculum" :D. My boys will love it.

[Jumping In Puddles]

, my daughter (the 4 year old) shocked me one day at the teacher store by telling me out of the blue what a pretty shade of pink Papua New Guinea was.


Sorry if this adds to your Christmas list. :)

Kristina

Wow, that is impressive!

Ok, I'm going to get it because it's educational and we don't have a globe. I also am needing something my kids can do together without me and this sounds perfect.

[fshinkevich]

Amazon is now down to 49.99 w/ free shipping for those interested:

http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-40002-Explorer-Smart-Globe/dp/B00005BYPA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1229286740&sr=8-1

I bought one a few years ago, we use it several times a week, and the kids play with it on their own.

[Hathersage]

Now its down to $44.99 this morning on Amazon.

[JaniceO]

I don't know how I'm going to explain it to my husband, but I'll figure it out when it arrives. I've been looking at this for awhile now and have hestitated due to the price. $45 is an awesome deal though.

[Jumping In Puddles]

Now its down to $44.99 this morning on Amazon.

I should have waited. My experience of waiting usually ends up being "out of stock" so I ordered even though I really was hoping to see the price come down to about $35.00

I'm noticing other fluctuations on Amazon. I ordered a doll for my dd at $20 and noticed it went from anywhere between $20 and $40 for the last week. A different price everyday.

[Hathersage]

Even at that price my husband doesn't want to.

We have a only a few battery operated things in the house rule. And globes get outdated pretty fast. But we need a globe, so what to do...Hmm..

[Jumping In Puddles]

Even at that price my husband doesn't want to.

We have a only a few battery operated things in the house rule. And globes get outdated pretty fast. But we need a globe, so what to do...Hmm..

We have the same rule! Plus the base of the globe looks kind of plasticky and ugly.

For me, the bottom line is that I want something they can do without me and since they can't read yet, a regular globe would be useless right now unless I was helping them. I also figure that if it doesn't work out, it should have a pretty decent resell price when the amazon price goes back up.

[hischool]

Now I'm tempted. I don't even know what Smartglobe is before this thread. :lol: Is it something that a 4-year-old will enjoy? :D

[Jumping In Puddles]

No, your kids are the perfect age for this! My oldest two kids are the same ages as yours and I also have a 2.5 year old son. All three kids love this toy and they have learned so much from it, although obviously the eldest has learned the most. Still, my daughter (the 4 year old) shocked me one day at the teacher store by telling me out of the blue what a pretty shade of pink Papua New Guinea was. This is a great learning tool that they consider a toy. They have played with it every single day since we have had it and know their geography better than I do.

Incidentally, my mom bought this as a gift for my kids earlier this year. We are doing a world tour Kindergarten year and I find that this globe paired with a few good books (cultural atlas, Children Just Like Me, Material World, etc.) has given my young kids more knowledge about geography than I probably had until college. Sad, but true.

Sorry if this adds to your Christmas list. :)

Kristina

Now I'm tempted. I don't even know what Smartglobe is before this thread. :lol: Is it something that a 4-year-old will enjoy? :D

Alte Veste Academy has a 2.5, 4, 5 year old and sounds like they enjoy it. :)

Actually, you should watch the video on Amazon, it shows how it works and that might give you a better idea.

[gracesteacher]

http://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Scientific-PR18-06-Interactive-Globe/dp/B000EULXY8

This is the one my MIL bought my dd for Christmas because we couldnt get her to walk away from it at Target. It is on clearance at target for 40bucks plus this one comes with upgrades for two years. The only thing for us is we have a dell computer and it is not compatible with dell thankfully it is compatible with my MIL computer! BTW this is a gift for a two year old who loves maps and globes. Every time we pass a globe in the store she yells mom it is a planet earth globe I need it. I need it. We bought her the Vtech one with the hand control and the little plane. SHe had everything mastered so fast that it is no longer fun for her.

[Hathersage]

We have the same rule! Plus the base of the globe looks kind of plasticky and ugly.

LOL. Yeah, my husband asked if the globe detached from the base.
I really don't need it so she has something to do without me.
(Although maybe I would if we had it)
But its only $10 more expensive right now than the regular globes I've been pricing around town. My rule is so harsh, I've scared my entire family from ever buying battery toys. She has one battery toy to date, plus our cameras.

Our library has it, and it always occupied.

[Hathersage]

well, now the Amazon price has climbed back up to $59.99. okay, enough OCD price watching.

[trisharog]

Costco has one for $79. It is not Leapfrog but it looks great --I bought it.

[Hathersage]

If you want to plug in your leapfrog smartglobe you'll need a 6-volt DC 500mA AC adapter.

[Karen in CO]

I ordered one when it was on sale at Amazon, but didn't bring it out until yesterday after all of our holiday guests had left. The kids played with it for over an hour. This morning they played with it again after breakfast. I really like a talking globe. It helps with all the places I have never been able to pronounce properly. It was also great in the time zone setting because my dd was having trouble understanding how it can be tomorrow in Tokyo.

So, thanks ladies. I was skeptical since I usually don't like battery-operated educational things, but this one is great. Much better than I had expected.