Even though summertime is almost over (incredibly) there are still a few weeks left of long car trips, screaming kids, and that never ending question: “what am I going to do with the kids today?” Well, you can send them over to a friend’s house, outside to play, or off to complete some chores, if you’re home. If you’re stuck in a car for more than an hour, however, you’ll have to come up with something that’s a bit cleverer. That “something” may just come from your friends over at LeapFrog.

The LeapFrog Tag Reading System is educational, fun, and not at all expensive – a win-win for parents and kids alike. This stylus also happens to be very easy to navigate and simple to use for both kids and adults (just in case you have to show your child how to use the device). If you’re in need of an electronic babysitter, here’s what the LeapFrog Tag Reading System can do for you.

The Tag Reading System Interface

How long have your kids been using crayons? Years? Months? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that there are few things easier for a kid to use than a simple pen – unless that pen is also wide, made from durable plastic, and includes a nice speaker that will guide and direct their every move. The Tag Reading System comes with physical books and a stylus pen that’s actually more responsive than some adult stylus pens that are currently on the market.

The idea behind the LeapFrog Reader System is that your child will move the Reading System pen over a word or phrase as he or she reads. When stuck on a word, the pen will sound out that word. When going over a phrase, the pen will help a child understand what the phrase says. The Reading System pen can also help with puzzles and other problems that arise while reading any kind of LeapFrog Reading System book.

Using the Software That Comes With the LeapFrog Reading System

LeapFrog has designed the Reading System software that comes with the stylus pen to work with both Mac and PC (thankfully). This software is free with the purchase of the Reading System, but it does require Adobe Flash. If you already have Flash, this isn’t a problem. If not, you will have to download Flash before you can use the Reading System pen. Other than the fact that Flash can be difficult to use at times, there are no drawbacks to the Reading System software, and it proves to be very easy to use, indeed. As far as the actual pen goes, there are just a few drawbacks to consider (but not enough to deter the usage of this pen).

The main problem with the stylus pen is that it can be touchy at times. The stylus is more responsive if held upright, but it actually does work just fine at most angles. Keeping this in mind, your child will figure out how best to use the pen after just a bit of usage. Aside from this small drawback, this reviewer didn’t find anything major to report about the LeapFrog Reading System – in fact, it does its job well, so that you can get on with driving, mapping, or whatever else you want to do with the rest of your lazy summer days (this tool from LeapFrog retails for $39.99).