This post is part of a sponsored campaign with LeapFrog and MomSelect. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Does your child love to pretend s/he is at work doing the job that you do? Any time Darah tells me that she is blogging, or “doing my work” on the computer, or taking pictures for Stuff Parents Need, I pretty much die from the joy of it. I’m sure that blogging won’t even exist anymore by the time she is old enough to pursue a career, but I’m excited to play a role in helping her see all the amazing possibilities for combining work and life, passion and purpose. This blog is an extension of those ideals for me, and I hope that Darah gets to have a career that is just as fulfilling, if not more!

LeapFrog recently sent us some App Toys that have been helping Darah a great deal as she practices being a writer and a photographer (both skills being necessary to be a blogger!). It is not uncommon for her to sit down for 30-45 minutes and work on the Learn to Write with Mr. Pencil™ Stylus & Writing App. She is currently working on reading and writing in her preschool class, and this app gives her extra practice in a way that is very fun!

The game takes you through several different parts of a town (the fire station, the public fountain, etc.) and you have different exercises to complete in order to unlock different elements in each section, and to unlock additional sections of the game. I will say that the board can be a little bit overly sensitive, and on occasion, Darah will use her finger instead of the pencil in order to successfully complete the section. But whether she is tracing or writing, the skill development is happening. I’m truly amazed at how long she will sit and do these lessons. It definitely shows me that LeapFrog has successfully made learning fun! I should also point out that this is priced at an extremely reasonable $14.99 (and it is currently on sale for just $11.99!).

The other great new app toy from LeapFrog that Darah has been enjoying is the Creativity Camera Protective Case & App. This is a dream come true for all the parents out there who cringe every time their child asks if they can play with their iPhone. We have protective cases on ours, but even so, I definitely get nervous when my kids play with the phone. This toy is so cool, though, because it uses your phone as a component of the toy, though it is completely enclosed and protected while in use. Essentially, your phone gets turned into a super fun camera for the kids!

In addition to being able to snap photos, the app also provides fun games where you can snap photos of adorable little bugs. It also has very basic editing software so that you can add cool graphics or change the overall look of the photos you take. Darah enjoyed playing with it and truthfully, so did I! 🙂 This product is priced at $19.99, which makes it a fantastic gift option for any child ages 3-6 on your list!

If you have an iPhone or an iPod touch, you can download the apps that go with these toys (they are FREE!) and let the fun begin! While they aren’t 100% perfect (sometimes they seem a bit too sensitive, and sometimes not sensitive enough) I would still very highly recommend them. Once you learn the quirks of the program, you will be able to navigate through them with ease. My 4-year-old plays with these apps almost every day, and they hold her attention for a long time. And while she is playing, I know she is developing very important skills. The price is great, the quality is high, and the learning is abundant.