Mom's Best Nest: September 2013

The Product
Recently, VTech provided me with an Innotab 3 Learning Tablet to try out and review. Here's VTech's Description of the product:

The InnoTab® 3 combines educational games, creative activities and reading skills in a child-friendly, multi-function, touch screen tablet to make learning fun.

Compact and lightweight design with 4.3” color touch screen, new directional pad and tilt sensor

2.0 megapixel, 180° rotating camera with more than 55 photo features and special effects

Four different media players: e-book reader, MP3 music player, photo viewer and video player

Includes 16 exciting apps such as: What’s that Noise?” (e-book), WonderCam (uses the camera to add special effects, funny faces and photo frames to pictures), Magical Bean Stalk (a growing game that lets kids harvest and collect beans from their beanstalk), Color & Pop(a coloring book activity that makes coloring pages come to life), and H2O Go! (a directional pad game that teaches science concepts)

Hundreds of downloads are available via the Learning Lodge™ to enhance learning fun

And their description of The Learning Lodge

The Learning Lodge features more than 350 educational games, e-books, music and videos developed specifically for each child’s unique stage of development and will nearly double its current selection by the end of the year.

The broad library of subjects includes reading, math, social studies, science, creativity, problem solving and so much more!

Starting with activities suitable for toddlers and expanding to grade schoolers, the Learning Lodge™ gives every child an opportunity to expand their learning potential while keeping them entertained.

Featured throughout the downloads and software cartridges are popular characters from Monsters University®, Turbo®, Planes®, Doc McStuffins®, Sofia the First®, Jake & the Never Land Pirates, Mike the Knight™, Angelina Ballerina®, Team Umizoomi™, Dora the Explorer™, Thomas & Friends®, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles®, Sesame Street and many more.

Parents can track their child’s progress through the Learning Lodge™ Progress Log, offer encouragement and share in their pride when kids reach new learning milestones.

My Experience
After setting it up and handing it to my 4 year-old, it didn't take long to see that this product is a much better fit for her than the tablet she received for Christmas!

She really liked it and was able to independently operate and enjoy many of its applications. Some of the advantages of this product include:

Comfort: The Innotab 3 is light and fits in her hands well. This allows her to be comfortably engaged for longer periods of time.
Rotating Camera: The camera on the Innotab 3 can rotate to take pictures behind it, above it, in front of it, and anywhere in between. Not all tablets do this!
Battery Option: Although I'd prefer using an adapter, the battery option is a nice convenience. It automatically shuts down after a few minutes of inactivity. And when we need to replace the batteries, I found it to be super easy, requiring only 4 AA batteries.
D-Pad: The gaming control makes up, down, left and right movements easy.
NOT Wi-Fi: My preschooler has no need for wireless internet connectivity!
Educational Games: The cartridge that came with our Innotab 3 included an e-book, coloring activity, and a game that explained the properties of water.
Easy Downloads: When I initially connected to the Learning Lodge, I had to download an update before I could take advantage of the complimentary download included in the purchase. THAT download was not easy, and I had to repeat it twice. However, once that was over, downloading a game was remarkably simple, and it "landed" exactly where I expected it to.
Popular Character Apps: The Learning Lodge offers games related to characters my children love.
Price: The MSRP for the Innotab 3 is only $69.99.

Also Great:

Built in bumpers
Attached stylus
Audible directions: great for my not-quite-a-reader

Wishes:

Adapter: I read online that an adapter can be purchased for about $10, but it would have been nice to have it included.
More built in games
More on screen "back" buttons: Sometimes the screen has no back button, but sometimes it does. I would prefer that every screen have this feature.

For More Information
VTech website
VTech on Twitter
VTech on Facebook

The Bottom Line

My preschooler really likes the Innotab 3, and so do I! Should you decide to purchase it, I recommend buying the adapter and an additional cartridge or two at the same time. That combination should provide a great deal of entertainment and education for your little one for a long time to come!