LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: LF), the leader in innovative learning solutions for children, today announced the new LeapFrog Epic (www.leapfrog.com/epic) kid’s tablet is now available in consumer electronics sections of major retail stores nationwide. This marks the first time LeapFrog has offered its vast, award winning selection of learning content on a tablet with an Android-based operating system.
Just in time for the holidays, the LeapFrog Epic tablet offers parents the perfect opportunity to “take back their tech” devices and give children a tablet that was built just for them. The one-of-a-kind LeapFrog Epic tablet offers the look and performance of an adult tablet, but features a totally new home screen experience built specifically to ignite a child’s imagination and creativity. The LeapFrog Epic tablet is also kid-safe out of the box with expanded parental controls that lets parents unlock more content and provide open internet access when they believe their child is ready.
“Mobile devices are now a fundamental part of growing up and parents are often conflicted over handing over their tablet or smartphone to their children,” said Greg Ahearn, chief marketing officer at LeapFrog. “They are worried about their children coming across inappropriate content, accidentally downloading malware or other viruses on their device, and also whether they will get back their device in one piece, if ever. We created the LeapFrog Epic tablet to be the perfect solution that meets both children and parents’ needs when it comes to accessing content on a tablet—a vast collection of age-appropriate content right out of the box with control to expand a child’s access to more content and technology features as they grow.”
According to the LeapFrog “Take Back Your Tech” parent survey conducted by Kelton Global (www.keltonglobal.com), 91 percent of children ages three to eight years old are now using a mobile device. And, 67 percent of those parents hand over their own device to their children, which can lead to a variety of problems.
- Sixty-six percent of parents want a tablet with a child friendly interface and 42 percent want their child’s tablet to look like an adult device, but function like a child’s device. The LeapFrog Epic tablet meets this need perfectly given its adult tablet styling with a kid-perfect interface that grows with a child.
- Seventy-six percent of parents think it’s important that their kids don’t see inappropriate content on their mobile devices, while 66 percent say that the device their child uses doesn’t contain content curated by educational experts, and 57 percent wish that it did. The LeapFrog Epic tablet is kid-safe right out of the box and features a wide variety of LeapFrog and popular Android apps in the LeapFrog App Center where every piece of content is reviewed and approved by educators.
- Mobile devices don’t come cheap, and kids tend to lack a delicate touch when playing with mom and dad’s tech. Parents reported to us that when playing with their mobile devices, kids have: dropped it (55%); used it with sticky fingers (47%); and thrown it (24%). With its shatter safe screen, durable construction and included removable bumper, the LeapFrog Epic tablet is durable to handle the knocks and bumps that children dole out.
During the month of October, LeapFrog is encouraging parents to share their pledge to #TakeBackYourTech and get helpful tips about the benefits of technology created just for kids. LeapFrog will be asking parents to share their stories on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest about what features they think are important in a kid’s tablet and what rules parents use in their homes to make sure screen time is safe and educational.
“We want our fans and followers to share their experiences and stories about their children and tablets to help build a greater understanding around how technology is changing children’s lives,” said Greg Ahearn, chief marketing officer at LeapFrog. “With its unique experiences and features, our new LeapFrog Epic tablet is the next evolution in how LeapFrog helps children leap ahead through engaging, developmental experiences in innovative technology—made safe and age appropriate for kids in every way possible.”
The LeapFrog Epic Experience
Built from the ground up to adapt as a child grows, the LeapFrog Epic tablet offers endless possibilities for children to explore, play, imagine and create. The full-featured Android-based tablet delivers access to a library of unique personalized learning experiences and select games that auto-level with a child’s progress; an amazing first-of-its-kind, customizable, interactive, playable home screen; kid-safe browsing right out of the box that can adjust accessibility as a child is ready; and easy-to-use parental controls that help define the play experience for each individual child. For more information, visit www.leapfrog.com/epic.
The LeapFrog Epic tablet (MSRP $139.99, for children three to nine years old) is now available online and at major retail locations in the consumer electronics aisle.
