Search - LeapFrog: Let's Go to School on DVD

Time to Go to School!

George Buttner | Dayton, Ohio United States | 08/21/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When it's time for a child to go to school, I think it is only natural for them to be a bit nervous. And when the characters from a popular series are redesigned, that can lead to some nervousness too. So there's a certain symmetry when it comes to this DVD release.

"Let's Go to School" is the first Leapfrog DVD to feature a brand-new character design launched in 2009. It's also the first in the series to be released by Lionsgate-- previously the DVDs were released by Sony. So let's get some things out of the way, right away. The characters definitely look different, but they still look quite cute. Overall, the feel of the animation is very nice and it's a lot of fun to watch. The characters' heads seem to be slightly too large for their bodies, but the effect works here. The other main thing to note is that this seems to be a bit of a reboot. Tad and Lily are now the exact same age (in fact, it seems to be suggested that they're twins) and the show staff have apparently chosen to have them forget everything that they learned in the previous DVD releases. They don't seem to know anything more than basic counting or letters.


That said, I think this DVD works on the whole. The story begins with Tad and Lily being nervous about their first day of school. Big brother Leap assures them that it's going to be great, but they're not so sure. Enter Edison. In "A Tad of Christmas Cheer," Edison was a fairy godbug who helped out Tad and Tad only. In this release, both Tad and Lily seem to know Edison quite well. He has a special stone which transports them to a sort of magical school. There, they learn that they're not the only ones nervous about going to school. So are all the books, the chalk and erasers, the calendar and the clock! But together they help each other to all feel less nervous. The film clocks in at about 35 minutes, which seems like a reasonable amount for the target age group. I suppose I somewhat agree that they may be trying to teach a bit too much and too many varied concepts here, but the material is in general presented well. In fact, it's so well presented that I think many kids will want to view the program more than once, which should help to reinforce the material. On the whole, the program is presented pretty straight, but there are some humorous moments involving Edison and also a slightly snarky talking clock.

The film features five songs. The only one that doesn't really seem to work is the film's alphabet song. 26 letters is a lot to present and the tune used isn't very catchy and really starts to drag after a few letters. Otherwise, the songs are fun and have catchy tunes.


Special features:

- Closed-captioned (I know, this may not seem like a special feature. But none of the previous Leapfrog DVD releases have included closed-captioning, so it's nice to see this finally being included.
- Preview of "Math Adventure to the Moon," which comes out in 2010
- Interactive alphabet book
- Trailers for other programming
- Selectable Sing-alongs of all five of the film's songs-- "Alphabet Song," "Counting Song," "Animal Family Song," "Calendar Song," "Leapfrog Learning Path Song"


This film is not rated, but is listed as being targeted at ages 3-6."

Fun to Watch, but learning is little...

Colleen D. Gallagher | Pittsburgh, PA | 08/20/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I am a huge fan of many Leap Frog products because kids love them and as an educator, I really appreciate how well they reinforce given skills. My absolute favorite DVD for teaching phonics skills is the Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD. So, when Let's Go to School came in the mail I opened it right away and let me kiddos, ages 3 and 6 watch it. Tad is back and ready for another learning adventure. This time Tad and Lilly are going to school for the first day. Leap makes Tad and Lilly a little nervous about the first day. Soon they find out that school is pretty cool & everyone gets nervous sometimes. As they tour their classroom they learn many things when typical classroom items come to life and teach them. Basically, this DVD has a little of everything, ABC, numbers to 20, animal classification, more an less... It is definitely cute and the songs are catchy. It kept my kiddos attention. They enjoyed the catchy songs. I am giving it three stars because I was not impressed with the teaching value of the video. It seems to try to cover too many concepts in a short amount of time. I love the other Leap Frog DVD's because they focus on one skill. Fun to watch, but learning is little."

A fun and educational way to help ease tensions about starti

Melissa Saunders | Woodland Hills, CA USA | 08/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We got this DVD the day it was released! We are big fans of all the LeapFrog DVDs and really looked forward to this one as our youngest has had a lot of anxiety about starting school this year. The DVD immediately put her (and the entire family!) at ease. She related to Tad and Lily and their nervousness about starting school and by the time the movie was over, she was so excited to start school! What was even more amazing was how my older daughter (who is starting her second year) was also glued to the story. Besides putting children at ease with the start of school, there are some great lessons packed in here that will be relevant throughout the entire year as they learn about The Alphabet, Counting, Animals, Time, etc. Another great LeapFrog DVD that doesn't dissapoint!"

Helpful back to school DVD

M. Talalay | Lutherville, MD United States | 09/08/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Kiwi Magazine Review:
Let's face it: parents and kids both have jitters about starting school. I know I do. The bus alone is giving me pause! But, Tad, Lilly and Edison put our minds at ease with a classroom tour and many amazing activities. The real test will be at the end of August when the big yellow bus pulls up. The DVD is fun and upbeat, and delivers some great basic lessons to kick off a great school year. Pencils up!"