While the Brilliant Creations Advanced Notebook by VTech toy label says “Best for 5 – 8 years” of age, I think this toy is best for kids 4 – 5 years only. My 8-year-old son found this boring and would rather play with the apps on the iPad or my laptop than this one. Never mind that it has 120 or so activities, he knows the difference between a real laptop and a fake one therefore this toy doesn’t hold any fascination at all.
For my 4-year-old son, this was heaven sent! I honestly thought it would be too advanced for his age but he is doing great. In fact he has figured it all out on his own. You could hear his voice all the way from the kitchen trying to sounding out words on his own.
My youngest loves the VTech’s 4.5″ LCD color screen and the animations are engaging enough that he wants to play them again and again [and again and again]. He likes the fact that he can imitate his older brother because his “laptop” has its own mouse and touchpad. He finds it fun because he “types” while mommy is typing.
The only problem I had with this are the batteries. I hope VTech comes out with an adaptor soon. I got this for $49.99 and I don’t mind spending a few more $ if they come out with an adaptor. It would be cheaper than buying and recharging batteries all the time!