I bought this LeapFrog Learn & Groove Table for my younger daughter last year, it is for sale at a number of online stores. I have to say, that apart from a few small niggles, this toy is really very impressive. There is an impressive amount of features and functions attached to it. There are 15 activities with over 40 different songs, melodies and in a variety of different music styles. I actually already owned the Fisher Price equivalent of this toy, but had found that while my daughter played with it a little, it wasn’t all I had expected.
This toy on the other hand gets quite a lot of attention and she plays with it almost every day. I originally found this toy on the Amazon.com website because it had such a good ranking in the bestsellers list, and it also came with a huge number of positive reviews. I would like however to talk about one thing that I found at least to be not quite so positive.
When you put the legs on this thing it is almost impossible to take them off. This might not seem like a big deal, perhaps it is supposed to be used with the legs attached only, but in my child’s case there was the issue of the child not being able to use it properly on its legs straightaway, but when she started trying to walk we thought it might be a good idea to attach the legs to it, it was great until she almost pulled the thing on top of herself trying to stand.
I contacted customer services about this issue, and their best solution was to return this particular version of the toy and look for one which has “tabs” on the legs. Obviously with the tabs the legs come off, but seeing as the tabbed version is difficult to get hold of this didn’t really help me out. I think that as long as you are aware of this issue and only put the legs on the toy when you child is “really” ready for them, there shouldn’t be a problem.
That said however all the little gizmos that baby can play with here are really worth it in the end. They can slide, flip, spin, push , pull, open and close. The toy helps them with problem solving skills and with memory as well. The toy also introduces counting from 1 – 10 and can be turned to Spanish as well with the flip of a switch.
I would thoroughly recommend this LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table to all parents who have children aged 6 months to 36 months. Although please be wary of attaching the legs. Thanks very much for reading.
If you have been looking for a unique way to entertain the kids, and keep them away from the game consoles for just a little bit longer than usual, then Loopz from Mattel is definitely a good way to go. I recently bought this game for my kids and I can tell you that they love it. I don’t know how long it will last, but for the moment at least they are arguing over who gets to play first!
The game device has 4 circular rings in a 4 square pattern, as you can see in the picture above. Each ring has a motion sensor attached to it so it knows when your hand passes through it. The game comes with a large array of different games that you can play, but the main premise is that you listen/ watch a pattern of pulsing lights and music, memorize the pattern and then repeat it yourself with as few mistakes as you possibly can. The game continues until you make 3 mistakes. Mistakes count not only with the order of the noises and lights, but also with the timing that you use.
On the front of the machine there is a “home” button and an “on/off” button. You can use the home button to change the game or restart, and also for adjusting the volume level.
There are 7 different game types available for you to play. The first is called “Repeat the Beat” and is the simple basic premise of the game. Watch/ listen to a pattern and then “repeat” it. “Reflex Master” Has you trying to touch as many lights as you can before the time runs out. “Rhythm and Flow” has you trying to keep the music playing by touching the different lights before they turn off. Then there is the “Free style DJ” and “Music Studio” modes. In the Music Studio mode you can play the device like it was an instrument, there are lots of different sounds and each sound has 10 distinct notes. The last mode is the “versus mode” for getting everyone involved. The versus mode allows for the first player to build a tune for the second player to repeat. Same as with the one player mode; 3 mistakes and you are out.
I would thoroughly recommend this game to all families out there, you might get a little irritated when you keep losing to your kids, but it is really masses of fun for everyone.
Thanks very much for taking the time to read this Loopz review.
I have two small children, one is now aged 2 years and 6 months and the younger is aged just 12 months. I bought this great toy really for the younger of the 2, but as inevitable, it was immediately stolen by the 2 year old, and being unable to explain to my 2 year old daughter that the present was not actually for her, and that the huge kitchen, which was much more expensive and heavy to carry up the stairs to our apartment is in fact her present, I decided to buy another one of these things. The Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube is really great little toy that will keep your toddler entertained for hours. I originally thought that the toy was best used by a smaller child of about 6-18 months, but my 2 1/2 year old has disproved this.
This toy comes with 8 musical compositions from Mozart and really does seem like it is building a strong musical foundation for my kids. Kids can learn how to combine the noises from different musical instruments to make Mozart masterpieces. As they push the different buttons on the machine they either add or subtract the noises from instrument such as the harp, French horn, piano flute and violin.
This toy actually has the best seller slot over at amazon.com in the toddler, music and sound section, so if you are looking for a great way to introduce your children to music then this is apparently one of the best toys for the job. The flashing lights as the kids push the buttons also helps to hold the children’s attention for that little bit longer as well. The soft rounded corners that this toy has also means that you could give it to much smaller children without risk of them hurting themselves. You will need 3 AA batteries.
Some slightly negative issues might include the packaging being a little awkward to open. The plastic ties that keep the toy firmly attached to the cardboard packaging mean that you will have to be very careful when opening it to make sure that the ties do not fall into the toy itself. Then there is the instructions which some reviews have indicated are not as clear as they might possibly be. From my own experience however and that of my 2 year old daughter, you shouldn’t really have too many problems when it comes to trying to figure out how to use this toy.
Thanks for reading this Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube review.
