Editorial Review

Few toys are more majestic than this charcoal-gray plush elephant. Bonus: this gentle giant is also a puppet. He boasts an extendable trunk, protruding horns, wrinkled eyes, and soft, floppy ears. With his velvety body and big belly, he's the perfect pachyderm for puppet shows, naptime, or cozying up with to read a book. This unforgettable elephant stands 17 inches tall from head to hoof. --Melissa Wilson ... Read more

Reviews (2)

super soft, an excellent puppet!
I knew Folkmanis would never disappoint but was still thrilled at the high quality of this puppet. Folkmanis puppets are consistently great quality, of beautiful design, and fun to use. This puppet, however, is exceptionally soft, almost velvety in texture. A great toy for little ones to hug and hold as well as a fun puppet. Using your hand, one can move the mouth and swing the trunk a bit.

My children love this puppet! This large puppet is a must-have for puppet lovers and elephant lovers!

jumbo fun!
I love this elephant! I use it for storytimes and you can not only move it's mouth but also put your hand/arm down the trunk and move that too. It's big and soft and a beautiful grey. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"Rut-roh!" There's nothing more frightening to Scooby-Doo than losing his munchies. Kids can help him and his human companions figure out a culinary mystery using LeapPad's multisensory, experiential learning interface. In Scooby-Doo and the Disappearing Donuts, kids see, hear, say, and touch throughout the book, making it easier to retain and enhance oral, vocabulary, and phonics skills while developing concrete reading-comprehension skills.

It's simple to use (just insert the cartridge and book into a LeapPad, and use the attached stylus to hear information), but this system is an innovative technology that provides entertaining, effective learning, designed by a Stanford-trained reading expert. As well, the system has been credited with the TMA's Educational Toy of the Year and People's Choice awards.

Two notes: Make sure the LeapPad book you get is appropriate for the child's educational level; this one should be a challenge for kids up to age 6. As well, know that some LeapBooks work on both LeapPad and LeapPad Pro, like this one, but some books only work with one system. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Learning with leap
I recently ordered this book for my son who is 4. With the leap pad books your child can learn the basics and phonics and soon be reading on their own. In just a few weeks he has learned to sound out letters and a few words in the book. Of course, Scooby will keep your interest over and over again. This is a great beginning for your pre-schooler. Also check out the other leap pad products available for all age groups.

love that leap pad
Alex got this for his birthday and it was the ONLY thing he wanted to pay with for the rest of the day!

Lots of fun..
My 2 kids love just about every LeapFrog book that we've purchased. This particular Scooby Doo story is a lot of fun and the games that are included in the book keep the kids attention.

I give 3 stars for durability, as I will for all Leap Books, only because the book does not provide storage for the cartridge. It sure would be nice if the books had small plastic sleeves for the related cartridge. We have a number of books and keeping the books and cartridges together are a little tough. The chances of losing the small cartridges will keep my durability rating lower than 5.

Also, the 3 stars for durability is related to a design "flaw". The wire from the pen and the bottom of the book are constant fighting for space. To turn the page, without possibly bending the page, requires you to hold the wire down so it doesn't interfere with the page. Easy enough for an adult to do, however my 5 year old doesn't remember to hold the wire down all the time. 50% of all of our pages have creases in the bottom of the pages...all in the same spot!

another winner
The best part about this was that Uncle J was paying more attention to it than A - he said he just wanted to know how it ended.

SCOOBY-RIFIC!
My 3 1/2 year old son loves this leapfrog story. The story is the perfect length for a toddler showing interest in stories and certainly keeps his attention. The games on each page are enjoyable - my husband and I get a kick out of them too. Well worth the money. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great Book
We purchased this book for our son who is almost 2. He was just starting to play with his Leap Pad and loves Thomas so we thought it would be a great item for him. He loves it! This book is so educational and has many different activites for children. He's usually entertained by it for over 45 minutes at a time(which is a miracle for a 2 year old!!). The whole family loves this and we would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Great Book!
My 4 year old daughter absolutely loves this book. She has 4 other leapstart books, but always chooses this one. She has used it so much that it is now starting to fall apart. She takes it everywhere she goes, even has to sleep with it. She also enjoys listening to her daddy read it to her before bed! Can't say enough about this book-recommend!

GREAT Book!!
My 3 years old is a Thomas fan. He enjoyed this book very much. The great thing about it is that he can interact with the characters he loves. It is a typical Thomas story that is full of games to help the kids recognize words and play memory games. If your child is a Thomas fan he will certainly enjoy it.

pre-reading, listening skills
My son's become obsessed with the Thomas stories and his wooden Thomas trains so this was the perfect Leap Pad book for him. He's excited to try out his skills identifying the names of the engines on the pages (he does this while watching the show too, because they flash the engine names on cards between episodes), and has started to identify other words as well. He has yet to "read" the words with the pen sequentially though--he just pokes around looking for words he thinks he recognizes. The instant feedback--he hears the word when he touches the pen to it--is a great reinforcer. He has auditory processing challenges, yet actually enjoys playing the games that require him to listen carefully. I've noticed that none of his computer games challenge his listening skills--he can easily use his visual skills to figure things out. Not the case here, so that's a real benefit for us. It took him a while to get used to pressing the proper green "go" signal every time he turns a page (if you don't do this, you will get the wrong sound when you touch the word) so I supervised him at first lest he get mixed up when he touched "Thomas" and heard "rain" or some such.

Peep Peep!
Santa brought this Thomas Leappad book for my 5 year old this past Christmas. He's a Thomas fan and has been so since age 3. He enjoys the games, even though he has mastered them already and finds them fun. He can now read the story even without the Leap Frog reading along. I believe it has encouraged him to read the past few months.

I agree wholeheartedly with the reviewer who said that if your child is a Thomas fan, this leappad book is a MUST HAVE. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Made just for toddlers, My First LeapPad Book takes care to encourageprereading skills while giving tots a simple, interesting story that makeslearning to read a fun first experience. Just stick the included book chip intoyour child's LeapPad, put the book in place, and the LeapPad takes care of therest.

Pooh is the main character in this story, adding even more appeal as heseeks out his prized honey tree and, unbeknownst to him, the bees that go withit. As Pooh goes on his quest, kids learn to comprehend the story's overallmeaning, understand events, and practice their listening skills. Flip the bookover and there are 30 Pooh-themed activities and 5 songs featured, which teachcolors, shapes, and object matching. It even sneaks in a bit of deductive logicand emotional exploration. Note: The book works only with the My First LeapPadLearning System, not more advanced LeapPad systems. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (7)

BORING
I think the LEAP system is fantastic and wholeheartedly applaud the designer and company. I think many, many families will find the My First Leap System very useful and helpful. It's also so nice to find a product that does not have unbearably loud volume settings!!

We and our daughter also are fans of Winnie the Pooh. SO disapointing, then, that THIS book/cartridge are so poorly done. Many 2-year olds will find this boring and it is designed for 3-4 year olds. THIS set teaches very little and is not interesting (boring). They could have done so much with a POOH theme!! Don't waste your time with this one.

Great book for your little one and their Leap Pad
It teaches colors, shapes, story comprehension, matching, listening skills.

This book and cartridge has 30 fun-filled activities and 5 songs in a two-in-one flip book. The story side helps to develop reading skills with stories that come to life through words, music, and sound effects. The activity side has interactive games, songs, and activities. My 2 year old loves it all!

I actually maybe would give this an average of 4 on each aspect, but I feel that I must make up for the other 2 that had to leave bad reviews just because they bought the book without understanding the Leap Pad system.

Can be frustrating
On some of the pages, the items that the child is to choose are small and if the child doesn't pick "just the right spot" on the item it tells them they got it wrong even if its right. Very frustrating for tiny hands just learning hand coordination skills, Overall the games are pretty fun, however,I don't really feel that several of the pages are educational at all, but still fun for kids just getting started in the leapfrog system.
My daughter loves the books and has gotten quite good and remembering to touch the "go" button when flipping pages to make the sounds go with the pages you are looking at.

not good
I was really upset when I received this item. I had ordered 2 becasue I thought it was a terrific deal, but nowhere did it mention that you needed the leappad player in order to use it. I hate returning things =(

UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER
I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WHEN I RECIEVED THE ITEM IN THE MAIL. IT WAS NOT ADVERTISED ANYWHERE ON THE PAGE THAT YOU HAD TO OWN A LEAPFROG SYSTEM IN ORDER TO USE IT. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A BOOK AND TAPE, AND I BOUGHT TWO. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Here's a learning toy that offers kids a wonderful, interactive introduction tothe world of letters, sounds, and colors. Alphabet Pal features several ways to play--pullthe string and, antennae flashing, the jolly green caterpillar rolls happily along singing thealphabet song.When one of the caterpillar's 26 multicolored alphabet legs is pressed,kids hear the name of that color, letter, or letter sound depending on which mode theychoose. Best of all, Alphabet Pal is a parent's friend, too--it's not too loud and turns off byitself when idle. It comes with three demonstration batteries, which should be replacedwith regular AA batteries. Made of durable plastic, the toy is 7 by 11.5 inches long.--Marianne Painter ... Read more

Reviews (66)

Fun, Educational, and has Morals?? *lol*
This toy was an awesome buy for our children. Our daughter was 3 when we bought it and she absolutely loves it to this day. We have seen an improvement in her phonics skills since playing with Alphabet Pal and we also value it's entertainment ability. Now that our 5mo old son is sitting up, he enjoys pushing the feet to hear the musical selections. I have no doubt in my mind that he will enjoy pulling it around once he can walk. Another great thing we could is that you cannot put together phonic sounds to create curse words. Like pushing the "F" and then "K" or the "A" then "S" or "Z". Alphabet Pal will sound out the first letter then give a quick giggle if the second letter pushed would sound out a curse word!! I tell ya, that sold us on this toy right there. I went out and bought 4 more for my nieces and nephews to have. WE LOVE IT!!

alphabet pal
My son got this present for his first birthday and he loves it. it is easy to use and teaches him so much. he is 18 months and follows along I hear him saying the letters with the toy.

Brings out musical talent
The alphabet pal carries several recognisable children's tunes (much more than any other such toy)for which my son William (3 1/3 yrs) sings and dances to. This is probably its best useful feature at this age and younger followed by colour acknowledgement function.
Maybe when he is older he will get around to interacting meaningfully with the letter recognition and sound function.

My son's best friend!
My 2 yr. old takes this toy to bed with him (even though it wakes up mom at all hours playing the alphabet song). It has taught him to recognize all the letters of the alphabet, and reinforces his recognition of the primary colors. It has also piqued his interest in music.

No profanity allowed.
My 15 month old loves this toy, but my husband is dissapointed with the "Letter Sounds" function. Apparently, he can't get Alphabet Pal to sound out dirty words. He'll press the button for "F", and then "K", and Alphabet pal says, "Fuh - Hee hee hee! That tickles! Kuh!"

You wouldn't believe how many dirty words and racials slurs Alphabet Pal will not say. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Horses need a stable for shelter.The 3.5-inch-long, 2-inch-tall horses included in this set are privileged to have such a wonderful red and white plastic stable. The barn snaps together in minutes andincludes a tack and storage room and three stalls with swinging doors.Accessories such as a water trough,four corral fences, a jump, and three race barrels ensure fun-filled days for these lucky horses.The barn is10.5 inches long, 6.5 inches wide, and 7 inches high.What a wonderful toy and display piece for horselovers! --Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (9)

L:ittle Red Stable
This a totally fun toy, it is so much fun to play with abd pretend that you have your own stable. It is very durable although the horses legs are easliy bent, It is a very educational toy becasue it teaches you what you need to have happy and healthy horses.

FUN FUN FUN
My mom got this for me and I have been playing with it ever since! I collect stablemates and I think whoever collects them should get this barn!

Cute, but only suitable for display
My daughter (aged 5 when she received this item, now turning 7) loves the Breyer horses and the Little Red Stable. Unfortunately Breyer is to look at, not play with. The horses do not stand well and several have suffered broken legs. The Stable is made of a very thin, almost brittle, plastic. My daughter is not rough with her toys, and though she enjoys playing with the set, the broken horses and sharp plastic are a put-off. I wouldn't recommend this for enthusiastic play or for portable entertainment.

RATE HORSE STABLE SET
I THOUGHT THAT THE HORSE STABLE WAS VERY CUTE AND MY SON LOVES HORSES. HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS GREAT FOR ALL HIS HORSES TOO STAY IN. HE COULD PUT SOME IN THERE TO TRAVEL WITH WHERE EVER HE GOES. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT TOY FOR ANY CHILD WHO LOVES HORSES.

Stablemates Little Red Barn
I apsolutely loved my barn when I was a little girl. It was hard to put together and that meant to me that it wasn't going to fall apart. I loved the fact that it comes with two Stablemates! I hope that someone will have a lot of fun with beautiful collectors item/toy! ... Read more

Editorial Review

What's really, really cute? A kid that doesn't know the meaning of some words yet, but really, really wants to. LeapPad's multisensory, experiential interface makes kids want a big vocabulary--in a bad way. With Richard Scarry's Things to Know, kids see, hear, say, and touch throughout the story, enhancing oral, vocabulary, and phonics lessons given throughout the book. At the same time, Scarry's characters help to identify and pronounce new words and pronounce old words correctly.

It's simple to use (just insert the cartridge and book into a LeapPad, and use the attached stylus to hear information), but this system is an innovative technology that provides entertaining, effective learning, designed by a Stanford-trained reading expert. The system also has been credited with the TMA's Educational Toy of the Year and People's Choice awards.

Two notes: Make sure the LeapPad book you get is appropriate for the child's educational level, and know that some LeapBooks (like this one) work on both LeapPad and LeapPad Pro, but some only work with one system. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This is the 2nd Richard Scary Leapbook I have purchased
We had this book and it was destroyed by our cat. We love it so much we are purchasing it again! My 4 year old loved it for over a year and now my 15 month loves it. We have several Leap Pad books and this one is by far the favorite of my two boys. I like it because it does not just tell a story like many Leap Pad books do, it allows kids to count, find items, and listen to music.

A must own!
Another must own of the leap pad series of books. This book encourages colors, shap recognition and counting while teaching kids about their seasons, musical instruments and more. On the seasons pages, they learn extra tunes including a little bit of "The Entertainer". They also learn their opposites and the importance of being polite. The best bonus is that your child's vocabulary and self-esteem get a boost. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good book
This book is great. My daugher is finally learning what *sounds* the letter make! And she gets this book out on her own to play with it so it oviously is fun for her which is a huge + in my book!!

I would recomend this book to any child just learning to read, no matter what the age (my daughter is 5), it really helps to add additional practice to any other reading program (whether in school, homeschool, tutor, etc) and it is fun.

Also my almost 2 year old is starting to learn the sounds the letters make from watching her big sister use this!

Great for Pre Readers
This is a great book for people with the Leap pad and are looking for a book that is for younger kids. My daughter is 3 and she is able to follow alot of the concepts with this book. Each page is dedicated to one letter and there are lots of pictures to touch with the pen that make music and stories. I recommend this book for younger kids who are learning the alphebet. Very colorful pages with lots of easily reconizable picutes.(frogs, ice cream, apples)

Got my son EXCITED ABOUT READING
My son is 4 and finally learned the sounds of letters with this book. The characters are funny and the songs are so catchy, my son sings the letter sound song all the time. Getting him from knowing the alphabet song to the actual sounds of letters was a big LEAP, but this book really really worked! I've already bought the next 3 phonics books and so far, he love them too. He also can't get enough of the book by Bob the Builder, teaching reading comprehension in a truly fun way that he can relate to. Great stuff!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This featherweight, pliable modeling material can be used to make almost anything--doll furniture, Christmas ornaments, jewelry. You can roll it, squeeze it, or mold it. Each of the four sealed pouches contains 8 ounces of nontoxic modeling material, each in a different color--red, yellow, blue, and white (colors may stain). Braid colors together, or combine them to form new colors. Try a marbled look. A chart on the back of the lidded plastic container shows how to mix colors. You can press objects into the soft material, either to leave decorative or textural imprints or to become a part of your creation. Objects usually air dry within 24 hours--and so does the leftover material, so be sure to put it in an airtight container for safekeeping. Once you've opened a package it's best to use it all on the same day. When your creations have "set," they can be painted and decorated. --Louise Carter ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Gets creativity flowing!
I bought this last year to make easy handprints of the children I cared for as a keepsake for the parents. I found I had two bags left over and gave it to my girls to play with. I have an 8 yr old and a 6 yr old. THEY LOVE IT! They've made *cookies* with it and animal sculptures in full detail. It get their creativity going, it's easy to use and doesn't crumble when it dries. I'm going to order another bucket at their request.

Better than Play Dough
My kids love this stuff. Its squishy like soft foam, molds easily, actually sticks to itself (unlike the new version of playdough), and best yet...it dries to become harder and more resiliant...great for making dollie cups, bowls, furniture, googly monsters, and much more. It works great with cookie cutters because the stuff doesn't stick to anything but itself. It is water soluble and washes out easily if it gets caught in a bunch of spilled water. Actually water is its big downfall...it will turn to mush if it contacts water...however you can use this to your advantage when it becomes somewhat dried out. Just wet it slightly under a faucet for a microsecond and then kneed it back and forth to regain its original fun consistency. Once its air dried, water doesn't affect it much. If you want to return something that has dried back to the original squishy state, simply leave out on a plate on the porch when it is raining or on an extra humid day for several hours. Cleanup is the best part of this stuff. It doesn't crumble like play dough and the kids seem to make a fraction of the overall mess.

The only downside is that it dries out after a couple hours of play and you either have to renew it with the water trick or trash it. If you mix all the colors together, you end up with a red/brown color.

Its been a great addition to the "art" supply stuff at home.

So Awesome!
I love this..It is so soft and easy to shape and it doesnt stick. My mom used to always buy it for us but she stopped because it was always rock hard when bought. I wish that she still bought it but i dont care because whenever i see it i dont want it anymore becase i know its for little kids..lol..anyways its great!

Better than playdough
This stuff feels light as air, and is easy to model and mold into just about anything. With the first package we bought, the Model Magic was hard as a rock (so it was obviously ancient). I emailed Crayola, who apologized profusely and offered me a coupon for a new package (their customer support system is prompt and professional- 5 stars for that!). It should be noted, then, that if you want your creation to be permanent, leave it out to air dry (about 24 hours). If you want to be able to keep playing with it, put it in an airtight container. I tried putting water on the rock hard stuff (as the website suggested trying), but it didn't do anything. More fun than playdough (and doesn't smell funny, either).

best present my child received
My child received this for christmas last year and loves it. I have had to buy more. We create animals, make letters, we made a volcano. She will sit and create on her own. My child likes doing crafts and creating things, so this may not be for every child. It feels different from play-doh and does not have a smell like play-doh. Other reviewers said they had to use the package up in one day. I rolled the package up to close it, clipped it with a clothes pin, put it back in the container and ours stayed fresh. We keep ours in the house. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Made just for toddlers, My First LeapPad Book takes care to encourageprereading skills while giving tots a simple, interesting story that makeslearning to read a fun first experience. Just stick the included book chip intoyour child's LeapPad, put the book in place, and the LeapPad takes care of therest.

Leap himself is the main character in this story, adding even moreappeal to young readers as he explores the galaxy with his friends. As he goeson his quest, kids learn to comprehend the story's overall meaning, understandspecific events, and practice their listening skills. In addition, this bookintroduces primary math skills--like numbers, counting, and basic geometricshapes. It even sneaks in a bit of deductive logic, emotional exploration, colorrecognition, object matching, and positions (up, down, in, between, etc.). Flipthe book over and there's more fun: over 30 activities and 4 sing-along songs.Note: The book works only with the My First LeapPad Learning System, not moreadvanced LeapPad systems. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (4)

not as good
My daughter has 6 leappad books - this is the only one she doesn't like. I am not sure why, but it just isn't as good as the rest!

Not the best My First Leappad book
Our 3 year old does not like this book very much. Colors and shapes are too small. And there is too much other information around those items to make it clear that that is what they are supposed to be learning. It says it is supposed to teach numbers, but it only goes up to 5. If I had to do it over again I would have purchased another Leappad book instead of this one.

Not a good travel toy
I bought this thinking it would be great for travel. We do a lot of car and plane travel. However, the unit is not that well designed and not very robust. The volume for plane "white noise" is just not high enough. A headphone adapter would be a good addition. Also, the ON/OFF button is at a location that a child (or adult) can easily turn the unit off again while it is being used. Because of this, it would be nice to have a light to know if the unit is on, idle, or off. I have had numerous problems with cartridges not being recognized...."This is not a Leap pad cartridge....) And, the sensitivity for the "new page button...the green dot" is frustrating. You can push and push and it won't recognize a new page. It also eats through batteries (this also may be the ON/OFF problem...you don't know if it is ON when you pack it away, or if it gets turned ON in backpack/carry-on, etc.) All, in all...disappointed. It could be a great toy for quiet time on trips, but I won't take it with me any more...I'm too frustrated trying to get it work and then my son becomes upset too!

We Love LeapPad!
As with all the LeapPad books, "Leap to the Moon" is wonderful. My 3 year old loves to "read" the book on his own. It has helped with his number recognition and matching pairs especially. There are a couple of great songs he has learned as well.

We are buying a new book and cartridge for him to have on the plane for an upcoming trip. I cannot recommend the LeapPad and it's books highly enough! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

GREAT FOR GIRLS WHO LOVE TO DRAW
My daughter is 6 & she loves this toy. It's not one that gets old after 2 days. There are so many variations to draw from, endless combinations. The older she gets, the more she loves it. Her older friends especially like it. It's good for motor development in trying to do the tracing.

great toy
Our daycare has a toy similar to this one,however it is much more expensive. My daughter absolutely loves her tracing desk, she has already gone thru one set of batteries and a light bulb. She is six years old and the intricate designs really challenge her. I was very pleased with this toy and would not hesitate to buy it again.

My son loves the vehicle version !!!
Yes, they make a version of this with vehicles to trace and my 6 yr old son loves it! For some reason the vehicle version is harder to find than the girls' fashion version. For any boy that loves to draw cars and trucks, this is great. Also, good for their fine motor skills.

4girlsmom
My daughters, ages 9, 7 year old twins and 3 1/2 love this toy. They have played with it for hours. The pictures are easy for them to trace and there are several stencils for them to choose from so they didn't get bored. Once they traced the pictures, they colored them and cut them out. Then they played with the cutout dolls. I highly recommend this toy.

great tool for a little girl's imagination
My 9 year old niece recieved this for Christmas from my mother. She could only find one and was not able get one for my 8 year old dauther. My daughter saw it, played with it for hours and loved it. It is a great tool to stimulate their imagination. We looked all over to try and find my daughter one and she was heart broken when we could not. I was lucky enough to find one at Amazon and quickly ordered it. Little girls love to play dress up and this is an awesome way for them to design their own line of clothing, so to speak. I cannot wait to see her face when it comes. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

should provide more info on product
So you buy Music Blocks thinking this is all you need? Wrong, they plug into something else, not even shown on the same page, now try to find the block they plug into!
Products that require something else to work should be referred to that item, so the complete package is available!

fun for all ages
I have three children, 11yrs, 9yrs and 16months and all of my childen have fun playing with music blocks.

Yes...it DOES have the entire Tigger song...
I bought this 3 in 1 cartridge in spite of the reviews I had read that panned it...and the whole product in general. We have the music blocks as well as the giant block. I would hardly describe it as 15 seconds of music. On the giant block, the ENTIRE Tigger song is split into large chunks that each get activated separately on each side of the cube. There are slight pauses in between the phrases (because the cartridge works differently for the other products), but it's not disruptive to the rhythm. They come exactly where the pauses normally do in the song. On the music blocks, it works differently. Each of the large chunks are broken down into smaller phrases - 1 for each side of each of the 5 separate cubes (30 separate parts of the song). You can really make some interesting combinations.

Also...I have yet to find the screw in the cartridge case that makes it soooo difficult to change the song on the cartridge. All you have to do is open the velcro flap and pop open the hinged cover that opens with one of the pressure tabs (for lack of a better description) - a whole 2 seconds I think..maybe 3. The only thing in this area on the giant cube that requires a screwdriver is the battery compartment - which is separate from the cartridge compartment. The ONLY problem I have is that sometimes I try to put the cartridge in backwards, but it doesn't fit that way...so I figure it out. I like that it doesn't fit so you can't accidentally destroy the cartridge.

With the Tigger song, I prefer the Giant Cube, because the kids can roll the cube around to see if they can get the right order of the song. Plus, it's fun. They jump up and down and dance around the cube. The giant cube is GREAT for taking out frustration too. The music blocks require a little more thought and the cartoon sound effects are really interesting on the music blocks.

I'm REALLY happy I bought these, and I'm glad I didn't let the other reviews scare me away from this set. They are simply a great addition to your Neurosmith cartridge set - and a bargain considering what you would pay to buy the 3 songs individually direct from Neurosmith. I also HIGHLY recommend the Music from Around the World 3 in 1 cartridge - some really great rhythms.

Great Potential But You'll Be Disappointed
Don't count on any help from the company/manufacturer over the life of the toy. While you pay a premium for these high-tech innovations from this company, they do not support their products over the long run. Our music blocks toy, with programmable cartridges sit useless because the company refuses to support them any more. I won't buy any more of their products.

Classical education
A wonderful way for my grandson to be introduced to the classical music. It's also a great toy for dexterity.

It's nice to see a toy that is geared to the ARTS. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Son loved it - So did Mom and Dad
I bought this for my son's 4th birthday and he loved it! My husband and I spent several evenings doing the various experiments with him and we had a great time too. My son really enjoyed learning about mixing colors and the whole "experiment" aspect of it. The materials, such as the droppers and test tubes, are reusable so you can make up your own experiments too.

Fantastic kit for little scientists
I did this kit with my 4-year-old daughter and she loved it! There are various activities within the kit -- she expecially liked making the rainbow of crystals. She also enjoyed mixing the colors and even wanted to write down the results. She's now 5 and still remembers the experiment and thinks science is fun. Well worth it! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

hours of independant play
My daughter loves this book so much. It is made so much better than a lot of wooden toys that fall apart at the edges. I do recomend that your child be over their "everything in the mouth" phase as the pictures on the pieces will wear off easily. Also, I wish this book had a simple latch to keep it shut without the pieces falling out.

One of the best toys ever!
My daughter (1 1/2) received this puzzle book as a gift and she loves it! Of all the puzzles we own this is the one she is drawn to time and time again. It is a great toy because she can occupy herself for at least 20 minutes or I can sit and play with her. I love that the puzzle pieces are just her hand size and slightly magnetized. The illustrations are also bright and colorful. I just bought this puzzle for my nephew too because it is such a great gift. The only reason I rated it 4 on durability is because the edges are slightly starting to wear, but considering that she plays with it several times a day everyday, I think it has worn well. I definately recommend this puzzle for kids this age.

One of son's new favorites
My son received this for Christmas. He has chosen to read this book before bedtime each night since Christmas. He likes if I take out the pieces on each page and then he puts the pieces in correctly as I read each description.

Fantastic!
I purchased this book for my son who has Autism. This book is FANTASTIC. It has great learning value, great for dexterity (putting the pieces in) and great for teaching him to follow instructions and steps! This is one of the best purchases I have made, and it keeps his attention!

ONE OF MY DAUGHTER'S FAVORITES
My daughter received this toy at 12 months and loves it! She is now 18 months and plays with it almost everyday. You can use it in so many ways for your child to learn and have fun. We use it as a puzzle, fun magnets for the refrigerator, reading/learning words, as well as play mix and match games. Her vocabulary has grown tremendously with use of this book. There are a lot of pieces though and a few have been lost over the months...who knows where a toddler hides things! I would definintely recommend this book. In fact,I am buying several to give away as christmas gifts! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Animal Planet brings the underwater world to your home with this sea life play set. There are 10 ocean animals (octopus, shark, killer whale, sea lion, seal, dolphin, porpoise, sting ray, king crab, and marlin) along with a marine biologist and his equipment to play out underwater study. All the animals are soft plastic so you can bring these toys right into the bath. The boat and rubber raft float and the cage that comes along can be used to observe the animals or for collecting them. The package box even provides some information on the animals so kids can learn while playing. --Chip Quinn ... Read more