Editorial Review

What's the No. 1 group dance for the pre-school set? Hint: it's not the "Electric Slide" or "Cotton-Eyed Joe." You guessed it, and so did Elmo: the "Hokey Pokey." Though Elmo doing the "Slide" would be a sight to see, he masters the Pokey quite convincingly, to the probable delight of his toddling fans. After loading his foot with four "AA" batteries, press his hand and he performs the popular jig. He sticks out both his right hand and foot, shakes his body all about, then smoothly spins in place, thanks to a rotating platform under one foot. Elmo even spices up the beat, and sporadically speeds up the action; both innovations crank up the fun factor. The only downside: he was de-plushed, presumably because of all the mechanisms needed to help him dance and maintain balance. The result, still, is an impressive performance. He's just not very cuddly. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (73)

We hokey pokey right along!
Since my 1-year-old is an Elmo freak, we bought this for her for Christmas. She loved it from the first beat! It was hard for her to turn on at first, but once she got him going, she danced right along! And I have to admit, it's kind of a catchy jig! Our only problem was that the batteries ran out pretty fast. But other than that, we love Hokey Pokey Elmo!

It is an awsome toy!
I love Elmo and so does my niece. My co-worker had it, and I thought it was neat. Now I would like to buy it for my niece for her birthday and i can't find it any wheres in syracuse New york.

great toy elmo
i bought this elmo for my 6 month old elmo he loved it and we as adults thought it was ahoot i wanted one so did some of my family it is so sweet

Our kids LOVE Elmo!
My daughter got this for her first Christmas this past year and she is going on 7mos now but she absolutely LOVES this toy. She giggles and squirms whenever he's singing and dancing. Her 2 yr old brother dances with him too and loves when he falls over because he asks you to pick him back up. Granted he doesn't sing the whole song but who cares? It's the fun of dancing with Elmo. So far Elmo has survived 2 kids and a curious cat. The entertainment value and watching what your kids do when he dances and sings far outweighs the noise and not singing the whole song. I recommend this if you want to have a great time with your children.

LOVE IT!
My Greatgrandmother got this Elmo for me for Christmas, and I can't stop bouncing when he dances. I'm still pretty little, so I like to eat Elmo's fur, but when Mommy and Daddy play and dance with me, it's SO much fun! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A Big Hit in the Tub!
My daughter loves this bath toy. She loves Sesame Street, and this is just perfect. We ask her where each character is, and she picks them up and shows us. What's great about it is that the toys don't have holes in the bottom of them, so no water gets in them. She is also fascinated by the palm tree and the water that showers out of it. I use the palm tree to wet her hair down to wash it. Definetly a great bath toy!

Great fun in the tub!
My son, wo loves Sesame Street, has this toy and loves it. He gets so excited to take a bath with Elmo and the gang. He even hates getting out of the tub. I used the flotable toys in the pool, which he got a kick out of and only added to his creativity.

It's a great bathtime toy!

Hours of bathtime fun!!
My son got this for his first birthday and we've had fun playing with it every bath since! He loves to put Elmo and Telly and Ernie on the edge of the tub and make them dive! It's a durable bath toy...doesn't get all coroded like some others. I would highly recommend!

Fun for the Sesame Street Fan
I recently bought this toy for my 19 month old daughter who I was having trouble getting into the tub. As a huge Elmo fan, I must admit, I had great success after putting this in the tub with her! She loves to pour water into the spinning palm tree, kisses Elmo endlessly and just overall loves this toy. I inspected each figurine prior to putting it into the tub for fear of cracks in the seams which could lead to mold issues, as stated by other parents but fortunately there were none. Overall a cute toy.

Great toy!
My son has had this toy for over a year now, and he still loves to play with it in the tub. It's durable, and fun. Haven't had any mold problems with it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Get ready to learn shapes, colors, numbers, letters, face parts, animal sounds, and more with Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and the rest of the Sesame Street gang! This Sing & Teach Table features tons of buttons and other interactive gadgets that prompt fun lessons for babies and toddlers, all in the wacky, weird voices of the Muppets. (Presumably, tots are familiar enough with the characters to understand all the squeals and growls.) The semi-circular shaped plastic table stands 12 inches high, not counting the waggling Elmo head that presides over the action. Children sit or stand at the table, lifting the Cookie Monster head to learn about "open" and "closed," spinning a drum for the alphabet song, or picking up a cell phone to hear The Count soliloquize about numbers. Bright, cheerful, and noisy--just what the toddler ordered! --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Product Description

Learn Thru Music Early Learning System The Learn Through Music interactive early learning system helps teach preschoolers fundamental lessons through the magic of music. The rhythm, rhyme and repetition of musical sounds and lyrics are time-honored and time-tested tools that capture children's attention and imagination and help them to absorb and remember basic concepts. Because music engages a child's entire self - mind, body and soul - putting lessons to music makes it fun and easy for children to soak up new information. Each Learn Through Music software cartridge features: Specific, age-appropriate learning lessons, A wide range of lyrical & rhythmic devices, A variety of visual & audio content and Diverse curriculums based on beloved characters ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Great Interactive Toy for Toddlers!
I love the Learn Through Music! You can adjust the volume on the back (where the on/off switch is located). There are two volume levels. My son is 22 months old, and he received this gift last Christmas. He loves the Sesame Street characters, and he will "rediscover" it every couple of days and sit and play with it by himself. However, I have had a hard time finding the Elmo Counting Cartridge. If you invest the money in buying this product, you should buy additional cartridges so they don't get bored with the one that comes with it. Hope this helps!

Great toy but TOO loud
This is a favorite toy among my children ages 2-6. I thought it would be a great toy to bring in the car so they could play with it while waiting. BAD idea, it is so loud, I can barely hear anything else. Otherwise, it's very durable (we have 7 children), it's lasted through being dropped, stepped on, fought over, etc. I put a pc of tape over the speaker, which has helped a little, but now the younger one can't play with it (she eats the tape).

a little loud and good for two and up
My daughter rec'd this toy when she was just over one years old. she has issues with using the mic, you must hold the button down to make the mic work. i also wished that the volume was able to be adjusted.

Pages don't correspond w/the Songs
I'm just glad we didn't have to spend our money on this toy. The Sesame Street version was given to my 2yr old as a gift. The pages don't advance like they are suppose to. She is trying to learn the alphabet starting w/A and it's on Y. Elmo pops up to sing at all the wrong places. The music is great though and she follows along w/the singing of the alaphabet and sings right into the microphone but as far as the page being in the right place when talking about the letter its not. Main problem is the songs don't correspond w/what the page is showing. I've replaced the batteries twice thinking that was the problem but it turns out it's not.

lots of fun
My son doesnt spend more than 2 minutes on each toy, except on
this one. He loves this toy. We bought him all the cartridges,
and we rotate them. He doesnt use the microphone.. but everything works great and has endured lots of hits.
I would recommend this to everyone (from 18 months- 3 years) ... Read more

Editorial Review

Elmo has certainly sold out. The fuzzy red Muppet is dressed up in a chicken suit, with only his red face and hands showing. The fuzzy suit is bright yellow with a white chest, orange feet, and a red comb on the hood. Push the button on Elmo's left foot and his high-pitched voice encourages little ones to do the Chicken Dance with him. His arms flap and his knees bounce up and down as he sings the lines, "Elmo wants to be a chicken, Elmo wants to be a duck" to the familiar, but annoying, tune. Press the button on his right foot and Elmo will cluck like a chicken and move his head. Note that these two actions are the only ones Elmo does; there is no volume control, repeatedly hitting a button will cause a "rap effect," and the body under the chicken suit is hard plastic, which hurts his huggability factor. --Pam Lauer ... Read more

Reviews (111)

Chicken Dance Elmo
I read some of the other reviews, and I disagree with alot of them. Some of these people say that the toy is loud and obnoxious, but I think that it's fun for kids. My nephew is 4 now, and he's had it since his third birthday, and he still loves it and plays with it all the time.

Deafening
I recently bought a chicken dance Elmo for my daughter, but it is too loud (and there is no way to adjust the volume). I actually really like Elmo and his songs but this is just earsplitting. Also, Elmo is not cuddly at all. His body is hard plastic with a thin "fur" covering.

I'm dissapointed in how long the toy worked!
This is one of my son's favorite toys. He also loves the Elmo piano. He received the Elmo piano in 12-02 and has played it constantly. We have only just changed the batteries in 3-04. We gave him the Chicken Dance Elmo when Toys R Us was out of Tickle Me Elmo (even though their commercial said they'd never run out, they did). Anyways, he absolutely loved Chicken Dance Elmo and unfortunately it stopped working on 3-29-04, a little over 90 days of use, that's all he got out of it. For the price I am really disappointed at how poorly it held up.

A love/hate relationship
We purchased Chicken Dance Elmo when our son was about 12 months old because he loved it in the store. For about 2 months, my son liked and and would flap his arms and try to chicken dance. We have taught my son sign language and whenever he saw Elmo anywhere, he would flap his arms like a chicken.
Then, at about 14 months, my son became terrified of this toy. I hid Elmo in my son's closet thinking this would solve the problem, but then he saw it in there and then would point to the closet and shriek while making his sign for Elmo. I put it in our closet and then made the mistake of leaving the closet door open while my son was in there. More shrieking! While not having Elmo around was a bit of a relief to us (he's a bit noisy), we thought it best to try some deprogramming. My husband took Elmo out of the closet, hugged him in front of my son, and told him that Elmo is our friend (hilarious). After several days of this, Elmo was welcomed back in the family. NOW, my son adores him, and gets very upset if he falls over (which he often does). It really is too cute to see him chicken dance. Still, Elmo is loud, not at all cuddly, and likely pretty scary for kids under 18 months. Additionally, all he does is the dance. Amusingly, while my son now loves the Chicken Dance Elmo, he is still terrified of the Limbo Elmo.

Holds up well
We got this for my step son Christmas of 2002. He was 11mos old then but we decided to get it since he adores Elmo. When he was opening gifts he unwrapped this one and had no interest in any of the others. He still loves to play with this one and hokey pokey...at the same time and combines the two dances. He holds it so it won't move all the time and it still dances. This toy has held up so well to a very curious toddler, a stuffed toy box, and 2 moves. This Elmo also has 2 buttons, one on each foot, that can play at the same time! When he's singing and dancing you can press the other foot and he will balk like a chicken and roll his head and the song doesnt reset it will breifly pause do the head roll then pick up right where it left off. All in all I recommend this toy to any one. My 7mo old daughter also gets a kick outta this toy too! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Elmo may not be on the cutting edge of pop culture with this incarnation, but he still makes playtime fun. Instead of mimicking the latest hit, which always seems to drive kids wild, he sings and dances his own version of a 70s classic: "YMCA." It never dies, does it? The 13.5-inch Elmo sings out letters to a catchy rhythm while dancing what can only be described as pseudo-Egyptian. It's quite a feat, actually, to see what he does with his arms and legs: standing on one foot, bobbing his head, moving several limbs at once. His cute, familiar voice hasn't changed, either; kids can hear it with each press of his upheld hand. Required: 4 AA batteries.Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (1)

too cute for words
This Elmo is the cutest one that I have ever seen. By daughter loves to dance with Elmo. ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Not so great!
My parent's bought this for my daughter for christmas. In the package it is pretty loud but when you took it out the packaging and pulled the tab it got so quiet that you can barely even hear it. Also about 3 weeks after she got this, the flip part on the phone broke right off!

Absolutely ridiculous!
The fact that the volume is barely audible when you take it out of the package is so ridiculous!!!! Don't waste your time and money!

Total false advertising!
I too bought this phone, and when I took the packaging off, the volume was barely audible! the instructions inside said that was not an error, that is how it is supposed to be. Well then maybe they shouldn't have it so the volume is so loud when it is in the packaging! Obviously, you need the volume up to sell the damn toy, why turn it down? My daughter rarely plays with this phone. I wouldn't recommend it, if not solely for the false advertising!

Agree the volume is too low
We stuck the tab back in and taped it in place so our daughter could hear it. Otherwise, it's a great toy.

Fasle Advertising
There is no indication prior to buying this toy that the volume will be turned down to nothing when it is taken out of the box. I can understand the Fisher Price people's concern for children's hearing but the volume doesn't need to be so low. We were very excited about getting the phone and looked forward to playing with it when we were still able to hear it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Almost useless
The pedals are on a rod with very little bend so pedaling barely turns the tire. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Buy something else
I, too, thought my 16-month would delight in seeing Elmo pop out. But the question became "WHEN?" It takes way too long and I have to crank it a few times, fast, so my son doesn't get bored with it. It also goes off without any warning. We'll be watching tv and hear the VERY LOUD music. No volume control, takes too long for Elmo to appear and just plain annoying.

Not fun for parents
My 18 month old son does like this toy, but I find it annoying. It takes too long for Elmo to pop out. He gets upset when after turning the handle 10 times, Elmo hasn't popped out yet. Then he gives it to me to make Elmo come out. He did figure out how to pry open Cookie's face to make him come out that way.

Annoying toy
What is it with these Fisher Price Sesame Street toys? This is the third SS toy that goes off all by itself, whether it is touched/moved or not. That in itself should ward off any potential buyers. I strongly agree with the previous reviewer that the toy takes too many turns to get the elmo to pop out. My 2 year old only has the patience to turn the handle once, maybe twice. Then I have to quickly turn it another couple of times for the elmo to pop. The music and elmo voice are also very loud, and there is no volume control. Skip this purchase.

Elmo doesn't hold child's interest
Although my 1 yr old and 2 yr old were initially attracted to this toy for the music and giggly noises it makes, it did not hold their interest. It takes to many turns of the handle to get Elmo to pop out. My 1 yr old will watch when the music starts. But then she turns away and doesn't see Elmo pop out, because it takes so long and doesn't hold her interest. My 2 yr old gets frustrated turning the handle, and starts turning it the other way. Then it takes even longer. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

WATCH OUT FOR THE LIMBO STICK!!!
My daughter received this for her 3rd birthday. The next day she was playing with the limbo stick...each end pulls out from it. When she shut the stick, it shut quickly and pinched her leg in it. I really had to work to get it open to free her leg. She has a good size spot and bruise. The doll is fine but, the stick is a hazard.

Fall over Elmo is a better name
The instructions say to put Elmo on a hard floor to ensure it works, but that doesn't make much of a difference. It falls over and the music doesn't last long enough. I liked the Rock'n Roll Elmo best because he had a guitar and played music while rockin'. That was more entertaining for this age group. This is more frustrating -- even me, a grown up, is frustrated with this toy. The limbo stick can get lost easily in the piles of toys not attached to anything. Too much effort between Elmo and the stick. Chicken Dance or Hokey Pokey Elmo look like better choices, but I have not tried them.

my one year old tiwn boys love him!
My one year old twin boys love him- but only for about a minute. he sings the limbo song, and then they go over and knock him down, because when you do, Elmo says, "OOPS!! elmo limbo'ed too far- can you help him up please?" and then when you pick him up, he says, "THANK YOU!!" Too cute! the limbo stick is useless, but they now know who elmo is and when he comes on the tv screen, they go nuts! Plus, he teaches them that when you help someone, you say thank you.
very cute toy. I would buy chicken dance elmo if it's as cute. All that really matters is that he makes my boys laugh.

I love this toy
My daughter recieved limbo elmo for her second birthday and loves it unlike other reviews ours works fine on carpet and floor. My daughter likes dancing along with elmo and watching her try to limbo is funny. We love this toy.

I agree, I love it, but it does not hold my child's interest
I love the tune, and so do our friends (without children) who visit and like to play with Elmo. However, it does not hold the attention of my 15-month-old son at all, unfortunately. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, Elmo's World." Greeting children and parents alike with the theme song to the popular Elmo's World show, this Elmo plush looks and sounds like the real deal. Adorned with soft red fur and a bright orange nose, Guess What? Elmo is equipped with a built-in clock that activates a new conversation topic every day for seven days. When Elmo's hand is squeezed he'll talk about popular topics from the Elmo's World show, including birthday cakes, bugs, balls, hats, bananas, crayons, and shoes. He can say over 200 phrases in all, and whenever Elmo sings or talks, his mouth moves up and down. Measuring a little over 20 inches from the top of his head to the bottom of his furry feet, Elmo is soft enough to cuddle with, but you can feel a solid plastic body inside when you squeeze his tummy or chest. Requires three AA batteries (included) for operation. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Broke within a few days
I bought this toy from a department store and it was broke within a couple days. His mouth got stuck on and just kept moving. I took it back and didn't replace it. The problem with places I got this from and toys like it is the kids walk by constantly playing with them so they aren't in "new" condition by the time you get them home. I also didn't notice ours saying many phrases at all which disappointed me before it did break. Very cute concept, don't know about educational value as the one I had didn't say much, and I am sure it would be a great toy if it were durable enough. I can make a warning for anyone who buys toys like this for their children that moving mouth is probably going to entise them to hold it closed and if they do that it will break and make an awful annoying noise and will be rendered useless.

Why is Elmo screaming at us?
This is a cute toy that our 1 y.o. loves, but the volume is dangerously loud! I called to complain, but was not offered any solutions. I can hear elmo from my basement while my daughter plays with it upstairs! I think that I am going to have to take it apart and tape over the speaker because it is way too loud. It is quite uncomfortable and I am concerned about the volume especially when my daughter is holding it close and Elmo starts shouting at us!

Sent It Back!
What a great idea for a toy. I wish you could have the same toy without the moving mouth. I can't get past how badly the mouth opens and closes. I sent it back.

A Mom
This is an awesome toy! I've only seen it on-line and bought it for my one year old based on the reviews of others. He loves it! He really likes Elmo on TV and this one is realistic and loveable. The soft arms and legs make him so huggable, his mouth moves which really intrigues my son, and the fact that Elmo can sit on a window sill or chair makes him easy to put away and fun to watch. Elmo is also very durable. My son drags him every where! His voice is great and the fact that he changes his topics daily is lots of fun for my older children as well. We look forward to seeing what the topic will be each day. I highly recommend this toy for Elmo lovers.

Guess what Elmo...this toy is creepy!
I ordered this toy for my 2-year-old son for Christmas and was looking forward to watching his face light up as Elmo talked with him Christmas morning. However, as soon as I pushed Elmo's hand I realized this was not going to be the warm fuzzy moment I had anticipated! Elmo's mouth moves while he's talking... Unfortunately, it's not in sync with what he is saying! The mouth opens really big at a very slow pace and then shuts quickly, kind of like the game Mr. Mouth for those of you who grew up in the 70s-80s. Anyway, my son will not be receiving Guess what Elmo for Christmas! I was, however, pleased with the Elmo cell phone and Elmo guitar that we ordered. Although the cell phone was a little banged up.
I can't evaluate the durablity or educational value because I will not be keeping the toy long enough to find out. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

this is a great toy but...........
I got this toy for my niece. she loves it, it is very unique. I think that most kids would like it. The only reason I put but is that it is easy if your kid has a name like tom, mary , mark etc. There are some odd spellings that have odd pronunciations. You are best off to not buy this from a toys r us on line unless your kid does have a standard name with a standard pronunciation. If it is an odd spelling or an odd pronunciation, you are much better off going to a toys r us store and getting them to program it, and listen to the name as she programs it. As it was with me saying her name is margaret, she did program one as margarita. They did immediately fix it, but you are smart to use normal spellings for normal pronunciations. I hope this makes sense. If your kids name is pronounced as Gina, and you spell it like GEENAH.......... write down the typical spelling it will give you a better chance of getting it right. Also there are many different personalized elmos. The generic ones do more things.

My nephew loved this!
I bought this for my nephew and could not wait until Christmas to give it to him. He absolutely loved it. It was amazing to his reaction when Elmo spoke his name. It's the perfect gift for any child who loves Elmo.

ELMO HAS AN ACCENT!
CAUTION! Elmo only knows the Spanish pronunciation of Benjamin (ben-ha-MEEN) instead of (BEN-ja-min). How many famous ben-ha-MEENs have there been? None that I know of. How many famous BEN-ja-mins? I can think of one big one...a politician, inventor, business man and the man whose portrait appears on the US $100 bill...Benjamin Franklin. Why does Elmo say "ben-ha-MEEN?" Granted, there is some Spanish history and usage to the name Benjamìn, but the name (from the sources I've been able to find) are of Hebrew descent (Benyamin) and the name was made famous by the aforementioned. I could understand if I ordered the "Feliz Navidad Elmo," or if I lived in a Spanish-speaking country, but I didn't and I don't (well, I am only 35 miles from Los Angeles). A supervisor at Personalized Gifts for Babies "R" Us stated there is nothing they can do except take it back and refund my money. Apparently all of the computer chips were programmed to pronounce Benjamin with a Spanish accent. How many other names will be pronounced in foreign tongues? Be wary.

Great gift for an Elmo fan
I just got this for my daughter for Christmas. I am really pleased with it. Elmo's fur is very soft and he is a good size for her (she is 16 mos). She is crazy about Elmo (so am I, I must admit -- he's much better than Barney or teletubbies!) and I know she will love hearing him say her name. I plan on getting her the birthday one later. It is a great, unique present. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Poor design
I purchaced this toy for my twin girls and it is nothing that I expected it to be. First lets start by saying stage one is terrible they couldn't even lay under it to play because as you know all babies kick there feet so they kept pushing it out of the way, or they were to long for it.Second the only way to play music was to put the balls through it for them,Yes turn elmos head and that would work to but it was very hard to turn.One of the girls got her arm stuck in between the handle and the guide where the ball goes.Luckily we were close by before she fell and really did some damage.Third Now that they are at the state to try and push it it just keeps tipping over on them so that is also impossible.I kept this toy thinking the toy would maybe be better on the other stages but guess what boy did I get fooled.All i have to say is don't waste your money its cute but not worth it.

Misleading Rating
The number of stars I have given this toy is misleading. My daughter has loved this toy since she was about 9 months old. She loves putting the balls in the hole and listening to the music. She plays with it more
than anything else. However, now that she is beginning to walk, we have a problem. If I am not there to hold down the back of it, the toy will tip forward. I did contact Fisher-Price. They are sending me a label to ship it back and will give me my money back. I think I spoke so someone in either the recall or safety department. They were very helpful and nice.
I hate to send it back though because she loves it and it is durable.

Not Worth the Price
This toy was received as a gift for my then 7 month old son. From the beginning I could tell that it was not worth the amount of money spent on it. It is difficult to use as a walker, especially on carpet. The only enjoyable thing on this toy is the fact that my now 12 month old son is able to put the balls in the hole and he enjoys the music. I would not recommend this toy for the price it is advertised for

Great if you want your toddler to bust his face!
As everyone else has said, don't waste your money OR the valuable space in your home. Not only is this toy of very little value for an infant, it's downright dangerous for a child learning to walk. More than once, I just barely saved my son from busting his precious little teeth out as this thing began tipping over while he tried to walk with it. (...)

Very disappointed!
I did not purchase this toy, it was a gift for my now 5 mo. old daughter. She has yet to play with it. It is such a boring toy. She can't sit up by herself yet, so if I do pull it out for her to play with, I have to sit there and hold her and push the balls in, b/c she is obviously too young. There is no way that she could lay behind it, b/c she couldn't reach the toy that hangs (mine mostly falls off), she can't see the mirror either, b/c there isn't enough room. Even the activities that it does have just seem ...well BORING. Don't invest in this toy! ... Read more