When my daughter saw a commercial advertising Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot she went absolutely bonkers and wanted to see the commercial again.  My daughter is approaching four years of age and was placed on a reward program for staying in bed.  She has been doing extremely well and this toy seemed like a wonderful reward for her good bed behavior.  We purchased Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot at a local retailer for $29.99.

Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot does some pretty remarkable things and is a wonderful learning tool.  The robot comes with 30 double-sided cards that are necessary for using this toy.  When opening the package, Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot has a plastic insert sitting in the middle of the chest area that needs to be removed in order to get it out of store mode.  Alphie is one foot tall, including the handle attached to his head.  It has a white plastic body with hands and feet that have been given orange and blue stripes to break up the coloring.  The arms and feet of Alphie do not move.  The head of the robot is square shaped and has a screen for the eyes and a small space to act as a smiling mouth.  The body of Alphie has eight buttons (broken into two columns) that are used to make selections in the card.  In between the two columns, there is a slot where a single card will fit.  The buttons line up with the various items listed on the card.  Alphie has been given a backpack that holds all 30 cards.  The back pack cannot be removed. 

The on switch for Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot is located on the bottom of the left foot and the volume control is located on his backside.  There are two volume options.  When you first turn Alphie on, his face and buttons light up while a quick little run of music plays.  Alphie says that "are systems are ready to go and learning can begin."  The robot then instructs the child to either press a button on top of his head to play hide and seek or to insert a card. 

The included cards feature learning opportunities for letters, matching, music and color explanation.  The letter cards feature an upper and lower case version of one letter and two pictures of items that begin with that letter.  Once the card is inserted, the child can press any of the flashing buttons in which Alphie will give a phonic sound of the letter, fun fact, or will ask a question.  Each letter of the alphabet is featured on a single card.  There are a few additional cards which challenge a child to pick the proper letter a word starts with. The majority of the two sided cards include a letter side. 

The matching cards include various scenarios in which a child has two connect two items.  These scenarios include clothing, animals and transportation.  Alphie will ask the child to match one item with another by using the buttons on its body.

The music cards feature three cards in which the child can hear a counting tune that goes from one to twenty and the ABC song.  A third card is available in which a child can hear various instruments or build a song themselves.

The color exploration cards allow the child to select buttons to learn more about colors or to learn what happens when you blend them together.  In addition, Alphie will ask a child to identify items of a certain color.

Each of the cards has a barcode that is read by Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot when they are inserted correctly.  The robot has been programmed to read those cards and ask the appropriate questions.  The cards slip into place very easily and a toddler or preschooler will not have any difficult handling them.  When not in use, the remainder of the cards is easily stored in the backpack.

If a child does not insert a card and presses the button on top of the head, the Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot will move into a game of hide and seek.  Alphie will ask for various items and ask the child to insert a card that features that particular order.  Once the card is inserted, Alphie will inform the child if they are right or wrong and will then move into the game associated with that card.

Throughout a play session, Alphie will have his eyes blinking and moving to give some additional stimulation.  When a correct answer is selected, his eyes may turn into stars. 

Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot has a robotic voice that can be deemed as male or female.   

If a child does not give the proper response, Alphie will provide some positive encouragement for them to try again.  If the child selects correctly, Alphie will celebrate with a fun comment.  I don't know exactly how many different things Alphie can say but I would anticipate it is a few hundred statements.  Throughout the play session, Alphie will have some fun and say that it has an itch and asks the child to press a button to relieve it.  If Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot does not have any activity for 90 seconds, he will go to sleep to prevent the wasting of batteries.

Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot requires 3 AA batteries that are inserted into the bottom of the foot.  The batteries are held secure with a unit that screws open and closed with a Phillips or flathead screwdriver.  The batteries do seem to last quite awhile but will depend on the amount of usage.  Alphie does include the batteries when purchased.

Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot is a phenomenal toy that is able to keep my daughter entertained, engaged and in a learning mode.  The variety of activities allows her to stay interested and take control over what she would like to play with.  She may choose to play the ABC over and over (and over...) or shift through all of the color cards.  She is getting valuable practice with basic elements while having the time of her life.  The handle on top of the head make it easy for her to transport to any part of the house. 

Additional cards are available for Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot although we have not looked into any of them so far.  She is thoroughly entertained with the cards she has now and is still challenged by the information on them. 

Hasbro Alphie The Learning Toy Robot is recommended for children three years of age and up.  A child who is five or six would find this toy entertaining as well although would not be as much of a challenge for them.

I highly recommend this toy for any toddler.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 29.99
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years