Kick 'N Play Piano; Lot of Hype But Little Interest
Written: Jul 04 '04 (Updated Jan 11 '05)
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Pros: Several tunes; flashing lights; removable, washable cover; three modes of play; low volume; light switch.
Cons: Doesn't attract or hold baby's attention; volume perhaps too low.
The Bottom Line: Why are parent-friendly toys unattractive to infants? You may love the Kick 'N Play Piano, but if baby ignores it, it's still a waste of money.
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| krissingene's Full Review: Kick 'N Play Piano |
I had never paid much attention to baby toys until my daughter was born - I was focused during pregnancy on acquiring the essential crib, stroller, high chair, etc. Once she had arrived though, and was beginning to exhibit some symptoms of being an actual little person rather than a helpless eating-sleeping-crying lump, I needed a way to interact with her - and learned quickly that the toys made especially for young infants are few and far between.
One that I had heard of and seemed interesting was the Kick 'N Play Piano, but it wasn't available in any of our nearby retail stores. So when I stumbled across this Fisher-Price toy, very gently used, at a flea market for the price of only $2, I snapped it right up.
~* Farm Animals & Music *~
This toy consists of a flat panel measuring 26" long and 12" wide in all. There are five piano keys in the center of the toy, each featuring a different animal, instrument and color. Brightly colored plastic stars (red, orange, yellow, blue and purple) are arranged above each piano key (coordinating with the colors on the keys) and light up during play. Surrounding the keys and stars is a large padded cloth mat, picturing a bird, cow and pig on the left and a cat, lamb and dog on the right. Three purple mice sit beneath the keyboard, and music notes are printed all around.
Although the center part of this toy - the keyboard and flashing stars - are made of hard plastic, the padded cloth cover encompasses the entire toy, ensuring that baby won't hurt himself during play. This cover is easily removable for washing via a velcro panel in the back and may be machine washed in cold water. The inside keyboard is plastic and may be wiped down with a damp cloth or sponge if needed.
Three cloth ties are attached to the back of the cloth cover for fastening the toy to crib railings (two at the top of the toy and one at the bottom). These seem to be the least durable part of the toy as all but one were broken when I purchased my piano; the rest of the toy was in nearly new condition.
The Kick 'N Play Piano operates on three AA batteries, placed in the back of the toy beneath the cloth cover and accessible only with a Phillips head screwdriver to keep tiny fingers away.
~* Play Modes *~
This toy has three modes of play, appropriate for different ages and stages of development. The play mode is selected using an on/off control knob located above the piano keyboard.
The first mode is appropriate for newborns and very young infants. The piano begins playing and lights begin flashing as soon as the toy is turned on, and will continue to play for approximately ten minutes whether your baby pays any attention to it or not, then will turn itself off to preserve battery life (a push of a button, however, restarts the music). The piano plays several easy recognizable nursery rhymes, to include:
* Mary Had A Little Lamb
* Old McDonald Had A Farm
* This Old Man
* Three Blind Mice
* Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
The second mode is designed for slightly older infants who are beginning to interact with toys. In this mode, the toy doesn't make a sound until a key is pressed or kicked. Each key then makes three sounds - an animal noise with the first touch, an instrument noise with the second, and a brief song with the third. The animal noise and instrument each key makes corresponds with the picture on the key - left to right, this toy features a pig with a drum, a cow with a xylophone, a dog with a tuba, a lamb with a harmonica and a cat with a banjo. While the animal noises are a bit cartoon-ish, the instrument sounds are represented fairly accurately (if a bit higher pitched than the actual sound.)
In the third mode, each piano key functions as just that - a piano key, with one note per key. While not quite on par with a real piano, the key on the far left is easily distinguishable as middle C to those who know a bit about pianos, and simple tunes with few notes (such as Mary Had A Little Lamb) can be picked out by bored adults. Not that I've tried it or anything... Each note will play one time when pressed, although running your hand across the keyboard will result in each note playing in smooth sequence. This mode is more suitable for older babies - perhaps as a tummy time toy.
~* From Baby's Viewpoint *~
Excited to see what my then two-month-old daughter's reaction would be, I brought our new Kick 'N Play Piano home and attached it to the footboard of her crib. I laid her on her back and slid her close to the piano so that her feet would make contact easily when she stretched her leg a bit, and turned it on. Music played, lights flashed, and my little girl...completely ignored it. Now at this point, any toy that played a tune and had flashy lights had been a hit - what was wrong with this one?
Well for one, I highly doubt she could see it. Because of the positioning of the keys, the toy had to be hung rather low on the crib in order for them to be at her foot level when lying flat. Now you try lying down on the floor and looking at something that's placed evenly with your feet - not easy to do, is it? I'm not at all surprised that even the flashing lights and bright colors failed to catch her attention.
The volume could also have contributed to her lack of interest - there is no adjustable volume control on this toy and, while it is set at a parent-friendly level, it really seems much too quiet to hold an infant's attention. Background noise from other rooms in our home was often enough to drown the tunes out entirely.
Hoping that the toy would attract and pique her interest as she grew, we left the piano in her crib, moving it from the foot to the sides in hopes that she would notice it somewhere. A month passed, then two, then three - and still, she didn't seem to notice or care that it was there. Even when she began playing more on her tummy and then sitting up, the Kick 'N Play Piano just never appealed to her - not hanging in her crib, not flat on the floor, not tied to her stroller, nowhere. So much for that idea.
~* Mommy's Thoughts *~
Obviously, I'm rather disappointed that my daughter just didn't see the appeal in this toy. While some babies may be more interested in the lights and music, it really is designed to hang in an awkward position for young infants, and may not be interactive enough for older babies.
From a parent's perspective, it's an easy enough toy to get along with - the batteries last a good long time (especially if your child won't play with it!) and the cover is easy to remove and replace for cleaning. An 'off' switch is a must-have feature, and the volume is at a reasonable, if not too quiet, level. The toy is very lightweight and flat, so moving it from room to room or place to place is a cinch.
However, I would highly recommend giving your baby a chance to try this one out before purchasing it - if you have a friend with this toy (or if there is a demo model available in the store), then park your baby in front of it for a few minutes before whipping out your wallet. Of course, if you find one for $2 at a flea market, it's not so much of a risk - otherwise, I'd probably advise you to pass.
~* Discontinued? *~
The version of the Kick 'N Play Piano that we own is no longer available; instead, Fisher-Price has revamped the toy to coordinate with it's Link-a-doos line of toys, giving it new colors, shapes and animals. It is widely available for about $25 and is recommended for babies aged newborn and up.
~* Contact Information *~
For more information, visit Fisher-Price online at www.fisher-price.com or call 1-800-432-KIDS (1-800-432-5437).
~* Also By Fisher-Price *~
Cradle Swing B0639 * Deluxe Take-Along Swing * Healthy Care Booster Seat * Laugh & Learn Learning Table * Link-a-doos On-the-Go Goldfish * Link-a-doos Teething Ring * Ocean Wonders Aquarium * Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer * Peek-a-Blocks Barnyard Friends Blocks * PowerTouch Baby Learning System * Sesame Street Light-Up Pet Pals: Ernie * Sparkling Symphony Twinkle Dancer * Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 2
Type of Toy: Baby Toy
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
krissingene
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Member: Kristin
Location: Southern VA
Reviews written: 267
Trusted by: 119 members
About Me:
The strength of Motherhood is greater than Natural Laws. -Barbara Kingsolver
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