beckish's Full Review: LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table
When my twin grandsons were born my supervisor gave me a wonderful toy that his children had outgrown; the LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table. They started playing with it at around age six months when they were crawling around, and it continues to be their very favorite toy at Grandma and Grandpa's house at fifteen months. They never tire of it.
The Leapfrog Learn and Groove Musical Table is designed with both learning and entertainment in mind. The toy is well-made and very sturdy; it has survived the twins knocking it upside down more once and has not sustained any damage. The legs are removable, which makes this toy user-friendly for crawlers as well as walkers. When they were young we laid it on the floor for them and it occupied their attention for much longer than any other of their toys did. The legs are simple to remove and simple to replace, making this a parent-friendly toy also.
What Does This Toy Offer?
Every feature on the toy console serves a dual purpose; there is a book in the center of the console with two pages. One page results in songs being played when keys are pressed, and one page results in learning information.
1. Color recognition: thanks to the four piano keys, kids learn about colors when playing with this toy. The piano keys are red, yellow, green, and blue. Pushing the key will result in the toy speaking the name of the color.
2. Shape recognition: there is a green circle, a yellow triangle, and a red square. When the kids push these buttons the toy announces the name of the color and the name of the shape.
3. A trombone with a sliding knob results in the numbers one through ten being sung in a catchy tune.
4. Pushing the handle of the banjo results in "lights on, lights off" with the lights surrounding the book in the middle demonstrating for the child.
5. Pushing the knob in the violin results in various opposites learning information, such as high and low.
6. A spinning oval results in colored beads spinning around, and a hidey hole spot on the opposite side demonstrates "open and closed".
7. When the book page is turned, all of the above activities result in a catchy children's song being played. There are over 40 different songs included in this console, and my grandsons love to push the buttons and then dance.
Positive Reasons to Own This Toy
Few toys can keep toddlers occupied for long periods of time, but the Leapfrog Learn and Groove Musical Table does this job quite admirably. The first thing Austin and Jamison do when they come to our house is run for this toy. They are able to identify shapes and colors fairly consistently, and I think this comes from us playing with this toy with them.
The Leapfrog Learn and Groove Musical Table is very sturdy and made with sometimes-less-than gentle toddlers in mind. As I said above, it has withstood being toppled over more than once and suffered no damage. This toy made it through my supervisor's two boys, is doing well with my twin grandsons, and there is no doubt in my mind that my almost three month old granddaughter will get her turn at playing with it.
Battery life has been exceptional. We put new batteries in when we received this toy and have not had to change them out yet. Granted, my grandsons do not have access to this toy unless they are at our home, but they spend a weekend or two here every month and have logged countless hours playing with this toy.
Negatives
The only thing I don't like about this toy is that the lid for the "open and closed" hidey hole is too easily removed by the twins. Every time I put it back on they promptly remove it again. Eventually during every play session I put the lid away somewhere when I get tired of the game. This is the only negative thing I can think of in regard to the Leapfrog Learn and Groove Musical Table.
Cost
I did an online query today and found that this toy is sold from $29.99 to $45.99 depending on the website. I would imagine it will be closer to the high end in brick and mortar stores. If you are interested in purchasing it, I recommend you check out the prices before ordering. Even at the high end cost, however, I feel this toy is well worth the money it costs. The hours of entertainment children will get from this toy will more than make it money well spent.
Final Thoughts
I highly recommend the Leapfrog Learn and Groove Musical Table as an exceptionally educational and flat out fun toy. The toy is recommended for children aged six months to three years. I am impressed with the quality of this product and consider it one of the best educational toys I have seen in my twenty-four-year career of raising children and playing with grandchildren. If you have children in the age range, this would be an awesome gift idea.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): gift Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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