From the Manufacturer, Kids Station, Inc. Marketed by Little Tikes:

"32 keys. 19 flashing white keys. 8 Musical instruments. 8 rhythms. 19 demo songs. 4 percussion sounds. 38 notes full time memory and playback. Play/record/stop. Demo select/demo all. Volume up/down. Temp up/down. Ages 3-8.

WARNING: Choking Hazard - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years."

My opinion

Although it has been awhile since I've reviewed a product, it hasn't been so long that I am easily bamboozled by the top brand names like Little Tikes. After searching high and low for an affordable keyboard for our sons, age 11 and 6, low and behold, their little sister, age 4, just had to have one of her own. At $15, I couldn't pass on the easy to my pocketbook price tag for what I consider the creme de la creme of children's toys: Little Tikes. So, after a quick debate, we purchased the Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights for her.

After years of a successful and reliable relationship with the Little Tikes brand, I must say that this product was at once a major disappointment for me. Yes, our daughter plays with the Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights completely unaware of her parents chagrin and neither our opinion nor disinterest dissuades her use of this keyboard. Until we went online to find out where Little Tikes went astray, we had no idea that Little Tikes contracted this keyboard with another company, Kids Station Inc., and simply added their reliable and completely dependable name tag to the face.

My review

First of all, trying to locate the on/off switch is a task in and of itself. You see, this keyboard has so many colorful keys that the power switch is completely hidden. The power switch is located inside the ring of yellow buttons on the right hand side. Instead of simply pushing the button, you need to turn the dial clockwise and instantly, a red button next to the words "Power On" will light up and the Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights will cycle through its lighted keys in scale that stops after 2 seconds or so.

Once you turn the keyboard on, inactivity will bring a few strokes of the musical keys automatically, reminding you and your child that the keyboard is on. This is a cute function that I think all electronical toys need to have...especially since this Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights uses 3 AA batteries that need to be replaced quite frequently.

Surrounding the power dial is the Volume buttons; the yellow button at the top far right is your sign for increase volume with counterclockwise - sign for decrease volume. After that, you have a guide button, One note button, and then - tempo and - tempo to increase and decrease the tempo of the music.

Under these function keys and to the left slightly is a Demo select and Demo All buttons in blue. The Demo select cycles you through 19 songs (which of the 19 songs, 7 are Christmas songs and the rest are basic nursery songs) and the Demo All allows you to see all the functions of the Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights in action. By pressing the Demo select, the lighted keys light in order and by pressing one, it starts with a song assigned to that individual key. Demo All simply plays each song in order of their keyed location on the keyboard.

Not to be rude, but do we really need to hear Christmas songs throughout the year? Weren't there enough nursery and popular childrens' songs for the makers to provide to the consumer? It's not likely that B-I-N-G-O couldn't be played on the keyboard! To be fair, although Christmas melodies are easier to play, it did seem odd that the makers neglected to add the basic scales. Why not cycle the child through the scales first and then move onto the songs?

As we travel to the left side of the keyboard, we hit the orange function keys. These are our rhythm buttons. Your child can choose from Soft Rock, Blues, Rock, New NEw, Waltz, Samba, March, and Disco. I haven't figured out what the "New New" rhythm is supposed to be but you'll recognize the Disco and Waltz easily enough. I do find the rhythms are pretty annoying alone; the beat is accurate as far as the timing is concerned.

To the left of these keys are the Cymbal/S4, Heal.S3, Small Drum/S2 and Big Drum/S1 keypads. These big red buttons produce a big sound and are realistic for their function. The Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights only has the piano keys lighted but the drums and cymbal keys are large enough that your child should have no problem with this drum set.

Under these buttons are the Instrument buttons. From left to right: Piano, Organ, Mandolin, Music Box, Bell, Violin, Guitar, Trumpet. These buttons turn the Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights keyboard into that specific instrument. I do feel that they sound similar electronically and that the maker didn't try too hard to include the woodwinds or other hard-to-electrically reproduce instrument sounds.

At the left of the Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights, we find the speaker and the little buttons surrounding the speaker from top to bottom: Record, Play, Stop, Switch. These buttons allow your little musician to record their own music and play it back later for your listening pleasure.

The Guide button allows your child to play a song with help of the lighted buttons. There are the 19 songs to choose from: Jingle Bells, Say hello, We wish you a Merry Christmas, Home Sweet Home, Row your boat, Joy to the world, Little brown jug, Hark the herald angels sing, The first noel, Are you sleeping, Twinkle twinkle, Happy Birthday, Little Bee, Weigenited, Silent Night, Mary had a little lamb, Oh Christmas Tree, Long long ago and Yankee Doodle. I'm not sure how the child is to learn when the lighted buttons go prettty fast...if your child has quick fingers, they may be able to keep up with the speed of the song.

The one note button allows you to change the note of the song. This can be switching the song from A pitch to C pitch...not always a good choice with the song choices above.


Overall, the Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights is not a high quality keyboard but still cute for the kids. For the price, it makes a good sound and has many functions that most higher end and better quality keyboards offer. But, if you're a musician or trying to find a low priced teaching toy, this shouldn't be your first choice; nor your third simply because the sound quaility is not as good as even a third-rate keyboard.

Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights does fit well into the toy realm but as a musical instrument or learning musical toy, it's limited by the poor electronic reverberation and badly duplicated sounds. The small buttons makes this better for the preschool to pre-Kindergarten sect versus the toddler to preschool sect; and the 3-8 year old range is completey off-target. I'd say the 4-6 year olds would like this as a starter keyboard; a basic introduction to the multi-functioning keyboards used by the older children.


The durability of this Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights is not up to par, in my opinion, with the high quality and reliable hard plastic toys that made Little Tikes a world-wide leader in children's toys. After falling from the desk, table, deck and other 4 feet and under heights, it simply doesn't sustain and survive the pressures of being a child's toy. Although the vibrancy of the keyboard has not diminished, the sound quality has as well as the functionality of the keys.

Also, the speaker is open; this allows for little pieces of floatsom and dust to collect under the vented speaker openings. I have had to use the high pressure canned air to clean out the speaker several times. In addition, the keyboard isn't easily cleaned because of all the buttons. As all with children know, if it has the slightest opening, any crack will be filled with sticky something-or-another. The Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights would be great for a 4 year old but I wouldn't recommend for a 3 year old. I think by age 5, our daughter will have tired of this keyboard and will relegate it to the recesses of her toy box.

The Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights has its own carry handle made exclusively for little hands. I found my hand fit the handle with ease. The weight is 2 1/2 pounds and that makes this easily transported by your preschooler.


There is a limited 90 day manufacturing warranty on this Little Tikes Carry Along Musical Keyboard with Teaching Lights. The limited warranty coupled with the 3 AA batteries makes this a quickly replaceable keyboard...especially when coupled with the affordable $15 price tag.


***As always, a big Thank You to marytara for adding this to the epinions products***

Recommended:
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 15
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years