Have you ever been to a store with an upset baby and you grab a toy (any toy) off the shelf just to keep them occupied while you finish your shopping? You have every intention of putting the toy back before you go to checkout; you were just using it to entertain for a short while... That's how my baby ended up with the Little Tikes DiscoverSounds Boom Box in his little hands one day. After I saw how occupied he was by this simple, fun toy I decided to go ahead and purchase it.

Product Details:

The Little Tikes DiscoverSounds Boom Box is a cute little radio-themed toy for babies and toddlers. It is fairly small (roughly 8½ inches wide, 2½inches thick, and 8 inches tall including the handle).

A large yellow button on the top of the toy plays one of 6 fun songs when pressed. Along with the music a glittery, colorful disc (the "CD", I suppose) on the front of the boom box spins quickly as lights flash around it, adding a visual element to go along with the music. The songs are cute - jazzy/funky renditions that seem to be original compositions. Most are funky little dance numbers, but one is more of a swing-dance song and another is a country song (complete with a "yee-haw!") The songs are all pretty short - 15-25 seconds apiece).

There are some cute little built-in baby toys on the face of the boom box. On one side is a clear spinning ball full of little plastic beads. On the other side is a large white button that, when pressed, plays a one of 4 short sound effects (boings, honk, etc) and triggers the flashing lights. At the bottom between the speakers is a colorful roller toy. On top of the toy is a large green "antenna" that can be raised and lowered slightly (with accompanying clicking sounds), as well as a red grooved wheel for baby to spin.

The Little Tikes DiscoverSounds Boom Box requires 3 "AA" batteries (included). The manufacturer recommends this toy for children ages 6 months to 3 years. The master on/off switch is located on the back of the toy.

Our Thoughts and Experiences:

I believe our baby was 8 or 9 months old when I was shopping at Toys R Us to get something for my older son. The baby was getting restless in the shopping cart so after a quick glance at the nearest shelf I grabbed the Little Tikes DiscoverSounds Boom Box because it was small enough that he could hold it but still looked rather interesting. He quickly learned how to push the big yellow button on top of the toy, and would sit in the cart studying the various features on the front of the "boom box". When it came time to leave that section of the store I simply couldn't bring myself to take the toy away from him, figuring that I could hand it to the cashier at checkout and say we didn't want to purchase it. After we got to checkout he was still so enamored with it that other people in line kept commenting on how fascinated he appeared to be with it. After watching him be thoroughly occupied for so long it seemed only right to go ahead and purchase it for him.

To play with this toy my son usually propped it in his lap and worked the features with one hand while holding the handle with the other hand. If you press the yellow button again before the song is finished playing, the only thing that happens is the disc will spin again (in other words, the toy doesn't stop the song that is currently playing and go to the next one). I like this because baby is still getting a response to go with his action, but each song gets to play to completion. My son loved pumping that button to make the disc keep spinning.

This toy is so cute and clever with its boom box theme - complete with spinning "CD", green clicking "antenna", and red "dial" (for changing the stations, right?). Baby doesn't even appreciate how clever it is, he just likes it because it is fun to play with.

My little guy is now 21 months old and is starting to put aside his more baby-esque toys. While I can't claim that he plays with his boom box every day, he does still pull it out on occasion and spend a few minutes playing the cute little tunes.

Quickie Summary:
Pros:
+) The songs are unique - not the same tunes we hear on our other toys that play music
+) Sturdily built - has been dropped and kicked but still looks good as new
+) Is lightweight and has a built-in handle for easy portability
+) Has a lot for little fingers to do in a relatively small package
+) Has a really cute and clever design
Cons:
-) No volume control (but the volume is set at a pleasant level)

Final Thoughts:

I'm so glad this simple little toy managed to fall into our lives. It is cute and fun and just what we needed.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 14.99