Munchkin iCrib Sound System
© 2006 Munchkin, Inc.
English playright William Congreve wrote that music can soothe the savage breast, but what about a teething baby? Designed to Velcro onto the rail of a crib, this Munchkin iCrib Sound System (www.munchkin.com) is a battery-powered (4 AA's) set of speakers that extends the utility of your iPod or any other pocket-sized music player with a headphone jack, into your baby's crib. After you find a spot to hang it, you slip your iPod into a plastic holder that hangs outside the crib, theoretically out of reach of exploring hands. While the standard iPod, iRiver and Rio fits snugly, unusual-sized shapes (like the IPod Shuffle) tend to flop around. A night light option gently cycles through mellow colors, perhaps hypnotizing your little monster into a silence if the music won't work. The most functional part of the device is the sleep timer, which makes it easy to toggle between doses of 15-, 30- or 60-minute segments. Keep in mind that after the speakers turn off, your player won't, thereby draining the batteries. There is also no volume control—you use your player for that. The sound quality is about what you'd expect for a pair of low-cost speakers. Of course, there are some who feel that babies get too much stimulation; we'll leave that debate for another time. One thing for sure; for anyone who's ever had a cantankerous baby, it's nice to have options.
$29.99, Smart Toy
Teaches: music
CTR Rating: 80%