Leap's Learning Band
© 2000 LeapFrog
This portable musical toy looks like a mini boombox. Children answer trivia questions about colors and instruments by pressing one of four plastic animal characters that sit on top of the toy. Some of these questions are quite tough. One for example, asks, "Who is playing a brass instrument?" (The target trombone is painted red, making it particularly tough to find.) Other questions are easy, like "Who is on the yellow stage?" Twenty-five full versions of familiar songs are included, which children control with "play" and "rewind" buttons. A separately sold cartridge lets parents download additional tunes. The range of questions is uneven and sometimes of inappropriate difficulty for preschoolers, and the musical quality is not as good as a CD or cassette. On the whole, however, testers enjoyed listening to familiar songs like Itsy Bitsy Spider and Hey Diddle Diddle. (This product is sold by both LeapFrog and LeapFrog School House.)
$39.99, Smart Toy
Teaches: music, colors, shapes and instrument names