LEARN AND GROVE WITH THE CATCHY TUNES (Leapfrog Learn & Groove Activity Station)

Member Name: STACEY0526

Product:	Leapfrog Learn & Groove Activity Station
Date:	10/12/08 (213 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: GREAT FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Disadvantages: VERY BIG AND BULKY, BIT EXPENCIVE

As this was one of my first reviews I do not believe that I did this great toy or myself justice so I have come back to amend it,

I purchased a leapfrog learn and groove activity station for my little boy when he was around 5 months old, he loved spending time in it especially as there were so many different activities for him to choose from and even though it doesn't have wheels like a walker it does have a 360 degree rotating seat so while he was enjoying himself he could also keep an eye on where I was in the room.
I often found myself singing along to the catchy tunes and for my little boy it was as though the noisier the activity was the more exciting he found it (the fact that this has a volume control was great). I really liked this centre for him and would recommend this for anyone with a baby as not only is it great fun to play with but also educational and great for building up strength in babies legs while being fully supported.

The easy to assemble centre was great fun and visually stimulating with bright colours and flashing lights, it was easy to set up and collapsed for storage and travel but still a very bulky item. The centre had 5 different activities to choose from, these were a microphone (this seems to be many children's favourite activity) The child pulls it back and it then sings a number of phrases it also doubles up as a teething ring made of a very strong plastic it is ok to be put into a childs mouth. The phrases are very catchy and unlike most children's toys I found it quite pleasant to listen to, The second activity was a silver almost mirror like disco ball that can be spun around, this was my little boys favourite activity, even though you cant see your face when you look into it you can see parts of your reflection which my son seemed to be very amused with, I also found that this ball moved when you move passed it in the seat catching and reflecting the light as it moved , It was after playing with this that my son started to take real interest in mirrors and his facial features. The Third activity was a turn tables, now this was one of my favourites you could use them like a proper deck scratching tunes, playing songs and also learn your a b c and 123 this worked together with the next activity which was like a two page book so depending on which page you were on determined if the tunes on the deck were either educational or music orientated, the fifth and final activity is a set of flashing dance step keys in different colours where if you pressed a key it would tell you what colour it was or they could ask you to show them which key is a certain colour, ok maybe a bit advanced for the age group this toy is aimed out but it still has the familiarisation of different words and the attraction of bright flashing colours.

The 5 activities are arranged in a circle in which you place your child in the centre, the seat is made of washable material and gives the child a lot of support, the seat can then be moved 360 degrees by your child as they play with each activity, I know with my little boy he managed to move around very easily and I am sue that at first he didn't know that he was doing it. I found this seat great for strengthening his legs and is perfect for children before they start to use a walker.

The product is aimed at children from 6-18 months but some are advising that children as young as 4 months are ok in it, I believe that this is purely down to the individual parents decision as with anything you know your child better than anyone else. I decided to put my little boy in at 5 months purely because he had been holding his head up on his own for some time and was starting to master the art form of sitting on his own.
I really believe that this activity centre encouraged my little boy to move around each activity using skills that I had not seen him use before and start to develop his hand eye co ordination, the learn mode was great for teaching letters, numbers counting and more where as the music stimulated him by creating real sounds and musical styles,

The activity centre has three adjustable heights to grow with your little one and has a very sturdy plastic structure for parent's piece of mind knowing that the child is fully secure and supported,

In my opinion this is a must have for anyone with a small child, it creates hours of fun while teaching your child through the fun of play

The only negatives I can say about this product is that it is very bulky and an awkward circular shape, I never took this out of the house and wouldn't know where to have stored it if I needed to, The other is the price, it is quite expensive but defiantly worth it, I have also seen them sold on ebay as used for around £40.00 so can recuperate some of your money once the little one has finished with it I needed

Summary: MUST HAVE FOR ALL YOUR LITTLE ONES