A Review of…..
Leap Frog's Counting Pal.

This was certainly one toy that I really couldn't wait to get for Jack. I have two other friends with children and they both have it for their and when I was visiting them I just couldn't help myself from playing with it. I really am just a big kid at heart. So before Jack was even bought I had ordered this toy from Amazon and it was waiting for his arrival. Although he didn't really appreciate the brilliance of this present till when he was a month or so old, I have had hours of fun learning the sounds and the jazzy rhymes since day one.


The toy cost around £13 from Amazon and this came with free post and packaging. To look at the toy what your getting is a multicoloured soft caterpillar toy with numbers on the different body sections and things dangling from each of these said sections. On the neck of the toy is where you will find five buttons which are the on/off button a button to change mode to numbers and this is depicted by the numbers 123, a button to change mode to colours, this showing a crayon picture, a button to change mode to classical music this showing a drawing of a single note and finally a button to change mode to a musical medley, which is basically a mixture of all the classical music played back to back and this is depicted by three musical notes.

The caterpillar has a bright yellow face, two big blue eyes and a lovely large smile plus he is wearing a rather dashing green cap. His neck where the mode buttons are is a green colour and the buttons on this are easily pressed and soft to the touch. He has a handle on the top of him enabling you to carry him around and hold him with easy. Another bonus feature are the two Velcro fastening straps at the back, which gives you the option to attach him to the cot or pram so he can literally go anywhere you and your child goes.


The first section of his body is blue in colour and has a white number one sewn into it. Dangling from this section is a cloud shaped soft material part that has a picture of a blue bird on and inside there is a squeaker that when pressed of course lets out a squeaking sound. When the number one number is pressed in the first number mode the caterpillar sings a song relating to the number one and this also includes the colour blue and the fact there is one blue bird on the dangly bit at the bottom. The song is very catchy. When this number is pressed in the colour mode the caterpillar will sing a song about the colour blue in a opera style again the song is very catchy. The classical music with this button is Mozart and this piece is very soothing.

The whole thing continues along the same lines with the next section being the number two and orange in colour. There are two butterflies dangling below that when shaken have a bell inside. The song about colour is done in a rock style and the song about the colour is related to the two butterflies in the picture. The classical music is someone who I have never heard of but the tune is very familiar.


The third section is yellow in colour and has a number three on the body. The song related to three yellow bumblebees in the picture hanging below the caterpillar and if this part is squeezed there is a crunchy paper held within. The song is sung in a barbershop style way and the classical music is Bach. The tunes on this one are also very catch and you will be singing them all day, and night!!!

The next section is the colour purple and the number four. The part hanging from the caterpillar is a plastic loop with four purple flower shapes that can be rattled easily or in Jacks case drooled on nicely. The song is in a jazz style and again relates to the four purple flowers. The classical music is Vivaldi which is a pretty common song and this one is certainly Jack's favourite one.


The final section is of course number five and this is the colour red. Hanging below is a picture of five ladybirds and if this is shaken there are some higher pitched bells than before. The song is about the colour red and the red ladybirds and is sung in a reggae style. This is my favourite and one that really sticks in your head, much to the annoyance of my partner… "Red, Red you hear what I said, Reeeed, Red." The classical music for this section is Beethoven

Well that's about it, but blimey I think there couldn't really be any more. This toy really offers so much for something so relatively small. The price is unbelievable for what you are actually getting, as there are so many things to listen and learn from, to play with and make different sounds. It really is a brilliant toy. The fact it is so versatile and will go anywhere and be fixed to just about anything is another good point.


It is easy to sponge clean and mine although has been drooled on so much looks as good as new. The instructions that came with the toy are brilliant and it goes through all the different play modes that are possible with this learning pal. I would really recommend it to any parent. The age group is from three months plus but because of the soothing classical music you could start early like I did and it wouldn't really matter. Plus as the child gets older they can still enjoy playing with it and listening to all the different rhymes and songs.


I am actually buying it for a friend of mine who is due to have a baby in a few weeks as I think it is a toy that every child should have as you can get so much out of it. I am awarding 10*s even though the rating system only goes up to 5 but I think it deserves so much more than 5*s. Leap Frog you have struck gold with this little gem!