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LeapFrog Musical Table
by Chippytarka
Like the previous post, I purchased this same table but the areas that are pink in the above picture were green.This was a present for my daughters first birthday, and I wanted something that was unisex in colour as when I bought it she wasnt born and had no idea what I was having ( except a baby of course! ).Most of the toys I have ... bought for both of my children have been VTEC but Im aware that Leapfrog is also a good brand in the realm of toy making, so had no issues purchasing it. I also bought it at a reduced price, and thought I could kill two birds with one stone and have both my children playing with it.
What I found when I opened the package was there was very little assemble needed, just needed to stick on the legs. I liked the fact you didnt have to put the legs on, and could just lay it flat on the floor or surface, perfect if the little one wasnt at the stage of walking or holding onto things. The overall size isnt huge obviously more compact and easier to store away if you take the legs off.
There are different instruments on the table that children can experience, such as a trumpet, piano. To get the sounds you have to either press, pull or lift which is great in regards to hand and eye co ordination, and sheer fun at discovering sounds with actions.
Not only does the table have a variety of different songs, but they can be heard in either French or English, which is very diverse. There is also counting of numbers, exploration of shapes and more. Basically the main areas that pre school children are encouraged and expected to learn.
This is one of those toys originally that both my children would use, one being 3 the other 1, and I could see how it would help with learning and having fun in different ways for both. My huge disappointment has been after only afew months of use, it stopped working.At first I thought it was the batteries, but they were changed several times and still no change. Right now its stood in a corner where it doesnt get played and most of us push past it to get from a to b.
When this table works, its great, and perfect for ages between 6-36months.But when the lights no longer light up, and the sounds you can no longer hear, its just a brightly coloured ornament. If I remembered where I bought it from, and it wasnt so long ago, it would have gone straight back. Shame, as it is a good product, but wouldnt have paid full price whether it worked perfectly or not. If you do buy this product, please shop around as some places are selling it for over £50.00, and some alot less.
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Chad Valley Singalong Keyboard & Stool
by MsTricia
My daughter has tons and tons of toys, to the point where she actually has repetition of toys now! She has this similar keyboard from the Early Learning Centre Range and my friend bought her this pretty much identical toy from Chad Valley! We didn't want to be rude so it stays at my mums house so when we visit (which is pretty often!) ... she has something to keep her entertained.
The keyboard is pink and girly and is a lot smaller than the ELC keyboard but still a nice size that at the age of 3 she can sit at it and play without her looking oversized in front of it. Putting it together was relatively straightforward and once together it is extremely sturdy and stays upright. The stool is also perfectly easy to put together and sturdy for her to sit on.
It has numerous instrument sounds like organ, violin, flute, guitar, saxophone and genre sounds like rock, dance, disco and jazz. This allows my daughter to choose different musical beats and sounds to offer some variety so the toy is not too repetitive.
It comes with a microphone, but the cord isn't extremely long so she can't really move about with it but the sound quality is good and although it sounds a bit crackled nowadays it has lasted quite long and she still has fun singing twinkle twinkle star into it! It requires 4 x C batteries which were included which was good and has not needed replacing since purchase which is good!
Overall, my 3 year old still loves playing on this and so it is one of the few appreciated toys still standing. It can be bought from Argos from argos for £29.99 (which I do think is a bit overprice) and I can only see it is now available in red and black but for a girly girl pink is really nice and they will enjoy playing on it.
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Chad Valley My First Sing Along CD Player
by northernlovely
This last Christmas (2012) I wasn't sure what to get my daughter for Christmas, we had been told however at nursery that she absolutely loved music and dancing so we thought we'd try and get her a children's CD player and some music so she could listen to it whilst playing and also so she could use it for books on CD when she gets a ... little older (she's 2).
I had a look in John Lewis and ELC and the CD players there were retailing at £30 - £40 which I thought was pricey for a CD player, and I was pleased to find the Chad Valley My First Sing Along CD Player for only £14.99 down from £19.99 at my local Argos, so I reserved and collected it.
The Chad Valley My First Sing Along CD Player doesn't come with batteries, it takes 3 x D batteries, which we buy from the pound shop. Luckily it doesn't seem to gobble up batteries like some kids toys do, though you can use a wall charger with it (not supplied) if you prefer.
The CD player looks lovely, very age appropriate, mainly styled in red with yellow accents and blue controls, so it's suitable for both boys and girls up to say 12 years of age (they might want something a bit less childlike after that!), but if it lasts that long, I'll be happy.
The great thing about the Chad Valley My First Sing Along CD Player is that it has 2 wired microphones with on/off switches clipped on to the sides meaning you can have a sing along with the music - a great bonus, especially for something at such a reasonable price.
The CD player is very easy to use, with a pull down CD cover and with the standard operation buttons as little shapes (star, square, circle and so on). It has play/pause, stop, forward 1 track, back 1 track. It is very very easy to use, as you'd expect. The microphones are pretty good quality too and have lasted well despite all the drool a 2 year old can dribble into them! They're on curly phone type cords so stretch far, and the CD player has a carry handle so you can walk around and sing to your heart's desire!
The Chad Valley My First Sing Along CD Player comes boxed, with an instructional pamphlet and 12 month guarantee. I'm very, very happy with it not only for the price but how well made it is and how nice it looks, plus with the added bonus of the microphones. My little girl loves it and since then my Mum has actually bought one for my nephew and she is equally as pleased with it.
I will award the Chad Valley My First Sing Along CD Player a big 5 stars out of 5, it's absolutely brilliant, and a lovely inexpensive gift which we can keep buying CDs for. Don't buy the more expensive ones, this is just as good and over half the price. Highly recommended!
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