Buy Rhythm Band 25 Note Chromatic Bells

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I bought this for my sister, she's a HUGE music freak and she's awesome at playing any intrument. When she got it for Christmas she started playing it right away and loved it. It sounded really good, and the she liked that it came with at least one set of mallots. It shipped really fast and it was as described!

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I have had this set for over 2 years and it is still going strong! I use it during live shows and in recordings and the high pitch cuts through amped guitars and a full drum kit very well. This is not a toy; it can be used as a professional musical instrumentmine has been around the country a few times and is still in great shape. The mallets that come with it actually have a good sound but they are kind of flimsy. I had to glue the ball part back on to the handle on both of them eventually. When the handles broke I bought the Mike Balter MBB7 hard mallets because I need my sound to be LOUD. I love this little kit and even if I eventually get a more expensive set I will still use this one when I need a loud clear bell sound.

Review of Educational Insights Geosafari Jr. Kidnoculars

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My 5 year old got these kidnoculars as a gift. When I saw them I figured that she would like them but it turns out that they appealed to her even more than I thought they would. The day she got them she spent the afternoon walking around the house and looking at things through her new kidnoculars. She also had me take her on a walk around the neighborhood so she could look at the birds, grass, trees etc... through the kidnoculars. She spotted some nests (including a little hummingbird nest) and was thrilled. Sometimes, as an adult, it is hard for me to figure out what toys will appeal to my daughter (and I have wasted a decent amount of money because of this). Clearly whoever made this toy spent some time putting themselves in a child's shoes and figuring out what would appeal to a child. Not only are the kidnoculars cute and sturdy but they are fun and educational. My daughter is having a great time with her kidnoculars and I love to see her learning about her world as she plays and explores.

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I got these for my 4 year old for his bday this year. He is a nature lover and bird watcher. He sorta tossed them to the side in all the birthday chaos, but lately has really taken to them. His older siblings (6 year olds) both love them too. Not to mention... I love looking through themthey really work well!

Pros-

*they actually work (sounds silly but I didn't expect them to be so focused and clear!)

*fit the face perfectly

*cool colors

*unlike anything else I've seen on the market for kids binoculars

Not really any cons that I feel are worth mentioning.

I would highly recommend them for a first pair. The price is great (I think I paid $13-14). We will be using them in future nature walks.

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I reviewed these and absolutely LOVE them! My 4 year old is obsessed. There are no moving pieces or zoom lens so little kids won't get frustrated that something is out of focus. No pinched fingers either! They are VERY durable and will take quite a beating. Plus the front and back have soft "flaps" so that if your kid runs into something it won't hurt them like plastic or metal would. AWESOME product -highly recommend.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program My twin toddlers really enjoy looking through the binoculars. It's doesn't zoom in too much so it's easier for their eyes to adjust. It's easy for them to line it up to their eyes and look through.

My only problem w/ the toy is that the string is too thin. As a result, when the toddlers hang the toy on their neck, it cuts into their skin since the binoculars are so heavy. It ends up being pretty painful. Also, the strings twist around and one of my twins almost choked himself since he couldn't get it off of himself.

If you do give it to children, I'd actually recommend taking off the neck string. It's too uncomfortably dangerous. I'm surprised that this sort of long cheap strap came w/ the product.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program When this product first arrived, I had my doubts. It was just a little too simple, and its magnification was rather simple, and not able to be adjusted. But, I was judging this fine product by adult standards. My daughter loves it. She checks things out in the front yard, around the house, along the road, and more. She asks to take it with her all the time. If I go to games with her, she will love watching with the binoculars there too. Great toy. Highly recommended.

Best Little Leaps SW: Dora Toddler Talk Deals

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LeapFrog Little Leaps' Dora the Explorer: Discovering Words and Language

I bought this for my 2 yrs old son. He just loves Dora and Boots. It teaches languages spanish and english and also it teaches numbers and decision making. Kids are part of the story, teaching them about choices. A Great and cute game to have for a boy or girl.

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Once my son got the hang of the joystick with the "Leap Frog" toddler video I was eager to move on to some familiar faces thinking he would really get into the interactive play. But Dora (or as I described in my review title, Bora) was disappointing. My son wandered off to do other things until he heard it was time to push a button or move the joystick. There is a storyline like like the television show but it is sooooo slow with little interaction.

I gave this 1 star for fun because as I said, both my son (2 yrs old) and I found this to be boring.

I gave it 3 stars for educational value because I don't feel that my son really learned much from it. He already knows his numbers and knows animal names. What I was hoping for most from Dora was more Spanish as I am trying to ease my son into learning the language but there were only a few words. It was mostly numbers in Spanish...which I already know and can teach him myself.

I gave it 1 star for durability because, well...it is a dvd. My son could easily break that if he got his hands on it. Sure it is in a case but has that ever stopped a toddler before?

I say if you want to get a toddler Little Leaps dvd to start with the LeapFrog one called "Leap Ahead".

I purchased Dora and the Thomas Little Leaps dvds at an incredible price. Hopefully Thomas will be better. But I am glad I didn't pay full price!

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Very simple. My 2,year old loved it however she may be to advanced for this but she still likes the concept.

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I received the item it great condition, brand new lol i cant wait for my daughter to use it on Christmas

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I purchased the toy/game for my little granddaughter a couple of years ago, but she didn't really like it until now. So when I needed new games for it, they were very hard to find. Fortunately Amazon had them and this Dora one is perfect because she loves Dora. I worried that they were a little young for her, but it may be that they are perfect for her age. She is four and loves it.

Review of Discovery Kids Glow Star Globe

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This globe is cool. My 9 year old daughter has it in her room, and loves to look at the different star constellations at night. During the day, the globe features are useful when she wants to be able to see different parts of world. After all, that is a globe's purpose, right? :-)

My one minor thing is that you don't want to leave the switch "on" during the day. It'll drain the battery very quickly. Other than that, fun product!

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I was expecting more for this product, everything is fine except that it doesn't assemble very well, so the globe easily is not very stable. It has little cities on map. My son really enjoys watching this globe.

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Sent this back. Did not work with new batteries, and does not assemble particularly well. It is simply not sturdy. Let down because it looks better in the picture than in reality.

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I bought this for my 6 1/2 year old son and he loves it. It looks very cool at night with the stars and is a great educational toy. Only drawback is that the globe does not connect to the base very securely, it just rests. Overall a great toy for older kids.

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This was a gift for an 8-yr-old grandson. He loves it in both modes. As a matter of fact, the glow version is now his nightlight. It's nice quality for the price, and very educational. And of course it promotes interest in not only the Earth and geography, but astrology too. Leads to lots of questions and interesting conversations.

Buy Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Car Seat ABC's

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I run a small home daycare so instead of using these cards in the car I taped the hanger to the wall so the kids could use them. They look just like the ABCs from the book and are a good size for the kids to hold and slide back into the slots.

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3/4" Lucite Embedment Marble w Big Head Ant Insect - Bug Inside Reviews

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I searched high and low for bug marbles and these are just wonderful. I bought one of each that could and love them all. You can see so many details of the bugs and the kids love to play with them. They are durable and can stand a lot of wear and tear. Great item!

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Playskool Learnimals ABC Adventure Elefun Toy Reviews

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I got this toy for my six month old grandson with the idea that his 2 year 9 month old sister would help him explore using it. Although the age range listed is 6 months to 36 months, this is too "babyish" for my granddaughter to use on her own. But she loves showing her baby brother how to do things.

There are so many "educational" toys on the market that are either junk or very limited, but not this toy. It offers a lot of variety in a creative and fun way. This was definitely well thought out and not overpriced.

This also comes in pink, though that product is called the Adventure Elephant. But it has all the same features (I know because it was accidentally sent to me, and I returned it for the blue Adventure Elefun).

Bottom line: Buying this toy is money well spent.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The Playskool ABC Adventure Elephant is fun and educational. I am an Amazon Vine Reviewer, but I am also a parent, aunt, teacher, and future grandparent who rated this toy in regards to how it will benefit the kids in my life. The age range for this toy is 6 months 36 months. I love this toy because it is so educationally diverse. It teaches over 100 first words, ABCs, numbers, shapes, colors, and opposites. It makes over 75 sound effects and tunes. It comes in pink and blue. If you pull on the elephant's trunk it teaches new words. If you slide the cute little butterfly it helps to count. If you pull the elephant's ear...it reveals the appropriate letter that corresponds with the picture. If you pull the mouse down it teaches shapes and colors. Roll the drum and hear more words. The scrolling images light up and you learn animals and objects. The toggle button allows you to advance or backup. There will not be a dull or boring moment with all the various colors, sounds, and choices of activities to learn. It is durable and safe from what I can see. The box has an open face so that you can sample the item.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This toy has nice colors that attract the kids. It is rather large so I opted to use the table. Your child should be able to sit in a high chair, or you could hold them up while on the floor. It is hard plastic so I would not recommend letting them lay on their stomach unless they are completely in control of holding their head up. There are several ways they can use it, pulling on the trunk, the ear, a lever, a slide, a scroll bar, or a button. It contains the alphabet, words, colors, shapes, and counting. Once the kids get started they quickly get the hang of it. It has become one of the baby room's favorite toys, but the toddlers like it too.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program My son received it at 9 months old. He plays with it sometimes, and the instructional value is potentially very high. However, it doesn't keep his attention for very long.

It would be more appropriate to start the toy at 1 year of age instead of the 6-36 months on the product. Children at his age are still exploring their environment, not sitting still for a talking toy.

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My daughter got this for her 1st birthday and she loves it! It has really kept her attention. She enjoys seeing the effects of pulling on the trunk, hitting the button, rolling the roller and pulling on the mouse. I'm sure as she grows older and starts to understand it's talking about letters, shapes and sounds that it'll continue to entertain her.

Reviews of Little Tikes Rocking Puppy

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We wanted some kind of ride-on toy for our son for his first Xmas, but he was only 10.5 mos. and not walking yet, so the rockin' puppy was not exactly something he could play with independently. He seemed to enjoy it at first as long as we were rocking him. Then it became another toy taking up space in the livingroom for the last month. Recently he has been making his way over to it and begging for us to rock him. It is durable and requires almost no installation. He has learned to stand up in it and climbs down just fine. If you're not worried about minor bumps, let your infant try different ways of riding. My son's cousins, between 2-7 years all enjoy the rockin' puppy. For the price, it is a good first ride-on and I don't regret the purchase. One word of caution, however, Rockin' Puppy is unsuitable for interchanging between inside/outside use if left uncovered in the rain...If water gets into it, it is nearly impossible to get out and will also leak water inside.

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We have the older version of the Little Tikes rocker, which is a green horse. But in size and concept, they are the same.

We bought my boy the Fisher Price Brilliant Basics horse for Christmas last year he was 13 months and he wanted NOTHING to do with it. And it was so tiny, I feared by the time he was into it, he'd be too bog for it. So we took it back. Then recently, maybe two months ago, a friend gave me her old Little Tikes horse... and my boy LOVES it now. (he is 21 1/2 months old)

I think that where these things say ages 1 and up, most kids aren't ready for them by age one. Well at any rate my guy certainly wasn't, and my friend says hers wasn't, either. Admittedly that's a small sample, but... I think it's something that bears considering. One year of age may be too young.

18 months and up might be more accurrate.

My guy will rock and rock on this thing... he's put it to the test, and there have been times I swear it would flip, but it never has.

When my friend comes over with he 4 1/2 year old, though he is big for it, he will still happily get on and ride this thing. So size-wise, I think this will provide you with a lot more use than the FP version.

Simple, all one piece, no batteries, no obnoxious noises, nothing to come off or lose. Very sturdy, very safe.

Overall, we like it a lot. :-)

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I purchased this Big Blue Rocking Dog for my Grandson who is only 8 month old. What a smile on his face when the toy was opened!! He rides his dog everyday and enjoys it. This item can be used until he's 3 years old and is a wonderful present for any child who can crawl and begin to stand. I guarantee it will be a gift enjoyed for a long time!!

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My 13 month old ended up with two rocking horses and this puppy at Christmas due to lack of family communication. If she would have only recieved this one, I think it would be used more. One of her ponies sings while she rides it so of course that's her favorite. The only bad thing about this one is she learned almost right away that she can stand on the seat and rock it. It's really low to the ground. I can't leave it in her room unless I'm in there because I don't want her to climb on it and knock a tooth out! But, she does like it. When I bring it out, she keeps saying "puppy, puppy!" and climbs on by herself.

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I actually got this toy free at Toys R US when I purchased the Little Tikes basketball set. From the photo I thought this was a plastic nothing but my 18 month old little girl loves it! Easy to get on, off, sometimes rides it backwards but no biggie--we flip her around until she learns herself. Nice toy, nice price and would've paid for it if I had known she'd enjoy it this much! Hope this helps...

LeapFrog Leapster® Educational Video: The Letter Factory Gaming Reviews

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I bought this after reading the reviews a little curious if my 3 year old would love it or not care. Well she loves it more than I would have thought possible for a video/game. I was very impressed that within a week she had her letters learned extremely well. She loves to sing the whole song to me and show me how well she knows the sounds of the whole alphabet. The thing that works so well with this product is that instead of teaching a is for apple and so forth they teach the sounds the letters make, and in a way the kids LOVE. Like with a the a is scared and says AAAH, R is an R race car that say the r sound, and with f the f's are learning to fly but have to say fffff to get off the ground. They connect actions with the sounds. It's brilliant and it works. The songs are cute, and its never boring that they watch and learn/play for a long time. They also reinforce by games after every 4 letters. This helps them to check if they are really learning.

I worried about someone's review that sad it would go through batteries like crazy. Totally not true. My kids play the letter factory and other games constantly on the thing and it usually lasts a least 2 weeks. Just put good batteries in it and its amazing.

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I truly believe that they should receive numerous accolades from the educational community for this one. First we bought the DVD version and my son watched it multiple times a day, with great excitement. Afterwards he still watches it a few times a week and its been 3 months! After watching it just a few times he has all his phonics learned very well, and he just turned 3. Its a very entertaining video as well, with many humorous parts that keep his attention. When the Leapster cartridge came out we snapped it up just so he could watch it on the go. Also its nice using his Leapster, its sort of an inexpensive alternative to a portable DVD player for a child. We've also bought the talking words factory (DVD) which is just as fantastic, and are eagerly awaiting the "Math Factory" coming soon!! LeapFrog surely has found the magic formula for making learning fun.

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My four year old daughter had the DVD for the Letter Factory and was thrilled at the idea that she could take it in the car for her Leapster. I thought she'd bore of it easily with all the repitition but she plays it endlessly. Between the two, in two weeks time she knew all of her letter sounds without hesitation. She is now learning to read and it is so much easier to teach her when we never have to review phonics. Even her older brother who is 8 has picked up on the catchy jingles for the letter sounds (and he already knew his phonics!!). Although she is now a master of letter sounds, she still enjoys watching this cartridge. This is very entertaining, extremely educational and for parents who don't want to push--it's a godsend!!

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This is a great learning tool for Leapster. However, we own the Letter Factory DVD and found this to be nothing more than the identical item. I expected more games or expanded learning. There are only 2 simple games. My 5 year old son says "too boring". We have watched our DVD for over a year and love it. This simply was not any different and not a good purchase for us. So, if you don't own Letter Factory DVD, you should get this!

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My son has been in speach therapy for 1 1/2 years. He did not start talking till he was 2 1/2. Now a 4 year old, he is as stubborn as I am and wouldn't sing the alphabet song with me, nothing I did could encourage him to learn his letters or his numbers. I stumbled onto this at our base exchange and he loved it. I would let him play with the sample one when we came into the store. I brought my husband to show him how interested he was in the system. So we made the investment. I am amazed. He got this from Santa for Christmas and by the beginning of February, he knew all his letters of the alphabet and what sounds they make! He learned the proper way to make the L sound (hard for him)and when I correct him he starts singing the leapster song. He loves this game. I have since (March) purchased the Word factory and he is trying to READ!! He loves the "sticky letters" concept. I can't believe how well these games are made as to hold the attention of a very busy 4 year old! Who is no longer in speach therapy :)

Review of Geoworld Ice Age Excavation Kit - Sabre Tooth Tiger Skeleton

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List Price: $19.99
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This is awesome!! My 8 yr old and 9 yr old absolutely loved this!! Took them about an hour to remove the bones together.

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I ordered this for my 4-year old. He LOVED excavating the bones. Daddy helped with the assembly. My son loves it, and I would buy it again as a gift for other kids who are into fossils/bones and prehistoric mammals. Awesome! Thank you for the speedy delivery and perfect arrival condition!

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This kit generated enormous excitement for my 4 and a half year old Son. This was his 2nd Geoworld "dig". It is important that you don't try and "wrestle" the parts free but rather dig them out with the supplied tools. At one point, my boy came rushing into the house waving his hands in the air shouting "I found a skull ... I found a skull" before rushing out again really exciting for him.

We also used water (poured into the supplied plastic blister pack) to wash the bones with a tooth brush this gets the clay out of the holes making assembly easier later on and adds a touch more "authenticity" to the experience after all REAL paleontologists use brushes don't they? I recommend the "dig" be conducted out doors as the clay gets EVERYWHERE!!

The Saber tooth looks great when assembled having a better color and a lot more detail and than our Stegosaurus obviously due to the scale ratio.

On the down side, this makes a great display item but is not very durable as a toy. Rough handling and forcing the bones to go where they shouldn't go will result in breakage. Our Stegosaurus head has been glued back 3 times but at the time of writing the Saber is as yet undamaged.

Highly recommended.

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The product arrived cracked. We could just break apart in our hands...no digging necessary. Also one of the pieces broke even though we barely pulled on it. Maybe good for younger kids. My son is 9.

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My son loves this. He is 5 and he loves to "excavate" with dada! They are not that sturdy though and I am still trying to find some glue to fix the broken pieces. They are made to sit on a shelf, not to be played with with play-doh.

Reviews of Galt Pop Up Toy

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It is unfortunate that I am forced to give this toy a one-star review after all, it provided great entertainment for my baby until I realized that the paint on the little pop up sticks was chipping off into his mouth. This happened the first time my son played with this toy, and within 2-3 minutes there were paint chips on his face and in his mouth. I will not be letting him play with this again. Let's face it, this is a toy for babies (12 months and up), and babies put everything in their mouths. With all of the worry regarding lead-infused children's toys, you would think that Galt would construct a better product. I have attempted to contact the manufacturer, but haven't been successful. I felt compelled to review this toy to warn other parents considering purchasing it for their babies.

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This is the gift we give to 1 year olds. It has fabulous staying power. One year olds are fascinated by getting the pegs in the holes. As kids get older, they learn the difference between pegs being upside down and right-side up, the faces on the pegs facing all the same way, and then they start to match them up by color. Of course, the "boing" factor is fun for everyone (including grandparents). I have 4-year-olds at my house who like to play with this toy.

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I bought this to give to a 1-year old. Unfortunately the paint was already chipping on the green-colored pop-up when I received it. It is too bad because I am very partial to wood toys and this one gets such high marks in its use for teaching hand/eye coordination....

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I purchased this for my son who is currently 11 months old... Right now he doesn't really know what to make of it and just blinks rapidly when the little figures pop out of the base... I can totally see him growing into this though since I find it amusing myself. It is such a nice, simple little toy. I hate all of the plastic junk that is out there and appreciate that it is made out of wood. No chipping paint yet as others have experienced. It is priced well to give it a try to see if you and your children like it for yourselves...

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Its been a few years since I've bought this but was so glad to find it once again to give my first grandchild. Our kids have loved playing with these and we've given them as gifts to many other babies for many years. Its small and travels easily, there is a progression as to how kids can learn from it, and its amazing how long they will play with such a simple thing (thanks to the springs!).

Discount Parents Magazine Bee Bop Band Play & Learn Drum & Instruments

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This little set includes super sturdy instruments for five kids to form a marching band. My children (ages 3.5 and 1.5) and their friends love marching in a line, dancing and singing. Other sets at big name stores seemed very poorly manufactured and likely to be destroyed very easily, not to mention the safety hazard with the younger set. Hang the drum around you neck and find the beat, shake the shaker, clap the clapper, jingle the bells, rock the tambourine, play the ladybug xylophone and have a blast.

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This toy is sold elsewhere on Amazon under the name B. Parum Pum Pum Drum for $20. Save your money.

Best Deals for Parents Magazine Bee Bop Band Play & Learn Drum & Instruments

My 1 year old son just received this for his birthday & it's one of his favorite toys. He loves it & it's the first thing he goes to every morning. He takes the lid off & pulls all the instruments out to find what he wants to play with. Each instrument is child friendly & looks like a different bug. All the toys are easy for small children to grip. It includes a drum & drumsticks, tambourine, bells, maracas, and a xylophone type toy with a little stick that I think is a little dangerous for small children. My son uses the drumsticks on various surfaces & since they're plastic, they don't scratch the surface. I also wish that it included a pair of cymbals. Other than this, I think it's a great set & can be used for many years to come. It's a great value for the money. And with the set, you receive a year subscription to Parents magazine, which is a great offer.

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I bought this toy set for my kids years ago and it's been so much fun! HOWEVER, the design issues surrounding the Bee Bop Band have plagued this toy and the companies who make it (Battat & Parents Magazine). First, the company was ordered to replace the drum sticks due to unsafe design (tendency to shatter at the tip). I was ok with that, because they were being responsible in getting the defective toys out of the hands of children.

However, I recently discovered that the ladybug xylophone that was in my set is No Longer Included in the current set. There's no mention of why or contact to parents to inform them to remove it from play due to its tendency to break into many small and sharp pieces. I had not realized that it was not in the current model until I called Battat to report a problem with the xylophone.

I knew there might be a problem since the number on the label no longer worked and I had to look them up on the internet. It foreshadowed the difficulty I would have in being able to talk to a human. After leaving several messages and some creative dialing (random number pushing in hope of connecting to anyone human in their mailbox system), I spoke with a man who assured me he would give a note personally to Carrie (the one I'd left many messages for. I received a call 48 hours later from Carrie informing me that the xylophone had not been included in the set for the last 3 years AND that Parents went out of business in 2010, so they don't have anyone to report this incident to. She said she'd inform the president of the company and his secretary. After that, it was out of her hands.

So, the xylophone was excluded from the set 3 years ago without telling anyone who already owns the set why, or warned to watch for certain vulnerabilities. That is wrong! And since one partnering company is 'out of business', the other acts incapacitated and washes their hands of it? No wonder there are so many lawyers. I'm just thankful that my baby didn't ingest or choke on it, that I was there to see it happen and protect my child. Buyer BEWARE! Not a good track record for this set! I hope and pray that the company acts responsibly about this hazard before a child is harmed. But since the xylophone was excluded a few years ago, I wouldn't be surprised if a child was already hurt and they kept it quiet after the drum stick fiasco that cost them dearly ($150,000 in fines and voluntary recall of 300,000 sets.

Here's a link for details of the recall:

I'm hoping they do the right thing and make this public knowledge protecting children. Looking into contacting the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission myself, like the other 25 people did to get Battat to recall the drumsticks the first time. If you've had this happen to you, please let me know. Power in numbers!

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Amazon is selling this WAY OVER PRICE. It sells for about $19.99 at Target. Otherwise it is a great musical gift for babys and toddlers.

Cheap Cross-Section Earth Model

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List Price: $18.99
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Great hands on tool for visual and kinesthetic learners. Great scale model. Simple yet very effective and not too expensive. A great addition to a geology unit.

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Smaller then I imagined. I thought it would work great for my second grade class, but it is only so so. Too exensive for what it does.

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I used this for a summer school science class. We used it to learn the different layers of the Earth and to practice measuring and using fractions. It is more of an educational tool than a toy but because it looks like a toy the students were drawn to it.