Leap Frog See & Learn Piano: Maestro, Please!
Written: Jan 04 '03 (Updated Jun 19 '04)
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Pros: Compact, automatic shut-off, volume control, great learning tool independently and with parental assistance
Cons: Really needs that 5th scale note
The Bottom Line: Though it might look too difficult, this is a wonderful grow-with-me toy with a lot to teach!
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| logimom's Full Review: LeapFrog See and Learn Piano Toy |
Our 11 month old, Tyler, received the Leap Frog See & Learn Piano as a gift for Christmas. I was excited about it because I’ve played the piano since I was age 4 (never mind how old I am now). Anyway, I wanted at least ONE of my children to develop an interest in music beyond sticking headphones over their ears and playing air guitar. This is a pretty good start, I think. Leap Frog has a great reputation for quality learning products, and this is one of ‘em.
~~~~~ Physical Description ~~~~~
The Leap Frog See & Learn Piano exterior is made of that ever-popular hard plastic, and is fairly compact at approximately 7 inches wide, 6 inches tall, and 6 inches in depth. It has an angled shape, apparently to resemble a real piano, with the keys at actual keyboard position, and the activity stuff at the mantle position (where the music goes). It is a little top-heavy and pretty easy to knock over backward. Tyler gets frustrated with it falling over and will push it up against something to play with it.
The keyboard consists of four large white keys with colored shapes on each:
Red Circle
Green Triangle
Blue Square
Yellow Star
Directly above the keyboard is the volume switch and sliding “mode” selector. With the mode selector, each “on” mode is marked by symbols only, with “off” being at the far left and marked as such. The first selection is the Learn Mode, marked by small geometric shapes. The second selection is the Mistake-Free Music Mode, marked with musical notes, and the last selection is Free-Play Mode, marked with wavy piano keys. The volume switch is a small red button to the right of the mode selector. The down position is low volume, and top position is high.
On the mantle (music) section, there is a speaker to the top left, round safety mirror surrounded by red, sparkling lights. Around the mirror are four buttons, featuring Leap Frog characters playing their instruments:
Lily on Flute
Casey on Banjo
Leap on Sax
Tad on Piano
There is also a convenient carrying handle on top that’s easy to grasp. The unit is also light enough for a toddler to carry easily.
The battery compartment is located on the bottom of the toy and requires a small phillip’s head screwdriver (1 screw) to gain access. This toy requires 3 “AA” batteries (included). The Leap Frog See & Learn Piano also features an automatic shut-off after 15 seconds of inactivity.
~~~~~ Interactive Play ~~~~~
Learn Mode (selector to geometric shapes)
In this mode, press a piano key and you will hear an instrument sound, and Leap tells you the color and shape. He also tells you a little extra on each key:
“Circles are round, like wheels.”
“I love the color green.”
“The sky is blue.”
“Stars shine brightly.”
Press each character button to hear the character’s name and the sound of their instrument.
Mistake-Free Music Mode (selector to musical notes)
Press any of the character keys to select an instrument, then press any piano key. The songs play in advancing segments, meaning a few measures will play, then stop. Leap will say, “Press any key to play the song,” to prompt the child. If no key is pressed within a few seconds or so, the entire song will play.
The flute, banjo and sax has 4 different tunes each, and the piano features 8. The Leap Frog Parent’s Guide that comes with this product lists them:
Flute:
Frere Jacques
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Lightly Row
Banjo:
Froggy Went A-Courtin’
Oh, Susanna
Turkey in the Straw
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Saxophone:
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
The Bear Went Over the Mountain
The Man on the Flying Trapeze
When the Saints Go Marchin’ In
Piano:
Six Little Ducks
Ragtime Tune
Hey Diddle Diddle
Alouette
Jack & Jill
London Bridge
Pop Goes the Weasel
Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone
Free-Play Mode (selector to piano keys picture)
Press a character button to select an instrument, then press the piano keys to play anything desired (within that 4-note range) and hear it as the instrument you chose.
~~~~~ Educational Benefits ~~~~~
According to the Leap Frog Parent’s Guide, educational benefits are (as interpreted by me):
* Fine Motor Skills -- By playing the piano, baby develops fine motor skills and enhances dexterity
* Sensory -- The combination of lights music and tactile shapes stimulate baby’s senses
* Cognitive -- The different learning modes stimulate thinking not only with learning shapes, colors and sounds, but also promotes cause-and-effect learning. As the child grows and plays, he will remember what modes/buttons product the desired effects.
* Emotional -- Mirror play stimulates self-awareness and interest in other babies. The music also helps develop music appreciation as well as a little baby-boogie!
Age group for this toy is 6 months and up.
~~~~~ Care & Maintenance ~~~~~
Clean with a slightly damp cloth or sponge (I use Lysol wipes). Don’t use around food and drink, as spills and or submersion will damage the electronics inside. Make sure to remove the batteries before storing the toy for extended periods of time. Batteries can leak and corrode the terminals and/or electronics over time. You may also want to replace the batteries right after purchase. The open-package design facilitates demonstrations, and the batteries could be old or drained.
~~~~~ Warranty and Contact Information ~~~~~
The Leap Frog See & Learn Piano has a 3-month standard warranty from purchase date, only against defective workmanship or materials. This does not include damage caused by leaky batteries, water submersion, abuse, neglect, etc. Products meeting warranty specifications will either be repaired or replaced.
For more information on Leap Frog and their products, visit their website: www.leapfrog.com
US/Canada:
Phone: 800-701-LEAP (5327)
M-F 5am – 7am PST, and Sat 7am – 4pm PST
UK Office:
Phone: 0800 169 5435
EIRE: 00 44 1702 200244
M-F 9am – 5pm
E-mail: info@leapfrog.uk.net
~~~~~ Final Thoughts & Recommendations ~~~~~
Initially, I wasn’t quite sure about the Leap Frog See & Learn Piano. After reading the Parent’s Guide, observing Tyler, and playing with it myself, my first feeling was that this product might be too advanced for the age group. I sat on that reaction and interacted with and observed my son’s play over the next few days, and realized that was wrong. Our munchkins are so much smarter than we give them credit for! It didn’t take him long at all to figure most of the activities out, both independently and with parental help.
This toy was very wisely groups at 6 months plus, as it is a wonderful grow-with-me toy. The earlier it is purchased, the greater the educational benefit. Young babies will benefit more from the sensory aspect, while fine-motor and cognitive benefits become more apparently effective a couple of months later. I wish I had gotten this for Tyler when he was 6 months old.
As far as playability, Tyler really enjoys this toy. He comes back to it several times a day (my clue he really likes something), and looks for it in his toy box. It tickles me to see him dance to the music and simply enjoy it.
This is just me being a little “AR,” but I think it would be helpful to have that 5th scale note included on that keyboard. I’d actually be able to play and teach him how to play a song on it in Free-Play mode. If anything else, he could be taught what a scale is. 5th note or not, this is still a wonderful product.
Keep Playin'!
© 2003-2004 Donna Standridge
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): gift
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
logimom
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Member: Donna Standridge
Location: Texarkana, Texas
Reviews written: 213
Trusted by: 148 members
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