SanDisk Sansa Shaker (512 MB) MP3 Player

Pros: speaker, easy of use, 2 headphone jacks
Cons: packaging, irritating sounds, lights

I love my iPod and it is definitely my primary mp3 player. However, there was recently a deal I could not pass up on the Sandisk Shaker. Through buy.com, using Google Checkout ($10 off for new members) you could get the Sandisk Shaker for $1.77 ...

Pros: dual headphone jack, speaker, fun to "shake"
Cons: eats batteries when used with speaker, no screen, only plays MP3

My daughter had (and broke) a Fisher Price Kid Tough FP3 player. So when she turned 7 and was ready to move up I was leary of letting her get anything for adults. But the kids MP3 players were really geared toward the under 6 crowd, in her mind, ...

Pros: Used in quiet places loud enough that you don't need earphones at all.
Cons: Must hold down button while shaking, otherwise track does not change.

Takes one triple A battery at a time. I bought a pack of four rechargeable triple A batteries for my shaker. I rotate the four batteries so I always have one available to power my shaker. I find it suitable for listening to music, audio publications ...

Pros: Easy to use. Clips on to belt hoops. Pre-added preschool age songs, memory card.
Cons: Does not change songs when shook.

I wanted a MP3 player that my 18 year old mentally challenged neice who is being raised by my mature parents could enjoy. After researching the internet I came across the SanDisk Sansa Shaker. I bought it at Walmart, and was at first disappointed that ...

Pros: Simple to use, robust, decent sound from speaker, dual jacks.
Cons: The sound through the dual headphone jacks is rather muddy.

This player is great for kids due to the built-in speaker. I'm not happy having my kids (6 & 8) using earbuds, both to protect their hearing and to have them socializing rather than being isolated by their music. The controls are simple to work out even for young kids, and the unit is robust - we've had ours for a year now and it's still going strong. The sound from the little speaker is remarkably good, and the fact that it can't get too loud is a plus for me. The 512mb version that we have holds plenty of songs, but it would be easy enough to swap out SD cards if we needed more room. If we were to use it while travelling, the fact that it has dual headphone jacks is a plus, but their sound quality is not great - I suspect that the sound has been tuned for the speaker.

Pros: Listen to it with or without headphones. Kid friendly navigation.
Cons: Only plays songs in MP3 format.

In my opinion, this is the greatest mp3 player for kids. My 3 year old son and 5 year old daughter both got one for Christmas and haven't put them down yet. We took them on a 7 hour car ride and it was a blessing to have them with us!

Pros: Its a cute design
Cons: Unless you already own cds of the music you want, its a completely useless device.

I searched for days trying to find this for my son and finally found it. Now I can't download any music to it. Both their website and the Best Buy website say its compatible with Rhapsody. That's a lie. Don't believe it. I have now paid $15 for a mobile membership that doesn't work with this player and another $0.89 for each song, but they are still protected files and still in WMA format. My son is getting really upset and I'm on the verge of returning this thing. Its completely useless!!!!!