Hot Holiday Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers

A popular cartoon among the 3-6 year set is Disney's Little Einsteins. These curious explorers ride their ship, Rocket, around the planet to solve missions and often use music to help them solve problems.

A popular cartoon among the 3-6 year old set is Disney's Little Einsteins. These curious explorers ride their ship, Rocket, around the planet to solve missions and often use music to help them solve problems.

If your child or grandchild loves the Little Einsteins, then the new Blast-Off Learning Laptop by V-Tech will be the perfect present for this holiday season.

Quick Stats on the Little Einsteins Laptop:

Toy Name: V-Tech Little Einstein Blast-Off Learning Laptop

Price Range: $24.99 from Target.com; also available at Target retail stores

Batteries Included: Yes, requires 3 AA batteries

Why Buy the Little Einsteins Blast-Off Learning Laptop Versus Another Brand?

There are many alpha-numeric learning laptops available for this holiday season so you might be wondering if this laptop is the right choice for your child.

I purchased this laptop for my 3 year old because it not only teaches the alphabet but it is unique among its competition in that this laptop teaches music. The laptop comes with 9 piano keys. In addition, your child can choose from 18 pre-programmed different activities in 4 categories: letter, number, music, and games.

This laptop encourages interactive learning so that you child will not get bored. The unit is brightly colored with blue and red and resembles Rocket's shape. It even contains an attached Rocket-shaped mouse that you child can use to navigate the various activities.

There are three main buttons on the laptop once the lid is opened: Volume, On/Off, and Activities. As a parent, you'll be sure to appreciate the volume control button.

The remaining easy-to-read keys contain the alphabet in 3 rows. The top row contains red buttons with the letters A-I, the second row contains yellow buttons with the letters J-S, and the third row contains blue buttons with the letters T-Z and the Repeat button. The vowels are in green. The bottom row contains the 9 piano keys.

The screen itself is a bit on the small side at about 1.5 inches by 2.5 inches. This is the one aspect of the laptop that I wish V-Tech had made larger. The rest of the traditional computer monitor area is covered with bright renderings of each of the 4 Little Einsteins. June represents letters, Leo represents numbers, Quincy represents music, and Annie represents game. Overall, it is a visually appealing computer monitor area for youngsters. This laptop will be a favorite holiday present for any Little Einsteins fan.

The Kid Test: Is the Little Einsteins Blast-Off Learning Laptop a Hit?

In a word, YES! I had originally purchased this laptop as a holiday gift for my child. However, I decided to give it to my preschooler during a long road-trip. It was a hit. He loved the different activities and didn't lose interest. The laptop is portable since it runs on batteries and has a convenient carrying handle.Whenever we see this toy at Target, he instantly wants to play with it even though we have the toy at home.

I would recommend the V-Tech Little Einstein Blast-Off Learning Laptop as a favorite holiday gift for toddlers and preschoolers. The toy will entertain your child or grandchild yet it is not too obnoxious for you to hear throughout the day.