Product Review: Leapfrog's My Pal Violet

The Leapfrog My Pal Violet is a great toy for toddlers. It is inexpensive as well for less than $20. This toy is a stuffed animal shaped like a puppy. By connecting it to the internet, it can be customized to say your child's name and play songs that your child enjoys. The product was designed for children from 6 months to 3 years of age.

The toy is soft and squishy but hides speakers, batteries, and a USB connection behind a Velcro enclosure. With no removable parts, I feel comfortable letting my small baby play with this toy. It has proven to be very durable as she drops it and hits it on other objects quite often and it still works perfectly. A feature I really like is that parents can turn the sound down to quiet mode so that our children can use the toy without disrupting other people.

Each of the puppy's paws has a different symbol on them and do different things when they are pressed. Pressing the right arm causes the toy to say a sentence designed to each colors, emotions, and words. The left arm paw plays 15 seconds of a song which rotates each time. The right foot plays soothing songs for two, five, or ten minutes that are great for naptime.

The product connects to your computer through a USB port so that you can customize the experience for your child. You will need an internet connection to download the program onto your computer. The program contains a huge database of names so you can select your child's name. The puppy will then say your child's name when it is talking and singing. You can also enter your child's favorite colors, animals, and food. There are additional songs you can download if your child does not like the ones that are preloaded on the toy.

My Pal Violet runs off 3 AAA batteries which I find to last quite awhile. However, you may want to invest in rechargeable batteries anyway.

I am very pleased with this product because it is a learning toy that my daughter enjoys playing with. I believe she will continue to get a couple more years use out of it before she outgrows it. The toy is a great way for her to keep herself entertained for a few minutes when I need a break to do something else. This would make a good baby shower gift for a new mother.