Review: Leap Frog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum by Leap Frog

When my son was one, we purchased the Leap Frog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum by Leap Frog as a toy that he could pound on and start to be introduced to the alphabet. We have found that maybe the age range for this toy should be raised slightly. It is true that the Leap Frog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum by Leap Frog does indeed give your infant something he can pound on and hear letters and music, it did not tend to hold my son's attention for very long. As he got older though and started to learn about the alphabet in school, this was a toy that he started playing with again.

There are reasons that this toy works for infants though. Not only does your child get introduced to letters, they also get to see lights on the drum and hear music as they pound on the drum. The different settings on the drum control which displays or sounds your child will be exposed to when pounding on the drum. One of the things my son enjoy the most though when he was one year old was to turn the drum on its side and roll it around the house. The Leap Frog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum by Leap Frog is eight inches high, so when you turn it on it's side it is small enough to maneuver around obstacles for your young child.

As mentioned above, our son really didn't get interested in the alphabet portion of the toy until he started learning the alphabet in preschool at two years old. He started bringing it to me and singing the alphabet song saying "daddy, make letters". At this age he also enjoyed the combination of the music and the lights that accompanied his pounding on the toy, as the sounds and lights didn't scare him as much as when he was younger. There is a volume control which is a great feature for us parents that get sick of hearing the same noises and sounds over and over again. This also works with younger children so the noises do not scare them.

Honestly, my recommendation is to hold off on purchasing the Leap Frog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum by Leap Frog until your child is over two years old. Yes, it does work for one year olds in a limited fashion, but there are better products designed for that age range that do the same thing with better features for younger children. The Leap Frog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum by Leap Frog is not a bad toy, but should be marketed for two to three year olds.