Review of Leapfrog Learning Friends Phonics Bus

As children make the step from babies to toddlers, and toddlers to preschoolers, their toys usually cannot keep pace with their developmental needs. The Leapfrog Learning Friends Phonics Bus is one that actually can.

Leapfrog advertises the bus as appropriate for children ages 12 months and up, but even younger babies can enjoy playing with the three movable frogs, pushing buttons to make music or play letters, or push the bus forward. As children get older, the songs and letters engage their natural curiosity and help teach them to associate the visual letter, sound of the letter, and what it is called. If parents take away the Leapfrog Learning Friends Phonics Bus and re-introduce it a few weeks or months later, older children will likely continue to enjoy it and have another fun and educational tool with which to learn their alphabet.

The letters that ring the outside of the bus are angled upward for easy pressing. Like many of the other Leapfrog products, the letters have sound recognition songs and engaging learning songs. For example, "A goes ah, A goes ah, every letter makes a sound, A goes ah." The bus plays the ABC song and several versions of "The Wheels on the Bus," and both are guaranteed to go into rapid playback mode with toddlers. As the child moves the bus forward, the Wheels on the Bus sings along with the movement.

In addition to the two traditional songs, the Leapfrog Learning Friends Phonics Bus plays songs that encourage physical movement. The frog characters are easy to get in and out of the bus so little hands can maneuver the frogs as they like and play with them outside of the bus. This play encouragement stimulates children's imaginations. Children will likely give each character to receive a name and story behind it, as well as have a favorite frog because of his or her song.

Like anything other "noisy toy," the Leapfrog Learning Friends Phonics Bus has its drawbacks because the off and on switch is easily accessible to children and the volume control has minimal difference between high and low. This means that parents are at the mercy their children's love of repetition.

The Leapfrog Learning Friends Phonics Bus retails at $19.99, but is often on sale and available used. It received the 2004 iParenting Media Award. and is also available in Spanish The bus is small, light-weight and portable so it is an ideal travel toy or gift for a toddler or young pre-schooler.

Source:

www.leapfrog.com