Your child can chew on this sturdy toy's ears or toss it around. My Pal Violet is light enough for even the youngest child to hold and carry. The handy Velcro closure keeps the battery compartment, USB port, and power/volume switch securely inside the toy. The switch has three settings: normal volume, quiet volume, and master off. In the "master off" mode, Violet will not operate when the paws are pressed, so only parents will be able to turn the toy back on. My Pal Violet's speakers are also inside the toy and provide balanced sound.

Advice for parents: when My Pal Violet starts to sound distorted, parents will need a screwdriver to open the battery compartment and change the 3 "AAA" batteries.

Music, Words, and Lullabies
Each paw on My Pal Violet is embroidered with a different symbol that, when pressed, turns on a special feature. The right arm paw with a ball symbol provides snappy sentences designed to help your child learn different emotions, colors, and words. The left arm paw features music notes; when pressed you hear a 15-second, upbeat song. The songs rotate randomly and include seven vocal songs to teach skills and three fun instrumental tunes.

Younger infants will be attracted to the melodies, while older toddlers can sing along. The right foot has a stars/moon symbol for five different selections of soothing music for naps or bedtime. Press it once for two minutes of music, or press it twice for five minutes of songs. If your child wants a little extra time with My Pal Violet before falling asleep, you can press the paw three times to hear ten minutes of music.

Parents can use the songs that come pre-loaded on My Pal Violet or change the songs by connecting to the LeapFrog Connect application. It's easy to turn off My Pal Violet by simply pressing the left foot's on/off switch; push any of the other paws to resume play mode.Personalize for Your Child
A special feature of My Pal Violet is the ability to customize your child's experience. The instruction booklet will guide you through the easy process to connect My Pal Violet to a computer with the USB cord and download the LeapFrog Connect application. All it takes is 25 megabytes of free space on your computer and about 15 minutes to personalize the toy with your child's preferences. You'll be able to search for your child's name among a database of thousands. When selected, My Pal Violet will use your child's name in phrases such as "I love you" and incorporate his/her name into songs.

The application also allows you to choose your child's favorite color, animal, and food to personalize Violet's phrases to your child's favorite things. There's a resource section for printing activity sheets that your toddler will enjoy. Also, you can switch up the songs and lullabies so they're constantly fresh and different. The database is updated regularly with new songs.

The only drawback: if your child has a very uncommon name, there's a slim chance that it will not be in the LeapFrog database. However, you can choose one of many nicknames that you may call your child, such as "Munchkin" or "Peanut."

What's in the Box
One My Pal Violet toy, three "AAA" batteries, one USB cable, Quick Connect Guide and Parent Instructions booklet.

Step Start Walk 'n Ride Ages:9 months and up Requires: Phillips screwdriver Adult assembly

What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: The Good: 2-in-1 toy that helps your infant develop walking and balancing skills. The Challenging: Wheels are not designed for extensive outdoor use. In a Nutshell: A versatile walker/ride-on toy complete with fun, sensorial gadgets.

Push It, Ride It, Turn It, Spin It
The Step Start Walk 'n Ride is designed to help your child with many activities, including standing, walking, and riding. The Walk 'n Ride also gives your child plenty of sit-down play, with sight-touch-sound features such as the gear shifter, lifting hood, spinning drum, and clicking dial. The walker/rider is also outfitted with bright, fun colors and friendly, smiling characters that are sure to please your infant or toddler while using.

For parents, one of the best functions on this toy is its locking mechanism that changes the toy's mode from a walker to a ride-on toy. The lock cannot be undone by the child, and there is a distinct click that sounds when the lock is set in place.

While your child is using the walker/rider, be sure to keep them away from sloped driveways and hills. Though the wheels are made out of very thick plastic, they are designed for the slower movements of a young child on a level, steady surface.

A Great Walker and Rider for Beginners
This walker/rider is excellent for its versatility of options for your waddler's different stages of development. And while your child is learning important stability skills, he or she can also play with and look at the fun sensorial gadgets that are attached from top to bottom in bright, fluorescent colors. The fact that the Step Start Walk 'n Ride is two toys in one makes it an economical choice and prolongs the amount of time your child will still be excited to use it and benefit from its activities.

What's in the Box
Body, four wheels, front handle, rear handle, handle retainer, domed lid, dial, roller, spinner (two pieces), antenna, gear shift, four plain #6 screws, and one #6 screw with attached washer.

The toy is full of learning and musical activities designed to provide visual and auditory stimulation.

This plastic-molded table sits flat on the floor for babies to play at while sitting. View larger.

Grows with your Child
The sturdy, plastic-molded, brightly colored table sits flat on the floor for babies to play at while sitting. You can attach the table's legs to adjust it to accommodate toddlers' play while standing. And it offers plenty of activities at different levels of learning to keep your child entertained for these early developmental years. Your child will delight in spinning the maraca to hear a fun rendition of the ABC song; playing the colored piano keys to practice motor skills and learn about colors; moving the trombone's slide to count to 10; and sliding the cello to learn about up and down. Kids can tap on the colorful drum and learn about colors and primary shapes, too. Then, by flipping the pages of the "book" to go from the Learning Mode to the Music Mode, kids can hear more than 40 songs and melodies, including nursery rhymes and fun individual instrument sounds that will have them singing and dancing.

Plenty to Do, Lots to Learn
With all of these activities, your child will exercise his or her memory and problem-solving skills with lots of things to push, pull, turn, open, and close. And with the flip of a switch, the songs and games switch from English to Spanish, offering a great introduction to foreign-language learning. The Learn&Groove Musical Table requires some assembly and needs 3 AA batteries for operation. Batteries are not included.