My kids would love a dog, especially a 5-year-old. But between the two sons - one a baby - and a job that is an hour and a half to commute far, I have the energy to take care of another living being. A new compromise possible? LeapFrog My Pal Scout ($ 19.99 list).
Scout and her sister, "" My Pal Violet, should be familiar to those who have played with such products like the LeapFrog ClickStart: It's the version of stuffed toy dog owned by Tad LeapFrog's range of toys and DVDs On the surface , it seems like many other toys on the market that use the technology base to appeal to the 6-months-and-up set. He is adorable, he talks and sings when you press the legs, and he lights up. But look below the surface, and you will find more.
The green and white Scout measures approximately 13 by 7 inches (HW). Blue collar flashes when it is active. Each of its four legs has its function: Press the left paw, and he sings. Press the right front paw, and he makes statements to encourage interaction (eg, "Guess what I am?" Quack, Quack! "). The right hind leg activates lullabies, and left hind leg turns it on and off. There are icons on each foot to denote its function, but seems less for the benefit of children - at least in my 9-month-old did not even know what a foot, much less an icon - and for parents they are playing with the children.
matt-and-scout-3.jpg
The secret, as it were, lies in the ability Scout be programmed to respond specifically to the child who is destined for. Pull the Velcro on the back to find the On / Off switch which also controls the volume of the Scout from the bottom up and the room during the three AA batteries needed to operate the toy and mini-USB right door above the battery casing. (Note: The mini USB port has a cover, and is a little hard to get - but that means my children can not reach it at all, and that's a good thing).
The toy comes with a mini USB to USB cable, which allows you to connect Scout to your computer. Once you do this, you are sent to the LeapFrog Web site, where you are invited to download the LeapFrog Connect Application. You then open the application and start programming information on the children for whom the toy is intended. Start by planning your child's name and hear how it will sound. Under My Picks, you can take food from your favorite child (yakisoba was a choice), animals (no dragons, I'm afraid), and color. In my music, you can choose up to five daytime and five lullabies. After you've done on each screen, click Save to my friend at the bottom of the page, and you're ready to go.
You can also subscribe to one parent account and use various learning programs LeapFrog to monitor and encourage the way of your child's learning. I certainly consider doing so in the way when the kids are a little older.
It is incredibly charming to have a toy that can interact directly with my son. Matt looked at Scout, as he would a person where Scout said his name, or in one instance, writing his name in a song. There is a small break on the right toy speaks before saying the name, but I do not think my novice taster noticed that. He did, however, some bat Scout, laughed when he heard his name, and chewed the nose Scout is a little - but the game is not really ripe one strength at the age of Matt.
My oldest son, Jake, was also intrigued by Scout. I liked that encourages the Scout game more interactive than other toys that can play music or talk. And the amount of things you can do is a definite improvement over similar toys I've bought over the years.
Here's my big beef with Scout, though. It seems that the toy is intended to be programmed with a child in mind. Or at least that's how I felt. When I tried to change the setting on the LeapFrog Connect to put in the name of Jake and preferences, which seemed easy to do. I changed the name, preferences, choose the music, and so on, and click on My Settings to rename. No problem. Scout disconnected the USB cable and turned it on expecting to hear: "Hello, Jacob." Instead I got "Hello, Matthew." So I checked the guide will help player profiles and tried to change the name and profile of Matt for Jake. One word: argh. Finally, I realized that I had to save every choice I made, especially one with my name, to get everything to stick.
I think it would be very helpful (especially for those with more than one child will play with this toy) for LeapFrog have a tutorial available online. This would help parents walk by all the major configuration problems, including the addition of several Pal profiles and switch between them. I know it would have saved me an hour of cursing silently at Scout poor innocent, when I could not reprogram it correctly.
Overall, I can see my Pal Scout is a great success with 5-and-under crowd, especially those that have been nagging their mothers for a pet (you know who you are). He is certainly a big hit with me. He is beautiful, has many tricks and without food, walk, poop or cleaning required. What more can I ask?
Scout is currently available at Toys R Us In early July, he will be available in LeapFrog.com and large retailers.
Buy LeapFrog My Pal Scout
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