VTech - Discovery Nursery Farm
Even urban babies will delight in getting down on the farm with the adorable animals on this interactive learning toy. There’s plenty here to keep baby busy. He can push piano keys to hear notes or learn colors and numbers; tap, slide, or roll any of the farm animals to hear their sounds or songs; or turn the pages on the book to hear one of two favorite childhood melodies:Old MacDonaldorMary Had a Little Lamb. Buttons are large enough for even the youngest child to manipulate easily and baby will hone his fine motor skills (as well as his language development and visual awareness) while exploring. While some customer reviews express concern that the swinging pig is a pinching hazard for little fingers, it appears that this character has been raised higher to allow a safe amount of space underneath it. The volume control offers two sound levels but, even on the lower level, some parents might find the bombardment of different noises to be grating on their ears—especially when they hearOld MacDonaldbaa-ed by the sheep or quacked by the duck for the hundredth time. However, kids up to the preschool age enjoy the songs immensely, making this a long-lasting toy. To preserve the battery life, an automatic shut-off feature kicks in if the farm is left untouched for a few minutes. The Discovery Nursery Farm comes with two short-term "AA" batteries for immediate play out of the box.--Cristina Vaamonde