The Count and Compose Piano is a  learning baby toy that combines visual, auditory, and language development all into one toy made by Baby Einstein.  Babies are introduced to melodies, different instruments and numbers with this cute little piano.  There is a screen that has colored, flashing lights  that move along to the music, to create visual stimulation, and a rattling roller drum that helps to promote a baby’s fine motor skills. The Count and Compose Piano has three different play modes:  counting mode (numbers 1-5 in English, Spanish and French), baby composer mode, and instrument key mode.

Pros:

• Classical music is pleasing to the entire family.  It is loud enough to interest a baby without driving parents crazy.
• The convenient size and light weight make this toy the perfect size to play with at home or put into a diaper bag for travel.
• There is an OFF button, so parents can take a break if the sounds get too irritating.
• Buttons are easily pressed by little hands.

Cons:

• Speaker is on the bottom of the piano and causes the sound to muffled.
• The is no indication what keys play what notes or a guide that shows how to actually play songs on this piano.
• Piano does not actually count, it says the number on the button that is pushed, i.e. when the button marked 3 is pushed, the piano says “3″.

The RaZberry Teether is a multi textured, 100% medical-grade silicone teething pacifier, made by Razbaby.  The RaZberry Teether has a bumpy texture to help sooth sore gums, and can be frozen to provide even further relief for a teething baby‘s mouth.

Pros:

• Ring handle makes it possible for baby to put the teething pacifier in his/her own mouth, unlike normal pacifiers.
• Bumpy texture on nipple massages sore gums.
• The handle of the teething pacifier is also made of textured silicone, so can provide comfort no matter what part is chewed on.
• Can be used with pacifier holders to attach to baby’s clothes, car seat, or stroller, and keep it from getting dirty on the ground.

Cons:

• Silicone nipple has potential to come off of handle and cause a choking hazard.
• RaZberry nipple is too large for very early teething babies under 4 months old.  Baby may have difficulty keeping it in his/her mouth.
• Silicone has a smell that some people find offensive, even after boiling.
• Has a potential to be a choking hazard when the handle is sucked on, recommend using under adult supervision.

The Sunny Stroll Arch, is a developmental baby toy made by Tiny Love.  The Sunny Stroll Arch is brightly colored arch toy that attaches to strollers, car seats, and baby carriers.  The arch has toys that are ideal for developing babies in the ages of 0-3 months and in the “batting” stage, as well as babies that are older than 3 months and in the manipulation stage.  The toys that come attached to the Sunny Stroll Arch include a baby-activated propeller, a transparent sun prism, and a rattling butterfly ball, a crinkly-fabric butterfly, and flower mirror.  The arch also comes with attachment clips that easily attach the Sunny Stroll arch to almost any baby carrier, car seat or stroller.

Pros:

• Easily attaches to nearly any baby seat to keep baby entertained for hours, whether in the car, stroller, or at home.  It can even be straightened out and attached to a crib.
• Arch has multiple joints that allow manipulation of height and placement without having to entirely remove the arch from the seat.  This allows to place the toys closer to baby, or to move the arch out of the way to take baby out of the seat.
• Hanging toys are held on with Velcro, and can be easily swapped with other toys for increased interest.
• Easily folds up for storage.

Cons:

• Clamps may not fit on every car seat or stroller securely, so can be displaced if baby pulls too hard on one of the toys.  Does not fit on Bixtar car seats, or Graco strollers.  There may be other models that the Sunny Stroll Arch does not fit on as well.
• The is no black and white for very young developing baby eyes.  There may also be a bit too much going on to capture a newborn’s interest.

The Animal Exploration Tunnel is an activity tunnel designed to excite babies with interactive developmental toys including discovery flash cards, bird that “tweets“, water filled teether , soft sun rattle, and ring rattle, as well as pictures of Baby Einstein characters and realistic animals on the floor mat. The Animal Exploration Tunnel is made by Baby Einstein.  The Animal Exploration Tunnel comes complete with a 4-foot long tunnel, with mesh windows, movable toys, and a  crinkle floor mat with bright images.  This is the ideal toy for early crawlers or babies that you are trying to encourage to crawl.  Best suited for babies 3 months and older.

Pros:

• Mesh cutouts in wall of tunnel allow for peek-a-boo between parent and child.
• Many of the toys are removable.  They can be moved from the arch to the mat, or taken out of the tunnel for a bed-time buddy or car ride entertainment.
• There are additional rings that can be used to hang other toys (that did not come with the tunnel), for added and constantly changing interest.
• The tunnel is really light-weight and can be easily lifted and moved out of the way.
• Because of visual images on the floor mat, the Animal Exploration Tunnel encourages both tummy time and movement in the tunnel.

Cons:

• The Animal Exploration Tunnel is quite large and takes up a lot of space when it is fully assembled.

• It is necessary to remove the metal support tubes to fold up the Animal Exploration Tunnel and put away.  Some people find this cumbersome.
• Children should never be left unattended while in the Animal Exploration Tunnel, as there are several common sense warnings: 1.  There is a potential suffocation hazard if used on a soft surface, other than the floor.  2.  There is also a potential fall hazard if this product is used some place other than the floor, as the tunnel is very light-weight and children can move it.  3. The tunnel could collapse on baby if the metal supports are used for support to stand with.
• The mesh sides of the tunnel are fragile and are easily stuck to Velcro in the wash.

The Sleep Sheep-Four Soothing Sounds from Nature is a toy made by Cloud b . This soft, plush sheep is the perfect soothing bedtime toy, complete with four sounds that are very comforting  to babies, including Spring Showers, Mother’s Heartbeat, Whale Songs, and Ocean Surf.  There is a Velcro tab on the sheep’s back to secure him to a crib.  The sound box has an ON/OFF switch, is removable, and has an automatic sleep timer that turns the sounds off after 23 or 45 minutes.

Pros:

• Sleep Sheep is soft and comforting, making it a perfect toy for a fussy child to snuggle up with.
• Sounds are repetitious, comforting and familiar, so it distracts babies from any other sounds going on in the house during nap time.
• The sounds time out after 23 or 45 minutes, allowing enough time for a baby to fall asleep, but not wasting large numbers of batteries from staying on all night.
• The controls are very user-friendly.  It is easy to change between the four different sound types, as well as control the volume level or turn the sounds on or off.
• The Velcro allows for easy attachment to cribs, car seats, play pens, anything.

Cons:

• There is not a continuous play mode, only two settings for 23 and 45 minutes.  This may not be ideal for babies that need constant sound while they are asleep to avoid waking up.
• The full-size toy is quite large, so it takes up a lot of room when traveling (12 inches tall).  There is also an on-the-go size Sleep Sheep that may be a wiser choice for a travel buddy for your baby.
• Older children (over one year) may find it difficult not to play with the Velcro and buttons on the sound machine in the sheep.  This could lead to lack of sleep for the children and potentially other family members as well, since the Velcro makes a fairly loud noise when played with repeatedly.
• The sound machine is not held in the back of the sheep very tightly and can potentially fall out, which may disrupt the sound, or cause other falling sounds, all of which have a potential to wake a baby.

Freddie the Firefly is a brightly colored, high contrast, soft plush baby toy made by Lamaze.  The bright contrasting colors and patterns are designed to visually stimulate a baby from birth on.  Whereas, the varying textures and sound makers help to train both auditory and tactile functions.  There is a mirror, click-clack rings, a pull-out ladybug teether, crinkle-sound wings , a squeaker, knotted feet and antennae, and Freddie’s whole body is a rattle.

Pros:

• Freddie the Firefly comes with a Lamaze link for easy attachment to strollers, car seats, and diaper bags, which make this toy great for bringing along.
• Freddie the Firefly offers visual, auditory, and tactile  stimulation through the attachments of a squeaker, mirror, click-clack rings, crinkle noise maker, and brightly colored, patterned fabrics.  All of this makes for a great learning toy that will appeal to your child at various stages of growth and development.
• Freddie has a friendly face that babies find comforting and amusing.
• Freddie the Firefly is a soft toy that helps to sooth babies at bed-time.
• This toy is light-weight enough for most little hands to hold and manipulate with ease.
• The knots at the end of Freddie’s legs and antennae are both interesting for baby to touch, as well as utilize for teething.
• The pull-out ladybug teeter is also very good for those sore gums during teething time.  It comes complete with its own pouch to keep clean between chewing times.

Cons:

• Ladybug teether can break loose from Freddie and has a potential to be a choking hazard.
• There are no stretchy or springy limbs. If your child is into interactive toys, this may not provide the type of stimulation that he/she is interested in.
• There are a couple of hard surfaces (the click-clack rings, the ladybug teeter, and the Lamaze link) that could cause injury if swung or thrown as a weapon.

Twilight Constellation Night Light, by Cloud b, is a cute plush turtle that acts as a soothing and educational nightlight, designed to not only help baby feel safe and soothed when falling asleep, but also to teach about the five endangered species highlighted on the shell. Twilight Constellation Night Light comes with several different nightlight modes.  One in which  the turtle shell illuminates for a calming nightlight effect in one of the following colors aquamarine, blue, or green.  The second modes is a night sky is projected on the ceiling, including  stars illuminated in a background of ocean blue, emerald green ,or the two colors together.   The last mode consists of  five endangered sea animals pictured on the shell; each individually lights up. There is an auto shut-off with a 45-minute sleep timer. The Sea Turtle Twilight Constellation Night Light also comes with an adoption certificate, and a star guide for identifying the projected constellations.  This baby toy is best appreciated by children from age 2 to adult.  Children under 2 should not play with this toy unsupervised, although it is still an ideal nightlight.

Pros:

• The Twilight Constellation Night Light comes with 3 AAA batteries included, so it is ready to light up the night when you get it home.
• The 45-minute sleep timer allows children to be soothed  to sleep, by  the soft lighting, without wasting too much battery life.
• Projects a beautiful night sky in three soothing and lovely colors.
• Twilight Sea Turtle’s adoption certificate and storybook make this little sea turtle nightlight really feel like a part of the family, and also helps to teach children about endangered animals.
• Also makes a great nightlight for late-night breast feeding, as it provides just the right amount of light.

Cons:

• In order for the stars to look like stars, this nightlight needs to be placed on a tall object in the center of the room, i.e. a dresser.  If the nightlight is placed on the floor, the constellations appear more like fuzzy dots, which make identifying constellations difficult.
• The stars do not move around when projected on the walls.
• Turtle shell on the nightlight is hard plastic, not soft fabric, some people did not like that aspect of the nightlight.
• The toy is not meant to be handled by children under the age of 2, as the shell is hard and could cause injury to either baby or parent if swung or thrown like a weapon.  Also the shell could break when swung or thrown, potentially leaving sharp plastic shards that could injure a baby.
• There is not an OFF button, so batteries can wear out if older children turn the nightlight on multiple time per day.
• Because this nightlight contains fragile LED lights, it is not really meant to be played with in any sort of a rough manner.  It is really mean to be a cute, sweet nightlight.

The Bendy Ball is a brightly colored, soft plastic ball made by Baby Einstein.  The Bendy Ball has the recognizable Baby Einstein cheery, colorful caterpillar character around the center of the ball.  The flexible plastic makes this ball easy for little hands to grasp, hold and shake.  There is also a smaller rattle ball contained inside the bendy ball for additional visual and auditory interest.

Pros:

• Easily held and rattled by little hands.
• Because of soft exterior, ball is safe to be thrown on the ground to enjoy the different rattling sound that causes.
• Very durable.
• Easily clipped to a stroller or car seat using links.

Cons:

• The caterpillar is a bit hard and could cause injury if swung or thrown as a weapon.
• The Bendy Ball is a little bit heavy, but generally picked up by most young children above the age of 3-months.

The Rainforest Melodies and Lights Deluxe Gym is an activity gym designed to excite babies with interactive games, lights,  fabric textures, music, and nature sounds.  The Rainforest Melodies and Lights Deluxe Gym is made by Fisher-Price.  This Deluxe Gym comes complete with a floor quilt for the baby to lay on while looking up at colorful arches that suspend a variety of toys for baby’s amusement and learning.  The hanging toys include  a shiny mirror , a mobile of spinning butterflies , a spinner with rattling beads, a crinkly leaf that can be used for peek-a-boo, as well as a variety of movable and stationary activity toys.  This Deluxe Gym also has sound settings:  a  20 minute setting of parent-activated continuous music, a baby-activated mode with 8 to 12 seconds of lights and music, or a 20 minute setting of parent-activated rainforest sounds.  All of these sound settings not only stimulate a baby’s auditory senses, they also help to soothe and comfort a baby.

Pros:

• Upbeat  music for when baby is active and playing, and quite, soothing rainforest sounds for when baby is sleepy.
• Many of the toys are removable.  They can be moved from the arch to the mat, or taken out of the gym for a bed-time buddy or car ride entertainment.
• The removable toys and the mat are all washable.
• The music is not irritating to adults, so the whole family can listen to the music while baby plays,  and the rainforest sounds are soothing  to babies and parents, alike.  Best of all, there are two volume settings.
• Simple to assemble, and easy to change out batteries.

Cons:

• Some people find this toy difficult to fold-up for storage unless it is taken apart.  It will not fit into the bag that it came with, unless it is completely taken apart.
• The mirror attached to the giraffe may not point into the center of the mat.  This may mean that a parent will need to hold the mirror for the baby to be able to see into the mirror.
• It has been reported that the mirror has fallen out of the frame in some situations, and can present a danger if a baby tries to put the round, bare mirror into his mouth.
• The butterfly mobile does not spin on its own, it either has to be spun by a parent or a baby.  This could, clearly, be hard for a baby that is unable to reach the mobile.
• This gym is not readily portable, so it is not easy to take it with on an outing to keep baby entertained.

The Curious Crab Rattle is a brightly colored crab-shaped rattle made by Sassy/LeapFrog.  The crab is made with clear claws that contain colorful beads that rattle when shaken. He also has vibrant colored crinkle fabric for his feet with the names of the colors on each foot to help a baby learn and recognize colors.  The crab is complete with a happy open smiling face that doubles as a handle for a baby’s small hands.

Pros:

• Toy is designed with bright colors to attract an interest a baby.
• Rattle and crinkle sounds created by this toy allow for cause and effect learning, as well as audio stimulation.
• Crab mouth works well as a handle for small hands to be able to grasp, hold, and shake.
• The varying colors and fabrics of this toy make it perfect for tactile investigation.
• The varying colors of the feet help baby to learn and recognize colors.

Cons:

• The crab’s body is made of hard plastic that could injure a child or parent if swung or thrown like a weapon.
• Only soft parts on this toy are the feet, which are not easily held by a teething baby.  Some children may have  hard time grasping and holding on to the handle.
• The hard plastic of the crab’s body and claws can get broken or cracked with repeated dropping, so it needs to be checked regularly for any sharp edges that could cut a baby.