Activities and Learning Reviews

Add us to the host of folks who love this puzzle toy. I generally consult Amazon ratings before purchasing new items and any item that has this many positive ratings always catches my attention. And it lives up to the promise. My almost 7 year-old son is ADHD and I was AMAZED at the way this toy captured his attention. I expected him to become quickly frustrated and give up. But after a few successes, he was hooked. I coached him a little bit at first (and then I was hooked too!) and before I knew it, he was solving puzzles by himself and doing a better job than me! He did the first 20 in one sitting. I was amazed as I watched him begin understanding which cars had to be where in order for him to get the red car out, then he started working out his plan to get there. You have to think ahead to be successful and he was doing it!

His persistence and concentration surprised me, so if your child is having any problems sitting and concentrating on a task, don't be afraid of this toy! But, alas, as with many ADHD kids, he's also been tested as gifted, so he's already run through the first 3 levels and is now nearly done with the expert level - solving puzzles that I can't do! I have to wait until he goes to bed to even get a chance to play! There's 40 cards in the first pack. The beginning levels are pretty easy to remember the solutions, but as you go higher in difficulty, you could probably do the puzzles more than once and still be challenged. But do be prepared to buy the 2, 3, and 4 Gift Pack (a great deal for $12 on Amazon)

I LOVE the fact that you store the cards right in the bottom of the tray. However,I wish that they would put a more permanent kind of cover on the tray. Also, you cannot replace the cover when you are in the middle of a puzzle, the cars have to be in the tray in a certain way in order for the cover to fit properly. But those are extremely minor drawbacks considering the hours of entertainment my son and I have gotten.

Ever stuck in gridlock? Think you know the easiest way out? Then you are ready to take the challenge of Binary Arts' Rush Hour Game. Beware escaping gridlock is not as easy at it seems.

The directions are simple; setup the game board using the forty game cards, arranged from beginners' skill level to the expert. Move the cars and trucks out of the way and get you red car off the board.

The game is made to have you thinking, and planning strategy is a key to winning. I found myself playing for hours and the more I played the more fun I had. Also since storage is easy this game travels well.

For those rainy days, those family night outings or when friends drop over, you can't go wrong with this game. About the only thing Binary Arts needs now is a thinking game involving aircraft.

Many of the reviews posted so far say, in one way or another, "I bought this for a kid, but I love it, too." I'm not ashamed to say that I'm neither a parent nor a teacher and that I bought this for myself. (I did buy another set for my sister's kids when I saw how great it was.) I've always liked Binary Arts products, and this did not disappoint. What I especially like, and why I think it's valuable educationally, is that it forces you to identify the root causes of the problem and to map out intermediate goals on your way to a solution. If you like this kind of thinking, you'll enjoy this game.

As others have noted, the packaging is not great because it makes it a little too easy to lose pieces. That accounts for my 4 stars for "durability."

My son is 4 months, and he just started taking an interest in this toy. However, I happened to notice that the head has come unstitched and is falling off--I have contacted the company and am waiting to hear from them. If you own this, you may wish to check the head as it could be a potential choking hazard!!!!!!!!!!!

I got Buzz for my son when he was 4 months old and the only thing I regret is not getting it sooner. It is his favorite toy, he loves the crunchy wings and the jingly feet. As his favorite toy, Buzz suffers from his share of mishaps but we just throw him in the wash and he is good as new. Seriously, this is a toy that lives up to the machine washable description. Buzz is a great shower gift, his black & white belly can be appreciated even by newborns. I've given him to several new Moms and they all agree Buzz is awesome.

I purchased Buzz when my son was a month old. He immediately lit up when he saw it! It easily attaches to the overhead bar of his car seat, bouncing chair and the canopy of his stroller. At first he just smiled and stared at it, now he is 3 months old and he is able to reach and grab. Buzz is still his favorite.

Each of his 6 arms contains a different sound or activity (rattle, rings, etc.). He is extremely colorful with a bright happy face. We are very happy with the purchase.

I gave this bag to my then 3 year old daughter for Christmas and she was immediately entranced. She carries it around with her everywhere and as it is well-made, it stands up to all the travelling and playing! There is enough room to put other treasures in the bag. Highly recommended for any little girl who wants to "be like Mommy".

I bought this for my daughter's 2nd birthday and she loves it! She puts everything in her purse, puts it on her arm and says "Bye!" All the contents are very durable, but the wallet is a little hard for her to figure out with her little fingers. I'm sure she'll get it in time, though! She gives everybody (daddy included!) a "SWIPE" of lipstick - many times even on the lips! Sometimes only on the chin! :)

Not all toys have to be "educational" - sometimes they should just be fun! Little girls like to pretend they're big girls, and this little purse is a great product for little imaginations!

My 15 month old daughter loved when I gave her this . She always tried to carry my pocketbooks around, so when she got one of her own, she tried to put evrything in it. She especially loves the cell phone. It makes her feel just like mommy

My kids and any other kids that come to my home LOVE this toy. It's the first thing they got to. We've had ours for about 2 years now and when ever any one I know have a baby I get this for them as their Happy six months old gift! This is a MUST have for any kid!

The learning table was easy to assemble and immediately attracted my daughter's attention. Two months later, she still loves it. One of the most important factors for me in evaluating a toy or book is whether I find it interesting, because that means I'll be more likely to play with it with her. This table has great, jazzy music that's fun for me to listen to. There are two sets of music, and I much prefer the jazz set to the "educational" set. But I'm sure my daughter will eventually explore both. I'm also really pleased with all the different ways my daughter can play with this toy, learning new skills all the time. She's nine months old and lately has been opening and closing the lid very carefully.

My only beef is that it's really not safe for her to lean on by herself, as the little girl does in the photo on this web site. When my daughter leans against it, it slides away. I'm worried she'll fall and bang her head on it. So when she's standing up with it, I stay close. When she learns to stand without leaning, it'll be fine.

Otherwise this is a terrific toy. I am so pleased with it. It would be a great gift to parents of a baby under a year old, because then the baby will get many months of enjoyment out of it.

My 1 year old son loves this toy. It's great for him as he is now pulling himself up to stand. He loves the sounds, and loves to turn the "book". He thinks it's a real book, and looks for more "pages" to turn. This toy was also great for before he could pull himself up. I just took the legs off and he played with it on the floor. It has lots of different songs and sounds and entertains for a long time. It's a little loud on the "loud" setting, but luckily it has a lower volume setting.

This was the big surprise for my daughters big sleepover birthday party. We've both been into singing ever since the whole American Idol craze. Well, it was such a hit among her and her friends. The next day all of the "adult Moms" gave it a go and had a great time.
We had been doing a singing lessons CD "Voice Lessons To Go" by Vaccarino for a full month before together, so we were confident to let ourselves roar. (That was a big advantage for us!)
My daughter and her friends never even got to the movie they rented!

i got this machine for my birthday when i was twleve and now i am turning 13. why i only gave it 3 stars is because the mike holders broke in 1 week. otherwise i am still having a great time with it.

We did a lot of research before buying this for our daughter's 7th birthday. This one is more expensive than some of the others, but well worth it. The whole family has had such a great time. I haven't laughed so hard with my daughter! When we recorded ourselves and played it back we laughed even harder. We like everything about it.

I purchased this for granddaughter Jamie who was 3 months old at the time. Six months later she still loves it and carries it everywhere with her. It is one of the cutest of the Lamaze toys. Bright colors,a mirror on his tummy and all the things that little ones adore. This toy has withstood the test of time and still is in great condition, as are all the Lamaze toys I've purchased. Its so reasonably priced and so cute that you can't possibly go wrong. This is a must have as are most of the Lamaze toys.

I bought Tucker for my 2 month old. He absolutely loves it. It's the only toy that he currently plays with. Every feature is perfect for his little, learning fingers and eyes. He smiles everytime he looks in the mirror and everytime we put the turtle anywhere near him he stares at it because of the colors. He also enjoys the sounds of the bells and rattles. Most of all, its the only toy he'll hold on to. It's light enough that he'll grasp the rings or hug it all the time. It's easily portable: if he's not holding it, then we can put it in the carrier with him and he's able to look at it anywhere he goes. I highly recommend this product as a good first toy.

My husband loves buying these toys for our 18 month old daughter. He has been doing so since she was under 4 months old. So I was in no way surprised that Tucker was added to our family on the last visit to Babies R Us. Our daughter really seems to like Tucker, especially on car rides, in fact we keep him in the car for that reason. She loves his colors and mirror and sweet face. But what she really loves is the fact you can stick his head inside his shell and play peek a boo! This keeps her entertained for quite some time!

I'm not one for electronic toys, normally. But this globe is terrific. The second day after she received it, my 6-year-old had learned all the continents and oceans, and could find each of them within two or three seconds after the globe called them out. She's working on countries now. Her first-grade class had to make a collection of 100 items of their choice. She chose to collect 100 country names, which she patiently copied from the globe while listening to music snippets and basic facts about each one. Last month, we read that geologists believe India was once a seperate island, which eventually crashed into mainland Asia. I asked her what mountain range was made during that crash, and she barely paused before answering the Himilayas. And what's the biggest mountain in the Himilayas? Mt. Everest.

But the best part is when the kids go to bed. Then I get to challenge my wife to Eureka, to see who can find the most countries, cities and continents as they are called out randomly by the globe. She always wins. But I'm improving, and one of these days....

My only complaint (like many of the other reviewers) is that the globe started malfunctioning after several months. In our case, the sensors must have shifted inside the globe so that instead of giving you information for the country you select, it tells you about it's neighbor 2 inches to the left. But the company will replace the globe for free...I just had to ship it back to them at my own cost (no big deal). Many people complain about the Stylus failing. But a replacement stylus is pretty cheap. And if you play with it as much as we do, you can't expect it to last forever, can you?

This interactive globe is really good at introducing geography to the kids. It's a real pity that the pointer's touch system becomes insensitive after regular use. Toy lasted less than 3 months.

I bought this for my 7 year old son and WE can't stop playing. He has even found mistakes on the flat map at school(countries that have changed names recently).I would definitely recommend this toy for any grade-schooler. The Eureka game is the best! He has learned so many different countries and can usually find more than me in the time alotted. They are learning and don't even know it. Get rid of those gameboys and playstations and get an Explorer Globe! Definitely a MUST HAVE!!!

This was the first toy that my baby tried to "grab" so this is a special toy. Baby was very attracted by its bright color and the crunchy sound when the ear's squeezed. At first, baby loved to grab/pump its paws and the dog bone, but when he started teething, he loved to gnaw at its ears and the plastic ring. Now that he's 8 months, I keep this toy in the carseat and the puppy keeps him entertained and QUIET.

This is one of the best purchases I have made for my daughter. I bought it based on the reviews that it got, and they were right on the money. My daughter loves it. I started putting it in her car seat at about 2 months. We don't go anywhere without it. This company knows what works. She actively plays with it. It is very durable and it is pretty big. Definately worth the money. Great company, great products. I own other Lamaze products and have had success with them as well.

We got Puppysquuek as a shower gift since our nursery theme was dogs. I was so happy to get this toy, it was one of the first toys I introduced my daughter to. She enjoyed playing with him and looking at all the different colors patterns and enjoying his scent....all these toys stimulate all 4 senses I believe.

Now my daughter is almost 18 months old and Puppysqueek, sadly, has been put up due to the fact she no longer finds him as stimlating as her other toys. But boy we were sure happy to have him as long as we did.

Great fun for the little entertainer. I would recommend removing the microphone (long cord) if your child is under 3 years old.

I thought this would be a cool toy but my kids don't seem to think so. It has been sitting in the toy room ever since we got it and very rarely is it touched. We don't even recognize most of the song on there. NOT a must have

My daughter received the LeapFrog Karaoke for her 3rd b-day.She loves it. She marches around the singing her ABC's and it has a voice changing feature which she just finds funny. I would reccomned this for any active 3 year old.

The kids have never been so excited about what will happen next. We couldn't wait for the caterpillars to come in the mail...counting the days. They all (10) did what they were supposed to do: eating, growing, spinning web, hanging. One did not turn into a chrysalis, and one chrysalis did not hatch, but we had 8 butterflies. They are easy to care for. They even lay eggs and the eggs hatch into tiny caterpillers. We haven't past the 2nd set caterpillar stage yet, but are hoping...

I AM VERY HAPPY TO SAY THE LEAST. WE GOT THE CATERPILLARS A WEEK AFTER MAILING OUT THE CERTIFICATE. THEY TURNED INTO CHYSALIDES ABOUT 10 DAYS LATER AND IN A WEEK AND A HALF OUR 1ST BUTTERFLY "PENNY" EMERGED. MY 5 YR OLD WAS EXCITED AND ANXIOUS TO SEE HER OTHER BUTTERFLIES. BY THE NEXT DAY THEY WERE ALL OUT. MY 1 YR OLD GOES CRAZY SEEING THEM FLY. WE JUST REALEASED THEM TODAY AND ONE FLEW ON KAELA'S SHOULDER AND SHE WAS DELIGHTED THAT "PENNY" AS SHE SAYS KISSED HER GOODBYE. WE WERE SAD TO HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE BUT LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THEM AROUND. WE HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE THAT WE ARE ORDERING MORE CATERPILLARS. I MUST SAY THAT IT IS SUPER EDUCATIONAL. MY DAUGHTER LEARNED ALOT FROM THE STAGES THEY GO THROUGH TO THE AMOUNT OF EYES THEY HAVE, HOW LONG THEY LIVE,HOW THEY BREATHE...ETC. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERYONE. ESPECIALLY SINCE NOT ONLY DO YOU EXPOSE YOUR KIDS TO NATURE BUT YOU CAN REUSE THE HABITAT OVER & OVER AGAIN. MY CHILDREN LOVED IT AND SO WILL YOURS.

Raising butterflies with the Butterfly Pavilion was an experience that my kids and I will never forget. I'm a single parent trying to raise two young kids on my own. I'm busy and don't have much time to take them outside to experience nature. I wanted to give them something that would nurture their respect of nature. Boy did I pick the right item. We mailed our free certificate and about 10 days later, we received our caterpillars. Within about 7 days, they changed into chrysalides. We waited about a week, then suddenly, the butterflies started hatching. In fact, we got to see 4 of them come out within about 30 minutes of each other. It was the most fantastic experience. We kept the butterflies inside the netted habitat for about 5 days, then released them outside. My little 4-year-old girl cried as she had to free her "butterfries", but understood why it was important to do so. We'll never forget this experience and highly recommend the Butterfly Pavilion to everyone.