LeapFrog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum

by LeapFrog

Product Features

• Tap the drum for learning fun!
• Features three ways to play: Alphabet, Dance-Along and Music Play learning modes.
• Letters of the alphabet light up when baby taps.
• Music Play allows baby to explore creativity and develop gross motor skills with tapping, crawling and moving to the music.
• Introduces the alphabet in English and Spanish.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 8.1 x 8.9 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000ETRENS
• Item model number: 10061
• Manufacturer recommended age: 6 months - 3 years
• Batteries: 2 AA batteries required. (included)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,951 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #52 in Toys & Games > Preschool > Pre-Kindergarten Toys > Music & Sound
  • #54 in Toys & Games > Preschool > Toddler Toys > Music & Sound
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Make your youngster's learning experience more upbeat with the LeapFrog Learn and Groove Alphabet Drum alphabet drum. Each tap of this drum introduces baby to the alphabet and improves vocabulary in both English and Spanish. Engaging music and interactive play sharpen motor skills as baby learns to tap, crawl, and dance. It features three delightful learning modes, including Alphabet, Dance Along, and Music Play. Babies quickly catch on to cause and effect, as each tap rewards them with lights, letters, and music. Music Play mode lets the child freely explore music, fostering open-ended play and creative movement. And this drum's lively, roll-along song teaches them to crawl after the drum. Ideal for children ages six months to three years, this stimulating toy entertains and educates for hours.

The Beat Goes On
The Alphabet Drum is built to withstand the throws and whacks from typical toddler handling. Parents will appreciate the volume control as it keeps the music at an enjoyable level. To prolong battery life, the drum shuts off if it hasn't been used for awhile. Plus, at approximately 8 inches tall, it helps babies learn to sit up on their own. Both the English and Spanish voices of the Alphabet Drum are audible and easy to understand. Bright colors, uplifting music, and a fun design make this a favorite in any child's toy box.

Award-Winning Features
It is no surprise that the LeapFrog Alphabet Drum was a winner of the 2006 iParenting Media Greatest Products Award. This drum teaches language, music, and motor skills as a strong foundation for the child's future. Children love to dance, roll it around, or chase after it, and as a versatile toy, it can be played with through multiple development stages.

What's in the Box
LeapFrog drum and 3 AA batteries.

This toy drum improves vocabulary in both English and Spanish, while delivering fun songs, lights and sound effects.

Product Description

Get in the learning groove with this delightful drum. It displays light-up ABCs so your little one can learn the alphabet while playing, singing and dancing to the beat. Features three fun learning modes: Alphabet, Dance Along and Musical Play. Teaches language, creativity and physical movement in both English and Spanish. Requires 3 "AA" batteries (included). Measures 8" tall.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great idea but poorly designed, November 10, 2007

By 

Nelson (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - See all my reviews

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: LeapFrog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum (Toy)

This toy seemed like a great idea and I bought it for my 1 year son with great expectations. It is a small drum, that lights up and plays music and sounds when tapped. My son loves to tap on the table, so it seemed like the perfect gift for him. Unfortunately, I was disapointed due to some serious design flaws.

The drum has 3 different playing modes: Alphabet mode, music mode and dancing mode. On alphabet mode, every time it is tapped upon, it displays a letter of the alphabet while speaking it loud, in order. On music mode, it plays music and rhythmic lights, inviting the kid to tap on the drum and in dancing mode, it tries to suggest movement to the kid with voice commands and pictures (clap your hands, hit the drum, etc).

The drum has 2 language settings (English or Spanish) and also a volume control (low and high settings). The high setting is not very loud.

Unlike some other reviewers say, this drum does not teach counting. They probably refer to an older drum model from leapfrog (look for leapfrog learning drum here on amazon). This one only teaches the alphabet.

In all, this seemed a great idea to me. The drums' reaction to the child movements would encourage tapping on it, teaching cause/effect relationship. I did not care much about the alphabet as my son is too young for that, but didn't mind if he got some introduction to it anyway.

So, what are the design flaws?

Well, to start, the sound made by the drum when hit is very low. On music and dancing mode, you can barely hear it as it is completely shaded by the background music, which is played independently of hitting the drum. Still on the music and dancing modes, the drum lights follow some random patterns, that is, they keep drawing figures on the drum whether it is being hit or not. When a child taps the drum, the figures change, but as they would have changed anyway, it is not easy to realize that the change was caused by hitting.

So much for cause/effect relationship on these 2 modes.

Only on the alphabet mode, it is easier to realize that tapping the drum has an effect on it, as it speaks loudly and displays a letter in reaction. For my one year baby though, this effect is not very interesting, as he will tap very quickly on the drum causing the alphabet to be interrupted and he will not even look at the letter because his little hand is tapping on it. I believe that with time, he may do it more patiently.

Another terrible flaw is the sound made by hitting the drum, if you manage to hear it. There are several different possible sounds (as if they were the sounds of a multiple drum table), some of them quite nice, others quite boring. And it doesn't seem to be a way of choosing the sound, so sometimes your hit is rewarded with a clear sound, other times with a barely noticeable thugh.

In all, these flaws completely remove one of the things I expected my kid to learn from this toy, which is cause/effect relationship. So far, he has not been enthusiastic of the toy, though he will play with it for a few minutes if I show it to him and tap on it first.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn & Groove Drum, January 9, 2007

By 

N. White - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LeapFrog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum (Toy)

My recently one year old twin grandsons love this toy. It far exceeded my expectaions. The graphics are great both for the alphabet and the numbers and they enjoy the dancing figure with the music. They love music and really do learn and groove with this interactive toy. The age guidelines on this toy are appropriate and I look forward to them combining the drum with their maracas as they grow and become increasingly creative with these toys.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun toy, but with limits, December 4, 2006

By 

C. J. Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LeapFrog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum (Toy)

I bought this drum for my 7 month old and he enjoys it quite a bit. It seems to have a very repetetive program in the drum and music modes (a 7 month old can't tell the difference, but I would expect that an older child would). Overall it's pretty nice and the volume control is especially appreciated.