Customer Reviews

LeapFrog Learning Friends™ Phonics BusŪ Vehicle

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I just purchased this toy for my 22 month old son who is not talking very much yet in hopes that this will help encourage him to talk. My son loves it. In two days, he started saying some of the sounds that the letters make that he previously hasn't said. He hasn't started saying any of the words yet but he is paying alot of attention to them. He also likes the songs that this toy plays. One of the songs says touch your nose, touch your toes and my son follows along touching his nose and toes. He already knew how to do this but it's really cute to watch him play along. It assures me that he is paying attention and may encourage him to start saying the words since he is already starting to say the sounds.

My son received this from his grandmother for his first birthday. I had noticed this toy online before he received it and it had never really impressed me but now that I see my son playing with it I see what a well thought out toy it is. My son likes to push buttons right now so he really gets into pushing the alphabet buttons around the bus. This is only his second Leap Frog toy so he has not had an overexposure to the different songs and phrases from the toys yet so I still gave this five stars. I can understand the previous reviewers comments on all the toys having the same songs so you might want to consider that if your child already has several Leap Frog products.

I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my grandson Liam. It is such a cute toy. Its a bus with a carry handle and 3 of the leapfrog characters in it which are removable. The letters of the alphabet are all around the middle of the bus. You push the letter to hear either a song or something that begins with that letter. The wheels roll so that your baby can "drive" his bus to. A really cute toy with easy learning involved--I'm really glad I bought this---as usual Leapfrog has exceptional toys and very durable.

This toy is one of THE best fun tools my husband and I have found for helping our son begin to learn the alphabet and simple phonics. We bought it when he was 14 months old. Months later, he still plays with it and has become utterly fascinated with learning letters. Of course, nothing can take the place of personal one-on-one interaction with a toddler when it comes to learning new things. We read books with our son daily. And we play with him with his Leapfrog Learning Friends Phonics Bus toy (with the volume turned off) so that he also hears our voices saying the letters when he presses the buttons. But as toys go, this one provides him a fun method that he can use on his own for brief periods of time to reinforce what he sees and hears in our everyday readings and spoken language.

This toy has:
Three modes -- letters, phonics and music.
Two volume levels -- high and low.

In letter mode, the voice merely speaks the letter when the child presses the button. For example, if the child presses "B" the voice says "B". There is no music or other distracting effect in this mode. In phonics mode, similarly, the voice speaks the phonetic sound of the letter and then says one word that begins with that letter. Again, there are no other distracting sound effects in this mode. In music mode, the voice sings a short, fun little song using the letter the child has selected. Typically, the letter is used several times throughout the song in common words that are familiar to most toddlers.

What we as the parents like best about this toy is that it is simple, focused and well-designed. The speaking voices on the bus are very clear; the letters and phonetic sounds are enunciated well, something we have not found to be true of many other "teaching toys". Also, the speaking voices are not drowned out by or lost amidst all the other high-tech effects that are present in many other similarly marketed alphabet/phonics toys. In our experience, toys with too many sound effects, lights, music, etc., are only superficially entertaining for the first few play times. After that, they become merely distracting and prohibitive to focused learning, and our son ends up ignoring them. With that said, it was refreshing to find a "teaching toy" for toddlers that focuses on the basics of letters and phonics witihout distractions, yet still provides a third mode in which the child can hear a fun little song that uses each letter in a simple, brief and understandable manner.

What our son likes best about this toy is, of course, what so many babies and toddlers like -- the little letter-shaped buttons (which run all the way around the bus). Pressing buttons is a source of absolute joy for him and makes the learning fun. And at this age as at any age, that's what learning should be -- straightforward and fun. In this reviewer's opinion, this toy brings the winning recipe home!

My daughter started playing with this on her second birthday. She learned her phonics within a month and loves the bus still! She likes to carry around the little characters and sings the song about each sound. The toy does a lot! It sings the Wheels on the Bus song, plays instruments, teaches phonics and letters, and more! Great toy for any kid!

I bought this for my son when he turned two because he loved cars and trucks. This toy has been his favorite ever since, he's three and a half now. Within two months of playing with the bus he was able to say his letters and sing the alphabet song. Also, he was able to recognize letters that were not on the bus. For example he would say letters that he saw on signs. I also bought one for my niece and she loves it. I like to buy this toy when we are invited to birthday parties because it's fun and educational. It's always a big hit.

My 2 yr old has had this bus for 1 yr and it is definitely a favorite. Not only is it educational all around from the letter phonics to the musical variations- but it is very durable-she has dropped it trying to transport it to the car so many times, it's a wonder how Leap Frog made something so toddler friendly and safe!

My son received this as a gift for his first birthday. For a while he only really played with it because it was a bus, but at about 15 months, he really started playing with it and pushing all the little letter buttons. At about 22 months, he could tell me what more than half the letters were, and at 2 years (his birthday was this weekend) he knows them all. He also really likes dancing to the music it plays. It's one of his favorite toys, and it's educational. You can't beat it!

I would love this toy so much more, if it were at all different than the Learning Table or the Alphabet magnents. It plays the exact same songs, and does the exact same thing as the other toys. You would think they could be a bit more creative.

Compare to many of leapfrog products( in this price range)this one is so basic. No lights, creative sounds or many options. It sounds out letters and plays the same alphabet song heard in other leapfrog items we own. The easy to remove characters on the bus are quickly misplaced by toddlers, so the songs that come from pressing these characters is often not heard.