  | Discovery Ball
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Average user rating:  | ||||||
 We have a winner! | ||||||
| The Discovery Ball by Leap Frog is a dual-use toy. The youngest children can spin the colorful ball around on its base to hear the music play, and older, more mobile children would enjoy chasing this sturdy ball around the floor. What impressed me the most was it's use of what we teachers call the "cloze procedure" (I teach first grade). When the child spins the ball, it will sing the abc song. After a first singing all the way through, the ball will stop singing at a strategic point to encourage the child to spin again. What is really happening, is that the song is in the process of being memorized - the young child hears part of it, and when he/she realizes that something's missing, the child physically responds to "fill in the missing gap". That's a pretty powerful response when you see it going on with a 10 month old! All that aside, my 3 year old daughter likes to play with it, too. Her favorite part is to listen to the 3rd setting, which features 26 different classical tunes. This toy would be a good investment for your family. | ||||||
 Has its flaws | ||||||
| My daughter really enjoys the ball but it has a few flaws: one, when you have it on the music function, you can play different tunes by pressing the letters. It carries its own tune if you roll it. But if she presses the letters for a song -- and moves it even slightly -- her tune stops and the "stock song" comes on. On the alphabet function, if she doesn't roll it again fast enough, the alphabet keeps starting over instead of letter her play the whole song. For parents, the musical tones can really get on your nerves. | ||||||
| A fun, sturdy toy | ||||||
| A great toy. It comes out of its stand and rolls like a ball, or on its stand it spins. When turned on, it does letters, phonic sounds and music. Has a volume control (YEAH!!) and my 14 month old hasn't get tired of hearing it talk to her! She quickly figured out how to work it, as you don't have to push the buttons too hard, and spinning or rolling it gently starts it singing too. Great bright colors, and it washes off easily. | ||||||
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