LeapFrog Alphabet Pal® Caterpillar (Colors May Vary) Reviews

• WORTH EVERY CENT

  
  By A2OU16787RQ78S on 2001-11-27
  MY SON RECEIVED THIS IS A GIFT WHEN HE WAS ONLY 12 MONTHS OLD AND LAUGHED WITH IT A LOT. HE IS NOW 2 AND SINGING HIS ABC'S ALONG WITH IT. THIS TOY HAS BEEN THROUGH THE TEST OF TIME AND HAS LASTED. HIS 1 YEAR OLD SISTER ENJOYS IT TOO. IN ADDITION TO SINGING ABC'S IT SAYS THE COLOR OF THE LEG TOUCHED TEACHING COLORS AND LETTER SOUNDS. ANOTHER GREAT FEATURE IS THAT IT COMES WITH IS VOLUME CONTROL AND HAS HIGH QUALITY SOUNDS. I HIGHLY RECOMMED THIS TOY. I'VE SEEN OTHER TOYS THAT COST TWICE AS MUCH THAT DO NOT THRILL A CHILD LIKE THIS ONE.
  
  

• NOT my Pal!

  
  By A1E7QLJVWNFOZY on 2004-07-31
  I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "Appearances are deceiving." Well, in this case, that being the Alphabet Pal by LeapFrog appearance IS deceiving. Oedipus as he's called, looks reliable. In fact, his profile is quite impressive. Let me tell you, he's an annoying little creature. Don't be fooled by the brand name, and his adorable smile.
  
  My son received the caterpillar on his 1st Christmas. He was only 8-months old at the time, so I wasn't expecting much, since the toy is recommended for children 12-months to 3-years. It was good that I was patient, because William showed NO interest in the caterpillar whatsoever. A year passed, and for the most part, the toy sat in the toy box. My husband and I tried to interest our son in the toy by pressing one of his legs. It would go into its irritating spiel, which would garner a smile from our little one, but that was the extent of it.
  
  Sometime later, when I was organizing the toys, Mr. Smarty-Pants who was about two at the time, came up behind me and pulled the caterpillar out of the toy box. He started dragging the bug around the house all the while it whined the alphabet song. My son was enjoying the toy when it suddenly went into a weird erratic seizure. Dah, dah, dah...&%$#@! It scared the wits out of him. Upon inspection, I noticed that the caterpillar only spazed when in the Music Mode. I also detected that 5 of the legs did not work at all... that is, they didn't work in any mode. I think that's shoddy for a toy that sat in a toy box for 2-years.
  
  The Pros
  The NEW and improved version of the toy includes a "That Tickles" feature. When the toy is in the Phonics Mode, it's capable of sounding-out short words like DAD. If one tries to sound-out a naughty word, the Alphabet Pal giggles and says "That Tickles." I tried every bad word I can think of, so on this point LeapFrog excels.
  
  The Cons
  The sound quality of the toy is good, but LeapFrog chose the MOST grating voice for this bug on wheels. It's high-pitched shrill sounds like a 3' woman on helium. Every time the string is pulled it goes into this maddening version of the ABC song. Also, it has a verbal prompt that goes into idle mode if not turned OFF. It says, "Thanks for learning with LeapFrog. Bu Bye!" On the caterpillar's back is a small button, when pressed the bug introduces himself by saying, "Hi, I'm Alphabet Pal." If pressed a second time, the bug says, "Hi, I'm Oedipus. Let's sing along with Alphabet Pal." The Oedipus voice is a little deeper, and not as irritating, but this is the only time we hear his voice. So, I'm confused, is the toy's name Alphabet Pal, or Oedipus? Fortunately, there is a volume control, although my kid likes his toys in the Loud Mode? The Low Mode on the Alphabet Pal is LOUD. The Loud Mode is TOO loud. As if that's not bad enough, this toy is one of those exasperating playthings that goes-off in the toy box when the lid is lifted, or when walking by it when sitting on the floor.
  
  In addition, the braided pull-string is ridiculous. It's only a foot long, so how is a child expected to stand and pull the toy along when walking. I understand the reason for the short length, but it would make more sense to add a handle as used on the Fisher-Price Popcorn Popper, or take the string off altogether. Our caterpillar has seen very little playtime, although the string is frayed and looks horrid.
  
  It's been 2½ years since I purchased the Alphabet Pal for my son, and we're still on the original batteries. William's received little to no education from the toy, as it just didn't interest him. I recycle everything that I can, but this toy is so aggravating that I can't even give it to the neighbor boy. His parents would kill me, thus it's headed for the trash bin. Sorry LeapFrog, but I can't recommend this toy.
  
  
  
  
  

• Leapfrog a HIT but BEWARE of Antenna!!!!

  
  By on 2001-12-06
  This is a very reasonable priced educational toy. My daughter adores this toy! She has mastered her alphabet and colors. We are now discovering visual letter understanding. HOWEVER dropping the toy just once causes the antenna to FALL OFF into small circular pieces and CAUSES A HAZARD!! After AlphaBug had broke one antenna I broke the other off JUST IN CASE.
  
  

• Alphabet Pal

  
  By A2829QQ1ZDZII6 on 2001-10-10
  My daughter received the Alphabet Pal from her Grandma for Xmas when she was 2. She is 3 now and still loves it. My 5 year old son plays with it too. It is very easy to use.
  
  

• not a hit

  
  By A3ML2KULYQPF1S on 2000-09-28
  i bought this for my daughter when she was 14 months.thinking that at the least it would be a fun toy for her to pull around until she grew into the other aspects of the toy (letters&numbers)but the cord isnt long enough for her little arms to pull and the little claspy thing that connects the cord to the toy always slid apart.and now at 2 she has never touched it.the buttons you press(its legs)are a little awkward.maybe when she gets older still.but all in all it was a bad buy for my little girl.there are many other products out there that incorperate more fun.which i believe is what this one was missing...ok i'm done : )
  
  
• A Review of Leapfrog's Alphabet Pal
  By AQ6AGWKWMTY8H on 2005-09-10
  I guess it's true: All children are not alike. Certainly, neither one of my children (now 3 and 5) would play with this toy. At a younger age, they didn't find pushing the legs and making noise much fun.
  
  At the toddling stage they just weren't the sort to 'pull' a toy after them, especially as the string was too short and kept slipping out of their little fingers (longer strings are considered 'safety hazards' btw).
  
  And when they were older, past toddling, the alphabet and color aspects were just not interesting enough to sit down and play with.
  
  Two Stars for us. Leapfrog makes some awesome edutainment products, but not every toy is universally fun for all kids.
  
  The problem with this one, I think, is that the pull-toy aspect is mis-matched with the alphabet, preschooler, side of the toy. Certainly, my kids learned nothing from this toy, principally because when they were babies the alphabet meant nothing; and when they were older, they didn't want to sit and play with a caterpillar.
  
  
• A wonderful toy but be gentle!
  By on 2001-12-11
  This is a wonderful toy as far as educational value is concerned. The buttons/legs teach colors, letters and letter sounds. And pulling the string causes the bug to sing the ABC's, which is very cute. But beware, it is *very* fragile. The leg buttons stopped working after 2 months and I called leap frog who promptly sent another which broke within 6 months. My daughter hasn't been rough with this toy, though it does spend time in the toybox. I sure wish it still worked, it was a lot of fun for her... but Leap Frog's warranty is only 90 days and I'm afraid to take a chance buying another. I hope you have more luck than we did.
  
  
• Every house needs an Alpha Bug!
  By A2L03A61EET8KV on 2003-10-31
  This is one of our favorite toys! The Alphabet Pal introduces himself as "Alpha Bug" and plays the alphabet song when his sting is pulled. His feet are different colors, and each leg has a different letter on it. Depending on how you set the switch, when you push his legs he will either say the letter, say the letter's sound, or say the color. He has a funky, wobbley gait when he is being pulled, and his antennae light up.

  My daughter received this for Christmas when she was 9 months old. In the beginning she enjoyed pressing the legs to get a response out of Alpha Bug. Eventually she learned to walk, and then Alpha Bug REALLY got the workout. We joke that Alpha Bug needs an odometer, because we're sure that ours has had many miles put on him! She loved to grab the string and just march around and around, around and around, singing the alphabet song with her friend. She also liked to pick him up and hug him, which I think is a little weird, because he has an oddly shaped, hard plastic body. I guess that's love for you! She's now 3 1/2, and Alpha Bug doesn't see too much action, but he still has a special place in her heart (as in, I better not throw him away!)

  As a parent, the truth is that Alpha Bug can be annoying. He does have a switch that offers 2 volume choices, and "off" is an option on the switch with the leg choices (letters, sounds or colors), but when your child is pulling him along, he sings that alphabet song over and over and over.... At least the alphabet song is something you want your child to know!

  When he has been left alone for a while, he will start up a "good-bye song" and turn off, which is good for batteries. We change the batteries rarely, and our bug has been used a lot!

  The durability is quite good, but I only gave 4 stars because eventually some of the legs quit working. Since my daughter prefered to pull him, that wasn't so important, but it does mean that I need to buy a new one for my youngest.

  Welcome Alpha Bug into your family - you'll be glad you did!
  
  

• Teacher's Pet
  By A1K9UJXY0P14PV on 2002-10-03
  From a teaching standpoint I am very impressed with this toy. My granddaughter's Alphabet Pal is purple and features primary colors that appeal to a young child. It has not only alphabet letters, but goes a step farther by reinforcing the letters with phonics, a first step to reading.This amazing toy repeats no matter in which sequence a child pushes the feet. It is also a delightful musical pull toy suitable for a child beginning to walk.
  
  
• Very nice, but not until baby is about 2yrs old
  By A3F0URFOMJ1SQT on 2002-12-04
  This review is based on potential future use, not really for "now". I bought this for our 1yr old son because he LOVES music. It plays a ton of songs. It also helps babies learn how to pronounce their letters. But he's only 14mo old now... and is just starting to talk. He's not at all interested in anything but the songs. Each little foot on the toy will play a song...so, he doesn't really stay on one song for very long. It tends to drive us parents nuts.! But at least the songs are good, and sound good too.The toy does a lot of other cool and educational things as well. I really think that he will get a lot out of it when he's 2yrs old or older. So my advice is to wait until they are talking better and more interested in learning. But for the price, it's good for the 1yrs olds just to bang on to make sounds. Keeps his attention for a while, so I guess that's good.
  
  
• My 12 month old son LOVES this toy!
  By A1252IU9FMWN0I on 2003-08-22
  Andrew got this Alphabet Pal for his birthday. He loves to drag it around by the string and to push it. Whenever the music stops he immedietly pushes the button on its back and it starts back up. We just started showing him how to push the buttons on his feet and he caught on to this too. We highly recommend this toy for your older baby- toddler. Would buy as a gift.
  
  
• a winner
  By AFN32PGTZ31MV on 2003-11-12
  Our son received this when he was about 14 months and enjoyed it from the beginning, so don't feel you need to wait for the "recommended" age. It isn't his favorite toy (trucks and trains win hands down, but that includes over food as well) but he plays with it regularly either on or off. It's proven to be pretty durable as he likes to drag it around on our hardwood floors and isn't always particularly cautious about avoiding table legs or corners. It continues to work perfectly and has nary a scratch on it. He enjoys the singing most of all but will also hit the single legs to hear the letters. One caveat is when is was younger he couldn't always hit just one leg--it certainly never seemed to bother him. Several nice small touches for parents--a working volume control where low actually means low and when it's been left on for a set period of time it will utter a short "bye" and turn itself off. We have yet to have to replace the batteries in the 11 months he's had it. Other highlights--the voice is distinct and clear, it doesn't do a lot of flashing and yelling, and it succeeds as a toy even if you never put the batteries in or turn it on.
  
  
• A great learning toy
  By A10D3I4VQN5XFN on 2002-11-17
  Our daughter received this gift a couple of years ago as a gift. Now that she is 3, she is has renewed interest in it. It is great because it can be used to learn the ABC's and colors. It can also be turned off and used as a pull toy without sound, not that parents ever need a break from noisy toys!

  I would recommend this toy, but maybe not until the child is 2 or so, I think age 1 year was too young.
  
  

• Leapfrog Makes Learning Fun
  By A1HFKUE4IDNZZ6 on 2003-10-14
  "Hi! I'm Alphabug!" I must've heard that line a hundred times when we received this toy as a gift. With bright primary colors and a contagious giggle, this bug may "bug" some parents but will entertain your child. Pull the string and it sings a catchy version of the Alphabet song. Press a foot and it teaches the letters of the alphabet. Switch the activity dial and each foot corresponds to the sound a letter makes. Switch again and the bug shouts out Yellow, Red, Blue, or Green. My favorite part: a volume control (HOORAY!) and an automatic shut-off. If the bug hasn't moved in 30 seconds, it will play a short goodbye song and turn itself off to conserve the batteries. Of course, my daughter discovered this and nudges the bug so it will start singing again. No additional pieces to lose, no poorly constructed parts to detach or break. Alphabug has lasted through two children and is months away from meeting a third playmate.
  
  
• singing son
  By on 2002-11-21
  My son is 13 months old. He does not talk but tries to imitate others. He received this as a gift for his 1st birthday. He has started trying to sing along with alphabet pal as he pulls the toy around the house. I like that the toy has different settings as well as an off switch. I believe my son will get lots of use from this toy.
  
  
• late bloomer
  By on 2000-10-05
  My one year old son loves the toy very much. When I handed it to him, he quickly grabbed and play with it. Since he is just learning different colors and trying to learn new words, he has fun following each sound. I think it is a good educational toy.... for my son, yes.
  
  
• great toy, but no censorship!
  By AIQ3W7CGE65WW on 2005-07-30
  OK, this toy is great and my son loves it. I love the alphabet song it plays and the colors, letter, and phonics will help him learn. I have one very large complaint about the toy. You can't spell some normal words when in phonics mode due to (I'm sure) some previous complaints about kids spelling out "bad" words. The letters A and S cannot be used next to one another, so my husbands name, Jason, can't be spelled. The caterpillar just giggles and says "hee, hee, that tickles." There are other combinations of letters that cannot be used together, as well, and my husband had a really fun time trying to find all of them! Now I may be a more liberal parent, but I don't feel it is right to censor a toy! My son should learn how to spell and sound out all the sounds he chooses. OK, I've said my peace.
  
  
• Skip This Annoying Catapillar
  By on 2003-07-15
  To be fair, my daughter enjoys playing with this toy (hence the two stars instead of one). Unfortunately, she does not often get the opportunity as neither her father nor I can stand it. The version of the alphabet song, which plays almost constantly, is the most annoying version I have ever heard (chirpy and overly enthusiastic, to say the very least). Also, when the toy remains inactive for even a short period of time, it calls out "Thanks for learning with LeapFrog. Ba-bye." While I realize this doesn't sound too bad, once you have heard it a thousand times, it makes you want to pull your hair out. These problems might not be so dooming if not for the almost complete lack of volume control. (You have three choices: off, extremely loud, or deafening.) Why the toy company thinks that children sitting within a foot or two of the toy need it to be this loud is truly perplexing. Perhaps this toy might help a child learn the alphabet. Frankly, I would save your money and sing the alphabet song with your child yourself--a much better option than this plastic catapillar.
  
  
• Very fun to drag around the house!!
  By A21J36DXZ312KH on 2002-01-20
  Very cute, full of all kinds of information. My only complaint is if you accidently bump the thing and you don't have the switch turned off it starts talking to you (usually when its dark and late at night!!!). Seems to be a very safe toy as well!! Highly recommended!!
  
  
• This is a Wonderful Toy to Play and veru educational!
  By AW0D8IYLWHQLA on 2003-02-09
  My 3 year old received this for his "1st" Birthday, He still plays with it and loves it like he did the first day he received it.. It has been tossed a cross the room in playing with his older brother and sister. I can't wait for our new son to be able to play with it (Not yet Born).. I have bought it for others on their Birthdays and Holidays! You can learn the Colors,the alphabet, the sounds,and it sings to you!

  It's WONDERFUL!!!! GO GET IT!!!!
  
  

• I Love Leap Frog Toys
  By A1NKQ7ENHPXHBT on 2003-11-12
  My son recieved this toy for his first birthday and has loved it ever since! He is now three and a half, and we have never had to change the batteries!!! It is always one of the toys that my son has a hard time sharing with his younger brother (2 and a half). A great purchase for any home.
  
  
• The most annoying toy in the world!
  By A3EAL12KIVPXRJ on 2005-10-29
  I love Leap Frog toys, but this is quite possibly the most annoying toy in the world. Cute at first, but then beyond fingers on the chalkboard. Although it has two volume settings, the softer one is still really loud. My child doesn't even like it. He got it at about 10 months, and now at 22 months, he still shows no interest in it. None. I think I saw him pulling it on the floor once, but not for long. Even the string is too short. Go for the Leap Frog animal sounds magnet set instead. Really cute, and has been played with endlessly in our house for the past year.
  
  
• More entertainment for the adults
  By ADSZPTREJDFQO on 2005-12-01
  Although this toy seems like it would have lots of options to entertain, my 20 month old daughter rarely plays with it--she likes to hear it sing the ABC song, and occasionally will press the letters to hear the other songs. Sad to admit, the adults have had more enjoyment with it trying to "stump the censors"....
  
  
• We love alpha-pal
  By A3FAXS5CS89J4Z on 2000-12-03
  My Godsister bought Alphabet Pal for my son's 2nd birthday. He immediately began playing with alpha-pal. He's now 31 months and he knows how to recite his alphabets, colors, and some phonic sounds. He still plays with his alphabet pal. I also love alphabet pal because I'd put it in the play pen with my nine month old daughter. She is now 16 month-old and knows how to recite her alphabets and recognize letters A,D, and G. Their pre school teacher says that my children learn fast and she was amazed that my one year old knows how to recite her alphabets. I didn't tell her about alphabet pal I just said thank you and looked very proud.
  
  
• a good toy
  By AQ3PWR4321ITS on 2002-09-13
  We received this toy as a gift, and we were very pleased with it. I have to admit that we, too, tried sounding out dirty words with the keys, and were happily surprised to hear it laugh instead! Very smart on Leapfrog's part. I usually leave the setting on music, my 15 month old daughter likes to hear the songs the best. I guess she'll get more interested in the phonics as she gets older. Her favorite though, is the Edison button on top.
  
  
• Not a fan of electronic toys
  By A1E9HUHTJ91EPX on 2002-09-25
  First, I have to admit that I'm not a fan of electronic toys: the annoying sounds, voices, etc. But we got Alphabet Pal as a gift. The most annoying thing about it is that ever few seconds of idleness, the high-pitched voice goes, "THANKS FOR PLAYING WITH LEAP FROG!" Yes, yes, yes. We know it's a Leap Frog toy. My baby can learn the alphabet from a book--what a concept!

  The most fun we had with this plastic, clunky thing was spelling out dirty words.
  
  

• The start of learning.
  By A2UMGOQWVOHSU7 on 2003-02-16
  My, 14 month old love this toy. She like to pull the string to hear alphabet pal sing, so she can bob her head to it.
  She also loves to push on the letters to hear it talk.
  This is and educational toy and fun toy, to buy.
  
  
• Far too Loud for young ears!
  By A14GJJQAGSGIZK on 2003-03-25
  Although my son absolutely loved the Alphabet pal, the volume switch is placed on the back of the toy and as you may know kids love buttons and switches. At its loud volume, and at a distance that is common for a child, this toy actually causes ear pain!

  The manufacturer says the volume is acceptable because it is "a pull toy" but because it has buttons for feet, it encourages kids to get within a few inches of the speaker. PLEASE carefully consider your child's hearing before buying this toy!
  If you still feel your child must have this toy, please head to a store and hear for yourself. Just remember to get close to the toy to hear the toy at a child's distance. Press several buttons to have it play all the sounds, but be careful, because some of the sounds it makes at the high volume will hurt.

  There is another feature, which is just annoying, before the toy shuts itself down, it runs a little ad for Leap Frog.

  As a side note: My son received several other Leap Frog toys for his birthday and many of them are loud, but the alphabet pal is the worst.
  
  

• We love it! This is a great learning toy!
  By A1MLRWIA02LNSU on 2003-07-23
  I bought this for my then six month old hoping to get a jump start on her speech, vocabulary, and pronounciation. It has done all of that and more. Providing her with hours of fun and learning. She is now 10 months old and way ahead of any of the other infants her age. She speaks constantly. At this rate she is well on her way to learning her abc's before her first birthday. This is just wonderful. I am going to buy her the other one for teaching numbers ASAP!
  
  
• Good but Annoying
  By AVBT98S6T989D on 2004-03-07
  This toy is fun for my son, and he enjoys pushing the buttons, pulling the string, and hearing the alphabet song, the songs, the colors, the letters. But it has one very annoying feature for adults - after 15 seconds of not being played with (which is a VERY short time) it announces that it's turning itself off "Thank you for playing with Leapfrog. Bye bye" in a sugary voice. Which is enough to get my son to touch it again. So it turns on again "Hello, I'm Alphabet Pal". But after 15 seconds turns off, noisily. So my son pushes it. So it comes on again. Then it turns off. I end up grabbing it and scrabbling for the off button, which mercifully does exist. It's just annoying, and detracts from what would otherwise be a great toy.
  
  

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