She's at the bottom end of the toy's "appropriate for 18 months to 4 years" target audience, but how could I not let her test out the latest and most musical of Elmo animatronic toys (now licensed to Playskool/Hasbro)?
OUT OF THE BOX: She's not big on words or able to turn on Elmo herself (maybe a good thing) with his bottom-mounted power switch and top-of-the-foot squeeze to activate a song. But the wide-eyed look in Leah's eyes, the broad smiles and her persistent interest in dancing and playing along haven't dimmed even after a month of interaction with the guy. I'd call that a ringing endorsement.
PLAY VALUE: "Will You Sing with Elmo?" he asks politely, mouth in motion, before launching into one of six pumped-up songs, including the instructive "Rock and Roll Alphabet," "Elmo's World" and (Poppy's favorite) "What Elmo Likes About You," his variation on the Romantics' hit.
Elmo's arms are moving all the time, and probably shouldn't be disturbed much if you want him to last. And with all the mechanical/electronic guts inside, it shouldn't surprise that this fuzzy-coated monster's not "squeezably soft."
Ah, but what a cool guy. He'll ask you to slip a rattling tambourine onto one paw and a nonfunctioning microphone on the other. Truth is, Leah prefers to play along with those things herself.
Niftier still, anchor a special pair of plastic bongos in front of Elmo and he bangs away in reasonably accurate time with the music.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE MAGIC! "Let's Rock! Elmo" isn't cheap, priced at $55-$60. But if you're willing to invest in extra band instruments ($20 each), the dude gets way more interactive. And each of the other music makers can also be played solo. Elmo really comes alive and seems smartest when the "Let's Rock Grover Microphone" is activated, playing one of three built-in songs.
