May 8, 2007

Review: Counting Pal

When Andy was baptized, we received a Counting Pal from a friend. We put it on Andy's crib, and he liked it a lot from the beginning. It has four modes, including counting, colors, and classical music, and under each number there is a tactile activity such as a butterfly rattle and flower rings. There are velcro straps that are easy to use as well as move it somewhere else. It needs batteries, but they last a long time. We've only changed them once in 10 months. It's also soft and colorful, perfect for a baby.

The one problem we've had with it is that the buttons under the numbers are hard for Andy to push. So I find that one of us has to push it, which can get tiring after a while. But Andy loves to play with the toys underneath, and he loves the music on every setting. The woman's voice is pleasant, and I find myself singing along, sometimes even singing the tunes when Andy and the toy are nowhere near me!

Although it's gotten the most use on our crib, lately we've had it on our changing table. Andy is going through a turning over phase (or maybe a hating diaper changing phase), so we are desperate for distraction during diaper changes so he doesn't force the messy contents of his diaper all over the place. And out of everything we've tried so far, this has been the best toy for it!

Also available at Amazon and in Spanish.