Ba-Ba Baby Elmo from Fisher Price isn’t technically a hi-tech gadget but it sure is darn cute and I have to say it’s techie enough for any 2 or 3 yr old. As I wait very patiently for Elmo Live to make his debut, I got a chance to review Ba-Ba Baby Elmo which is just as adorable.
There isn’t much setup involved, just undo the twist ties from the packaging that he is in and then pull the plastic tab from his back to get baby Elmo out of “try me” mode.
Ba-Ba Baby Elmo has 3 main features. 1. You can feed him his bottle. 2. you can also burp him 3. and then put him to sleep.
Of course the first thing I did was give him his bottle which doesn’t require much, in fact he actually requests it if you wait to long by saying “ba-ba, ba-ba please.” All you do is lift both his hands with bottle in between to his mouth and then he will make slurping noises. Pull the bottle away, a suction sound will occur and then he will say “more please” and kick his feet or say “mmm, mmm!”
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx_F8lrBMsA]
The next obvious thing is to burp him. The best way to do this is to make sure his hands with his bottle are not in his mouth and then gently tap his back while Elmo is on your shoulder. He will make the most adorable burping sounds which are activated by a button on his back that you or your child are tapping. You can burp him for as long as you keep hitting that button.
Next lets put Baby Elmo down for a little nap. What you have to do is unsnap his left hand from his bottle and then lift that hand to his face like pulling a lever. Do it gently and Elmo’s eyes will close and he will say “Elmo go sleepy” and a lovely tune will play as Elmo snores.
Like I said a very simple toy for anyone to enjoy. No iPod or LCD screens here, just a nice furry animal with a few little tricks. What is special about Ba-Ba Baby Elmo, aside from him being very cute, is that he is also a learning tool for teaching kids about responsibility and nurturing. He isn’t all that soft and cuddly, which is a downside. But he does have an On/Off switch which would certainly be a plus to any parent who may be driven to madness by Elmo constantly requesting his bottle…hmmm only if real kids had such a switch.
Ba-Ba baby Elmo retails for $29.99 but you can get him for $24.99 on ToysRUs.com
Conclusion:
The Good: Simple toy with a some cute effects. Will certainly keep kids entertained as well as swoon at Elmo’s adorableness. On/Off button for parents.
The Bad: The plastic shell you feel under his jammies makes him not that soft and snuggly.
