Vtech Ride and Learn Giraffe Bike

Ride & Learn Giraffe Bike Ages: 18 to 36 months Requires: screwdriver for assembly 3 'AA' batteries (short-life demo batteries included; rechargeable batteries not recommended)

What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: Novelty factor: The Good: Aids early motor development, teaches the ABCs and counting. The Challenging: Continuous stream of images and sounds does not always correspond to child's movements. In a Nutshell: Stationary bike helps kids learn while they exercise.

This interactive stationary bike will teach toddlers their ABCs and numbers as they peddle. View larger.

Bike assembly is easy for adults and takes no more than a few minutes, with parts that click neatly into place. Parents should take note that once the bike is assembled, it cannot be disassembled. The bike's overall design emphasizes safety and stability, with easy-to-use pedals that are well-suited to toddlers. A wide stable base restricts side-to-side movement and ensures that the bike won't tip over.

The hard plastic seat is adjustable to two different height positions, catering to a toddler's rapid physical growth. Though the seat is designed to bounce, it shouldn't give more than half an inch or so. Most children will be drawn to the variety of knobs and buttons around the LCD display, as well as the moving images, which change in response to additional pedaling.

As an added bonus, the bike will automatically power down after several minutes of disuse, saving battery life and keeping the house quiet.

The More You Pedal, The More You Learn
Five different activities await your child. In ABC mode, letters of the alphabet will appear in succession on the LCD screen. Each time the pedaling stops, the letter freezes, and an object beginning with that letter appears on the screen. In moments of inactivity, the Alphabet Song begins and letters move across the screen.

In Animal mode, children will be asked to identify a specific animal. The idea is to keep pedaling until that animal appears. In Counting mode, children will see more numbers the more they pedal.

Curious children will love pushing buttons and turning knobs alongside the LCD display. Changing activities is easy, though the continuous stream of images and sounds makes it difficult to associate each button with its respective function. Parents may want to assist in selecting from the five different activities. Either way, an active child will have little trouble finding new things to learn about.

What's in the Box
Ride and Learn Giraffe bike, user's manual with assembly instructions. (Short-life demo batteries included.)

The bike features a number of cheerful, educational matching activities.