Vtech Move and Crawl Ball Review

I got the Vtech Move and Crawl Ball at a garage sale, and I'd say it was definitely worth the $4 I paid--because I was going to purchase it new! After using it for a few days, however, I am glad I only paid $4.

The pros?

• Even on the loud setting, it's not that loud.
• It's fun to watch the baby reach for it as it rolls around.
• The baby likes the noises and vibrations.

The cons?

• The animals are cartoon animals so they are very hard to distinguish (if I have a hard time, how the heck is my kidlet supposed to do it?).
• The ball asks questions like "Where is the pig?" but gives you NO time to actually find it (especially considering the style of the animals). If you do manage to find the animal/number/shape in time, you get a YAAAAAY! from the ball. But honestly, most of the time I couldn't even find the animal/number/shape in time so I don't see a child being able to, either.
• Doesn't roll well on carpet unless it's very flat carpet. I always have the baby on a blanket (even on our carpeted floors) so the thing rolls about 4" and stops.

We will continue to use it because the baby (7 months) likes it and it makes him laugh, and maybe it will entice him to crawl...but I certainly wouldn't call it an educational toy.