Meet One Man Band, a cheery little musician from Galt Toys.
With a drumstick in one hand, a double-ended whistle in the other, and a tummy drum filled with beads ready for playing, this new toy is suitable for children aged 12 months and older. He also has a bell for a hat and a head that turns to make gentle ratchet sounds to entertain little ones.
According to the press release, One Man Band 'intertwines learning through sound with hand-eye coordination, colours, shapes, manual dexterity, and conceptual thinking all in one'. One Man Band is part of the new range of Ambi Toys designed to meet the various stages of a child's development, but always with an emphasis on quality and safety.
Now I can't comment much on the technical aspects of how this toy does or doesn't help develop a baby's cognitive skills or love of music, but I can tell you that it was a big hit with the little person I handed it over to. The bright, primary colours seemed to make it especially appealing, and it was easy for little hands to hold and play with. My one-year-old reviewer needed no help to work out which bits of this toy did what, and it kept her happily entertained for the best part of an hour. And even after she initially seemed to lose interest in it she then crawled back over to it after a break, and seemed happy to explore it all over again. My own children were strangely drawn to this baby toy too and took great delight in showing it off to our little visitor, helping them work out how to blow the whistle and bang the drum.
One Man Band retails at £14.99 and is available from www.galttoys.com
The Good
This is bright and appealing for little ones and you can hand it over in the knowledge that it's completely safe. It does lots of different musical things, making it the kind of toy that babies will keep rediscovering.
The Bad
Nothing! Ok so the whistle maybe wears thin after a little while, but probably only to the ears of adults. The little people never seemed to tire of that!
The Verdict
Overall a good buy if you're looking for something fun but educational for a little person with a love of music.
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