Playskool Sesame Street Love2Learn Elmo

This is a very cool toy.   The ability of Elmo to talk to the child by name is going to be a huge hit.  There are games and chores that can be referred to by Elmo.  Out of the box, Elmo is cute and does things by clapping his hands, putting his hands on his belly or squeezing his nose.   My suggestion would be to free Elmo from his box prior to giving it to a child.  It took brute strength, scissors  and wire cutters to get Elmo out.   Plus you have to get him out to get batteries in him.   That is not obvious and the instructions don't say insert batteries in his derriere but that is where you put them.  Once Elmo is powered up you can then download the application from Google Playstore.  The app is Love2learn Elmo.  Again the instructions tell you to go to Hasbro's website but even there you have to do some searching to get to the point where you are told to go to the playstore to download the app.  Once the application is on your phone you can customize the Elmo.

The good news is with prior programming and freeing Elmo from the confines of his annoyingly complicated packaging this toy should be a huge hit.  I particularly like Elmo telling the child by name, nice job on brushing your teeth.   You will need a smart phone or a tablet for the application and I strongly advise you to do all of the above prior to handing the child a box with Elmo in it.  Proper preparation will save the parent and the child loads of frustration.   Hasbro should design less frustrating packaging,  provide better documentation and clearer instruction as to how to get the application.  In spite of that, I really liked this toy.  

·                        Elmo will refer to a child by name when parents select it in the Love2Learn Elmo app

·                        Customize toy play with the app! 350+ responses

·                        Sings 10 songs, laughs, and plays games and music

·                        Elmo interacts with the app's games to play with children

·                        Includes Elmo toy and instructions

·                        Powered by 4x 1.5 AA Alkaline Batteries. Not included.

If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.