Consumer Critique: Baby Einstein

I'm sure many of you have already heard about Baby Einstein educational toys and products for babies. This year is their 10th anniversary. To celebrate they're releasing 10th anniversary editions of Baby Mozart and Baby Beethoven, as well as introducing a new World Music line of products.

I do have to say that the Baby Einstein music is actually my least favorite of their product lines. The music is based on classical tunes which are familiar to most of us. However, my husband was a music major and I also have extensive music training, and for us, the music just doesn't sound right if it's not played the way it's supposed to be with the right instruments. However, the CDs are priced much lower than average new CDs ($7) - of course, most thrifty moms know how to get CDs that cheap anyway!

Baby Einsteins DVDs have won an AMBY Award for 6 straight years. I don't promote babies and toddlers just watching TV; since it has been showing that it reduces their verbal abilities. However, if used appropriately (with parental interaction), the Baby Einstein DVDs can be very useful learning tools - and even without the parental interaction, they can hold the attention of small children while the parents are finishing up one of the many tasks that need to get done in the day.

I do, however, really like the Baby Einstein toys, books, and activity products. They have a wide variety of active-play toys, from infant activity gyms and stationary jumpers to on-the-go toys for the crib and carseat. The books have simple themes and bright illustrations, including some touch-and-feel and some flip books. And the toys have a wide variety of textures and eye-catching colors. I strongly dislike noisy toys and having tons of toys that need batteries. Baby Einstein has many toys that have held my daughter's attention without the need for batteries and lights and noise, and the toys that are more electronic in nature use it appropriately (cause-and-effect, for example). Baby Einstein also sells feeding products (cups, bowls, etc), but I've never used any of them.

You can find Baby Einstein products at pretty much every retailer that sells baby toys. The Baby Mozart DVD will be included in a baby pack for this month's giveaway - just comment to this post if you're interested and see the main giveaway post for details on what else is included!