Kid-Tough FP3 Player
(Fisher-Price $69.99 Score:) Parents can download songs and stories to the preloaded player designed for preschoolers. Add your own music or selections from the Fisher-Price Song & Story Content Store. (Software PC compatible only.) In contrast to the Star Station On-the-Go Player (next page), the FP3 has a volume control and limiter to protect young ears! Comes with a 1.4" LCD screen that displays titles and visual icons for pre-readers. 3 & up. (800) 524-8697.

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 2007.

Musical Hands Mat
(International Playthings $29.99 Score:) Following the flashing lights above each handprint on the 45" mat allows children to play a tune. This calls for visual attention and sequencing. Marked for 2s, but this will be hard for most toddlers under 2½. A much better choice for preschoolers and beyond!

Age: Toddlers,Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2003.

Musini Preschool
(Small world toys $39.99 Score:) When your kids move, they activate the lights and music on the Musini console. A fun stomping-around lesson in cause and effect. This new smaller version has a clever listening game where kids have to respond when they hear particular instruments. Also new but not ready for testing, Musini Magic Wand. (800) 220-3669.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2004.

Learn Through Music System
(Fisher-Price $29.97 Score:) We had great hopes for this interactive toy that features learning familiar concepts with well known characters (Blue, Barney, Dora, Elmo), a moving screen and touch screen technology. Sounds like everything you'd want in an electronic toy for older tots and preschoolers - not 18 mos., though. But it's not just the age label that is off. While our testers liked pushing the buttons, we found the content confusing.  On the Blue's Clue color concept game, the "blue" page had way too much purple on it.  The "red" page has more orange than red to add to the confusion. The lights that go off whenever a new color is announced are always "yellowish/orange".  If your child already knows his concepts, this might be a fun interactive toy but it will be likely to confuse kids still working on gaining an understanding of these concepts. Using paints would work a lot better and especially in the mixing color department-hands on experience with food coloring or paint will make the whole concept a lot clearer than words can do!

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 2004.

Woodstock Band
(Woodstock Percussion $29.99 Score:) Beat out that rhythm with this six-piece set with wooden tambourine, recorder, maraca, egg shaker, castanet, and sleigh bell jingler with big wooden handle. Solid-sounding instruments. (800) 422-4463.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2006.

Dance Along MP3
(Playskool $14.99 Score:) The LCD screen on this machine looks crude with only black graphics. Comes loaded with 100 songs to “download,” making their own play lists but the music quality is very tinny and unpleasant. (800) 327-8267.

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 2007.

Star Station On-the-Go Player
(Fisher-Price $19.99 Score:) Player comes equipped with headphones and cartridge with three Kidz Bop songs (not our favorite, but we know they’re popular). Here’s the problem: the on/off dial is also the volume control. If you go the wrong way you can really get blasted. The top volume level is just way too loud. (800) 432-5437.

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 2007.

On-the-Go-Microphone
(Fisher-Price $14.99 Score:) Comes with a cartridge that plays three Kidz Bop songs that our testers found very difficult to sing along with (an adult male and kids singing such odd choices as: “I Like It (like that),” “Absolutely,” and “Purple People Eater”). The microphone on its own is wireless (a plus) but in order to get enough amplification, your voice sounds fuzzy. (800) 432-5437.

Age: Preschool. Award Year: 2007.