Best Toy for 2 Year Old: My Pal Scout & My Pal Violet

I have a 2-year old god-daughter whose birthday is this month, and for the past few weeks I was doing a lot of fretting and hand-wringing over what to get her. I wasn't worried about her so much as her mother, who can be sort of critical with gifts sometimes. Not to mention the fact that this little girl has just about every toy you can imagine.

I went to the store thinking I was going to just settle for something that was just okay. After scouring most of the store, however, I found LeapFrog's My Pal Scout and My Pal Violet. I pressed Violet's paw and she said "Take me home with you and I'll learn your name and favorite songs."

I couldn't put her down after that. I just kept pressing her paw and she came up with comment after comment, and song after song. My boyfriend thought I was insane! So I bought Violet for Olivia (my god-daughter). 

My Pal Scout and My Pal Violet are soft and cuddly with four paws that the child can press. Each paw has a different purpose. One speaks to you, one plays songs, another lullabies, and the last shuts the toy down. You can also hug them and they'll say something else to you. It seems simply on the outside, but there's a lot going on on the inside. Here's everything you can do with these little critters:

• Connect to the computer (with an included USB cable) and personalize the dog with the child's name, favorite food, animal, color.
• Choose the child's favorite songs for Violet or Scout to play from a bank of 30 songs.
• Violet and Scout will play games and sing lullabies to the child.
• Once you have personalized them they will teach the child how to spell his or her name and will use it frequently.

My Pals are for kids ages 6 to 36 months. It's sturdy and soft, so it can take any throwing around and biting that may occur with a child at such a young age. 

It's no wonder that this toy is a bestseller and award winner. Coming in under $30 almost anyone can afford it and it will provide hours of fun for the lucky little kid in your life. Click the pictures of Violet and Scout below to find the best prices for each.