This looks like an ordinary, everyday teddy bear - but wait, looks can be deceiving. It’s actually an MP3 player designed specifically for babies and children. Designed to accompany your child to crib or bed at naptime or bedtime, the Lulla-Bear is a soft, cuddly friend who plays 90 minutes of pre-loaded songs and sounds. Lullabies, nature sounds, and play songs are all part of Lulla-Bear’s repertoire. With Lulla-Bear’s built in, stored USB cable, you can connect him to your computer and upload more songs to his playlist. It has a 512 MB memory capacity, is PC and MAC compatible, and takes three AA batteries (included). The sound quality is excellent, too. This could be the perfect solution if your child is a reluctant napper or becomes fearful or anxious at bedtime. Music soothes the soul, and has often helped my son get to sleep when nothing else would. You can purchase Lulla-Bear for $49.95 at StoreCrowleyJones.com.

By far, my son’s favorite birthday gift this year was this Sansa Shaker MP3 Player by SanDisk. I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of giving a 5 year old an MP3 player, until I researched this one. Recommended by parents for children as young as 4, this MP3 player seems designed for kids (or for the electronically challenged). It’s easy to use, and one plus for me was that my son doesn’t have to listen to it with earphones - it has its own speaker. I was a bit concerned about damage to his hearing, so this feature made me happy. It also has two headphone jacks, in case he wants to listen to music with a friend. It turns on and off easily, and can advance to the next song with a “shake.” This MP3 player is 1GB, so it should hold about 250 songs, more than my son will ever need to store. Since my mom bought this for him, I pre-loaded it with his favorite SpongeBob songs (a move I’m regretting, as he’s been listening to them nonstop since his birthday!)

At a price of just $19.99 at Amazon.com, this is a great starter MP3 player for your child or anyone just getting into digital downloads.