One of the very first cause and effect toys Matthew ever owned when he was a few months old was the Busy Ball Choo Choo by Playskool. Three plastic balls cycle through the train when activated with the big yellow button on top of the train. Once Matthew could sit with support, he enjoyed watching the balls disappear into the train and reappear at the top. A lever on one side of the train also allows the balls to pop out the back instead of cycling through but we hardly used that feature just because Matthew found it uninteresting.
The train can also be set to move forward while the balls cycle through. But it moved so slowly on our berber carpet and Matthew never pursued it so we kept it stationary.
We also used this toy to learn "putting in". The balls are a perfect size for little hands. And since they are light and air-filled plastic balls, they were perfect for Matthew to grab even with low muscle tone.
Elizabeth has been enjoying this toy too once she could sit with support. Like Matthew, she also enjoys watching the balls cycle through and then she grabs them as soon as they pop out on top.
The music is loud and the train is without volume control but I don't consider it terribly annoying. With all the other toys we have, toy music and sound effects just become a part of our daily lives, blending in with the sound of the dishwasher running or the washing machine or the vacuum cleaner.
I would say that the toy is probably expensive for what it is (currently retailing on amazon.com for $30) but it was one of Matthew's first Christmas presents and now, both kids are putting a lot of playtime into it so we're not complaining at all.
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