Baby Monitor

The baby monitor is a device by Playskool used to remotely listen to sounds made by an infant via a radio system. It consists of a transmitter to be placed at the source and a receiver to pick up any noises (both battery-powered). At Andy's house, the monitor was in place in Andy's room for his mom to supervise his baby sister, Molly. Andy's toys, however, frequently use it as a walkie-talkie to communicate over long distances.

Toy Story
In Toy Story, Woody sends Sergeant and his troops on a recon mission to report back to the bedroom on Andy's birthday gifts. The Green Army Men hide the transmitter in a potted plant overlooking the party where Sergeant reports back. The receiver is placed on Andy's nightstand where Woody and the rest of Andy's toys anxiously listen in. After hearing all of the presents, Woody is confident that no new gifts will challenge the current toys' positions. After preparing to pack up, the troops turn the monitor back on to report Andy's mom's surprise present. Before they can hear what it is, an impatient Rex accidentally knocks the receiver off of the nightstand, sending the batteries flying out and turning the device off. After Mr. Potato Head and Hamm unsuccessfully attempt to put the batteries back in, Woody fixes the device just in time to hear Sergeant's warning of Andy suddenly returning to the bedroom.

At the end of the film, Andy's toys are now using the baby monitor to listen in on Andy and Molly's Christmas gifts, with Sergeant and his men now reporting from the transmitter from the family's Christmas tree. This time around, Buzz Lightyear is listening intently to the new gifts while Woody pokes fun at him.

Other Appearances

 * The baby monitor appears in the level "That Old Army Game" in Toy Story: The Video Game from 1996. One of Woody's objectives in the level is to knock down the transmitter from a bookshelf down to Sergeant and his Green Army Men below. Woody's final objective is to find the receiver end.
 * The baby monitor appears in a commercial for Toy Story 2 Happy Meals at McDonald's form 1999. Sergeant and his men are reporting with the transmitter end from a Christmas tree on top of a family's car pulling into a McDonald's, while Woody and Andy's toys are listening in from the receiver on Andy's desk.
 * The baby monitor is an accessory to 2002's Squad Leader Woody; the transmitter end is a walkie-talkie for Woody to hold.

Trivia

 * The baby monitor seen in the film is a real life product that was sold by Playskool in 1991 as "Portable Baby Monitor". In contrast to the film, the transmitter and receiver units are switched around in the film. Not seen in the film is a base unit for the transmitter that allows it to run off an electical outlet.