Handy Dandy…….Flop!
Written: Dec 27 '01
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Pros: It's Handy, It's Dandy, It's BLUE!
Cons: It doesn't work!
The Bottom Line: Targeted for three-year-olds and up, this toy has everything the Blue’s Clues fan would love……it just doesn’t work.
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| MumMumMum's Full Review: Fisher Price Blue's Clues Handy Dandy Notebook |
Oh, what has become of the world? Fisher Price, I thought you could do no wrong! But alas, I guess the Magna Doodle Handy Dandy Notebook is the exception that proves the rule. But, I am ahead of myself! Let me regale you with my adventures with this toy.
The Toy
My three-year-old daughter is a Blue’s Clues fan….big time! She watches the movie, she watches the show, she plays with her stuffed Blue, she thinks Steve is a god! So when I spotted the Fisher Price Magna Doodle Handy Dandy Notebook I just knew that this was the toy for her! It is shaped like Steve’s Handy Dandy Notebook from the television show Blue’s Clues, complete with red spirals and a striped green “pen” to write your “clues” on your Magna Doodle “page”. The pen is attached with a short red string, and fits in a slot on the side, keeping it right where it should be and not under my fridge! Good plan! There is a sliding Blue on the lower section of the toy. When you slide Blue across from one side to the next it drags a red bar magnet across the screen, clearing the clue you have drawn on your notepad, making way for yet another artistic attempt for your young Blue afficionado. Included with the notebook are four stampers. Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper, create x’s and o’s when stamped on the Magna Doodle Notebook. Slippery Soap creates a swirl pattern, and of course Blue’s paw print which creates, yes, you guess it, a paw print “clue”. Another nice aspect of this toy is the circular storage spaces for these stampers on the underside of the notebook, thus keeping those in close proximity to your notebook, and not underneath my oven. That is, if you actually keep them where they’re supposed to be kept.
The Reaction
What did Baby Girl think of this toy? Well, it quickly became a lesson in frustration. The pen was extremely difficult to remove from its clip-in slot. (We assumed that it would loosen up in time, but after a lot of use on Christmas day it became evident that was not going to happen. So be it. The string kept the pen from getting lost, and that was a very good thing.) The stampers worked extremely well on the Magna Doodle Notebook, creating clear images. They fit well into their intended storage spaces on the underside of the notebook, and did not get lost even once. So where does the lesson in frustration come in, you ask? Well, when using the pen on the notepad, half the picture or more would immediately disappear. My husband tried to draw a house, half the lines disappearing as he drew. My daughter tried scribbling, half the scribbles would disappear as she was drawing. My eldest son tried to write Baby Girl’s name….most of the letters did not appear. I cannot explain why this was happening, but it was definitely not what my daughter was hoping for! She carried this toy around and would poke at it now and then, but the disappointment showed clearly on her face.
Now, obviously this toy was defective, so our Boxing Day was spent returning this Handy Dandy Notebook, and attempting to find one that worked. This seems to have been a popular activity. Going from store to store, my husband and I discovered that every packaged Magna Doodle Handy Dandy Notebook had been opened, tested, and returned to the shelf from whence it came. Not one of the Notebooks that we found worked when written on with the pen. In fact, two other parents were returning the same item for the same reason at the same time we were at Toys’R’Us.
My Final Thoughts
I think that this would be an excellent toy if you were able to find one that works as intended. The size is perfect for small hands, and although the pen was difficult to remove from its slot, it is attached to the notebook so it still would not be lost. The stampers stored quite well, and the usefulness of this toy when travelling or waiting at doctor’s offices, etc. was not lost on this mom. No need for crayons and paper, just this notebook, travelling would be a breeze. Targeted for three-year-olds and up, this toy has everything the Blue’s Clues fan would love……it just doesn’t work. Because of our experience with this toy I have to give it only one star, but if we are ever lucky enough to find one that works I would definitely give it five stars. Wish me luck in my quest!
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 12.99Cad
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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Member: Beverley
Location: Canada
Reviews written: 290
Trusted by: 419 members
About Me:
So good to be home, but so very tired!
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