Fisher-Price Sesame Street Light-Up Pet Pals Ernie; How Do You Entertain a Baby?
Written: Apr 23 '04 (Updated Dec 28 '04)
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Pros: Bright colors; flashing light; three melodies; captures and holds baby's attention.
Cons: No 'off' switch.
The Bottom Line: A cute and inexpensive toy that even young babies are drawn to, without the usual parent-annoyance factor.
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| krissingene's Full Review: Fisher Price Brands Sesame Street Light-Up Pet Pal... |
From the very beginning, strapping our daughter into her carseat has meant taking on 50/50 odds with a screaming hissy fit. I can imagine how boring it must be looking at a seatback for the duration of a car ride and can't fault her for her screaming, but that doesn't make the trip any less stressful for us, the helpless parents.
During her first month, there were only two things that would capture and hold my daughter's attention: ceiling fans and things that played music and had flashy lights. Since installing a ceiling fan in my car really wasn't an option (although we discussed the schematics), we needed to find a toy that would distract her from the fact that she was strapped down tighter than a racecar driver - and fast.
No More Keys, Please!
Until this point in my story, the only low-risk method to traveling with our baby was to have one parent in the backseat with her, frantically dangling keys (either real or plastic) over her head. The sound never failed to distract her from preliminary tantrum antics, and the light-up keychain on Daddy's keyring was a nice bonus. As you can imagine, it took no time at all for this to get extremely annoying - both to driver and dangler.
I was on key duty one evening when my husband needed to stop by our local K-Mart for something-or-other on our way home. Great, now the car is *stopped* which is always a recipe for disaster. I'm sure the poor man hurried as best he could, but no man can shop fast enough to avoid the screaming that ensued before his return - could Daddy redeem himself for the error of his ways? This time, it seemed as though he could...
"Rachael baby, I have a surprise for you..."
He tossed a bag to me over his shoulder as he started the car in a frantic effort to get our motion-needing daughter quiet again. Inside, I found a green box containing a Fisher-Price Sesame Street Light-Up Pet Pals Ernie - thankfully, the box was open-faced and I didn't even need to remove Ernie before showing him to the baby.
Ernie stands about 6 1/2" tall (minus the ring in his head for attaching him to crib rails, strollers, etc.) and is dressed in purple footie pajamas covered with light purple ducky footprints. In his arms is his best friend, Rubber Ducky, who, when pressed, plays one of three songs on a rotating basis. Those songs are Old McDonald Had A Farm, Rubber Ducky and The Farmer in the Dell, all complete with quacking in appropriate places. Each song will play in its entirety three times before stopping.
Which leads to my one complaint with this toy - there is no off switch. Once the music is playing, it's just playing - if you press the duck again in an attempt to shut it off, the next song will begin playing. There is also no volume control, but I've found that the music plays at a very reasonable level, and therefore won't hold that against it.
Ernie requires three AAA batteries and came with a set pre-installed; they have lasted us for a couple of months of semi-frequent use without changing.
0-24 Months?
In an effort to find a car-friendly distraction, we had searched and searched toy departments, never finding a toy that was recommended for ages younger than three months. I was pleased to note that Ernie was rated 0-24 months - and so far, that range seems appropriate. My screeching baby took one look at Ernie and immediately quieted, transfixed by the peppy melody and the flashing yellow light that emits from Rubber Ducky when pressed. Even when she was only three or four weeks of age, Ernie was able to hold her attention for several minutes while in the car. That's not to say that he, exclusively, was a total lifesaver - playing with Ernie in the car still mandated that Mommy or Daddy be nearby to keep pressing the ducky when the music turned off, and every once in a while Ernie was forced to team up with a set of keys to avoid a tantrum altogether.
Now that she's a bit older, she still enjoys the lights and music, but seems to study more closely the bright colors of this toy as well. Hopefully, once she develops the manual dexterity to push the ducky on her own, Ernie will continue to be an interesting travel companion.
Bonus!
The back of the box states that "the money that Sesame Workshop receives when you buy a Sesame Street product is put right back into Sesame Street and other Sesame Workshop educational projects." Having grown up with Sesame Street myself, I'm thrilled to be able to help an old friend!
Contact Information
For more information, visit Fisher-Price online at www.fisher-price.com or Sesame Street at www.sesamestreet.com ; Fisher-Price may also be contacted via telephone at 1-800-432-KIDS (1-800-432-5437).
Also By Fisher-Price
Cradle Swing B0639 * Deluxe Take-Along Swing * Healthy Care Booster Seat * Kick 'N Play Piano * Laugh & Learn Learning Table * Link-a-doos On-the-Go Goldfish * Link-a-doos Teething Ring * Ocean Wonders Aquarium * Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer * Peek-a-Blocks Barnyard Friends Blocks * Sparkling Symphony Twinkle Dancer * Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 4.99
Type of Toy: Baby Toy
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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krissingene
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Member: Kristin
Location: Southern VA
Reviews written: 267
Trusted by: 120 members
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