Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Home; Right At Home in Our Home!
Written: Jan 22 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Variety of educational activities; holds baby's interest; grows with your child.
Cons: Pricey; large; some small parts.
The Bottom Line: The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Home is quite possibly the perfect toy for young children.
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| krissingene's Full Review: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Home |
Shortly before Christmas 2004, Fisher-Price introduced their new Laugh & Learn Learning Home, advertising in every parenting magazine in eager anticipation of the coming holidays. Already on the lookout for the perfect toy for my daughter's first Christmas, the child-sized playhouse instantly appealed to me, and I started looking for it in stores. The only place I was able to find it locally was Toys R Us, and at $60 I didn't scoop it up immediately. No, I'm one of those nut-jobs that braves the masses at a ridiculously early hour on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. As popular as this toy was shaping up to be, I knew that if I waited just a few short weeks, I'd find an awesome deal on it then.
And so I headed out shopping that morning in the suburbs of Richmond with the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Home at the top of my shopping list. But we visited one store, and then another...and another...and still no sign of it. What was going on here? Finally, having had no luck all day, we drove to the nearest Toys R Us, where I purchased the last Learning Home on the shelf - yes, for $60. Oh well, can't win em all... Luckily, this is one high-dollar toy that would quickly redeem itself.
~* What Is It? *~
In short, the Learning Home is a playhouse with only one wall. Measuring 29" tall and 32" wide, this toy has a triangular roof on top, a large blue door front and center, and a variety of interactive toys on each side (which I will cover ad nauseum shortly.) But first, what every parent - dads especially really want to know:
~* Putting It All Together *~
Adult assembly of this toy is required, and you should have a Phillips screwdriver and three C batteries handy from the start. Ready to get started?
It was nearly 1 a.m. on Christmas Eve before my husband and I sat down to assemble the Learning Home, and caught up in the excitement of Rachael's first visit from Santa, I wanted to do it all by myself. And then I saw all those pieces, and the tiny bag containing 38 tiny screws - that's right, I said 38 - and I quickly relented and allowed him to help. It took him all of two and a half minutes to toss the recommended Phillips screwdriver aside in favor of his cordless drill. I strongly suggest you plan on doing the same.
The instruction book is very easy to follow, with short but concise instructions and so many pictures that the written instructions really aren't necessary. After attaching the three pieces that make up the wide base of the toy, the door hinges fit into one half of the toy's main panel. The two halves are then put together to form one solid wall, and with all those screws the entire structure is exceptionally sturdy. A few smaller parts of the toy must then be snapped into place - the rain gutter, shape sorter and clock, for example - as well as a carrying handle at the peak of the roof.
Once assembled, batteries are installed in an easily accessible battery compartment on the back panel of the house, which is held tight with two screws to prevent removal during play. According to the instruction manual, batteries should be replaced when lights and sounds emitted from the toy become faint or stop, but with nearly a month of constant play in our house, the first set of batteries are still going strong. Alkaline batteries are recommended for this toy, but rechargeable batteries are fine as well.
All in all, it took the two of us about half an hour to fully assemble our Learning Home.
~* Laugh & Learn, Learn, Learn *~
Letters, numbers, counting, shapes, opposites, colors, greetings...the number of educational elements of this toy are simply staggering. On top of the number of activities, there are two modes of play - Learning Time and Musical Fun, each of which elicits different responses from each toy. According to the instruction manual, this toy features more than twenty songs, forty first words and twenty fun activities - ready to hear more about them?
The front side of the Learning Home is the 'outside' of the house. The blue swinging door in the center of the wall has two large cutout windows in the top and a yellow turning doorknob with a separate keyhole beneath. A large orange plastic key comes with the house and is, in truth, my only complaint about the toy thus far - it simply will not, with any amount of begging, cajoling or threatening, stay in the darn keyhole. (I tend to stick it inside the door or mailbox for safekeeping, but I know it's only a matter of time before it'll be lost...) A red rectangular shape sorter is built into the door where the mail slot should be - four shapes (square, circle, triangle and flower) are included. Once put into the correct holes in the front of the door, they are easily retrieved via an opening on the other side of the door, but do not fall out the back side during play. When in Learning Mode, the door says (in the same perky female voice used for each of the house's features) "open", "closed", "hello" or "goodbye" when opened or closed, and plays a variety of tunes in Musical Mode, which ends when the door is closed.
The green plastic base forms a gentle slope beneath the door, which at 15" wide is large enough to allow even older toddlers to crawl through from one side to another. (For that matter, my nearly 5-year-old nephew managed it quite well, although the Learning Home is recommended for children from 6 to 36 months!)
To the immediate right of the door is a large round purple button that is the house's doorbell - when pressed, a very realistic doorbell chimes (I've checked our own front door on more than one occasion!) and the red and yellow porch light (visible from both sides of the house) turns on briefly. In music mode, the chime is followed by a short melody.
On the far right is the mailbox, complete with it's own smiling face. A wide handle at the top of the mailbox door makes it easy to open and close, while the interior of the mailbox opens onto the back panel of the house. When opened in learning mode, the mailbox says "open", "closed", "mail", "mailbox", "special delivery" or "you have letters!", which is followed by a snappy rendition of the alphabet song. Three plastic letters in purple, orange and blue come with the house and fit neatly inside the mailbox - as you can well imagine, one of my daughter's favorite activities is removing the letters from the mailbox and flinging them across the room, which compels Mommy to pick them up and sneak them back into the mailbox from the back side.
At the base of the mailbox, set into the green base, is a large orange and yellow rolling tube which makes up the "garden" area of the house. One side of the roller depicts dirt with a friendly bumblebee, snail and earthworm smiling up at baby, while the other side is green and leafy with a smiley pink bunny.
Just above the door is a small red Fisher-Price logo and the rotating house numbers. Three numbers sit side by side and each may be spun individually to create new combinations. I was excited at first, thinking I would set it to our own three digit house number, but my plans were soon foiled - the first slot features the numbers 1, 2 and 3, with 4, 5 and 6 in the middle and 7, 8 and 9 coming last. (Oh well, at least the 6 in the middle is right...) When spun, the voice will say the number that has been moved most recently or, in music mode, a series of chimes will ring out the number. Since the numbers are so close to the top of the house, babies who can't yet stand won't notice them right away. Only when I help her stand up does my daughter notice and make any attempt to play with them - but then, numbers are a skill that will become more interesting when she's a bit older anyway. Long stickers depicting all the letters of the alphabet run from one side of the house to the other near the top, with the spinning numbers situated in the middle.
To the left of the door is the house's window. The four-paned blue window shows the same scene on each side - a puppy running across a lawn, a yellow bird sitting in an apple tree, and a cheery yellow sun shining from the background.) Thanks to an extended tab at the bottom of the window and an indentation in the plastic just beneath, the window is very easy to raise and lower, even for small children (at 11 months, my daughter has mastered it, and I dare say younger children will as well. Reaching the top would be the only obstacle as the top of the window is somewhat tall from a baby's seated position.) When raised and lowered, the window says "up" and "down" in learning mode, and plays several songs and outdoor noises (birds chirping, car horns honking, etc) in music mode.
Beneath the window sits a flower in a flowerpot, which is (thus far) the least played with feature on our Learning Home. The red petals of the smiling flower spin around the center of the flower, and a yellow plastic butterfly moves freely along the green stem, but neither of these have attracted and held my daughter's attention for more than a few seconds at a time.
A large purple rainspout is attached to the lefthand side of the house, and leads into a large round "gutter" built into the plastic base. Three colorful balls are included with the house and may be dropped into the rainspout from a side opening near the top, and roll down into the gutter section. When dropped in learning mode, the balls are counted and a short melody plays; in music mode, baby is rewarded with a number of sound effects or the tune "Itsy Bitsy Spider". Once again, this is an activity better suited for children already able to stand; while Rachael enjoys watching someone else roll the balls down the rainspout, she's not able to reach the opening on her own. And, much like the letters, the balls were quickly flung across the room, and we've yet to recover them all. More small pieces to keep up with!
Up on the roof, a large half-circle shows you whether it is day or night at the Learning Home. Actually a large wheel, it can be spun to display either a smiling sun or moon, with the voice announcing "good morning" or "good night", and playing appropriate sound effects for the time of day (rooster crowing, crickets chirping, etc.)
Should you crawl through the tiny blue door, or around the house, or even wait for someone to come along and turn the whole thing around the way my daughter does, you'll find yourself inside the Learning Home, with a whole new variety of things to do. Rachael's personal favorite is the chunky green light switch located just to the left of the door. Labeled 'on' above and 'off' below the switch, the voice says "on" and "off" and operates the porch/indoor light. Rachael already knew about light switches before playing with her new 'home' and took to this switch immediately - it's just amazing to watch your "helpless" little baby reach over and turn on the light when asked to do so, and I'm sure there will be many more "wow" moments for us where this toy is concerned.
To the left of the light switch is a semi-circular opening that is the backside of the mailbox where, of course, letters and various other toys wait to be thrown across the room. On the base beneath the mailbox is a round dog dish with a couple of small bones molded into the plastic - obviously waiting for the Laugh & Learn Learning Puppy (sold separately) who is also featured frolicking just outside the window. The edge of the base on this side of the interior is a round stool - perfect for sitting on and pulling up your Laugh & Learn Learning Table, or will be, when you have the balance to do so...needless to say, my little girl isn't that quite yet.
To the right of the door, of course, is the window, with the same scene as visible from the 'outside' of the house. Beneath the window is a large rectangular radio, with four colorful buttons at the top and a speaker at the bottom. Each of these four buttons is a radio station, so to speak. The first button, labeled ABC, plays the alphabet song, as well as several other melodies. The second button, labeled 123, plays a counting song, among others. The third button has a picture of a rainbow and, when pressed, says "it's bumper to bumper on the Rainbow Bridge!" before playing a song about colors and shapes, and other fun tunes. The last button, depicting a sun and moon, plays a song about opposites and, yes, several others as well.
Just beside the radio buttons lies the mode switch; moving the switch up sets the toy to Learning Mode, down sets it to Music mode and leaving the switch in the center turns the home off. Also located here is the all important volume switch (thank goodness!) The Learning Home is quite loud in the higher volume setting, and would probably work well in a noisy home or childcare environment. The lower volume setting, however, is usually adequate for play in our house, especially as we have only one child squealing over her favorite toy and not two or three.
On the base beneath the radio is a four-page "telephone book", which consists of two stickers on the base with one page that flips vertically back and forth between them. On the first "page" is a picture of a bunny and the telephone number 123 - next is a puppy (345), a bee (678) and a fish (789). Beside the telephone book is an oval indentation in the base, which at first I assumed it was for holding snacks and such during play. After Rachael received the Laugh & Learn Learning Phone, however, I learned that it fit perfectly inside this oval - and quite appropriately beside the phone book. I was a tad disappointed that the "telephone numbers", when entered into the Learning Phone, do absolutely nada, but then I suppose it can't be entirely interactive...
Hanging just above the door in the center of the house is a smiling analog clock, the hands making up the clock's nose. The two hands move independently of each other, and makes ticking sounds or plays "Hickory Dickory Dock" when moved. Along the eaves of the house, to either side of the clock, are indentations in the same shapes as those in the door's shape sorter. The shape cutouts fit neatly into these holes and stay put rather well, even when moving the toy around. However, like the numbers on the front of the house and the rainspout, only children able to stand on their own will get much use out of either of these features.
~* Educational Value *~
According to Fisher-Price, there are two main ways in which children will learn when playing with the Learning Home. In what they call "early academics", they claim that this toy will:
* promote understanding of objects, numbers, letters, colors and more
* help baby make connections between words and images
* expand baby’s vocabulary with new words and greetings
* foster thinking skills and encourage problem-solving with numerous action/reaction activities
Fisher-Price also maintains that the Learning Home helps acquaint baby with "everyday experiences" in the following ways:
* introduces new topics as they relate to familiar things in baby’s world
* reinforces learning concepts through delightful music, sounds, songs and activities
* stimulates curiosity and encourages baby to explore
* builds self-confidence and a sense of empowerment as baby masters new skills
In addition to all of the activities available on this toy, the following "playtips" are offered on the packaging for boosting baby's learning throughout the day:
"* Talk about different shapes and colors throughout your house – like baby’s round, red bowl or the rectangle of a quilt.
* Help your baby understand the concept of numbers and counting. For example, point out the house numbers on the Learning Home, then on your own home as you say them aloud.
* Reinforce the idea of opposites by explaining them as you go through the day. 'The light is ON. Let’s turn it OFF.'
* Keep in mind that even if your baby is not ready to recognize letters and numbers, early exposure to them sets the stage for later learning. And it’s fun!"
~* We're Right at Home! *~
Okay, I was hesitant at first to spend $60 on a toy so large that it would take up a large chunk of our den and that my daughter may or may not like - after all, it seems that how much she enjoys any given toy is in direct proportion to how much we pay for it. Most expensive toys are gathering dust in the bottom of the toybox while she plays contentedly with a glue stick pilfered from Gramma's office. Thankfully, that was not the case with the Learning Home. Rachael took to it immediately, amazed rather than overwhelmed by the amount of variety provided by a single object. While still not interested in crawling at nearly a year old, she has learned to scoot across the floor (VERY funny to watch) in order to reach her Learning Home. Not a day has gone by that she hasn't spent quite some time enthralled with her own little home, and her cousins (aged 11, 9 and almost 5) had a blast with it as well. Although recommended for children from 6 to 36 months, older siblings would certainly enjoy helping a little brother or sister learn their way around the Learning Home as well.
As a parent, I love both the variety offered by the Learning Home (come on, you all know how quickly you get tired of most baby toys!) and the educational value. Although Rachael may not be learning her alphabet or numbers just yet, we're astounded every time she figures out something new about her house, from opening and closing the window and pushing radio buttons with one outstretched finger to attempting to maneuver blocks through the shape sorter.
Yes, it's pricey, and yes, it's big, and yes, some of the smaller parts will roll under your couch the first time it's played with, never to be seen again - but in nearly a full year of obsessing over baby toys, I have found my all-time favorite to date. If I could give six stars to the Laugh & Learn Learning Home, I wouldn't hesitate to do so.
~* Contact Information *~
For more information, visit Fisher-Price online at www.fisher-price.com or call 1-800-432-KIDS (1-800-432-5437).
Other toys in the Laugh & Learn line of products include the Learning Phone, Learning Table, Learning Puppy, and Learning Birdbath.
~* Also by Fisher-Price *~
Cradle Swing B0639 * Deluxe Take-Along Swing * Kick 'N Play Piano * 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 * PowerTouch Baby Learning System * Sesame Street Light-Up Pet Pals: Ernie * Sparkling Symphony Twinkle Dancer * Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle
Recommended:
Yes
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krissingene
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Member: Kristin
Location: Southern VA
Reviews written: 267
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