Little People Animal Sounds Zoo: Lions and Monkeys and Bears! ROAR!
Written: Jul 30 '02 (Updated Jan 15 '03)
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Pros: Lots of figures (animals & more), great for imaginary play
Cons: No On/Off or Volume switch, ROARING!
The Bottom Line: Visit the Little People Animal Sounds Zoo today!
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| marytara's Full Review: Fisher Price Little People Animal Sounds Zoo |
The Little People Animal Sounds Zoo was released for the December 2001 holiday season. I searched high and low for it for Christmas but couldn’t find it. As luck would have it I found it marked down after Christmas at K-Mart for under $20 and knew that it was a “must have”. I told my husband that I was going to save it for the following holiday season and I tucked it away in my son’s closet. Well, that lasted for only about a month or so. After about a month of looking at it every day when I picked out clothes for him I gave in and decided to let him have it now instead of later. Bit by bit our family room is turning into a Little People village, but my son and I absolutely adore these playsets.
What’s Included
Well, the title here perhaps should read “What’s NOT included” as this “small” playset actually includes quite a bit.
The main part of the set is of course the Zoo itself. This is not a caged (jail-like) zoo that you might expect or associate when you hear zoo, but instead a more animal friendly zoo made up of open enclosure habitats. All together there are 6 habitats represented in the Little People Animal Sounds Zoo, a “home” for each of the 6 animals included in the set. The zoo itself is about a foot wide by about 9 inches tall at the highest point. For as many habitats that are included it’s actually quite compact.
In the center of the Zoo is a hollowed out tree and in the base of the hollow is a swimming hole, this is the home for the Polar Bear. In the foliage of the tree there is a nest for a Blue Bird. On one side there is a rock-like structure which serves as the Lion’s Den. Its even equipped with a little red gate that swings open and shut and a small picture of a Lion to indicate which animal belongs in this enclosure. And then there’s one of the most fun enclosures of all, and this is for the Seal. Built onto the top/side of the Lion’s den is a fun slide made just for the Seal to enjoy. On the other side of the Zoo we have the Monkey House-which is equipped with a trampoline (and lever) for the monkey to jump up for some bananas. And last but not the Elephant enclosure. There is a swing open gate complete with an animal-identifying picture at the front of this enclosure, much like the Lion’s Den.
But what would a marvelous zoo habitat be like without animals? 6 animal figures are included with the Little People Animal Sounds Zoo, as well as a zookeeper. The animals are the Lion, Polar Bear, Elephant, Bluebird, Seal and Monkey. Because of the way that the Zoo is built and the monkey enclosure is set up the monkey is not removable. All other figures are standard plastic Little People figures, about 3 inches tall, that can be used with any Little People Playset. The zookeeper (who looks a bit like the garage mechanic) is wearing bright green trousers and a cap with an orange shirt. In one hand he has a walkie-talkie (non-removable).
The Little People Animal Sounds Zoo playset also comes with a few accessories. Definitely nice to have is the little red truck intended for the zookeeper to use while making his rounds feeding the animals. Fisher-Price even made a little container of pretend food that fits perfectly into the back of the zookeeper’s truck. The animal figures also fit nicely into the back of the truck so they can be transported around the zoo. Also included in the set are 2 piece of red fencing that easily snap onto the side of the zoo for adding or removing habitats. If you want more fencing purchase separately the Little People Baby Zoo Animals playset.
This Little People Playset also includes a FREE Little People Video. (Volume 1: Big Discoveries). The video includes several short stories in cartoon form starring the Little People characters and has about a 30 minute running time.
Thumbs Up
Fun Sounds
Definitely a highlight to the Little People Animal Sounds Zoo are the fun animal sounds. At first I was hesitant about the inclusion of battery activated sounds in this playset. I was fearful that they sounds would be too loud or possibly annoying. Parents may find the sounds to be a bit much but to kids these sounds really add to the fun. A big part of my son’s interaction with this zoo revolves around the sounds and this can be educational as well.
So.. What are the fun sounds? Not surprisingly the lion roars, the polar bear growls, the elephant makes the sound that elephants do (what is that called?). The bird chirps out a little song (the more we play together the happier we’ll be). The lion, elephant and polar bear, and bird habitats each have a little yellow “foot print” that when pressed will activate the sounds. The footprint is the perfect size for each Little People figure (animal) to stand on. The seal and monkey sounds are both activated in a different manner. The seal barks when you lift it off of its perch so it can slide down the slide. The monkey is probably the most fun as far as the sounds go, and the activation of sounds. Press down (fairly rigorously) on the purple lever and watch the monkey catapult up a vine to grab at a bunch of bananas. The sounds accompany this “stunt” are fun monkey sounds that are guaranteed to bring on a few giggles and beg for your child to repeat over and over again. Of all the sounds, the monkey sounds are definitely my son’s favorite.
Value for your $
As far as Little People Playsets go this one is definitely a good value for your dollar. The retail price of the zoo is around $25 dollars but I have seen it many times at or around $20 which really is a bargain for all that is included. I hadn’t fully researched all that was included with the Zoo before purchasing it so I was pleasantly surprised to find all the different animals, plus the zookeeper, food, fencing, and truck included with this set.
Little Assembly
Unlike the Fun Sounds Garage which required quite a bit of assembly and sticker application the Animal Sounds Zoo arrives almost ready to play with out of the box. Within opening the box and applying some final touches (snapping on the gates to enclosures) the zoo is ready for play.
Thumbs Down
What's that Roaring?
Our Zoo roars randomly!!! I thought it had to do with the batteries, but it appears to be some sort of malfunction. Every once in a while it Roars, out of the blue and has come to be quite funny but annoying at times.
No On/Off or Volume control
Fisher-Price needs to get with the program and include an on/off switch or volume control if they are going to include battery operated sounds. While the sounds are certainly not too loud its an “all or nothing” scenario. An on/off switch would have been appreciated all-around. In all honesty the sounds are not necessarily required to have a good time with this zoo. The only thing that is required is an active imagination, so if you want to take the batteries out and let it be “kid-powered” that is definitely an option.
Bits and Pieces
Like all Little People Playsets the bits and pieces are small and can get easily lost if you are not careful. Little People are the perfect size for toddler and preschool hands so they often “walk off” to various rooms in our house. This set doesn’t really have any built in storage because the enclosures are all open. As a result pieces can get misplaced easier than some other playsets which have built in storage. We try to keep all the Little People pieces in one shallow Rubbermaid bin when not in use and it has definitely helped contain them. However, as we add to our Little People family we may need to get a larger bin!
Video is a repeat
The video that is packaged with the Little People Animal Sounds Zoo happens to be the same video that is included with some other Little People playsets, such as the Fun Sounds Garage. Since most people who enjoy Little People end up purchasing multiple playsets I wish that they had included different videos with each set.
Overall
The Little People Animal Sounds Zoo is a huge success. I recommend this zoo for children who enjoy Little People playscenes and imaginary play. In particular the zoo will be a hit for children (and parents) who love wild animals, as the Little People (animal) figures just begged to be played with. The possibilities with this zoo are limitless and the easy to activate sounds are fun, not too loud and encourage children to imitate them. Now we go to the Zoo daily, in our very own living room.
To play with a demo of the product:
http://www.fisherprice.com/us/littlepeople/products/product.asp?id=9948
Goes well with these Little People Playsets
Little People Musical Zoo Train
Little People Baby Zoo Animals
Standard Little People Warning!
Fisher-Price states that this toy is for ages 1 year and up. Fisher Price Little People could pose as a choke hazard for small children so please supervise your child while playing with this set. On a side note, the Little People of today are significantly less of a choke hazard than the simpler version of the past. Being larger and with appendages it would be a difficult feat to get in your mouth. (I tried and it was not a pleasant experience - but that’s not to say a child wouldn't do it.)
The Little People Animal Sounds Zoo requires 3 AA batteries (NOT included) in order for the sounds to activate.
To clean the Little People Animal Sounds Zoo use a damp cloth with soap/water or a baby wipe. Little People figures themselves are washable by immersion or in the dishwasher.
For more info:
http://www.fisherprice.com/us/littlepeople
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 19.99
Type of Toy: Playscene
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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marytara
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Member: MT
Location: Jersey Shore
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