Fun & Learn Phonics Bus by LeapFrog
Written: Dec 28 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Automatic Shut Off, Volume Control, Size & Durability, Educational, Holds child's interest!
Cons: I haven't found any yet!
The Bottom Line: I'm certainly glad this LeapFrog bus made a stop at our home!
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| khahn86351's Full Review: Leap Frog Fun and Learn Phonics Bus Interactive Ga... |
The Updated Bus . . . LeapFrog has updated this toy since it originally was released in 1999. It is now called the Fun & Learn Phonics Bus Interactive Game.
Some of the differences I noticed from the older version are a volume control, one less character and mode options. It’s still the same toy, but after reading some of the reviews on the older model here at Epinions, LeapFrog seemed to fix some of the features that many found annoying.
On to my review . . . My Son & His New Bus
My son couldn’t have received this present at a better time! We’ve been recently working on the alphabet these past two weeks and I can honestly say this toy has made it easier. My son has had this toy for almost a week now, and his interest in it grows daily.
Like most 2 year olds, my son picked out a few of his favorites new toys, and this is one of them. This isn’t the first LeapFrog product my son has owned. He also has The Learning Drum and Hug & Learn Baby Tad. Both of those toys were his favorites as well at one point in time.
Like all LeapFrog products, the Fun & Learn Phonics Bus is interactive, educational and fun! The Fun & Learn Phonics Bus helps with language & development; exploration; creativity; perceptual, motor and reasoning skills.
ENGLISH PLEASE!
What all this means is children can learn new songs, the names and sounds of the alphabet, interaction with the characters, coordination between their senses, and learn to make decisions.
Since this bus is geared for children ages 18 months & up, I wasn’t surprised to learn the bus has almost 30 different tunes, including “Wheels on the Bus” and the “ABC” song.
On the dashboard of the bus are 2 buttons. The music note plays the “Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round” and the horn button makes the bus honk and the lights flash.
There are actually 5 characters, but only 3 are on the bus. A frog as the bus driver, a duck as the middle passenger, and the back passenger is Casey Cat. The bus does tell you the names of all the characters, but I can’t understand anyone’s name except Casey’s. This is the only speech problem I have found so far, and I hear the bus about 4 hours out of every day. There is also a gentleman and a lady who speak and sing from time to time. To my knowledge, they do not have names.
The bus measures approximately 10.5" long x 6" high x 4" wide. It’s made of durable plastic with wheels that actually spin quite easily. My son has no problem making the bus roll OR FLY across our living room floor! The bus itself is bright yellow, with a blue base. Each character is bright and colorful. On the side of the bus are 26 colored letter buttons: red, blue, purple and green. They are very easy to push whether you have tiny fingers or big ones. There is also a small folding stop sign that goes in and out just like a real bus, the mode selector, and a volume switch.
Yes, I did say VOLUME switch! Thank you LeapFrog! The choice between High and Low should put some comfort in parents ears . . . something that seemed to cause annoyance in the earlier model.
When the bus is on the LOW level, the bus is not annoying, but you have to listen closely to hear what they are saying. This is fine if you are sitting right in front of the bus. The HIGH level could be rather annoying, but it makes it much easier to understand what the characters are saying.
What I find most interesting is the Mode Selector Switch. There are 4 modes, plus an off button. The mode selections allow a child to start with the simple A, B, C’s and grow in difficulty when the child becomes ready . . . making a toy last a little longer!
Learn Mode
The learn mode allows children to press any letter and learn what sound the letter makes. If you press a character down while in this mode, they say a rhyme.
Find A Letter Mode
This mode plays a catchy tune that asks the child to find a letter by naming it. If your child is having trouble, pressing a character will give a clue . . . such as what color the letter is. Since my son is just learning the alphabet, the clues are a little too advanced for him right now, but will be a great learning aid when he gets a little more comfortable with the alphabet.
Find A Letter Sound Mode
This mode is almost exactly the same as the “Find A Letter Mode” except it sounds out the letter instead of saying it.
Music Mode
Each letter of the alphabet corresponds to it’s own tune, plus it plays the alphabet song!
Batteries ARE included!
Amazing! Yes, this toy actually comes with the batteries. The only problem with this is you never know how much the toy was played with in the store. When it’s time to replace the batteries, the sounds become hard to understand, or will repeat over and over.
The battery door is located on the bottom of the bus and can be opened with a small screwdriver. It only takes 3 AA batteries to amaze your child!
And don’t worry about wasting batteries because if the bus isn’t played with for 30 seconds, it automatically turns off!!! Pressing any buttons will turn it back on.
www.LeapFrog.com
If you are looking to buy any LeapFrog products, the Website provides all the information you need to know and has a “WHERE TO BUY” link. You can either search for a local store in the USA or Canada, or purchase the Fun & Learn Phonics Bus at stores online such as Wal-Mart, Toys-R-Us, KB Toys and Target. The current price for the Fun & Learn Phonics Bus is $24.99.
The Fun & Learn Phonics Bus comes with a Parent Guide & Instructions, but what’s really nice is when you lose this pamphlet, you can go to the Website and download another one! The bus also comes with a 3-month warranty from the original date of purchase against defective workmanship and material. Leap Frog will either repair or replace the bus. You either fill out the warranty card provided in the box, or online at www.leapfrog.com
The Website is very simple to navigate, with pages loading fairly quickly. It is also easy to contact Customer Service through the site.
Email: support@leapfrog.com
1-800-701-LEAP (5327)
According to the Website, the Fun & Learn Phonics Bus has won many awards:
· 1999 Winner, National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval
· 1999 Finalist, American Toy Institute (American Foundation for the Blind)
· 1999 Winner (Educational Category), The Great American Toy Test
· 1999 Winner, CBS This Morning Toy Test
And the 2002 best Christmas present in our home award! ;)
© khahn86351 – December 2002
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): GIFT
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: Other
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khahn86351
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Member: Kati
Location: Ohio, USA
Reviews written: 123
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