Bear in the Big Blue House + Fisher-Price= Quality!
Written: Dec 12 '00 (Updated Dec 12 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Highly entertaining and my kids can repeat the song without any problems. Anything that gets my son to sing is a good thing.
Cons: Won't necessarily teach your child to cha cha.
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| forkids's Full Review: Love to Dance Bear |
I laughed out loud when I first saw those dancing Santa Claus dolls a year or two ago. These wiggling, jolly Santa’s were probably a huge hit at the American International TOY FAIR and toy buyers snapped them up. I have no idea how their sales numbers performed but they sure did draw the crowds. We can’t go by one of these displays without stopping and watching the routine for awhile. Same thing goes for “Big Mouth Billy Bass”, the silly singing fish.
I don’t have the wiggly Santa or the singing fish but, we do have one of the Hot toys of the season, Love to Dance Bear another winner by Fisher-Price, a brand we own in quantity and trust. If you’re familiar with the Disney Channel’s Bear in the Big Blue House then you already know the lead character, Bear. The seven-foot bear with the scraggly hair.
If you are not familiar with Bear in the Big Blue House it is a TV program that is a huge hit with preschoolers and their parents. When I first saw it I fell in love with Bear, as did my kids. Created by the Jim Henson Company of the Muppets/Sesame Street fame, this show is a must-visit for some good, clean fun. Here is a snippet from the website:
Bear in the Big Blue House features a charming cast of Muppets that educate and entertain through childhood exploration. The series introduces a group of wonderful new characters. Bear, the host of the half-hour show, is exuberant, playful, curious, funny and filled with civility and concern. He speaks directly to the audience and invites them into his home each day to play, learn and sing with his friends Tutter, the mouse; Ojo, the little bear; Pip and Pop, two otters; Treelo, the lemur; and Luna, the moon. Together they explore such diverse concepts as art, water, shapes, gravity, friendship and safety.
Bear dances, he sings (some favorite songs are "Welcome To The Blue House", "The Bear Cha-Cha-Cha", "Clean Up The House" and "Goodbye Song") and charms us viewers; so much so that I bought two videos so that we could enjoy him on our own schedule. We also own our first licensed toy from this show and love his brand of entertainment.
He Sings
Love to Dance Bear is an interactive doll that dances and sings a little song.
It’s time for the Bear Cha-Cha-Cha!
Cha-Cha-Cha, Ah-Cha-Cha, Goin’ to cha-cha-cha Ooh la la, goin’ to cha-cha-cha the Bear cha-cha-cha. Cha-cha-cha, ah-cha-cha, goin’ to cha-cha-cha, ooh la la, goin’ to cha- cha-cha…the Bear cha-cha-chaaaa, Cha-cha-cha (familiar Bear giggle at the end).
The sound level is just fine and mimics Bear’s voice perfectly. He can be turned off via a small black switch inside. Just pull apart the Velcro closing on Bear’s back to view the battery pack, it is on top of the battery pack. Though your kids will be enamored with the entire experience every time, you might need the break. This on/off availability is an extra bonus for Love to Dance Bear.
He Dances
Very well, thank you. Amazingly, Bear does a very steady cha-cha-cha dance on the tabletop without falling off. His hard, plastic soles keep him grounded and steady. Press his left paw and he’s off. He wiggles from left to right, head swinging and everything, while his feet move back and forth.
Bear’s Visual Appearance
He is 14” tall, leans toward a soft orange-brown color with soft, shaggy fur. So shaggy, you’ll want to squish him around a bit or drag him along like my daughter does. His big nose is a soft, velour; a much better quality than some other brands we own. His blue nose invites a squish and his black plastic eyes aren’t going anywhere, they are secure and tight.
He really is adorable (and I don’t like to use this term too loosely) and a good rendition of the real thing. He is cuddly despite the hard battery pack inside. There’s enough loose fur to keep Bear on the softer side of some of these interactive toys.
Keep him clean with a damp cloth. Don’t throw in the washer or dryer due to the battery box and all that goes with them.
Average play time
We’ve found this to be a toy that is played with periodically throughout the day for an average of ten minutes each (long in toddler terms). Double your play length when new kids come over.
Love to Dance Bear is a novelty toy that isn’t going to teach the three R’s but it will get your toddler singing, bouncing, giggling, and pressing his paw for more. Total entertainment! Put this under your “Special Toy” category not necessarily your “Basics”.
Award-Winning
Love to Dance Bear won an award from Family Fun Magazine for the year 2000. I read and trust this magazine.
Recommended age: 18+ months – 4. The five-year-olds on up will get a kick out of this toy, too.
Price Comparison and Availabilty:
EToys.com - $29.99
Amazon.com - $29.99
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
forkids
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 - Top 500 |
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Taking a long overdue coffee break...back soon.
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