Award-Winning Check-Up Ernie, the Perfect Patient
Written: Nov 23 '00 (Updated Nov 24 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Entertainment value galore with an emphasis on role-play, high quality accessories with plenty of response points
Cons: none
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| forkids's Full Review: Check-up Ernie |
Our kids have the medical kit but this is the first responsive plush patient my kids have ever “worked” on. We were given the opportunity to test-drive the hot new Sesame Street introduction for July 2000, Check-Up Ernie by Fisher-Price. This is an innovative toy that gives my kids a chance to role-play a doctor visit with the obligatory “shot” and temperature check.
Check-Up Ernie is winning awards left and right and has caught the attention of the Oppenheims’ who gave it the Platinum Award-2001, the award given to those toys that are the most inventive, engaging products of the year. The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio is one of the most respected awards organizations for the Toy Industry and one I pay a lot of attention to and have for the last five years. Toy Wishes has also mentioned Check-Up Ernie in their Holiday 2000 Edition.
Other Toy Awards for Check-Up Ernie
• Parenting Magazine – 2000
• Parents Magazine - 2000
Check-Up Ernie is the perfect size for toddlers and preschoolers. He’s the other half of the famous Sesame Street duo, Ernie and Bert. Ernie is the cuddly one with more personality than the slim and serious Bert. He comes dressed in non-removable clothes with his fuzzy shock of black hair gracing the top of his head. His body is soft velour with more stuffing than some of the other battery operated plush dolls.
Check-Up Ernie comes loaded with entertainment value and the following points are what make him so extra-special. Ernie has a cold and it’s your child’s perfect opportunity to play “Doctor”. He’s a pleasant patient that comes with high quality accessories:
• Stethoscope - This stethoscope opens wide to accommodate all sizes of children and adults. There are no sharp points and the parts are securely attached. The red base of the stethoscope has a hidden mechanism that interacts with Ernie as kids check his heartbeat. Ernie says, “I have a good heart” when the stethoscope head is pressed against his heart, which is located just under his yellow pocket with the heart painted on the front. You will also hear his heart beat.
• Tongue Depressor - this beige plastic tongue depressor with the words, “SAY AHH” imprinted on the front and Ernie’s face sketched into the back, is strong yet flexible. It would take some extreme effort to break. It is wide, oversized, and just thick enough for small hands to manipulate. If you press the tongue depressor against Ernie’s pink velour tongue he’ll say, “Ahh, Do I have a fever, Doctor?” Keep pressing and Ernie will respond with a garbled, “Ahhhhh, are you done? Do I have a fever, Doctor?”
• Thermometer - a chunky, yellow plastic rendition of a thermometer with a spinning red and white temperature gauge inside. All red, of course, is not a good sign. The thick, clear, plastic, rounded tip can be pressed in Ernie’s mouth, like the tongue depressor, to check for a temperature and a response of, “Ahh, Do I have a fever, Doctor?”
My kid testers liked to pretend this was a “shot” in addition to a thermometer. Empathy goes a long way in role-play.
In addition to the above accessories, Ernie comes with his own white handkerchief. Help Ernie blow his nose by giving it a gentle squeeze and you’ll be met with, a short blow and “Wow! I was all stuffed up.” A dangling pet frog can be inserted in Ernie’s pocket for a giggly response from Ernie, a “ribbit” from the frog and, “That’s my pet frog” from Ernie. Feel the pet frog’s magnet in the back to understand that this magnet alignment with another in Ernie’s pocket is what activates the response.
One of our most favorite parts to Check-Up Ernie is his Rubber Ducky Band-Aid. Pull up his bandage to hear Ernie tell you, “Oh good, my boo-boo is all better.” Replace the Velcro bandage for another pull and another response.
This check-up is thorough and filled with laughter. Be prepared for repeat doses of each activity as the kids put Ernie through his paces.
One thing that will thrill most parents, the toy is still operable without any of the included accessories. The bandage and hanky are sewn on and the pressure on the highlighted spots will still elicit a response with or without the pieces. So if you lose one, Ernie still remains a great patient.
Test batteries are included but after that you’ll need three AA’s which are inserted into their box (with a screwdriver) on the back of Ernie, underneath a very strong Velcro attachment that will be difficult for a young child to open. Because the toy only activates when the pressure points are pressed, the battery usage is minimal.
The cord that attaches the frog to Ernie’s pocket is within safety requirements and does not pose any dangers to young ones if it ever does become detached, which is highly unlikely. Though there are no volume controls, Check-Up Ernie is not unusually loud or annoying.
We missed practicing with Ernie for our last real check-up, but this is another reason Check-up Ernie provides some valuable lessons. Role-play is a valuable learning experience so is fun, Check-Up Ernie provides both. This is a quality toy that deserves the awards bestowed upon it.
Recommended for ages: 18 mos. + and five-year-olds still get a kick out of it. Ernie will require a quick run-through for the younger ones. The frog requires some dexterity to get him in Ernie’s pocket properly; parental help in this area may be required. Or the child can hold the frog up to Ernie’s pocket for the same response.
Online Availability and Price Comparison
eToys.com: $24.99
amazon.com: $24.99
Recommended:
Yes
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