Fisher-Price PowerTouch Baby Learning System; Power to the Babies!
Written: Jan 11 '05 (Updated Jan 20 '05)
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Pros: Educational; wide age range; lots of variety; touch-activated; extra books available; volume control.
Cons: Exceptionally sensitive; small cartridges; somewhat flimsy books; extra books expensive.
The Bottom Line: While it has it's flaws, Fisher-Price PowerTouch Baby is a fun way to introduce babies and toddlers to reading, counting, shapes, colors, music and much more.
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| krissingene's Full Review: Fisher-Price PowerTouch Baby Learning System |
As a long-time bookworm and a fan of educational toys in general, some sort of book-centered learning system was bound to join our household sooner or later. I was more than a little disappointed to find that these systems were targeted at older children - the My First LeapPad, for example, is recommended for ages three and up. However, after some online research, I found that the name "My First LeapPad" is misleading, as there is actually a similar system for babies and toddlers by the same company - the LittleTouch LeapPad, for children ages 6-36 months. I immediately and unquestioningly added it to my (Rachael's) Christmas list.
And then I saw an ad in one of the many parenting magazines that I subscribe to for the Fisher-Price PowerTouch Baby Learning System. Come on, I thought at first, what could Fisher-Price possibly have on LeapPad?! And yet, I decided to comparison shop before making a final selection.
~* LeapPad vs. Fisher-Price *~
I set about decision-making with the preconceived notion that LeapPad's toys were educationally superior to all others; while Fisher-Price makes excellent 'fun' toys, their educational value has been more dubious. Therefore, I never expected to choose good 'ol FP over my beloved LeapPad.
The size and shape of the two learning systems are similar enough, both are book-based (that is, books with interactive pages snap onto the toy itself) and both are operated via a touch of the hand rather than by an electronic pen like some of the systems for older children are. Even the three play modes of the two toys were very familiar.
The biggest difference, at the time I made my decision, was in the number of books available for each book. The LeapPad had 13 books in its repertoire, while the much newer PowerTouch Baby had only six (five available at the time with one more due on the shelves in late December.) The PowerTouch Baby books immediately appealed to me more - the letters, numbers and colors were more what I had in mind than the storybooks offered by LeapPad (even though Guess How Much I Love You? and Where the Wild Things Are are two of my favorites!)
Although the PowerTouch Baby was so new at the time that there were no online reviews to speak of, it was obviously very, very similar to it's LeapPad counterpart. In fact, the only detail I noticed that made the PowerTouch different at all was the addition of textures in some of the books - downy bird feathers, a curly bear and a fluffy dog, to date, with more books sure to be added in the future. Knowing how much my little girl enjoys exploring new textures, I decided to take a gamble on Fisher-Price's version of the learning system.
~* What You Get *~
The PowerTouch Baby system measures about 16" long and 12" tall and weighs approximately two pounds with the batteries in place. The oval shaped toy is mostly white, with curved purple handles at each end and a purple section at the top. While the tiny master power switch is located on the back side of the unit, it is used primarily for resetting the toy if needed - a larger, more accessible on/off switch (lime green, with an indentation for a thumb or finger) is located at the top right of the toy. A round built-in speaker sits at the top left, with a four-position volume control at the center of the unit near the top.
The main area of the toy is a large rectangle, clearly divided into two sides by a vertical gap in the center, in which the spine of the book will rest when in use. However, a book is not needed to play with this toy as there are built-in musical activities. Two large stickers cover each side of the main tray, and touching the different areas of the stickers cause the toy to begin playing.
Four brightly colored xylophone keys run across the bottom of each side, each playing a distinct note when touched. (As a music nerd, I love that I can play an entire eight-note scale and a couple of simple songs, such as Mary Had A Little Lamb, on this toy!) Above the "keys" on the left side of the toy are pictures of four instruments - an electric guitar, a trumpet, a recorder (like a flute) and a xylophone. When touched, each plays a short tune from that instrument, and the keys at the bottom will make the same instrument sound. (If no instrument is selected, the keys will make a xylophone sound by default.) At the top left corner of the left panel is a purple circle containing a music note; if this area is touched, the toy will play a longer melody by a random instrument, although it usually begins with the last one in use.
On the right side of the toy are three pictures - a little red-haired boy in a sailboat, a blonde girl with pigtails, and a smiling star in a blue swirl of smaller stars. Each of these plays a long song when touched. The boy in the boat plays a lovely version of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", with several instruments playing in rounds, as well as a whimsical nautical melody (think old Popeye cartoons!) The little girl plays several versions of "If You're Happy and You Know It", including one entirely comprised of barking dogs and another made up of many silly sounds (dog barking, the 'boing' of a spring, etc). Not surprisingly, the star plays "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", and nothing else. In the top right corner of this panel is a red circle containing three small music notes which plays several melodies, again using random instruments, when touched.
One book, Baby Animals, is included with the PowerTouch Baby system. Let me point out here that this system is based on a book/cartridge combo - purchased separately, each book will come with a colorful plastic cartridge that snaps easily into an indentation in the top of the toy; only with the book and the cartridge in place will the PowerTouch Baby respond to the book. However, while the Baby Animals book included with the system does come with a lime green cartridge, in this instance the cartridge is not needed in order to use the book. An insert included in the box states that the cartridge is included only to show proper placement of future cartridges.
PowerTouch Baby requires four AA batteries, which are not included. A Phillips screwdriver is needed to remove two screws holding the plastic battery cover onto the back side of the toy.
~* Baby Animals *~
Like all of the books available for the PowerTouch Baby, Baby Animals is a thin book made of a coated paper - heavier than normal paper, but I still get the feeling that I could rip it without much effort if I tried. It is sturdy enough to hold up to less-than-gentle turning of pages, but parents should supervise babies when using the books nonetheless. Each page of the book, including the covers, has an indented tab at the top and one or more silver ovals; through contact with a series of oval sensors built into the system tray, these tell the PowerTouch Baby which book is in use, and which page is active.
The book is spiral bound and attached to a sturdy plastic spine, which bears the name of the book on the flat outer edge. The flat portion of the spine fits snugly into the center groove and snaps into place, locking at one point near the top of the book. Once in place, the book fits perfectly in the indented center panel of the PowerTouch Baby, and the pages turn easily on the spiral binding.
The front of the Baby Animals book features a brown bunny holding a carrot, looking a butterfly above his head. The bunny has a round hole removed from the stomach area, beneath which lies soft, brown fur for baby to touch. Even the cover of the book is interactive in several areas - a pleasant female voice says "baby bunny", "carrot" or "butterfly" when the appropriate pictures are touched, and a boinging noise also sounds when the bunny is touched.
The book opens to six colorful two-page spreads, all featuring adorable baby animals with lots of blue sky and green leaves. Baby birds, squirrels, bunnies, a kitten, and a puppy are all featured in this book, with all the animals coming together at the end. On every page, the same round cutout reveals silky brown fur (or feathers, as the case may be) for baby to touch. Of course, the hole in the book, once opened, is also on the left hand side of the toy, revealing the green xylophone key of the base underneath. When the area inside this hole is touched, the PowerTouch Baby will either make a fun noise, play a short tune, or read the words on the page.
Each two-page spread has a short, simple sentence (for example, "Baby bunnies hop near their home in the ground.") When the sentence is touched, it is read aloud, and pictures are identified by name, sound (as that of a dog barking) or even a brief sentence ("The puppy sleeps in his doghouse.")
At the top left corner of each spread is a red circle labeled 'story'. When in story mode, the unit first reads each sentence on a spread, and then responds to the touch of individual pictures with a short sentence ("Baby squirrels are furry.")
At the top right corner of the spread are a red circle labeled 'explore' and a green circle labeled 'surprise'. In Explore mode, the toy continues to explain the items that are touched ("That's the kitten's toy," when touching a toy mouse, for example.) In Surprise mode, the unit instructs you to touch something - for example, "something in the yard" or "a bird". Baby is rewarded with an excited "terrific!" or "fantastic!" if the right object is touched; if the wrong object is pointed out, it says "you touched a (whatever it is). Now touch (next object)." I do appreciate that baby isn't reprimanded if the incorrect object is selected, only told what it is that she's touched instead.
Even the back cover of the book, which pictures the other books available for the PowerTouch Baby is interactive - touching the different covers results in the playing of a ten-second or so melody (I thought Old McDonald for the Little People Farm book was especially appropriate!)
~* The Good *~
Obviously, with the various play modes and variety of books available, the PowerTouch Baby offers numerous ways for baby to learn. Whether it's identifying animals, numbers, letters, colors and shapes or learning to read short words, this system has incorporated it all - and as a result, created a toy that may well be intriguing to babies of all ages. While my daughter didn't start using hers until she was ten months old, I'm sure she would have enjoyed the sounds and songs even sooner - thus, the low end of the age recommendation (six months) could well be accurate. Just don't expect your six month old to be interested in looking at the book for very long! Likewise, older toddlers will be better able to interact with the PowerTouch Baby, turning pages and responding to the toy's requests to touch a certain object, extending the toy's appeal to the other end of the age recommendation at 36 months. I'm looking forward to watching how the level of interaction changes over time, and hoping that she enjoys it even more in a few months than she does now.
~* The Bad *~
It occurred to me while writing this review that, while I actually like the PowerTouch Baby a great deal, I have quite a few legitimate gripes about it as well. Please keep in mind that these are slightly annoying observations, although they probably wouldn't affect my decision to purchase this system all over again.
* Cartridges: Even though each cartridge has a large sticker on the front bearing the name of and a scene from it's corresponding book, they are still small pieces that bear keeping up with. Measuring about 3" across and 1.5" tall, you can see why they might be easily misplaced - and of course, the books won't work without them. Digging around the Fisher-Price website did not unearth any way to replace lost cartridges, and at $15 a pop for book/cartridge combos, they're not something you want to misplace. I keep all of ours (as well as several other types of small toys) in an empty and dried-out wipes container in the toybox, labeled for easy access.
* Baby-Friendliness: Sure, this system is designed for babies in a very broad age range, but that doesn't mean a young child will be able to maneuver it effectively. Although there are indentations on each side to allow for easier page turning, they're still sometimes difficult to grasp, even for me. At just under a year old, my daughter simply grabs them in the middle and crumples them somewhat to get a grip for turning. And again, the pages are only made of a heavy, coated paper, meaning that parents must be vigilant when in use by a small child to prevent rips.
And while perhaps too difficult for an infant, it is in some ways not up to holding it's own against a toddler either. Even though the book snaps and "locks" into place in the center of the unit, it took my little girl less than five minutes to grab the book and yank it right off, sending it flying across the room. And knowing how to do this, she simply won't leave the book alone at this stage. I have to be sure and hold the book in place to keep her from pulling it off during use. Flinging toys off the couch or across the floor is a favorite pasttime right now, and she has even managed to pull the cartridge out when grasping the toy by the top. For that matter, I've done it a time or two myself.
* Cleaning: Baby toys are going to get gummy and cruddy, and this one has a whole lot of white on the main surface area. While the toy itself is easily wiped down with a damp cloth, the books are harder to clean. With pages that aren't exactly water-resistant and furry textures appearing in half of the available books, parents may want to be sure little ones approach this toy with clean hands. Once that fur gets sticky and matted, I don't think there's any coming back.
* Sensitivity: Here is the real catch-22, darned if you do and darned if you don't feature of the PowerTouch Baby and, I dare say, it's similar cousins as well. Babies - and probably most toddlers too - aren't going to approach this system with one finger extended, delicately touching one picture at a time. No, chances are that both hands will be on the pages and moving at the speed of light all over the place. And when this happens, PowerTouch Baby gets confused. It attempts to say everything that those little hands come in contact with, and gets pitifully jumbled as it talks over itself. I was surprised to find that an action as simple as rubbing the fur on one of the pages causes the same effect; as you run a finger across the texture, all of the phrases associated with that area (say, the animal's name and the noise it makes) play over and over, in rapid fire succession. It will certainly take an older child to use this system in a manner that will prevent the jumbling of words, and then with much instruction. Heck, even I make it jump around sometimes by inadvertently brushing against another picture as I move my hand around the page, and I have 25 years on this toy's intended user!
~* Overall *~
Despite my long list of complaints, I do really like the PowerTouch Baby and don't regret purchasing it over it's LeapPad counterpart. At $30, it's reasonably priced for an educational toy that will do so much, although I do feel that the books are ridiculously priced at $15 each. (Thankfully, Gramma bought the four books that were available at Christmastime, and I don't mind purchasing just one more to complete her collection.) With a wide suggested age range, this system will grow with my baby and surely teach her a thing or two along the way.
~* Other Books *~
These books (and coordinating cartridges) are currently available for the PowerTouch Baby:
Cutie Bear's Colors
I Know My Letters
I Know My Numbers
Little People Farm
My Fuzzy Puppy
~* Contact Information *~
For more information, visit Fisher-Price online at www.fisher-price.com or call 1-800-432-KIDS (1-800-432-5437).
~* Also By Fisher Price *~
Cradle Swing B0639 * Deluxe Take-Along Swing * Kick 'N Play Piano * Laugh & Learn Learning Phone * Laugh & Learn Learning Table * Link-a-doos On-the-Go Goldfish * Link-a-doos Teething Ring * Ocean Wonders Aquarium * Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer * Peek-a-Blocks Barnyard Friends Blocks * Sesame Street Light-Up Pet Pals: Ernie * Sparkling Symphony Twinkle Dancer * Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 29.99
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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krissingene
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Member: Kristin
Location: Southern VA
Reviews written: 267
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The strength of Motherhood is greater than Natural Laws. -Barbara Kingsolver
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