Mega Bloks Learning Station ~ A Great Choice for a "Blok-Head"
Written: Aug 14 '02 (Updated Aug 15 '02)
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Pros: Lots and Lots of activities, Building toy, Self-storage
Cons: None!
The Bottom Line: Mega Bloks Learning Station is the gift that keeps on giving!
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| willeftk's Full Review: Mega Bloks Learning Station 8960 |
Last Christmas my mother purchased a very clever toy for my son called Mega Bloks Learning Station. We had never owned a Mega Bloks toy before this one and I knew very little about them. Her purchase for my son who was then 2 ½ was an excellent choice and my son has continued to enjoy playing with this delightful toy that will continue to entertain him well into his preschool years and possibly beyond.
~My Favorite! A Toy That Grows With the Child~
At first glance, it seems that the Learning Station is merely a colorful mock computer filled with assorted Mega Bloks. That is correct. It also is an electronic toy that teaches colors, shapes, numbers and an appreciation for classical music.
The Station
The body of the Learning Station is about 18 inches tall and wide. The base is red and yellow and the top looks like a blue computer screen. The middle of the faux screen is clear with a cute smiling face embossed on it. The Learning Station is hollow which enables it to hold the Mega Bloks. It is topped off with a red lid that covers the entire length of the toy.
The top looks like a huge LEGO and can be used as a base for the Bloks. Jutting out from the sides of the top are speakers and two handles that make it very easy for a young child to carry around.
Drawn on the base of the station are two gloved hands, one holding a ruler and the other a pencil. There are several buttons on the base, as well as an apple, but more on that later.
The Bloks
Included in the purchase price of the Learning Station are 20+ Mega Bloks. Mega Bloks are similar to LEGOs, but are much larger for small hands to work with. The Bloks are varied sizes and come in primary colors of blue, yellow, red and green. The set also includes some stickers that you can place on some of the Bloks to make simple puzzles for younger children. Mega Bloks are very easily stacked and my son loves to make “high towers” with them. It surprises me that with such a colorful and busy toy like the Learning Station he still want to use the Bloks to build with.
Spinner/Colored Buttons/Apple
In the middle of the base are six colorful buttons in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. They light up in different patterns depending upon the mode the Learning Station is in. Each button looks like the top of a Mega Blok and corresponds to a picture on a spinner above it.
The spinner is a cylinder that reminds me of a slot machine. The large plastic apple is pressed, and this causes the cylinder to spin. It will randomly land on a set of pictures, called “Discovery Themes.” The themes include:
Shapes
Animals
Letters
Numbers
Vehicles
Instruments
Pressing the apple is quite simple and requires very little effort. The “themes” are random, as I stated, and so you have to be patient if you are trying to land on a specific theme. It make take several presses on the apple until you get to the one you are looking for.
~Cute, But Is It Any FUN?~
Located at the bottom of the yellow base are several blue buttons. One button is an off/on switch and the other is a very simple volume control. This toy is not especially loud, but I like being able to control the volume. There is also a grouping of four buttons that control the specific activities.
Music Button
The music button is shaped like a music note and when it is pressed, it will play one of six classical music pieces. I never took music appreciation in school, but I hear some Mozart, Beethoven and definitely “Ode to Joy.” The music in plinky and child-like and my son enjoys it very much. The colored lights will keep in time to the various pieces as well.
Quiz Button
The quiz button will ask your child to find a specific picture when pressed, depending upon which theme is showing in the window. “Can you find the triangle?” or “Can you find the xylophone?” are some examples.
What is it? Button
This button has a picture of a magnifying glass on it and when in the “what is it” mode, the Learning Station will allow your child to explore the various pictures. When your child presses one of the colored buttons, the station will tell your child what is in the corresponding picture.
Listen and Learn Button
This button is very similar to the “what is it” button. It gets more specific and descriptive than the “what is it” button. For the “Discovery Theme” of instruments, it will play the sounds of the specific instrument, for shapes, it will state the color of the shape as well as the name of the specific shape.
Fun for ALL Ages
It is very hard for me to effectively describe this toy. It is jam packed with fun and my older two children (7 & 9) like to play with it as well. The older children especially like the classical music pieces. My son likes to play with the apple and watch the spinner, and build those wonderful towers.
When it is time for clean up, the Mega Bloks fit very nicely inside the Learning Station, which is a feature that I love. The Learning Station comes with 4 “AA” batteries and we have not yet had to change them.
The price tag is a bit steep at about $30.00, but when you consider the longevity of the toy, the price is easier to take. The recommended age range for the Learning Station is 18 months – 6 yrs and I definitely agree with that range.
Questions?
1-800-465-MEGA
Or check out the web site at:
www.megabloks.com
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): ~30.00
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: Kids to Teens
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Epinions.com ID:
willeftk
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Member: Kelly
Location: Chaos Central
Reviews written: 171
Trusted by: 163 members
About Me:
Mother of 4 seeking quiet and solace...
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