Product Review: Fisher Price Learning Home

You know when you come up with an idea for an awesome invention and then you find out somebody has done it already? That's what happened to me in the case of the Fisher Price Learning Home--and I would have been rich, I tell you, because this baby retails at around a whopping $115!



My son loves this toy and, luckily, we inherited ours from a cousin, because I don't think we could have justified paying so much for it even in all its awesomeness. Its a toy door (that was my "great" idea!), with a light switch, ringing doorbell, mailbox, clock, window, and numerous other open and closing and spinning and sound-making/singing/teaching devices. Really, what baby could stay away?

I do have a few bones to pick with the toy, though, and they are safety related (so you toy makers at Fisher Price better listen up!) After some time, the stickers start to peel off, which could definitely be a choking hazard (I don't know why children's toy makers don't just print images directly onto the plastic). The window closes really forcefully and can slam little fingers. And, finally, my son has learned to push the whole darn thing over, which scares the hell out of me, but which there really is no remedy for (he is, apparently, the incredible hulk baby).  

That said, I really feel so lucky to have inherited the Fisher Price Learning Home and would consider it a must-purchase item for crawling to walking babies if it wasn't for the ridiculous price. Fisher Price has a Learning Farm with fewer bells and whistles for around $50 as an alternative, but if you could spare the dough or score the Learning Home as a gift (registry!), I'd say "go for it, mama!"