Not For Left-Handed Children ~ Fisher-Price Farmer Says See 'n Say!
Written: Oct 20 '05 (Updated Feb 07 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: ● Durable
● Learning toy
Cons: ● Boring
● Not designed for lefty’s
● No volume control
● Requires batteries
The Bottom Line: Your right-handed child may like the Farmer Says See 'n Say, but it's awkward for lefty's.
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| marybatson's Full Review: Fisher Price See 'n Say Farmer Says Electronic Lev... |
As a rule, I don’t write on products when 3 Top Reviewer’s have already recorded their thoughts. That is, unless I have a contrary opinion. Well, when I learned of Michelle’s Nostalgia Write Off, I thought the See ‘n Say would definitely qualify as a reminiscence-type of toy. Thus, I figured I’d get in on the fun, even though my contribution is late.
Several years ago while cruising the isles of my local Toys R Us, I saw the Farmer Says See ‘n Say perched on the shelf. It’s bright blue with yellow accents, so it caught my eye, but I was drawn to pick it up out of remembrance more than anything. I had a See ‘n Say when I was a kid, and loved it. My initial reaction to the new version was one of disgust. You know, scrunched nose, and pursed lips. The question, “Why do company’s change their products?” came to mind. The new See ‘n Say is different from the one I had when I was young. First off, it’s made of plastic. I think the 1960’s version was primarily made of wood. The plastic edition is also quite a bit smaller, 8” x 8” x 1½” wide. In addition, the new version has a lever, rather than a pull-string. The basic function is the same, manually position the pointer to the animal of choice, pull the lever, and listen.
Over the years, the See ‘n Say has featured countless themes, the alphabet, numbers, Mickey Mouse, and even the Peanuts gang. When I was a kid, my See ‘n Say introduced farm animals, and at least this aspect of the Farmer Says See ‘n Say is the same. It includes 10-different animals one might see on a farm: a lamb, a dog, a duck, a frog, a horse, a rooster, a pig, a cow, a bird, and a cat. When the lever is pulled, the “farmer” says, “The cat goes, meoooooow,” and so forth. The animals are colorfully animated, and the names of the animals are clearly printed along the edge. The bright yellow lever is located on the upper right corner, whereas a handle of sorts is positioned on the upper left corner. Molded into the bottom of this mostly circular toy, is a pair of feet that allow the toy to stand upright.
The toy only weighs a pound, thus, toddlers can lift it, and carry it around the house without trouble. The sound quality is good. The farmers voice is clear, and easily understood. It’s not an obnoxiously loud toy, but there’s no volume control, or On/Off switch. When jarred, the Farmer Says See ‘n Say can go-off in the toy box. Oh, and let’s not forget that the improved edition requires batteries, 2 AA’s, which were included in the purchase price. The battery compartment is located on the back of the toy. A Phillips screwdriver is required to open, and to replace the batteries.
Our Experience:
I think most of the fun in playing with the classic version of this toy was in pulling the string. I know I played with mine longer than I should have, because of that silly pull-string. I don’t happen to have any of my childhood toys kicking around. Thus, in replacing them with the newer versions I’m hoping to share my memories, and start new ones with my little guy. Unfortunately, the Farmer Says See ‘n Say didn’t “do it” for my boy. William was 20-months old when he received this toy, so he was right in the age range of 18-months to 4-years. He never liked this toy. He’d pick it up, play for maybe 5-minutes, and then move on to something more exciting. It was awkward for him to adjust to the right-lever, left-handle thing, since he’s left-handed. I noticed he’d compensate by turning the toy to the side, so he could push the lever with his left hand. Yep, when turned to the side, one must push the lever, rather than pulling it.
In addition, the lever doesn’t always work, causing more frustration. In other words, when you pull the lever, or push it as the case may be, the pointer rotates, but the farmer doesn’t say anything. This can happen several times in a row, causing aggravation. The handle is somewhat goofy too. It doesn’t have an opening. It’s a molded handle. It works perfectly for little hands, but would be more user friendly if an actual hole were present.
For all its downfalls, the Farmer Says See ‘n Say is durable. My son has only picked up this toy (to play with it) maybe a dozen times in almost 3-years; however, it’s been thrown, and dropped twice that amount. What's more, the paper pictures of the animals are in perfect condition. The bottom line, I wish Fisher-Price left the toy with a pull-string. I think the size adjustment is an improvement for little hands, but the real fun comes in with pulling the string. The Farmer Says See ‘n Say is a disappointment, especially for left-handed children.
Fisher-Price Headquarters
636 Girard Avenue, East Aurora, and NY 14052
Telephone: 1-800-432-KIDS 8 AM ~ 6 PM EST Monday through Friday
www.fisher-price.com/
Additional Fisher-Price Reviews:
Activity Center
Symphony Star Beads
View-Master Thomas & Friends Gift Set
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): $12.99
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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marybatson
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Member: Mary
Location: Phoenix
Reviews written: 169
Trusted by: 188 members
About Me:
We are all apt to believe what the world believes about us.
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