Fisher-Price Think and Learn Smart Cycle
(Fisher-Price $149.99)
Fisher-Price has come up with a new way to combine games with active play. It’s like a child-size version of your stationary bike and the faster kids pedal, Fisher-Price claims—"the more they will learn." Well, maybe. But most so-called learning games are not teaching so much as reinforcing concepts that children have already learned. Of course, reinforcing has value, too. The Smart Cycle offers a variety of games for varying levels: letter recognition, phonics, rhyming words, matching words, and spelling. We had an earlier version of this stationary bike when it was hooked up to the TV. Now, for another generation, the updated Smart Cycle is compatible with Apple iPad, Apple TV, most Android tablets, Android TV, Amazon Fire tablets, and Amazon FireTV. Although the cycle is labeled for a broad age group, the games are not one-size-fits all. That’s a good thing, but some families have noted that there are not a lot of games for each level. Marked for 36 months to 6 years, we’d say these games are more appropriate for older preschoolers and younger early school kids. There is an adjustable seat that will fit most 3’s and at the other end, it will work for 6s who are not very tall. One of our testers said she thought the age range 3-6 was right, although her seven-year old wanted to try it out, too.
Ages: Preschoolers, Early School
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2017
