A sponsored post for Fisher-Price
How’s the Christmas shopping going? Done that mad rush to Big W yet only to shake your fists at the sky at your unorganised ways wishing you had lay-by’d the toys in August?
Or is that just me?
Lucky for Mags we were sent a new Fisher-Price toy to play with, the Bright Beats Dance & Move Beat Bo a fun new toy with lots of lights, music, singing and talking. For a third child who has spent a lot of time playing with Tupperware, she’s been thrilled with it.
And it got me thinking about some of the iconic Fisher-Price toys that my girls and Rob and I have enjoyed through the years…especially at Christmas time when they were received in our Santa sacks.
Who could forget the Chatter Phone?
My Mum still has our original wooden one that sits in her toybox from over 30 years ago, still going strong. I’ve got this version from Daise and Harps and despite a few knots in the cord, Mags happily plays with it. The string really seems to be her favourite part though? Just last week I was explaining to Harper that this was actually what phones LOOKED like. That you had to turn the dial to put in your number? She couldn’t make sense of it, but Rob and I had a good trip down memory lane recalling telephone tables with rolodex address books and note pads for writing down phone messages. Kids these days…
Or the Rock-a-Stack?
A core staple in any toy box from back in MY day and ever since. Babies (and puppies) chew on those rings, older kids stack and play with them. A winner!
And those First Blocks!
Ready to sort and play with for that little sitting baby. I must get some of these for Mags!
And how about going a little further back? Like riggggghhhhhhtttt back.
Remember this?! The ACTIVITY CENTRE!
Strapped inside any cot or playpen in the 70’s and 80’s just looking at this takes me back to my childhood. I remember the sound of that hare chasing the turtle. The squeaky little boy the bell! MY CHILDHOOD. I wonder if a version of these exist anymore?
Rob remembered this one. The Fisher-Price Garage!
I’m pretty sure my long suffering brother had one of these. Remember that pully system rope elevator? The petrol bowsers with string handles? THE RAMP. Good times, such good times.
And if I thought explaining a how a phone worked, imagine explaining this one to the kids. That music came from records, not iTunes.
Lucky for my girls, their Grandfather’s love of rock & roll on Vinyls means they have seen records before (and still listen to them now!). Man I remember those bumps on those records so much. I swear I have memories of chewing them, losing them.
Fisher-Price really have created some fun toys through the years and this new one may just be the next icon.
The BeatBo was a hit with Mags, but moreso with her older sisters who happily sat on the carpet with her and played with her for over 30 minutes….UNHEARD OF. There’s music, lights, a recording ability that kids always love to hear their own voices back, it dances and best of all for me? A non annoying voice over. Tick!
Introducing kids (from 6 months to 36 months) to letters, colours, counting & music it starts to teach cause and effect, starts to stimulate baby’s senses and cognitive development. But for me, the best bit, was the interaction with her sisters who were happy to play WITH her. I think that was Maggie’s favourite bit too!
And a good bit for YOU? On sale right now for just $60 (save $28). TICK!
What’s some of your best Fisher-Price toy memories?
Got any last minute shopping to do?
I found one of the Activity Centres at my mother in law’s, whacked it in the dishwasher for a clean and it came up great! Love the retro Fisher-Price stuff.
What a clever idea! Dishy!
You know what, I don’t think you can go past Fisher Price for kids Christmas gifts. My mum always says our Christmas is sponsored by Fisher Price, we have three girls 3 years old and under and they love it!
They are still playing with the chatter phone til this day! Love it
Everyone loves the chatter phone!
Those activity centres were awesome, they’re rare to find in good condition but they still exist.
I have one for sale on Ebay at the moment and every child that walks into my house makes a bee line for it, even the 15 year olds.
Oh man I am tempted to go and look for it!
mags is so enjoying it beth!
Tupperware is good too!
love it! m:)X
As are measuring cups!
Ha ha…now we are the ones saying “back in my day”. Telephone tables takes me right back to Grandmas house when it was a big deal to receive a phone call and shut the hall doors for privacy. My Aunty would sit there with her cigarettes and a glass of cask wine and talk for hours.
I really miss the old style phones. If there is an emergency, kids now have to know passwords for their parents phones and then work out how to actually call someone – even I can’t work out how to make calls on some mobiles!
We are those ones that say that…man how quickly it came around!
On his recent trip home my son (33) got his FP garage out & we gave it a clean up & he took it back to Sydney for his 2 year old – who absolutely loves it. My son can’t get over how Indestructible the lift is! Just love FP timeless toys!
Love that!
Haha! I think mum has bought the first two items for Oliver for Christmas and we bought the budget Kmart version of #3 for him too!
I’m not sure how I feel about noisey toys yet but when he gets a bit older they may be great to keep him entertained!
If they are limited…they can be good…and so cute when they dance along!
We did not have all you mention for my sons but had quite a few. What you haven’t mentioned is the little desk. Portable, but space underneath for papers. A sliding pencil case compartment which had coloured chalk to use on the chalkboard. Stencils of letters and numbers. Gorgeous.
Found several from 1972 on eBay. This is the desk. It and activity centre were great. Actually all were great. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fisher-Price-1972-176-Play-Desk-School-Days-Letter-Cards-Alphabet-/361448844658
Oh yes…the desk!
Oh Beth, my Mum still has that old Activity Centre and had it in the cot at her house for when my boys would visit. I used to LOVE it, oh the memories.
Of course she did!
That old activity centre brings back memories. When we first started fostering nearly 20 years ago friends donated heaps of clothes & toys so we had things at the ready as we could at very short notice get a call to take a boy or girl anywhere from newborn to 5. Someone gave us their activity centre that their kids had outgrown, we had it for years then when we only had older kids it was handed on again to my sister for a few years & then moved on again. Most of those toys have been in our house at one time.
Classics!
bahahaha we were at target this week and I couldn’t pull my (nearly) 7 and 3.5 year old away from that toy!!! gosh everyone’s Christmases would come at once if their younger bro got it (5 months)
Hope Santa brings it for them! 😉
I still have our original Fisher Price airport, castle, house, record player, cash register and TV, farm yard and train ! These toys have lasted over 40 years no batteries required!! And for our little boy who turns 1 just before Xmas we have purchased the train and lawn mower!!
The best Sarah – wish we still had ours! They stand the test of time alright!
Wish I could share a picture of the 80s FP construction / rescue set we’ve dig out recently for our little boy – the figurines all have handlebar mustaches and a Village-People vibe that makes me laugh and laugh!
Oh that’s GOOD!