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Fisher Price vs. Vtech faceoff - which is better?

EarlyMon

EarlyMon

The PearlyMon
VIP Member
Lately a few of us have been debating which company makes the best toys.

What's the right criteria? Number of toys sold, number of children happy, or level of tech? :confused:

This last xmas, I purchased a really nice Vtech learning tool for one of the kiddies, but I always wonder if Fisher Price isn't really the top dog.

I think while we all agree that toys ought be educational, I think there's a part of it that just comes down to having fun. I even think there's a cool factor involved, but I'm not sure.

Consider - made on a Fisher Price toy camcorder - the PXL 2000 - from the '80s.

120 x 90 black and white pixels - 15 fps. Recorded video to an audiocassette.


They call it - Pixelvision -

YouTube - Whitney (shot in Pixelvision) PXL 2000

YouTube - PXL 2000 Run

I don't know if Fisher Price will relive those past glory days, but with the new Android devices out for kids, I don't think either of these giants will ever be out of the running.

But even though some say Fisher Price costs more, I think there's real value for the money there.
 
For younger kids - anything that isn't too breakable and doesn't hurt if you step on the toy. I liked the My Little Pony. 1 accessory and the ponies were rubber.

We had a Speak and Spell or Speak and Read, I forget which. It was pretty durable.
That was TI. Fisher Price used to be good. They've had a few problems lately. If Lincoln Logs are still around they were good. Also Legos if you don't mind stepping on them.

I preferred toys that let kids use their imagination rather than just be entertained.

At least one or two of the national news channels had the story that things like Baby Einstein, etc were detrimental all in all. This was well before Christmas. You might be able to find the articles by Googling.
 
Legos are big at my house. We started a set 20 years and have just kept adding on to it.

You do anything with legos, I agree. And even they have introduced tech into their stuff.

The LEGO Kid - YouTube

I had Lincoln Logs as a kid - by the time my son came around they were more expensive and had more plastic, fewer wood, pieces.

But I think you're right, I missed the most important class of toys for thinkers and thinking.

From the Erector Set, to Legos, Lincoln Logs, K'Nex and let's not forget Tinker Toys - you're right, this is a whole class of toys that requires a youngster to create and manage a reality rather than having it served to them.

Good point, thanks!!!! :)
 
Being the father of 3 relatively young kids I think I can vouch for the validity of "building" toys. I have given them all kinds of electronic devices (leap frog seemingly the best) and they always come back to the simple stuff. My two daughters actually have always preferred building stuff from used cardboard boxes and such. Legos are a staple, as are k'nex or any high quality put-it-together-yourself kind of toy.

Anyway, good luck EarlyMon, it's a tough racket figuring out what the little ones enjoy... :)


Edit:
I just realized I didn't answer your question in the least. Lol. I was never a fan of the v-tech stuff (I don't think my kids were either.) Fischer Price is timeless, they really have what kids like figured out.
 
I think v-tech seem to have their finger on the pulse much more than fisher-price from a technology perspective but fisher-price are much more diverse and work within many educational/toy sub genres.

If either of them are going to be recession proof, it would definitely be fp.

I suppose for like for like comparison we need to look at the children's educational "computer" range.

Not having children, its difficult to get hands on so ill go with perception. V-tech look cooler but a bit more grown up. Fisher price and I go way back so that's where my heart is...
 
EarlyMon said:
Lately a few of us have been debating which company makes the best toys.

What's the right criteria? Number of toys sold, number of children happy, or level of tech? :confused:
Click to expand...

Not sure how one should gauge what is the best toy. Since I still love toys, I am sure my interests are a tad different than a child's interest. Some very cool things out there like Steam Engines; not cheap and not readily available retail, but very cool. I will always have a fondness and love for toys.

These days, a Christmas tradition I share with my brother is exchanging at least one toy.

I remember when toys were cool. Lots of great toys like Erector Sets, Tinker Toys, Creeple People/Thing Maker, Incredible Edibles, Mattel Varoom Engines, Ant Farms and Gilbert Chemistry Sets.

Unfortunately, Erector Sets contain sharp parts, so we can't have that kind of danger around our kids. Tinker Toys are made from wood so the forests will be decimated. Thing Makers/Incredible Edibles/Creeple People machines get hot and a child might get burned. Ant farms speak to the cruelty of God's creatures at the hand of man, and Chemistry sets ,well, they will be used by terrorists to make IEDs and we will all die.

Gilbert made some interesting stuff like their Gilbert Atomic Energy Lab that included radioactive ore as well as Alpha, Beta and Gamma sources. Try selling that these days.

Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab

Creeple People Link: Creeple Peeple

Wizzers--I had many of these: The Wizzers Page

Toy trains were fun, I fondly remember those. I wish I could set up a layout

And the ever present Duncan Yo-Yo and an assortment of cap guns were always fun.

Speaking of very cool, here is the perfect toy for you, Early:

Very, very, very fast Turbine powered RC Jet - YouTube
 
There are specialty toy stores in CO that DO make wooden toys. They are niche, but seem to be quite popular. They might make a block set with arches, columns, rectangular and square blocks. There might be some stores on the internet, too.
 
I got one of my grandsons a set of those, and they go very well with the elaborate wooden train set I gave him.

Wooden toys always remind me about what they say about us vi users - primitive but effective. ;)
 
EarlyMon said:
Lately a few of us have been debating which company makes the best toys.

What's the right criteria? Number of toys sold, number of children happy, or level of tech? :confused:

This last xmas, I purchased a really nice Vtech learning tool for one of the kiddies, but I always wonder if Fisher Price isn't really the top dog.

I think while we all agree that toys ought be educational, I think there's a part of it that just comes down to having fun. I even think there's a cool factor involved, but I'm not sure.

Consider - made on a Fisher Price toy camcorder - the PXL 2000 - from the '80s.

120 x 90 black and white pixels - 15 fps. Recorded video to an audiocassette.


They call it - Pixelvision -

YouTube - Whitney (shot in Pixelvision) PXL 2000

YouTube - PXL 2000 Run

I don't know if Fisher Price will relive those past glory days, but with the new Android devices out for kids, I don't think either of these giants will ever be out of the running.

But even though some say Fisher Price costs more, I think there's real value for the money there.
Click to expand...

I did a comparison between a Leapfrog LeapPad and the Vtech Innotab for my daughters Christmas present this year. When I was comparing it really read out like an iPad vs Android Tablet comparison. The Vtech won and she loves it.

The big things that showed up in the comparison was the number of cartridges that each had available, the number of games available for download, the amount of storage space each had or could be expanded to and the extra capabilities that each had.

The big deal to me was that the Vtech could be expanded to 16 gigs of space and the LeapPad could not be expanded at all. The Vtech can also play MP3s and MP4s. The LeapPad has many more apps/games available for it, but they cost twice as much and the Vtech line is growing.
 
330D said:
Being the father of 3 relatively young kids I think I can vouch for the validity of "building" toys. I have given them all kinds of electronic devices (leap frog seemingly the best) and they always come back to the simple stuff. My two daughters actually have always preferred building stuff from used cardboard boxes and such. Legos are a staple, as are k'nex or any high quality put-it-together-yourself kind of toy.

Anyway, good luck EarlyMon, it's a tough racket figuring out what the little ones enjoy... :)


Edit:
I just realized I didn't answer your question in the least. Lol. I was never a fan of the v-tech stuff (I don't think my kids were either.) Fischer Price is timeless, they really have what kids like figured out.
Click to expand...

Definitely agree with the Leapfrog over V-Tech statement, but it is mostly just personal preference.
 
I think it depends on the kids age.

For kids between 1-3, I prefer to get them Fisher Prices. They are durable and fun.
For kids between 3-4 I really like Leapfrogs toys. My nephews and nieces all have the fun phonic alphabet games at that age.

For 4 and up, I think vTech is much better for that age group. And the usual toys with small pieces like Legos and Kinect.

For 6 and above, the kids want 'real' toys >_>;;; I.E. Mommy's iPad or auntie's Atrix.

With Tablets getting cheaper and cheaper for Android, I believe that one of these companies can make a cheap durable Android tablet for kids.

When the Quad Core Transformer 7" comes out at $250, I believe that both the Kindle Fire and Amazon Tablet will really drop in price. When they do, I'll get my niece/nephew that for Xmas :)
 
Pretty sure there was a ruggedized kid's Android shown at CES.

For those curious, my grandkids range from 2 to 13. I haven't gone without buying toys for any year for over a quarter of a century. :D

Longer, if I count my toys. :p ;)
 
So.... Have you ever heard of Fischer-Tecknik (spelling?) Really cool building blocks made in Germany in the 80's. I wish I still had mine. I never appreciated it when I should have.
 
We didn't have those, but I googled and found you can still buy them -

Building Blocks of STEM Education - Fischertechnik North America

In the 80s, my kids were rocking these -

80's Capsela Toy Commercial - YouTube

One of these -

Armatron ... I Robot ^ - YouTube

My son and I loved this one, but I took a lot of heat for teaching my child to be a warmonger - Crossbows and Catapults!

crossbows and catapults - YouTube

But the number favorite toy that has survived decades of play and voted most fun by my kids as adults and now by a few of the tykes, Gearopolis -

16384_lg.jpg


They are still kept in the box, and the little ones respect that. They love the box.
 
Oh Capsela was so much fun. Damn I miss being a kid.


Edit:

Wow, I bet I had twenty sets of fischertechnik. Should have kept it. Looks to be worth a fortune....


And... We didn't need pretend war monger stuff... My best friend's brother shot me with his home made bow and arrow, right in the lip. Now this may sound like not a big deal, but it would stick wooden arrows without tips into the side of their barn. I'm lucky to be alive lol!
 
330D said:
Oh Capsela was so much fun. Damn I miss being a kid.
Click to expand...

Here comes the best part.

There is a time honored tradition of grandkids and grandparents bonding in special ways.

Your days of getting down on the carpet and playing with toys as the number one most important thing going - quite possibly, very, very far from being at an end. ;) :)

Ditto on the Capsela. :)
 
Wait until they find out the Crossbows and Catapults are squirreled away, fully intact, poised to corrupt the next generation.

No more lasers. $8000 of scientific glass for a laser setup destroyed by my son when he was in first grade. I tried to be upset but it was my fault, ultimately. Seriously - no more lasers.

Until next time. :D
 
Did someone say something about Android tablets for kids?


Nabi Tablet for kids. $199
NABI Kids Tablet with ANDROID (Quick Demo) - YouTube

Product Description
Nabi is the world's first, full-featured Android tablet made especially for kids. This revolutionary device is designed for "kiddified" web browsing, watching movies and TV shows, reading books, learning math, and much more. Nabi's responsive, high-resolution, brilliant, 7-inch capacitive Multi-Touch display allows kids to easily interact with kid-friendly games and content. Nabi includes over $150 worth of pre-loaded games, music, apps and books and will run over 500 applications and games catered to kids found in the Nabi App Store.

It's the everything tablet for kids:
It's a University: The award-winning Fooz Kids University is a Nabi exclusive with over 22,000 state standardized math skills covering grades Pre-K through 5th.
It's a Design Studio: 30+ apps from drawing and painting to creating professional quality books allow for creative exploration that can be shared with friends and family.
It's a Movie Theater: A 7-inch brilliant 1080p display lets children watch their favorite TV shows and movies at home or on-the-go.
It's a Library: 30 pre-loaded e-Books make stories come to life and encourage children of all ages to read.
It's a Game Console: Tilt-sensor controls and a Multi-Touch display puts children in control of their favorite games such as Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja and Need for Speed.
It's Powerful Enough for Mom: With the tap of a button and password, mom can enter "Mommy Mode" and enjoy a full-featured Android tablet to browse the Web and use her favorite apps and games.



CES 2011 - Vinci Tablets for kids - YouTube
$390 and designed for kids 0-3?!?!?!? :confused:
 
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