Fisher-Price Barnyard Basics Horse Flashlight: Good Concept With Major Design Flaw
Written: Apr 16 '08 (Updated Apr 16 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Simple, works well (when functioning...), inexpensive, durable
Cons: Major issue with light "breaking" after a month or two.
The Bottom Line: Recommended, but with a caveat--you could have the same issue we did. And if that happens, you can fix it. Just don't get too frustrated.
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| lambchops's Full Review: Fisher Price Barnyard Basics? Farm Lights? Asst. |
What kid doesn't enjoy lighting up a dark room or generally wreaking havoc on a household with a flashlight? My son is no exception. He's a big fan of my husband's Mag-lights and enjoys figuring out all the other flashlights around the house. He also loves helping with various fix-it jobs around the house as the official flashlight holder. He's not too accurate, but it's better than if he tried to actually put his hands on the pipes or wire (which he does not).
It seemed a logical choice to get Zack his own flashlight. He got this one, the Fisher-Price Barnyard Basics Horse Farm Light, for Christmas. It is just as cute as it looks in the photo, but it also can be annoying. This flashlight is simple enough. It's small and made of hard, durable plastic. The yellow tail is actually the handle and switch (trigger style). When you hit the trigger the horse's mouth opens up and a light comes on. Simultaneously, the horse lets out a convincing neigh. Zack loves his flashlight and this is where we have run into some issues.
First of all, he wouldn't leave it alone. He'd wake up in the morning and want the light. He'd go to bed at night, but would want his light. This got his horse flashlight hidden away for a month. When we finally returned it to him, he promptly dropped it. Not once, but like two dozen times. This is a toddler toy and one would hope that Fisher-Price would take this kind of behavior into account. Apparently they did not because we soon discovered that the horse was no longer neighing or shining. My husband, being a very handy fellow, started to try to open the toy up. It is not possible. Fortunately before he cracked it open with a jigsaw or hammer (or simply threw it away) he opened up the battery compartment. It was there that he discovered the problem--the battery contacts were not attached properly to actually power the toy. This was not something Zack could have done without a design flaw. For that, I blame Fisher-Price.
The Barnyard Basics Horse Farm Light is now functioning properly. It seems to be pretty light on the batteries (it takes 3 AAA alkalines) and seems to be pretty sturdy aside from the issues we encountered. The horse's neigh isn't too annoying and the light isn't incredibly bright. It is the perfect size for my son's hands and he completely understands the concept. This isn't an intellectually stimulating toy/light, but it is a good one. Kids love flashlights. You may as well make the experience a little more fun.
This flashlight is for ages 2 years and up, though it was just fine for my son at 1.5 years. There's nothing on the toy that could hurt a younger child. It is very, very safe. It also is inexpensive at just $6. It is available online and in stores. If your child prefers a rooster or cow instead of the horse, they are also available. Decent toy, though I'm still peeved at the design flaw--even if we fixed it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 6
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
lambchops
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Member: Shelly T.
Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
Reviews written: 1172
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About Me:
Bye-bye CL hat. Hopefully I'll write some new reviews some time soon!
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