Buying guide for Best Fisher-Price toys
Fisher-Price is one of the best-known toy makers, primarily delivering toys made for children from babies to preschoolers. Fisher-Price aims to create developmental toys that help young children have fun while they learn.
Because Fisher-Price made its first toy in the 1930s, many of today’s parents and grandparents played with Fisher-Price toys themselves as children. Having an opportunity to share some of the toys you played with as a youngster with your own kids can be fun to do.
In addition to vintage toy designs that use modern materials and follow today’s safety standards, Fisher-Price offers reimagined older toy designs and brand new toy designs. These toys are available at a variety of price points, so you can find something to fit your budget relatively easily.
Sort through the thousands of different Fisher-Price toys and find just the right ones to match the age level and interests of your kids. Who knows? Maybe your kids will be sharing these Fisher-Price toy designs with their own children in a few decades.
How to buy the best Fisher-Price toy
Age range
Birth to six months: Fisher-Price toys for babies focus on teething toys and activities they can do on their own while on their tummy or back. The majority of the Fisher-Price toys in this age range allow the baby to learn to reach for, grasp, and manipulate items.
Playmats are popular in this age group, as are mobiles and snuggly plush toys. Some of these toys may generate soothing sounds or music.
Ages six to 12 months: As babies begin to crawl and walk in this age range, Fisher-Price toys reflect the baby’s greater control of their hands and limbs.
Babies may enjoy toys that they can chase, drag, or pull with them as they move. Toys where a baby can push a button and receive an audio or visual response are popular too.
Fisher-Price toys that involve activity centers, block sorting, teething rings, bouncing chairs, and rolling chairs all are popular in the six- to 12-month age range.
Ages one to two years: Toddlers in this age range are walking successfully, as well as learning how to explore their environment. Fisher-Price toys for this age aim to help them do this.
Toddlers may enjoy walk-behind and push toys, such as the iconic Fisher-Price Corn Popper toy. Some toddlers can sit on a car and propel themselves with their feet. Toddlers may play with stacking toys, sorting toys, and simple puzzles. They may begin to appreciate figurines, as they recognize certain characters.
Ages two to five years: As children begin to move into their preschool years, Fisher-Price toys for them include those that help them expand their imaginations. A Fisher-Price play kitchen or house with props and figurines may be extremely popular with kids in this age group. They can begin to play games where they pretend to be someone else.
Kids at this age can begin to build complex shapes with blocks. They may be ready for more challenging puzzles and build kits that help them learn how to follow a series of directions. Recognizing letters and numbers can be part of the Fisher-Price toys they use.
Some preschool-age kids can begin reading simple books on their own. They may begin to develop favorite characters, and they may enjoy Fisher-Price toys that feature these characters. Kids in this age range can begin to play simple Fisher-Price video games too.
Did You Know?
In addition to toys, Fisher-Price creates books, computer software/video games, baby carriers, and footwear.
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Features of Fisher-Price toys
Laugh & Learn
Toddlers and preschoolers can enjoy Laugh & Learn toys. Their designs work to help children learn about different shapes and colors through hands-on play.
Some Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn toys provide audio and visual cues when children complete a certain task. Others allow youngsters to use their imaginations to pretend to be someone else.
With Laugh & Learn toys, Fisher-Price uses settings involving animals, school buses, gardens, and others as play sets to introduce the concepts. This allows kids to have fun while they learn.
Little People
Fisher-Price has been developing Little People products for decades. These include figurines, vehicles, and play sets that allow toddlers to use their imaginations. Little People play sets include settings like a farm, a recycling truck, and an ambulance.
Mega Bloks
Mega Bloks allow preschoolers and toddlers to construct their own items using large pieces that are easy for young children to assemble. Lego pieces may be too small for toddlers to manipulate successfully and may represent a choking hazard, but Mega Bloks don’t have these problems.
Power Wheels
Power Wheels are battery-powered ride-on vehicles for preschool-age children. Fisher-Price has Power Wheels for fun brands like Barbie, Hot Wheels, Toy Story, Minnie Mouse, and Jurassic World. Additionally, Fisher-Price creates these battery-powered vehicles that mimic Jeep Wrangler vehicles, Ford F-150 pickups, and racing ATVs.
Thomas & Friends
Thomas the Tank Engine is a popular book and television show character, and Fisher-Price creates a number of toys that feature Thomas and other characters from this franchise. These play sets can include building railroad tracks and other related items, so they may work better for preschoolers.
Mattel is the parent company that owns Fisher-Price as a subsidiary. Mattel markets the majority of its products for preschool-aged children under the Fisher-Price brand name.
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Cost of Fisher-Price toys
Inexpensive
Fisher-Price toys that carry the lowest price point cost $5 to $15. These are often simple toys aimed at babies and toddlers. Some generate lights and sounds.
Mid-range
In the mid-range, you can find Fisher-Price toys for $15 to $30. These are toys with age recommendations ranging from babies to preschoolers. Some of these toys have electronics built into them, meaning they generate noise and lights. Others help with learning numbers and letters.
Expensive
The priciest Fisher-Price toys run from $30 to $50, although a few models of toys may have price points closer to $100. Typically, these are toys aimed at preschoolers that have many different parts, and some have built-in electronics. Some of these are large toys made for preschoolers to sit on.
Did you Know?
Fisher-Price has a link on its website where people can submit ideas for toys and other products aimed at young children.
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Tips
Fisher-Price has a commitment to creating and selling the safest toys possible for all ages. Here are some of the ways you can ensure your Fisher-Price toys are as safe as possible.
- Recall: The Fisher-Price/Mattel website includes a list of any toys under recall. Check with this website to see any news about recalls. If you have a toy with a recall notice, Fisher-Price may issue you a refund or a voucher for the product. It also may issue replacement parts or toys to deal with the recall.
- Experts: Fisher-Price/Mattel relies on a council of experts, including those from the medical profession, to review toy designs and generate recommendations regarding the safety of products. Follow their recommendations precisely when using the toys.
- Testing: Fisher-Price operates its Play Lab, which is a testing ground for new toy designs. Parents and children may visit the Play Lab and perform hands-on testing of the toys. Parents can fill out a form on the Fisher-Price website to nominate their kids to be part of the testing group at the Play Lab.
- Age recommendations: All Fisher-Price toys have a recommended age range included with them. Not only does this age range inform parents of what ages of children will likely enjoy the toy, but the age range also deals with safety. Toys made for older children may have small parts that younger children could try to swallow, for example, creating a choking hazard.
FAQ
Q. Is it safe to let my child play with the vintage Fisher-Price toys I used as a child?
A. Certainly, some older toys are safe for children to use. However, depending on the age of the Fisher-Price toy you own, it could have lead paint, mercury, or tiny parts in the design, any of which could be dangerous. Fisher-Price offers some of its vintage toy designs in new toys that are available for purchase, and these new toys are made with safe materials.
Q. Do Fisher-Price toys all make noise and use flashing lights?
A. Not all Fisher-Price toys are noisy, but some are. For the Fisher-Price toys aimed at really young children, the noises are often repetitive. If you dislike toys that play the same noises over and over, you may want to be careful about purchasing a toy that generates noise. Most of the Fisher-Price toys with flashing lights are not especially bright, so they’re safe for kids.
Q. What does the recommended age mean on a Fisher-Price toy?
A. When a toy carries a recommended age range, it means the majority of children within that age range should be able to play with the toy safely and enjoy it. However, some older children can still enjoy a toy with a younger recommended age range. It could be dangerous to give a child a Fisher-Price toy that has an older recommended age range, because the pieces of the toy may present a hazard for the younger child.
Q. Are my vintage Fisher-Price toys worth any money?
A. They could be valuable. Some classic Fisher-Price toys are highly popular among collectors. Those who collect these vintage toys are looking for models that are in excellent condition. If you still have the box, this increases the value of the toy. If you’re curious, look on secondhand selling sites for an estimated value for the vintage toys you own.
