Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony

by Fisher-Price

Product Features

• The Bounce and Learn Pony is an active learning toy that interacts with the television
• The Pony uses a wireless device to connect with the TV delivering animated content
• Baby interacts by bouncing up and down and spinning a roller on the handle bars
• Mom can choose the level of play and audio options
• Without being connected to the TV, baby can play on the pony and be rewarded by songs and sound effects from the pony itself

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 16.1 x 18.9 inches ; 3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 13.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0015UUW0M
• Item model number: N0446
• Manufacturer recommended age: 1 - 3 years
• Batteries: 6 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,466 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Smart Bounce & Spin Pony from Fisher Price offers interactive, fun, and educational video games designed to grow with your child through toddlerhood. If your child is between 12 months and 36 months of age, is under 44 pounds, and can sit on the pony unassisted, then she is ready to play.

The pony is actually the controller for educational video games. View larger.

The receiver features kid friendly controls. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Wireless technology, easy-to-use features, and challenging games make this interactive pony and educational games entertaining and educational for toddlers The Bad: While it's recommended for children 12 months or older, most 12-month-old children will be too small to use this toy effectively. In a Nutshell: Interactive pony and its included educational games provide plenty of physical coordination and mental stimulation for toddlers At a Glance Ages: 12 to 36 months Requires: 3 AA Batteries and 3 C Batteries; TV

Construction and Design
The Smart Bounce & Spin Pony is a molded plastic pony that sits on a wide, sturdy plastic base. But this pony is much more than your standard rocking horse: it is also the actual controller for the included educational video games.

After some quick-and-easy adult assembly (you'll need a Philips screwdriver) and battery insertion (you'll need three AAA batteries and three C batteries), we found it easy to start playing right away. Just plug the included receiver into your television, VCR, or DVD player's audio/video input jacks, and the game introductory screen will appear on the TV. Using wireless technology, the pony's motions control the video games. Your child can bounce and spin while riding the pony to interact with the "learning sites," or games, that she chooses to play.

We found the wireless technology very convenient: we could put the pony anywhere from 3 to 15 feet from the receiver. That said, we discovered that, as recommended, the pony should be positioned on a carpeted surface, since it slides relatively easily on hardwood floors or other smooth flooring material.

Games That Grow With Your Child
The educational games feature simple, colorful animation that's easy for a small child to relate to, as well as perky, bright background music and fun sing-along songs. (Adult caregivers will appreciate that the potentially relentless background music can be shut off during play.) The child causes the animated features to react by bouncing on the pony and turning the drum on the pony's handle.

The Smart Bounce & Spin Pony's five learning sites include: A to Z Zoo; Count & Grow Farm; Colorful Home; Shapes at Shore; and Opposites Playground. Each game can be played at 1 of 3 levels of advancement, which can be selected by an adult using buttons on the receiver.

Level 1 teaches the youngest toddler about action and reaction. For example, in level 1 of the "Colorful Home" game, a puppy appears on the screen and simply makes motions whenever the pony bounces.

Level 2 introduces letters, shapes, numbers, and colors. For example, in level 2 of the A to Z Zoo, each letter of the alphabet appears as the pony bounces, with the onscreen voice naming the letter.

Level 3 allows children to "count along," and works with ideas like opposites and spelling. In level 3 of the Count & Grow Farm, for example, the child makes an animal jump over consecutively numbered hurdles and is encouraged to count along with the game. Spinning the drum on the pony's handle creates additional effects, such as playing new songs or changing the weather in the scene.

Stand Alone Mode
The child can change the game herself with arrow buttons on the pony's handle. If the child stops bouncing, after a short period a pony appears on the screen reminds the child to bounce and get the game going again. It will go into "sleep mode" after three minutes to preserve battery life. Just turn the drum or bounce the pony to start it up again.

Smaller children will especially like that the pony can be played with by itself without the video games. Change the pony's switch to "stand alone mode," and the pony will play its own music while the child bounces and spins. In fact, in our estimation the stationary mode is best for the youngest toddler -- and only with lots of adult help.

While our 22-month-old child tester found it very easy to mount, dismount, and ride the pony, most 12-month old children will not be able to balance safely on it, let alone bounce and spin independently, unless they have prodigy-like athletic abilities.

What's in the Box
Smart Bounce & Spin Pony with base and handlebar; receiver

Product Description

Baby can hop on this interactive pony and ride out an incredible learning journey. The Smart Bounce and Spin Pony is a learning toy that encourages physical movement and interacts with the television. The Pony uses a wireless IR device to connect with the TV, delivering an animated learning adventure across three levels of play and five learning scenes. Baby interacts by bouncing up and down and spinning a roller ball on the handle bars. Sound effects, music and animations respond to your child's movements as she plays.

Parents choose the level of play and audio options using the IR device, and baby can explore all five locations by pressing a forward button that loops sequentially through the learning scenes. For non-TV play, baby can enjoy sound effects and songs as she rides the pony. Measures 30"L x 30"W x 20"H. Requires three "AA" and three "C" batteries, not included. Pony holds up to 43 lbs. Adult supervision recommended.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My 16 month old's favorite new toy, September 9, 2008

By 

Christy G (Lorton, VA) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony (Toy)

My son loves this pony. He bounces a ton with it and has a great time. We had a playdate this weekend and it was the favorite toy with all the 12-18 month olds I know. I will say I'm not crazy about the tv part. When we put it on, it didn't seem to do much, the graphics were just ok, and my son just wanted to get off his pony and sit staring at the tv. I put the video part away in the closet and he just happily bounces on the pony now instead.

Now that we've had it for two weeks, it's not the kind of thing that will hold his attention for long spans of time like the little people farm does, but he does have a lot of fun on it for a few minutes a couple times a day.

33 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good Idea, but it needs improvement, August 11, 2008

By 

Sophie's Mom (Deep South) - See all my reviews

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony (Toy)

I bought this for my daughter's first birthday because it says it is best for 12mos - 3 years. I LOVED the idea of her being able to have something interactive with the TV that would also allow her to bounce.
The biggest complaint I have is that it really doesn't bounce that much. It does spin, but not that easily. It doesn't even rock back and forth. My daughter couldn't get it to move much, so there wasn't much going on on the tv. I don't think it's that she's not heavy enough- she weighs 22 lbs. If that's the case, they should change the age range.
She absolutely loves bouncing, but this thing doesn't really bounce. Too bad...I'm going to have to return it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jason LOVES it...will not get off!, October 19, 2008

By 

Super Dad "hch" (London) - See all my reviews

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony (Toy)

My 2 year old son LOVEs his Smart Bounce and Spin Pony and he understands that the more he bounces and spins the more the animations react and provide fun learning. Sometimes I take it out to the porch where it also works without the TV...Very Fun...he pretends to feed it...so cute!