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WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD -- Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs. |
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Product Details
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
Learn to build over 325 words through three different levels of play including Load a Letter, Word Play and Word Building. Using the included 29 letters your child's reading skills can take flight. All pieces attach securely to any magnetic surface. -Includes 3 modes of play. Recommended age range 3+ years old
Product Description
With LeapFrog's Word Whammer Fridge Phonics, you can create over 325 three-letter words with magnetic letters that sing and teach. These interactive, magnetic letters are based on the LeapFrog Talking Words Factory video. What's a Word Whammer' It's a machine that teaches kids letter names, letter sounds and how letter sounds blend together to make words. It features three modes of play. In Letter Hunt, children learn letter names and sounds through fun songs. With Word Builder, children explore letter combinations and create over 325 words. In Word Hunt, children can spell three-letter words, then replace letters to make rhyming words. Lights follow each letter during play to reinforce the learning. Includes letters A through Z, plus six additional letters (E, O, D, G, M and P), so kids can spell words like MOM and DAD. Letters and magnetic letter reader attach securely to the refrigerator. Volume control and 2 "AA" batteries (included).
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
172 of 179 people found the following review helpful
I was delighted to find out the magnets from the Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter set also work with this! So if you have both, you can spell out double lettered words (such as "dad" and "mom" (and it is programmed to read those words, as well!)
The only problems we've been having with it are related to the tinny sound. The Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter set sounded nice, but the Word Whammer sound quality is poorer. I know I had a hard time telling "Find the 'F'" from "Find the 'S'". Lucky for us adults, if we know what word it wants us to spell, we know which letter, but it confounds the kids.
If it weren't for the sound quality the toy would be *perfect*. It is really well designed, and very effective at keeping the kid's interest long enough for them not to realize they're learning while they're having fun. If you don't mind needing to translate what the machine said every so often, I highly recommend this.
The only problems we've been having with it are related to the tinny sound. The Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter set sounded nice, but the Word Whammer sound quality is poorer. I know I had a hard time telling "Find the 'F'" from "Find the 'S'". Lucky for us adults, if we know what word it wants us to spell, we know which letter, but it confounds the kids.
If it weren't for the sound quality the toy would be *perfect*. It is really well designed, and very effective at keeping the kid's interest long enough for them not to realize they're learning while they're having fun. If you don't mind needing to translate what the machine said every so often, I highly recommend this.
60 of 61 people found the following review helpful
Got it as a Christmas gift for our daughter (21 months) who is learning her letters. Great idea... but it didn't work. At least for one of the letters (the far left one). When you put a letter (any letter) in the spot, it says "A"... even when it's not A! (not good for a toddler learning her letters)
I looked at it more closely, and found that some of the tabs on that one spot were half-pressed down (there are six per spot, which is how the system recognizes each letter). That would explain the error... except that when I put a three-letter word in (like CAT), it recognizes it from that point on. Weird.
So after reading all these posts about this happening to other people, and those who opened it up and cleaned it, I decided to try it myself. (a little background: I was schooled as an electrical engineer) For those of you who don't want to read the gory details, nineteen screws, two different screwdrivers, one pair of pliers, and one hour later, it's now working.
If you get one that works out of the box, great. But based on the other reviews, if you get one that doesn't work (which seems like the odds are pretty good that it won't) and you don't have experience with small parts and electronics, you're probably best off getting your money back to avoid the hassles.
**Now, for those who want to know the gory details of fixing this little issue:
- First, in order to open the housing, you have to loosen twelve philips screws to get the two parts of the housing together. Not too bad; this can be done with an ordinary screwdriver.
- Next, in order to fix the issue of the stuck tabs, you need to separate the electronics plate from the housing. In total, there were eight small screws (you need a No.1 or smaller precision screwdriver) to loosen to completely get the plate off. Because I only had one that was a problem, I got away with loosening only five of the small screws. This freed up the assembly where the magnetic letters go.
- Once you get that assembly out, you need to separate the tab section from the magnetic section. Each of the assemblies has two small screws connecting the two parts, which needs to be undone. You can put aside the magnetic section
- Now you have the tab section. This section is composed of three main parts: the actual green tabs (six), a rubber gasket-type cover that they sit on, and the electronics backing which is pressure-activated based on which tabs are depressed. Once I looked at it, I realized that the problem with my device was that the rubber cover was stuck, which is why some tabs were depressed. (Therefore, swabbing it with alcohol would not have solved the problem). Once I worked it loose, I could reassemble the parts. Note that this can be very laborious if you don't have a pair of pliers and/or haven't worked with small parts before, as the tabs sit precariously on the rubber gasket!
- Once I reassembled everything, it worked fine... but it took about an hour to do (and a very patient wife!)
I looked at it more closely, and found that some of the tabs on that one spot were half-pressed down (there are six per spot, which is how the system recognizes each letter). That would explain the error... except that when I put a three-letter word in (like CAT), it recognizes it from that point on. Weird.
So after reading all these posts about this happening to other people, and those who opened it up and cleaned it, I decided to try it myself. (a little background: I was schooled as an electrical engineer) For those of you who don't want to read the gory details, nineteen screws, two different screwdrivers, one pair of pliers, and one hour later, it's now working.
If you get one that works out of the box, great. But based on the other reviews, if you get one that doesn't work (which seems like the odds are pretty good that it won't) and you don't have experience with small parts and electronics, you're probably best off getting your money back to avoid the hassles.
**Now, for those who want to know the gory details of fixing this little issue:
- First, in order to open the housing, you have to loosen twelve philips screws to get the two parts of the housing together. Not too bad; this can be done with an ordinary screwdriver.
- Next, in order to fix the issue of the stuck tabs, you need to separate the electronics plate from the housing. In total, there were eight small screws (you need a No.1 or smaller precision screwdriver) to loosen to completely get the plate off. Because I only had one that was a problem, I got away with loosening only five of the small screws. This freed up the assembly where the magnetic letters go.
- Once you get that assembly out, you need to separate the tab section from the magnetic section. Each of the assemblies has two small screws connecting the two parts, which needs to be undone. You can put aside the magnetic section
- Now you have the tab section. This section is composed of three main parts: the actual green tabs (six), a rubber gasket-type cover that they sit on, and the electronics backing which is pressure-activated based on which tabs are depressed. Once I looked at it, I realized that the problem with my device was that the rubber cover was stuck, which is why some tabs were depressed. (Therefore, swabbing it with alcohol would not have solved the problem). Once I worked it loose, I could reassemble the parts. Note that this can be very laborious if you don't have a pair of pliers and/or haven't worked with small parts before, as the tabs sit precariously on the rubber gasket!
- Once I reassembled everything, it worked fine... but it took about an hour to do (and a very patient wife!)
86 of 92 people found the following review helpful
I bought this for my three year old son on Sunday. It's only Tuesday and he is spelling words on his own without a problem. I recommend that you purchase the Fridge Phonics Alphabet Letters FIRST like I did, so they can learn their letters well. Once they master the entire alphabet, they can graduate to the Word Wammer. I only showed him how to play once, and he went on from there. It's amazing! Leap Frog is the best! Hopefully they will come up with fridge numbers soon!!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excited but didn't last long
I was very excited to give this toy to my son so he can learn to build words. We didn't even have it a month and it broke. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Happy Mom
I GOT RIPPED OFF!! SELLER SHAME ON YOU!!!
Iam very very angry i purchased this toy for my daughter to only realized when she opens the box that all the letters of the alphabet where not in the package. Read more
Published 1 month ago by anom
Love it!
My daughter just turned 3 and she LOVES this toy! We leave it on the refrigerator and she plays with it all day, every day.
Published 2 months ago by Sheri
Very entertaining and educational
My grandson got this for Christmas. He turned two years this past June,2011. He is already spelling words out!!! And he loves using the different aspects!
Published 4 months ago by Linda L Ward
Get this instead of fridge phonics
My 2 and 4 YO just love this. It has 3 options- sings individual letters, tells you what a 3-letter word is, and also asks you to complete a 3-letter word (i. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Rusty
can't live without it
i've seen it in classrooms. it really does help kids spell and its fun if you have metal anywhere it will stick fridge door dishwaser. Read more
Published 4 months ago by sean
Disappointed with product quality and Leapfrog support(lack of)
We ordered this for our 2 year old for Christmas (she loved the single letter one). Christmas day we were greatly saddened to have the device not work properly and the first... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lud
DOESN'T READ LETTERS CORRECTLY
Where to start... we have just about every Leap Frog toy ever put out after 2007. Naturally this one would follow the alphabet set one (which was great). Read more
Published 4 months ago by NOLAwhodat
Sound Quality could be better, but overall a good toy
This was a birthday gift for our 3 year old. This is a great educational toy, but my son just isn't that interested in it.
Published 4 months ago by Wesley Baumgardner
Great value- fun and very educational
I have 3 wonderful grandchildren 2, 3 and 7 years old. When they came for a visit I purchased this toy and had it out. I was curious as to which child would respond to it. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Pjs
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