Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks

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Product Features

• Baby can sort and stack and learn to identify and match shapes
• Shape-sorting lid and 5 different shapes help build early identification skills
• 10 colorful blocks are easy to grasp, hold and store inside bucket
• Carry handle for take-along fun
• Interactive learning aid

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches ; 12.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000LSZVKA
• Item model number: K7167
• Manufacturer recommended age: 6 months - 3 years

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Ten colorful blocks for baby to sort, stack & drop! Filling the bucket with blocks, dumping them out, and starting over is great for eye-hand coordination and other early skills. Then baby can move on to stacking and matching, and sorting the five different block shapes through the shape-sorting lid. All 10 blocks fit inside the bucket, with a carry handle for easy take-along! Developmental Benefits for Baby - Helps baby learn through everyday experiences: 1) Helps baby learn to identify & sort shapes & colors. 2) Enhances problem-solving skills with put & take play, stacking & sorting. Motivating Imagination: 1) Encourages creative thinking as baby discovers new ways to play with blocks. 2) Bright colors & interesting shapes intrigue baby. Encourages Developing Motor Skills: 1) Placing blocks in bucket strengthens eye-hand coordination. 2) Grasping & sorting blocks develops finger & hand dexterity.

This review is from: Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks (Toy)

My son received this toy as a gift for his 6-month birthday. At the time, I remember hearing about how some plastic toys (often made in China) contain harmful chemicals that are known to cause cancer and feeling concerned that this toy might be one of them. I didn't do anything for awhile, seeing how my son enjoyed playing with the toy and thinking (stupidly) that if this toy were truly harmful, it wouldn't be sold in the U.S.

One day, I came across this toy on Amazon and noticed the warning to CA residents under "Product Details." I couldn't believe it when I read this toy is made with harmful chemicals known to "cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm." I bet a lot of people who are giving this toy 5 stars are not aware of the warning.

UPDATE TO REVIEW ON 10-28-09: Amazon has removed the warning about the harmful chemicals, and in response to an inquiry I sent them told me "Product information from the item detail is added or deleted upon manufacturers information." Amazon suggested I contacted FP, which I did, and the FP rep said he couldn't find anything in their records indicating the toy's manufacturing had been changed. The toy's production has not been altered since 2007. He suggested that perhaps the warning wasn't accurate, and that's why it was removed. That may be, but it seems like a pretty big mistake for Amazon to make on multiple FP toys. I see now that none of the FP toys that previously had this warning have it now.

As for my son's reaction to the toy, he liked to bang the pieces together and put them in his mouth, but he never bothered to try to sort the shapes since the top doesn't stay in place, as others have mentioned. My son always removed the top and took out all of the pieces, no matter how many times I showed him how to sort the shapes with the top in place. Talk about poor design! I should have given it 1 star for the "educational" rating in hindsight, but I figured that theoretically it could be of some value if a child didn't remove the top. Also, Amazon wouldn't let me go back and change my ratings.

I just got another shape sorter for him from Amazon (the Tolo Rolling Shape Sorter), and within minutes he tried to put the shapes in the slots because he couldn't remove either the top or the bottom of the unit. Now that's an educational toy!