If you look in any home where there are kids you will almost definitely find something from Fisher-Price – they have been making toys since 1930 after all! But what’s great about Fisher-Price is that they are always innovating and creating new toys that allow kids to learn through play. Toby loves the Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy that we reviewed a while back so when Fisher-Price got in touch again and asked if would like to try a new baby learning toy, the Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair I was pretty sure it would be something that Toby would enjoy playing with.

The Details

The chair has over 50 songs, tunes and phrases – there are three different levels suitable for 12 months+, 18 months+ and 24 months+ and the integrated Smart Stages technology means that the interactive elements change as your child grows. The Smart Stages chair uses 3 AAA batteries. The chair has an RRP of £34.99 – however, at the time of writing it is selling on Amazon for £26.94.

The Pros

• The chair was easy to put together, just a few screws required to attach the feet and the chair back. Once it’s put together the chair feels very sturdy and well made – as you would expect from Fisher-Price!
• It’s just the right size – I was a bit worried before we got it that the chair was going to be enormous and take up loads of space but it’s actually very compact.
• It’s very easy for toddlers to grasp what they need to do to get the sounds and songs – Toby got started on playing straight away!
• There are so many different songs and sounds that it doesn’t get repetitive – especially for mum and dad who have to listen to it. There are two different volume levels as well so it doesn’t have to be too loud.
• The Smart Stages technology means you can program your child’s age into the chair when you first turn it on and then the activities will automatically change when they reach 18 months and 24 months. You can also change the stage manually if you prefer.
• I like how a sound is activated when the child sits down or stands up from the seat – Toby hasn’t really learnt to sit on a chair by himself yet (or stand up from one) but I’m sure this will encourage him to do so.

The Cons

• The only slight issue with the chair for Toby (it may well be different if you have a smaller child!) is that he can’t really reach any of the things on the arms whilst he is sat in the chair. This isn’t really a problem as he can play with all the buttons whilst facing the chair but just something we noticed.
• You need to put the batteries in before you attach the back legs, and will also need to remove the legs if you need to change the batteries. This isn’t a  massive inconvenience as it’s only a couple of screws but it is a bit annoying (especially if like me you don’t really read the instructions before you start putting it all together!)

The Verdict

 

The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair is a great addition to any playroom. As you can see from the pictures above Toby wasn’t entirely sure about sitting on it at first but he soon got the hang of it and was dancing along to the ABC song! The fact that the interactive elements of the chair can change as your child develops makes it even better and great value for money.

**Disclosure: I was sent the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair in return for this review. All opinions are my own.