Fridge Words Magnetic Word Builder
by LeapFrog
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Category: Toy
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: LeapFrogBrand: LeapFrog
Model: 20320
Product features:
- Build over 325 words with magnetic letters that teach and sing!
- Includes letters A through Z, plus three additional letters so kids can spell words like MOM.
- Features three ways to play: Load a Letter, Word Builder and Word Hunt learning modes.
- Lights follow letters to reinforce the learning.
- Helps develop rhyming skills and teaches word building for three-letter words. Help reading skills rise and shine with this magnetic letter set!
Toys and Games Reviews of Fridge Words Magnetic Word Builder
Customer Review: Works now after one hour of surgery... experience of an electrical engineer...
Summary: 2 Stars
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!)
Description of Fridge Words Magnetic Word Builder
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).Learning & Education Toys
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