How it works
Whenever we buy toys for our kids we always try to find a toy that can satisfy many criteria at the same time. When we buy a toy for a toddler we are especially careful when choosing because toddlerhood is a period with lots of milestones so we want to encourage our kids to walk more and talk more, to encourage cause and effect cognitive skills and basic motor skills. Push and pull toys are great for stimulating kid’s interest in walking, especially for little crawlers making the experience fun and enjoyable. When this toy is combined with ball poppers the excitement for the little ones is even greater because they love the jumping and rolling around of all the colorful toys. One of the most popular ball popper and push and pull toy at the same time is the Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper.
The Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper is a classic toy for a reason! It was made for the first time in 1957 and since then many toddlers have been in love with this push and pull toy. This toy can assist your little toddler in the process of walking while he or she enjoys making popping sounds with the popper. So, if you are still thinking about a holiday or birthday gift for a child in a toddlerhood period, the Corn Popper would be a great option because it is a simple but yet fun push and pull toy.
Product Size
This product comes in standard packaging. What you have to do once you get the package is just pull the item out of the box and your child can start playing with it because this product comes in a single piece and does not require assembling. The toy’s dimensions are 5.5”x22”x7.8” and it weighs around 1.9 lbs. The handle is nice length for toddlers to hold and it is
easy to grasp and push around because of its weight. As we said this toy was first introduced in 1957 and its functioning is just the same as the original toy, meaning that by pushing the toy the child causes the balls in bright and various colors to pop up and down inside the plastic dome and by this to make a popping sound.
Age range
The toy is simple and basic and it is intended for toddlers from 12 months to 36 months. One thing worth mentioning is that the toy is not the best or safest option for kids who can not walk or for the ones who are just starting to walk because the little ones are not so stable in this period and they might easily fall over. However, it can be
highly encouraging and motivating for them to walk around and push and pull this toy because they would like to hear the sound of popping and to see the balls moving. In most cases, this toy will grow with your toddler providing hours of fun movement around the house and because of its durability and simplicity it is a great toy for passing on to the other younger siblings or other kids. Addition point is that the toy is gender-neutral and both boys and girls love it.
Simple design
The toy is with simple design and there are no music or
light effects and what we personally like is the fact that this is not battery powered toy but it is powered just by pushing it around. This is very convenient feature since you will avoid spending money on changing countless batteries. Although there is no music still there is a sound that is made when the child pushes the popper on different surfaces. The toy practically represents a handle with a dome filled with colorful balls and with two wheels.
The handle is with bright color, typically blue, with bright colored circles on it, which is actually a sticker put on the handle, and the base of the dome is white with the
Fisher Price name tag on it and the top is clear plastic so the child can see all the colorful balls popping up and down in it. The red-colored wheels add a nice touch to the well-balanced color choice for this toy.
Quality
It is super durable and sturdy. The toy cannot be broken easily because the kids are putting their weight on it while they push it or pull it. It is made of high-quality plastic that also makes the base to be sturdy. The toy is well built and strong enough for all toddler “abuse”. Fisher-Price as a company is a name that is a synonym for producing high-quality products and this is no exception. Although there is quite a number of parents who complain that they received the toy damaged at delivery or the wheels get stuck there is no complaint regarding the quality of materials.
There are no reports of this toy being broken or the dome cracking nor of the balls falling out. The toy can work on any surface (hardwood, polished floor or any other floor) and carpets, too and the wheels grip to any surface pretty well. Very few numbers of customers complain that the corn popper does not work that well on hardwood floors.
Safety
When it comes to buying toys for toddlers since they are still
learning to walk or putting things in the mouths or chewing things we are really concerned about the safety of the toy. The Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper is made of high-quality plastic handle and a plastic dome that is filled with balls that pop up and down and make sounds when the child is pushing and pulling along this toy. The dome is tight-fit and there is no chance of the balls to fall out from the dome. Due to the plastic material, the toy is lightweight but still, it is a proper weight for the little ones to push it around (the weight is around 1.9 lbs). The handle is easy to grasp and toddlers can firmly hold on the handle. The pushing and pulling of the toy can be performed smoothly on so many different types of floors.
Fun through generations
One thing that we cannot avoid mentioning when reviewing this toy is that it has been around for 60 years and although the concept is the same, in the past it was made of wood. So this classic toy has now a new updated look! So, many of the customers who have purchased this product had actually had the very same product when they were kids and when they look at this product they have a nice feeling of remembering the old times or the happiness in their childhood.
Although it has been with an updated look still it generally has not changed a lot in that whole time. A number of customers, however, complain that they were a bit disappointed after they purchased the product for their grandchild regarding the quality and that it is definitely not the same as the one many years ago but this is not something that should come as surprise especially having in mind that we are talking about a period of development of more than 60 years.
Entertainment feature
The kids can get entertained by the popper while you are trying to get some things done at home for example vacuuming so the kids can “help” with the popper and take part in the household activities. Kids will love the feeling that they are able to help you and there are many parents who confirmed that this toy is safe and the right size for a toddler. It is perfect for pretend cleaning because toddlers also love imitating us while we are cleaning or
vacuuming. There are also many comments by parents that kids love using this toy for chasing their pet (cat or dog) and better-said kids love to use the popper and at the same time play with their pets.
Once the kids realize that this toy makes sounds when it is pushed or pulled, there is no limit of the fun. Although many parents do not like the sound of popping balls and think that it is disturbing and not pleasant for the ears, that many kids love making the sound and enjoy in it. The sound is increased when the child walks faster and this also
motivates the kids to try running. The faster they walk the faster the balls jump up and down and make exciting noise.
Cognitive development
The period when the child starts walking and talking is an exciting period for both the parents and the kids. With the first steps of the toddler, he or she starts exploring the world and enjoys their independence and freedom to move around the house. The corn popper can be highly engaging and encouraging for the toddler to start moving because by the movement he or she is making the balls to pop up or down.
Kids get excited by the sound of popping that is produced by the rolling of the corn popper and quickly they learn about
cause and effect relationship which is key cognitive skills for a toddler. Little tots learn that if they push the corn popper it will make sound and the colorful balls will start popping up and down and if they pull the toy the same thing will happen again unlike if the popper is left without pushing or pulling. This will also encourage them to walk.
Promotes developmental skills
When kids use the Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper by pushing and pulling it they do much more than just walking. As they walk by pushing the popper the kids will soon realize and get excited when they become aware that the popper changes the sound as their pace becomes faster. Not only the popper encourages them to walk independently but they can use it for holding onto it and pushing it at the same time and master the skill of walking.
The Corn Popper is also beneficial for hand and eye coordination of the kids and in this way it promotes developmental skills which are very important for the little ones in this period. This popper can be used for imaginative play. Kids can use it like a vacuum cleaner at one point and
mower at another and with kids’ imagination this toy can be anything the child imagines.
Price
The price for this classic toy is more than convenient and for just around 20 dollars you can become an owner of this great toy that can help strengthen gross
motor skills and at the same time contribute to the cognitive development of toddlers. The price you pay for this toy is a one-time price because this toy is not operated by any batteries but just by a simple push. The toy is made by Fisher-Price, a company reputable for quality. Taken into account the longevity of use for this product that grows with your child; we can consider the price a bargain for such a simple but great toy.
Bottom line
This adorable Corn Popper can offer your child great fun. Its simple design with bright colors and even more colorful balls in the clear dome that pop up and down inside it, is a great encouragement for mastering the art of walking because this toy is intended for kids from 12 months to 36 months. It helps the child’s confidence because the child will soon realize that if he or she pushes the toy the balls will jump around and make a sound of popping.
The Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper is a simple toy yet it is one of the toys that have been produced for years and years and kids love it. Kids love making the sound of popping but unfortunately, many of the parents do not share the opinion and consider the sound a bit annoying. The favorite toy for generations definitely based on good reasons can now become a favorite toy of your child.