VTech Feed Me Dino children’s toy review

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For Christmas last year I bought Thomas a VTech Feed Me Dino.

I first became aware of this toy when Ryan was about three years old. One of his friend’s had one, and every time we went to his friend’s house, Ryan would play with it non stop.

I often find it hard to buy toys for younger children, because their tastes change all of the time, so for me some of the best toys I’ve bought my boys have been toys that I’ve seen them play with at someone’s house.

Unfortunately for Ryan I never bought him this VTech Feed Me Dino, but I bought it for Thomas, and funnily enough, when Thomas’ isn’t playing with it, Ryan does.

If you’re interested in this toy, but would like to find out more, then I hope that this post provides some insight into whether or not it will be a good toy for your little one.

Who are VTech?

Since 1980 VTech have been developing high quality, innovative, and educational children’s products, to enhance children’s development through fun and play.

VTech are the creator of the Electronic Learning Products category, and in addition to their toys and games, they have a range of other tools to help children and parents, including apps, parent resource centres, and a VTech club.

Age Group

This toy is for ages 18 months to 4 years old, but Ryan who is five still loves to play with it.

Assembled Dimensions

The dinosaur comes already assembled. Its dimensions are 12.3L x 27W x 26H cm.

Material

The dinosaur is made out of plastic, and the quality is fantastic.

Its shiny and bright, and strong enough that the dinosaur doesn’t fall over when the food pieces are being pushed into its mouth.

Batteries

The dinosaur requires 2 x AA batteries, which are included.

Features

The VTech Feed Me Dino teaches children numbers, shapes, colours, and types of food in a fun way, by getting them to feed a dinosaur a certain number, colour, or type of food piece.

Once in the dinosaur’s mouth, the food piece falls into the dinosaur’s stomach, which can be easily accessed by your child, and can be stored in the stomach when the toy isn’t in use.

The toy teaches your child differently depending upon what playing mode its in, and there’s two modes – counting or meal.

Counting mode

Counting mode can be selected by switching the switch to the picture 123.

When your child hits the light up question button on the dinosaur’s head, the dinosaur will ask to be fed a certain number of food pieces.

For example, after pressing the light up question button the dinosaur may ask “Can you feed me six pieces of food?”

Your child then has to insert the required number of food pieces into the dinosaur’s mouth. The dinosaur counts each food piece, and repeats the total number at the end.

It also says encouraging phases and plays tunes, when the food pieces are inserted.

Meal mode

Meal mode can be selected by switching the switch to the picture of an apple.

When your child hits the light up question button on the dinosaur’s head, the dinosaur will ask to be fed a type of food.

For example, after pressing the light up question button the dinosaur may ask “Can you feed me an orange carrot?”

Once your child puts the orange carrot food piece into its mouth, the dinosaur repeats the food its been fed, and then sings a song about how the food makes it feel.

Spinning disc

There is a spinning disc on the dinosaur’s back that when turned plays a melody and flashes the light up question button.

There are over 100 melodies available.

Some of the melodies include:

• Mulberry Bush
• Three Blind Mice
• Hey, Diddle Diddle
• London Bridge
• Mary had a Little Lamb
• Humpty Dumpty
• Old MacDonald had a farm
• Hickory Dickory Dock

The spinning disc is easy to spin, and can be turned by the youngest of hands.

Five shape buttons

On the dinosaur’s body are five shape buttons with numbers on them.

If the dinosaur is in counting mode, pressing a button will teach your child numbers and counting.

If the dinosaur is in meal mode, pressing a button will teach your child colours and shapes.

Pull cord

To turn the dinosaur from a push toy to a pull toy, there’s a yellow cord in a storage compartment under the dinosaur.

If the dinosaur is being pulled along, it plays melodies or makes dinosaur noises.

If your child isn’t walking make sure the cord is stored in the storage compartment at all times.

Automatic shut off

The dinosaur automatically shuts off after 45 seconds of non use, and can be turned on again by pressing any button.

However, pulling or pushing the dinosaur won’t turn it back on.

My favourite thing about this toy

My favourite thing about this toy is the educational aspect.

It encourages your child to learn about numbers, shapes, colours, and types of food in an interactive, fun, and repetitive way, and can also encourage speech development by repeating what the dinosaur says.

It also helps with younger children’s motor skills by getting them to place a food piece with enough force into the dinosaur’s mouth.

My least favourite thing about this toy

Younger children won’t get the full educational benefit of this toy until they are at the older part of the toy’s age group.

So for my son Thomas, who is nearly 21 months old, the joy he gets from this toy is seeing the question button light up, which lights up a lot during use, and putting the food pieces into the dinosaur’s mouth, which despite not being educational, allows him to develop his motor skills, which is a good thing.

If you’d like to find out more about VTech, then please visit their website.

What’s your favourite educational toy?