I may have mentioned it before, but I do love Smyths. It’s great to be able to buy all my Christmas presents for the children in our family in one place, and it also helps that I can browse the catalogue weeks beforehand to help me decide what I want to buy.
Smyths stocks a great selection of toys from well-known brands, but they also have some great ranges of their own, such as the Big Steps range. The toys in this range are for indoor play and are aimed at encouraging creativity, boosting motor skills and helping children to take a Big Step (get it?) into a world of discovery.
I was recently asked if I would like to review a toy from the Big Steps’ new pre-school line. On the condition that it would have nothing whatsoever to do with My Little Pony or unicorns (because we have more than enough of those all over the house, thank you very much), I happily agreed.
We were sent the Big Steps Write ‘n’ Learn Drawing Board to try out. At first sight, this toy reminded me of Magnadoodle, which I used to love as a child. Just as with Magnadoodle, you use a stylus to draw on the magnetic board, and once you’re finished, you pull along the tab at the bottom to erase your picture.
But the Write ‘n’ Learn Drawing Board is so much more than just a magnetic drawing board. It comes with 6 interactive play modes which help little ones to recognise letters and numbers, while also encouraging them to practice their writing, drawing and music skills in a fun way.
The LCD screen at the top displays animations to complement the spoken instructions and questions, and the letter and number buttons underneath can be used to practice recognition of letters and numbers, or to play musical notes, depending on the play mode.
The six play modes
Little B has had a great time trying out each of the play modes on the Write ‘n’ Learn Drawing Board. The six play modes are: ABC 123, abc 123, drawing mode, spelling mode, quiz time mode and music mode.
ABC 123 and abc 123
The only difference between these two modes is that one practises uppercase letters and the other practises lowercase letters.
In these play modes, the child is asked to press either a letter or a number button. The voice will tell them which letter or number they have pressed. The LCD screen then shows them how to write the letter so that they can practice it on the drawing board. This feature is great for preschoolers who are just starting to learn their letters and numbers. It gives them a new way to practice, and if they get it wrong the first time, they can simply pull the tab to erase everything and start again.
Drawing mode
Little B really enjoyed the drawing mode. As before, this mode asks the child to press a letter or number, and the voice tells them what that letter or number is. If it’s a letter, it then names an item beginning with that letter. The LCD screen displays a picture of the item and demonstrates how to draw it, step by step. If it’s a number, the screen will display the number as a picture. This drawing mode is therefore not only a fun way to practice drawing, but also another great way to introduce preschoolers to spelling and to practice their recognition of letters and numbers.
Spelling mode
This mode asks the child to press a letter or number again, and this time, a voice spells out a word that begins with that letter (or spells out the number). The LCD screen shows the spelling and a picture relating to that word, or in the case of a number, it shows the number in its written and numerical form. Little B was probably least interested in this mode, probably because she’s not quite at this stage yet. That said, it won’t be long before she’ll be needing to practice her spelling, so I’m sure it will come in handy in the next few months!
Quiz time mode
Again, some of the questions in this mode were a bit too advanced for Little B. She could find letters on the board when asked, but as she’s not yet at an age where she can read and write, she wasn’t able to find the missing letters in words, and certainly wasn’t able to spell words. Again however, this is something she will have to learn in the near future, so it’s good to know we have the Big Steps Write ‘n’ Learn Drawing Board to practice this when the time comes!
Music mode
This was certainly Little B’s favourite. In music mode, the letters and numbers turn into musical notes. The letters, when pressed in alphabetical order, play the tune of the ABC song, which I thought was a brilliant way to get little ones thinking about what they are singing, and to help them to recognise the letters of the alphabet in a fun and easy way.
Overall, we really liked the Big Steps Write ‘n’ Learn Drawing Board. While the spelling mode and some aspects of the quiz mode are a bit too advanced for Little B at the moment, I know she’ll grow into them very soon.
At only £14.99, I’d definitely recommend the Big Steps Write ‘n’ Learn Drawing Board as a fun way of encouraging preschoolers to practice their letter and number recognition, and to help them as they begin to learn how to write and spell. You can buy the Big Steps Write ‘n’ Learn Drawing Board on the Smyths Toys website here or you can have a look at all the other lovely toys in the Big Steps range here.
We were sent a Big Steps Write ‘n’ Learn Drawing Board in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Oh I do like the idea of that. L has one of the boards, just for drawing, but I like how they’ve added the computer and learning element #stayclassymama
This looks great, and a very good price too. What’s the voice like? I’ve vetoed one or two music downloads as some pronunciations are American – the alphabet song being a prime example! Thanks for the comprehensive review.
Thanks for reading! I know what you mean – American pronunciations of the alphabet can be a bit confusing for little ones. Thankfully this is voiced with a British English accent and uses the British pronunciation of letters. It sounds really clear.
This looks brilliant! I love the learning element of this, but it can just be a drawing pad too. Very clever. #KCACOLS
I know, my daughter will happily play with it both ways.
I noticed that the age on this is 2+ but I think this could be great for children who are in school learning to read and write. My little man is constantly practising his cursive writing at the moment and this would be great for that. Think of all the paper we would save! Thanks for sharing with #TriumphantTales, do come back next week!
I think that’s a great point. I think there are some aspects of it that would suit a 2 year old but others that are quite advanced, like the writing and spelling. You could get a good few years out of it!
This looks great, may get one for the grandchildren as a Christmas present #blogstravaganza@_karendennis
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My little girl has loved playing with it, so I’m sure your grandchildren would like it.
This looks fab great review Thank you for linking to #Thatfridaylinky please come back next week
#blogstravaganza oooo love a toy that’s teaching – it’s like a hidden bonus. Not that keen on the music aspect though? Sounds loud lol
Haha, it’s got a volume setting so you don’t have to have it on full blast!
This looks really good. I think my six year old would enjoy it as well as my preschooler! Thank you for sharing with #Blogstravaganza
I think it would be great for practicing handwriting for older children.
I love toys that can be taken on the go. This would be great for a long car ride! #kcacols
That’s a great idea, even just to draw!
This looks fab for kids learning to read and write. my little b is five now and would def still benefit! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time!
I think it could definitely be useful for 5 year olds too. It’s great to find a toy with longevity!
How lovely! so many learning activities. Thanks for sharing with #stayclassymama
For that price it sounds like good value indeed, and the drawing mode seems like great fun to me! X
#KCACOLS
Malin – Sensational Learning with Penguin recently posted…Why I Don’t Care about the Causes of Autism (…or what if I do?)
It’s really reasonably priced and as a few people have commented, will probably last until children are at school and learning to write.
I love these interactive things that allow creativity too. Our 8yo would’ve loved this when she was little! #kcacols
Me too. This toy has so many activities, and even just the drawing will amuse them.
I had a simple magnetic board when I was a child and my kids play with it at my parents’ house! I love the look of this updated one with the computer elements. Thanks for linking up with #stayclassymama
I loved that when I was little too. Even just the drawing element on this toy will keep little ones entertained I think.
This is such a great idea with a kid who is just learning letters it would be an ideal gift. #KCACOLS