Early Learning with Leap Frog DVDs and Magnetic Fridge Toys?

[The Review Mommy]

Just recently my 16 month old B/G twins are babbling up a storm and are starting to say a few words. It's so much fun! I'm thinking its time to start introducing letters and sounds to them and came across the Leap Frog DVDs on Amazon. The reviews are great and I would like to get some of your thoughts.
http://www.amazon.com/Leapfrog-Learning-Talking-Factory-Storybook/dp/B000EHQU1W/ref=pd_sim_t_6

I also saw the Leap Frog Fridge toys, namely the Phonics and Word Builder and was thinking that would be nice to have. I like how long the age ranges are for the fridge toys. Seems to keep interests for a long time? I hated buying infant toys that were short lived-cant stand it lol. I was thinking of buying the Word Builder vs the Phonics. Doesnt the Word Builder do the same things as the Phonics just more? I see myself buying the Word Builder down the road anyway so I'd rather just buy one Fridge toy instead of two. What do you think?
http://www.amazon.com/Leapfrog-Fridge-Words-Magnetic-Builder/dp/B0002SC7CE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1231437214&sr=1-4
vs
http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Fridge-Phonics-Magnetic-Alphabet/dp/B000096QNK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1231437214&sr=1-3

Lastly, where can I buy them for a great price and do they come in bonus sets? I see there are extra lower case letters available but they do not fit the new Fridge toy design.
http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Phonics-Lowercase-Letters-Expansion/dp/B000BUA5KY/ref=pd_sim_t_5

TIA!
Rebekah

[Melaine]

The fridge toys at Amazon were a great price before Christmas, they went as low as $8.99 or $9.99 each. We got our girls 2 of the fridge phonics. I wish I could expect them to share, but it just doesn't work that way. I have a friend with b/g twins and they have done just fine sharing one though. They are just barely two and know all their letters by name; my friend said the fridge phonics really helped that. Also, when my girls were just a little older than your's, I got them each a cheap wooden alphabet puzzle from Target, something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Alphabet-Friends-26pc-Puzzle/dp/B000XR2JYK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1231438967&sr=8-6
The target one was $4.99 though. We keep those on the kitchen table and they play with them as I am getting meals together. They LOVE them, it has really been one of their favorite toys. I have said the letters with them enough that they know some of them from the puzzles, they also sometimes associate the letter with the picture underneath, like A and Apple.

[The Review Mommy]

The fridge toys at Amazon were a great price before Christmas, they went as low as $8.99 or $9.99 each. We got our girls 2 of the fridge phonics. I wish I could expect them to share, but it just doesn't work that way. I have a friend with b/g twins and they have done just fine sharing one though.

DANG!!!! I missed out! I will have to wait maybe and get both? I'm lucky though that my twins dont have to have 2 of everything. They do have to have their own rooms though. Not just for my sanity...

Thanks for the advice. Which set did you get? Looking back are you happy with the set you chose or would you want to switch?

[Naranjadia]

Those DVDs look great. Thanks for posting about them.

Our B/G twins do a fairly good job of sharing overall, though DD has a tendency to covet whatever DS has in his hands.

[AngelaS]

Word Builder's better than Fridge Phonics because it does everything FP does and more.

The Letter Factory DVD totally taught my 2nd dd ALL her letter sounds. :)

[s7714]

My DDs love all the DVDs. The catchy music really helps them remember the sounds.

As for the fridge things, I'd only recommend the single letter phonics one. My DDs like playing with it. The word builder one sits unused the majority of the time. It especially drives my older DD batty that the word builder limits you to only three letter words.

[The Review Mommy]

I think I'm going to get both of them. :P I want them to learn lower and upper case letters. The upper comes with the fridge phonics and the word builder comes with the lowercase. They dont sell expansion letters that are compatible with the redesigned fridge sets yet. I was thinking of just going with the old deluxe sets with the numbers included. The pieces are much bigger. I cant give them small pieces just yet. Now I will have to be on the "hunt". Seems like maybe Costco or Sams would have them?

http://www.amazon.com/Fridge-Phonics-Numbers-Magnetic-Learning/dp/B000LG1UIY/ref=sr_1_46?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1231530964&sr=1-46

http://www.amazon.com/LEAPFROG-Fridge-Phonics-Magnetic-Alphabet/dp/B000GUOGKY/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2AJ0CUG2ZEDRJ&colid=3OQ3LBTOPYO3D

[The Review Mommy]

I just watched this video on youtube of a little girl writing down some of the words she did not know in her notebook so her Mom could go over them with her. Very smart idea1 I will have to do that with DD1. Thought I'd mention it to others on here. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpLfZI6sTEA

[KrisM]

We have Letter Factory and Talking Words DVDs and they're great. They don't get watched a lot, but they did teach the letter sounds to both kids and DS is starting to read and sound out words.

We have Fridge Phonics and Word Whammer and they don't really get used a lot and there are so many pieces, it's tough.

[The Review Mommy]

Yep, just a few at a time i guess for the twins right now but I cant really say that about DD1. She may want to play with them all and then what lol... :P