Fisher-Price Roll-a-Rounds Zippin' Zoo Rounds; Excellent Add-Ons, Cute All Alone
Written: Jul 06 '05
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Pros: They're balls; cute animals; bright colors; textured ends; big enough for small hands.
Cons: Scratch easily; roll under furniture.
The Bottom Line: Ball? Check. Animals? Check. Your toddler will adore Fisher-Price Roll-a-Rounds Zippin' Zoo Rounds.
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| krissingene's Full Review: Fisher-Price Roll-a-Rounds Zippin??? Zoo Rounds |
This past February, my daughter's godparents presented her with the Fisher-Price Roll-a-Rounds Jungle Friends Treehouse for her first birthday. The set came with four very cute clear balls with little jungle animals inside, but four balls were apparently not enough. They had also seen, and felt compelled to buy as an add-on, a six ball set of Roll-a-Rounds Zippin' Zoo Rounds. Woohoo, ten balls to step on and lose!
~* Roll-a-Rounds? *~
When my daughter was just a tiny thing - about this time last year - I discovered and fell absolutely in love with Fisher-Price's line of Peek-a-Blocks, clear blocks with a variety of items inside for baby to explore. Roll-a-Rounds are an obvious extension of the popular Peek-a-Blocks in that they are essentially the same toy, only in the shape of a ball instead of a block. Being that my 17-month-old now enjoys rolling and throwing toys as well as stacking them, I suppose moving on to Roll-a-Rounds was just the natural progression of things...
Each ball in this set features a different brightly colored zoo animal that either spins or wobbles inside the ball when rolled. Colorful circles on either side of the ball are imprinted with the Fisher-Price and Roll-a-Rounds logos, and offer different textures for tiny hands to explore.
~* Meet the Zippin' Zoo Rounds *~
There are six balls - and therefore six animals - in this set. Here, a bit about each of them:
Penguin & Baby - Two black and white penguins with orange beaks and feet sit atop a round blue circle of "ice", tiny triangular wings outstretched. The parent/baby duo wobble from side to side or turn flips as the ball is rolled.
Panda - This cute black and white panda clutches a sprig of green leafs. He is mounted on a stationary rod mounted across the center of the ball, and turns flips when the ball is rolled.
Bengal Tiger - Yes, the Fisher-Price website actually identifies this little guy as a Bengal tiger, and don't you forget it. He's your typical orange tiger nonetheless, with black stripes on his face and back. He is mounted in the center of the ball in the same fashion as the panda.
Hippo - Possibly my favorite of the Zippin' Zoo Rounds, he is a fat little purple hippo with a pink face, his mouth open to reveal two large white teeth. Although mounted in the center of the ball as the panda and tiger, the hippo also has about twenty tiny balls in varying shades of blue rolling around inside the ball, making this one rattle when rolled.
Crocodile - I beg to differ. Again, the Fisher-Price website maintains that this is indeed a crocodile; however, crocodiles tend to have much more narrow snouts than alligators, and this guy's schnozz is pretty darn wide. Anyway. It's a common misperception and not one that I will hold against him. This little green "crocodile" is short and stubby and very cute despite his species confusion, with a wide open mouth revealing six large, sharp white teeth. He is perched atop a round patch of blue "water" and moves freely inside the ball.
Kangaroo - Another definite case of species confusion - although, unlike the croco-gator, not one I can easily explain. Truth be told, we were never sure what this little guy was until looking at this set on the Fisher-Price website, which says that it is indeed a kangaroo. I would have sworn it was a giraffe - it's a little more orangey than a giraffe, but what else could explain the little horn-like growths and patch of hair between it's ears? A joey in a pouch would probably have tipped me off as to it's species, but there's no such joey present - only a small, nondescript creature perched on a round patch of green "grass", floating freely around the ball. A true Fisher-Price enigma.
~* Toddler-Tested *~
My daughter was thrilled with her set of Zippin' Zoo Rounds - of course, at her age, you just can't beat a ball to throw or roll around, and animals are the coolest things in the world. They were a sure winner. While they are small and easily forgotten in comparison to her larger, noisier toys, she enjoys them very much when Mommy or Daddy fish them from the bottom of her toybox. Rolling them back and forth across the floor is a favorite activity, and throwing them is quickly (and sadly) gaining in popularity.
At approximately 2 1/2" in diameter, the balls are chunky enough to fit well in small, pudgy hands, but still small enough to roll easily beneath the furniture. Currently, I know where seven of our ten are - the rest, I imagine, are hiding underneath the couch, the entertainment center, maybe even the toybox. I'll fish them out someday - it's enough of a challenge dodging seven balls scattered across the floor. And I assure you, they don't feel great when you step on them barefoot.
The balls are sturdy and have held up well to aforementioned rolling, throwing and stepping-on, with only a fair amount of scratching to show for it. The clear plastic will get scratched very quickly, so don't expect them to stay looking just like brand new for long - I can deal with scratches, though. Since ours are rolled across the floor so often (and especially since Daddy can't grasp the concept of removing his work boots at the door), I wipe them down fairly often with a damp cloth. (Skip the baby wipes, they live a filmy, sticky residue on the plastic.)
~* Overall *~
The Zippin' Zoo Rounds are an adorable set, fine on their own and a great addition to the larger Roll-a-Rounds playsets as well. There are several other types of Roll-a-Rounds available (pets, cars, etc.), each sold in sets of six for about $7. Based on my daughter's reaction to this set, I imagine it won't be long till we've acquired a few more...
~* Contact Information *~
For more information, visit Fisher-Price online at www.fisher-price.com or call 1-800-432-KIDS (1-800-432-5437).
~* Also By Fisher-Price *~
Cradle Swing B0639 * Deluxe Take-Along Swing * Healthy Care Booster Seat * Kick 'N Play Piano * Laugh & Learn Learning Home * Laugh & Learn Learning Phone * Laugh & Learn Learning Table * Link-a-doos On-the-Go Goldfish * Link-a-doos Teething Ring * Ocean Wonders Aquarium * Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer * Peek-a-Blocks Barnyard Friends Blocks * PowerTouch Baby: I Know My Letters * PowerTouch Baby Learning System * Roll-a-Rounds Jungle Friends Treehouse * Sesame Street 3-in-1 Baby Explorer * Sesame Street Giggle Gabbers * Sesame Street Light-Up Pet Pals: Ernie * Sesame Street Splash & Scribble Elmo * Sparkling Symphony Twinkle Dancer * Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): (gift)
Type of Toy: Baby Toy
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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krissingene
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Member: Kristin
Location: Southern VA
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