During one of my virtual shopping excursions on-line, I happened upon Flapsi by Haba. Flapsi is a wooden clutching toy made by the German toy company Haba. It is made in Germany. I thought Flapsi looked very cute, with his oblong face, gentle smile, and tufted red hair sticking out of his head. Plus, I thought my daughter would like the fact that the wooden circles on his body would make noise when they'd hit each other.
I bought Flapsi for $6.99 from Oompa.com. Flapsi is meant for children that are six months or older. I believe I bought him when my daughter was around eight months old. Flapsi is 4 1/4" in length. He has a natural colored wooden head, with a painted blue smile and painted blue dots for eyes. He has a little red nose that sticks out slightly, and a little red tufted hair do made from red cord. It appears that this "hair" consists at least partially of the red cords that connect all of the components of Flapsi's body. Two red, somewhat elastic cords go through each part of the body, enabling some give. Flapsi's body is made up of green rounded plates, alternating with blue cylinders. The green circles are a nice bold grass green color, with blue polka dots. Where the polka dots are, are actual indents, creating some added texture. The circles are about 1 3/4" in diameter. The little blue cylinders are the same color as the polka dots: a nice bold royal blue. Flapsi's tail is a red wooden ball. The red is also a nice bold color, like the rest of Flapsi's body.
If I pull Flapsi's head and tail in opposite directions, Flapsi can stretch minimally. As I had mentioned, the pieces are connected by red elastic cords. However, these cords do not provide much ability to stretch the body out. Because Flapsi's "spine" is flexible, one can bend his body up or downward. When doing so, and when the green circles meet, they make a nice clacking sound. The sound is softer when the top of the circles meet, versus the bottom. You can also recreate the clacking if you hold Flapsi's head, for example, and shake the body.
When I first gave Flapsi to my daughter, she instantly liked him. I suspect that it was because of his sweet face and bright colors. When she held him and realized that she could make sounds with him, she liked him even more. However, I soon realized that Flapsi posed a problem. My daughter was going through the phase when she would stick everything in her mouth, and Flapsi was no different. She put Flapsi's head in her mouth, and wanted to move around like that. Because the head is so small, it can fit easily into an infant's mouth. That made me quite nervous, so I put Flapsi away for a while until her mouthing phase passed.
Months later, I reintroduced Flapsi to my daughter. She was no longer sticking everything in her mouth. She now likes to walk around holding Flapsi, making him make his clickety clack sounds. You can always hear her coming when she has Flapsi in her hands. I like that even though Flapsi's parts clang together, they show no signs of wear.
In summary, I like that Flapsi is made by Haba in Germany, that it seems to be crafted well, and that it provides a nice sensory experience for my daughter. I do feel that six months is really too young an age for this toy though. I think he is best played with when there is a lessened risk of the child putting the head in his or her mouth. Also, $6.99 is a bit steep for a toy of this size. All in all, it is a nice toy for an older infant/toddler, but would be better at a lower price.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 6.99 Type of Toy: Baby Toy
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
Shake Flapsi and his wooden disks tap together, making a wonderfully gentle rattle sound. Flapsi is made of wooden parts securely threaded together on...More at Oompa Toys
Flapsi from Haba - The caterpillar in baby's hand is fun to rattle. Wooden parts thread on an elastic band. Flapsi is made of beech wood, with eco...More at Moolka.com
Age: 6m+ Materials: beech wood Measurements: length 11 cm (approximately 4.3 inches), Recommended age group: 1 - NaN years, Manufacturer: HABAMore at Amazon Marketplace
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