Link-a-doos On-the-Go Goldfish; Nothing Fishy About This Toy!
Written: Jun 16 '04 (Updated Jan 11 '05)
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Pros: Bright colors/patterns; different sounds and textures; attaches easily to carseat; baby loves it!
Cons: Grandparents may not know it's a fish...
The Bottom Line: We never leave the house without it.
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| krissingene's Full Review: Link-a-doos On-the-Go Goldfish |
As I've mentioned in other reviews, I was lucky enough to land a husband who willingly leaves me sleeping on Saturday mornings and does the grocery shopping - and he does a darn fine job, provided that I make him a thorough shopping list the night before. Usually I play fair and include the basics - milk, bread, chicken, etc. - but every once in a while I try to trip him up. For instance, two weeks ago I put on his grocery list "surprise for Rachael", our four-month-old daughter. Since he shops at Wal-Mart, this wouldn't be any great chore - if he noticed that part of the list at all.
Well he did, and he came through on that one, returning home with a large and colorful Link-a-doos On-the-Go Goldfish, which he had purchased for $9.99. (I later saw the same toy at a different store for $12.99.)
~* Do Babies Like Fish? *~
I must have missed something along the way. When I think of babies, I generally think of rattles and blocks and rubber duckies - not fish. But recently there's been a flood of fishy baby products on the market, especially from Fisher-Price (who is also the manufacturer of this toy). We've already welcomed into our home the Ocean Wonders Aquarium and Aquarium Bouncer as well as a fish-shaped rattle...and now another fish? Well, as long as our baby likes them...
The Link-a-doos On-The-Go Goldfish is packaged in a white box with an open front so you can see and play with the goldfish prior to purchase - a feature that I particularly appreciate when shopping for baby toys as I can put the box in front of my daughter and immediately gauge her level of interest.
Removing the toy from the box is no easy task - I very nearly obliterated the package during opening, and then spent upward of ten minutes untwisting those rotten twist ties at the back. Just when I thought our fishy was free and ready for play, I noticed cable ties holding several of the links down. The box instructs you - in very small writing - to use wire cutters to remove these, but my husband used regular scissors and snipped them right off.
~* "That Ain't No Fish." *~
The toy measures about 12" long from head to tail and is...well, very interesting to look at. The fish's head is orange with bright pink heart-shaped lips, and has a yellow fin on top and a lime green fin underneath. Both fins crinkle when touched, and there is a bell inside the fish's head that sounds when shaken.
The fish's body is comprised of a long thickly-padded cloth coil, which stretches out and allows the fish to be wrapped around the handle of a carseat, the poles on a swing, or most anywhere you want to attach it. Our fish's body is green, blue and yellow plaid although I believe that colors vary somewhat.
There are five links attached to the fish's body. Two blue links with raised dots are attached to either side of the fish's face and, when pulled outward, greatly resemble gills. On the next coil, there are rings on either side - one green with a smiley face and one yellow and shaped like a fish on one end. Rather than being sewn onto the toy as the blue "gills" are, however, these two links are attached to loops that are sewn onto the fish's body, making the links themselves removable via small openings in one end. (Alternately, other small toys may be attached to these links to provide even more activities.) The red link on the next coil is removable in the same manner, and this one has a stuffed yellow baby fish (with the same bright lips) attached, which squeaks when squeezed in the middle.
Another ring (blue this time) attaches the fish's tail to it's coiled body - this ring is not removable, but provides another easy place for baby to grab and hold onto the toy. The tail is comprised of two large fins - ours has orange and green tips and are shiny, blue and crinkly toward the blue ring.
To me, and knowing from the beginning that this was a goldfish, the toy has always resembled just that. However, my father-in-law stared at it for several minutes one evening as my daughter played before finally asking what it was. "It's a fish," we told him.
"That ain't no fish."
We pointed out the various fishy parts to him, attempting to show him that it was indeed a fish. We pointed out the eyes, the lips, the fins and pulled the tail around to show him that as well - but I don't think he ever really saw a fish in there. We finally told him to just use his imagination.
~* Playtime *~
Although our fish (which we call Fishy) came into our home on a Saturday morning, I hid it from my daughter's sight until that evening, when I knew we would be dining out in a restaurant and that entertaining her with the same old toys may prove a bit tricky. We were lucky - she fell asleep in her carseat during the drive, and continued to snooze halfway through our meal. Then, as babies tend to do, she woke up and wanted to be entertained.
I had coiled the fish around the strap of the diaper bag and had him within easy reach - I tugged him off and, with just a bit of difficulty that first time, wrapped the coils around the raised handle of her carseat/carrier. Her eyes immediately fixed on the fish, and she was content for quite a while just examining the new toy's colors, patterns and dangly bits. Then she started grabbing at the hanging links and somehow pulled the fish off of the handle and down on top of her - oops, Mommy must not have wrapped it very well. (I've gotten the hang of it now and the toy does actually stay in place very well when you take time to wrap the coils securely!) Once she had Fishy in her lap, one ring went immediately into her mouth. With the numerous links and their positioning all over the fish's body, she was easily able to hold onto him with no assistance. (And it's so cute when the fish's face heads toward her mouth - it looks like she's giving the fishy a kiss!)
For more than twenty minutes, Rachael sat in her carrier contentedly playing with her new toy. For the first time since her birth, I finished a meal in a restaurant without bouncing her on my knee, running to the restroom to change her or awkwardly nursing her in the dining room and dropping half my food in my lap while attempting to eat one-handed. I fell in love with this fish.
Upon leaving the restaurant, I decided to let her hold onto the fish during the drive home as well. Twenty minutes later, the fish was still in our quiet baby's lap. We had discovered a miracle toy!
~* And It's Also Good For You *~
This toy's packaging listed several developmental benefits associated with the Link-a-doos On-the-Go Goldfish. Its bright colors and interesting patterns are visually stimulating, while the different sounds (crinkling, bell) stimulate hearing. The various activities enhance hand-eye coordination and grasping the links and fins strengthen fine motor skills. Cognitive ability may also be encouraged during play - baby may begin to understand cause and effect or become curious to learn what makes a particular noise.
Of course, Fisher-Price encourages parents to "enrich baby's development by changing toys frequently throughout the day. Keep a selection of Link-a-doos handy, then switch them around to provide new ways to stimulate and intrigue your baby." There are many Link-a-doos toys available and, after great success with this one, I'm certainly willing to try more.
~* Go Fish! *~
This toy is recommended for babies from birth up, although I think my daughter gets much more out of it now that she can more accurately grab, hold and mouth her toys than she would have as a newborn. Young babies may enjoy looking at it, but won't be able to really play with the fish until they're a few months old.
~* Safety Precaution *~
Fisher-Price places this warning on the product packaging: To prevent possible entanglement injury, NEVER place product or suspend links in a crib or playpen. Never add strings or ties to product.
~* 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 Table * Link-a-doos Teething Ring * Ocean Wonders Aquarium * Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer * PowerTouch Baby Learning System * Sesame Street Light-Up Pet Pals: Ernie * Sparkling Symphony Twinkle Dancer * Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 9.99
Type of Toy: Baby Toy
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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krissingene
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Member: Kristin
Location: Southern VA
Reviews written: 267
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The strength of Motherhood is greater than Natural Laws. -Barbara Kingsolver
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