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ELC Blosson Farm Sit Me Up Cosy
by BexCam1
My son was given this for his first christmas, when he was 7 weeks old.
Its from Early Learning Centre, I'm not sure how much it cost back then but they still sell it now (although the design has changed) for £40.
I think its expensive for what it is. It's got 2 inflatable pieces covered in soft fabric and a mat ... that goes over the top of them. You can join the inflatable pieces together to make a circle that baby can lie down on, or stack them on top of each other to help baby sit up. There are also 3 little animals that can attach onto the mat with velcro. The animals are cute and a nice size for baby to hold, they also have different textures on them and they rattle and squeak. The mat is shaped like a flower and very soft and colourful, it could also be used just on its own for tummy time.
My son liked to lie down on the mat when he was very young and he enjoyed playing with the toys, but as he got older he didn't really like sitting up in it. I don't think it helped him learn how to sit up either.
The nest is easy to store once its deflated, and the fabrics are washable, I kept it stored away and used it for my daughter when she was born, but she wasnt keen on it at all! I then passed it onto my nephew too so although it's expensive it has lasted well!
Overall I wouldnt recommend this, its just too expensive.
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Zoggs Trainer Seat
by Whizz11
I think its really important that kids learn to swim at an early age so we've basically been taking our kids swimming ever since they were born. They love the water and really enjoy our swimming session. Our little girl is still a bit cautious of the water but my 15 month old boy runs and dives in and will go under and everything which ... is great.
We bought this float about three years ago when I was taking my little girl swimming by herself and it came on holiday with us and has now been used by my boy when we go to the pool. Its a great way of keeping him in the water and not having to carry him all the time and hold him inthe water. It also gives him a little bit of independence in the water and the ability to kick his legs and move around for himself and go for an adventure. When he is in it I am able to swim a little albeit I have my eyes on him all the time ready to catch him if he looks like he is going to fall out.
That being said this is quite a safe float and keeps kids in really well and I trust that he is sitting in it safely and comfortably. The float is basically a round inflatable ring that has a back cushion to it so it's more like a seat. The child sits in a plastic portion in the middle of the seat with legs either side so they are sitting fairly comfortably. The seat is quite low down so they sit well in the water and I don't think there is much of a chance of coming out as you are in rather tight and low down. There are three different sections to blow up on this seat, the outer ring, the inner ring and the seat back. They all have a plastic inflatable chamber that you need to pinch and blow and once you get in the groove it blows up fairly quickly. I find it keeps inflated well and we usually do not need to top it up between each week swimming as we just leave it inflated all the time. I needs topping up probably once every couple of weeks which is good.
There are warnings all over this seat and I suppose you do have to be very careful whenever it comes to water. On the bottom of the float is the following, "WARNING USE ONLY UNDER COMPETENT SUPERVISION. Under no circumstances should a child be left in or around water unless a competent swimmer is within arms reach.
Will not protect against drowning. Always fully inflate all air chambers. Use only under constant adult supervision in direct reach of the swim seat. Will not protect against drowning. This is not a life saving device. Check regularly for tears and leaks.
Risk of capsizing. There is a risk of capsizing if used for wearers beyond or below designated weight range/age category of user; within child's standing depth; in breaking waves; in bath tubs."
It has a maximum weight of 11kgs and a height of 60-75 cms. This is a great way of letting your child get used to the water and gives them time to float about and for you to have a bit of a swim.
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Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Singin' Scoops
by PerfectPeaches
Last year for Christmas I bought a considerable amount of presents from Boots as I wanted to take full advantage of the 3 for 2 offer which is great if you can find the majority of your presents all in one place. I did quite well and even took advantage when they had their sale on! However, I did struggle to find a 'free' item which yes ... sounds a bit odd but wanting it to cost less than the other 2 wasn't as easy as one would think. However, opted for a stocking filler for my daughter as I could only find toys in the price bracket I wanted.
The toy itself is called Fisher Price Laugh n Learn Singin' Scoops. My daughter loves to stack things on top of each other and I thought this would be a cute little toy to add to her collection and because it was my 'free' gift I couldn't complain especially even when not bought in the 3 for 2 offer it was only £10.00. I do like Fisher Prices toys as I find they are well made and entertaining and although this was only small I hoped it would bring a smile to her face.
== Singin' Scoops ==
The toy itself isn't particularly hard to grasp. There is the ice cream cone as the base and three 'flavoured' toppings which are in three different sizes so the baby can learn to stack them on top of each other. The toy is recommended for ages 6 to 36 months and my daughter received it at 25 months. The toy already comes self assembled and comes in a box with a clear plastic front style packaging so you can easily see the toy.
To elaborate on the design the cone is a beige colour and features a little cartoon face on it and at the side there is a brightly coloured switch where you can change the melodies and turn it completely off. The 'flavours' are circular in shape and come in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry varieties each with a number on (1, 2, 3) which represent which order that need to be added to the ice cream cone. The scoops do come in different sizes but are all quite baby/toddler hand size friendly which makes them easy to grasp and being plastic will happily take any knocks or bangs.
There are two modes of play which are activated by the side switch, one is all about numbers and the other is nursery rhyme tunes which encourage your child to sing along. The melodies are perfectly pleasant to listen to and are not loud enough to interfere with anything else which is nice especially as there is no volume adjuster! You will need 2 AA batteries which do come with the toy although how many times it has been tested in a store may depend on how long the batteries last!
The toy has been specifically designed to help develop your baby/toddler in a variety of areas. The most notable being:
Eye to hand coordination - by picking up and stacking the ice cream 'flavours' can help this aspect of childhood development.
Social Skills - The sing along songs and phrases will hopefully help and encourage speech and manners as well as sharing should the child be playing with a sibling/friend.
Thinking Skills - by using the numbering on each 'scoop' this will hopefully help the baby/toddler think about which order in which to stack them by both size and the number.
== My Daughter and her Scoops ==
My daughter as said above received this for Christmas 2012 and quite simply because not only did I need an extra present but also because she loves to stack things on top of one another and has quite a few toys such as stacking blocks and cups which she thoroughly enjoys. I thought this would be an ideal small present which could be taken around should we go out anywhere as it is small in size and doesn't have a million parts to try and find!
Being 25 months when she received it, it didn't take her long to figure out how to use it and how to play with it which for me was great as she clearly knew what she was doing and she certainly found it enjoyable when she stacked the scoops correctly in both size and number order. However, because it took her such a small amount of time to master the art of stacking scoops she quickly became bored of the toy despite the melodies and phrases which it has.
Now a month later the toy very rarely gets a look in compared to other more complex and interesting toys which I did think may happen and although it is quite handy to take out with us given its small size, at home it doesn't really get a look in and those useful phrases and melodies are not heard. It now currently sits in her toy box buried amongst the other toys she has lost interest in.
== Overall ==
For me I do feel quite sorry for this overly cute toy but I do feel that at 27 months she is too old for it and although it did amuse her for a little while it doesn't have enough elements to keep her interest. Therefore, I do think the recommended age of 6-36 months is just a bit too excessive and should probably be at a push up to 24 months but even then I think it would be interesting enough for a two year old.
This has been played with by my 1 year old cousin who finds it incredibly intriguing and you can clearly see the cogs working in her mind as to what to do and how to do it. It certainly manages to keep her amused for quite some considerable length of time too. So I think it is inevitable that this will be passed down to her the next time I see her and hopefully she will get plenty of use out of it!
For me though as cute as the toy is I just bought it a bit too late for my daughter and I am quite happy that I didn't really have to pay for it but even at £10.00 it won't break the bank unlike other toys you can buy and a child takes no interest in! Therefore, I can only give it 4 stars just knocking a star off simply because of its simplicity.
== Product Information ==
Brand: Fisher Price
Price: Around the £10.00 mark (Boots)
Availability: Toy stores, online stores
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