Head and shoulders above the rest (Bright Starts Tropical Fun Around We Go)

Member Name: Ann-Marie_B

Product:	Bright Starts Tropical Fun Around We Go
Date:	24/11/08 (299 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can be used from 4 months and even into todder age

Disadvantages: Table not particularly sturdy when standing alone

The Tropical Fun Around We Go from Bright Starts is an innovative alternative to the basic activity station. At the centre is a mushroom shaped activity table and connected to the base is a seat which enables your baby to turn 360 degrees as well as the circumference of the table. The seat has two settings to adjust as your baby grows.

The activity table consists of a water-filled, starfish shaped pad with small shell, fish and starfish shapes floating within the liquid. Either side of this pad are two shell shaped buttons, which not only squeak when pressed, but also cause the fluid within the pad and subsequently the little shapes contained in it, to move.

Moving anticlockwise around the table we then come to a translucent purple dolphin, elevated on a seaweed-shaped stand. The dolphin is filled with small, colourful beads and spins around on its stand, with the beads causing it to rattle as it moves.

Next is a bright yellow snack tray with space for food and a cup holder. This tray can easily be removed for cleaning via two clips situated just above it. It is ideal for small snacks when playing and the seat can be locked into position to keep your baby at the tray.

Again moving anti-clockwise we then have a rather colourful toucan elevated by a perch. The toucan is soft and rubbery and squeaks when pressed.

The following feature is quite intricate. We have what resembles a pool of water and on the left there are two dolphins peeking just above the pool. When one is pressed down the other springs up and vice versa, making a loud clacking sound. Sitting to the right hand side of the dolphins are a trio of spinning fish and below is a whale on a runway. When the whale is moved along the runway the fish trio spin around. Finally, straddling this particular feature is an arch, which has a crocodile at the centre, an octopus to its left and a flower to its right. The crocodile will spin but will not move along the arch whereas the octopus and flower can be slid along.

Next we have a fish elevated on a seaweed-shaped stand. Attached to the fish's mouth is a smaller fish in a rubber ring. The smaller fish in the rubber ring can be pulled out on its string and the larger fish will then reel it in slowly, making a mechanical noise and flapping its tail as it does so.

The following feature is by far my son's favourite, and indeed mine too. It is a keyboard with five keys, each depicting an animal and the name of the animal beneath. The keys are all translucent colours and light up when pressed. Above the keyboard is a plastic book with two moveable pages creating three settings when turned. When flipped to the first page the keyboard will play basic keyboard sounds. When on the second page, the keys will state what colour they are when initially pressed, when pressed again they will say a short statement (i.e. the monkey states "I love to dance the Salsa") and when pressed a third time they will state which animal they depict. Finally on the third page each key will play a short piece of music.

The final feature on the activity table is a palm tree shaped figure. The outer leaves are a teething aid and filled with water. Just as with all of the elevated features this can be clipped off and so the water filled teether can be cooled in the fridge. Attached to the leaves is a purple monkey which swings from its tail. The centre piece of this palm tree has a picture of a bumble bee on one side and a mirror on the other.

The Bright starts Tropical Fun Around We Go is suitable for use from 4 months of age. Once your baby is more independently mobile, the outer seat can then be removed and the table used on its own. I purchased this product for my son when he was six months old. I acquired it from Amazon at £79.99 however it is also available from Mothercare and Babies R Us. It required some assembly and does contain screws at the base. The base itself was rather difficult to assemble as the moulding of each piece meant it did not sit together properly. I also found that when attaching the chair it was set to locking position and it took me a while to realise this. The rest was however assembled with relative ease.

My little boy has been in love with this from the very start. He very quickly learned to move himself around the table and was able to operate each feature, even rather surprisingly the whale on the runway from that age. The keyboard is as aforementioned his favourite feature and the very first time he danced, again at 6 months, was while he was playing the music on it!

The Around We Go has been invaluable for those short periods of time when I needed to catch up on a little housework or answer the door. Just as with any product like this it is advised to only use it in short bursts of say 10-20 minutes and should always be supervised.

At around 8, maybe 9 months old I had a rather nasty surprise when I turned away from my son for a brief second only to find he had pulled himself out of the seat, hitting his head on the floor. At that point I then knew that he had outgrown the seat and it would need to be removed. Admittedly I should have kept him within eyesight to prevent this from happening. From then on he continued to use the table and still is today. The table however is not entirely sturdy and my little boy finds it rather amusing to rock it until it tips over. Again very close supervision is needed!

It is relatively easy to clean as most parts will detach for washing and the base can be wiped clean. However I have found that a little debris has made its way beneath the keys on the keyboard.

Overall, when compared to similar products available, the Bright Starts Tropical Fun Around We Go is head and shoulders above the rest. It is priced the same as the average activity station and yet has so many features, an innovative seat and can be used right up to toddler age once the seat is clipped off. It offers a shelf life and value for money that others simply do not. I would whole heartedly recommend this product, however I would advise that it is always used under very close supervision.

Summary: Fantastic and innovative!