Fisher Price I Love You Barney

**WHAT IS IT**

This is a plush toy which looks like Barney. If you don't already know, Barney is a character from a popular American children's show who happens to be a big purple dinosaur.

This particular toy is soft and cuddly and when you press the tummy Barney will sing to you. It is roughly 30cm in size. Two AA batteries are needed for this toy however they were included with the toy.

It is suitable for children aged 18months upwards. My daughter is 2 and she still plays with this toy. I think it really will go out of fashion once she grows out of Barney. I think this is starting to happen already

**WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE & DOES**

Well it looks like Barney who is a dark purple dinosaur which has a big smiling face and inside his mouth is black in colour.

You can also see his bright white teeth which all merge into each other. He has a brightly coloured green belly and a on his chest he has a heart.

On his back just above his tail he has three green spots. He has a very friendly face and his arms look like he is posed for a hug.

On this particular Barney there is a heart where his heart would be and I love you is embroidered in green and pink. The 'Love' isn't a word it is the shape of a heart.

The voice box is easily gotten to by opening a velcro section in his back which is sort of like a pocket that the voice box is kept in. The actual voice box has a cream plastic cover on it which you can choose to switch off if you wish. When you pull this out of the pocket you realise that it is sewn into the pocket so it won't come off completely.

If you need to change the batteries you can use a screwdriver and change them. I would advise you not to let your little one see you change this as they then will constantly want to explore and do it themselves as well.

When you press Barney's belly he will sing I Love you, you love me, we're a happy family, with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you won't you say you love me too. This is what Barney sings at the end of each episode so any child who watches the show will be familiar with it. It's isn't overly long and only lasts approximately 15 seconds. The same song is played each time.

**PACKAGING**

This toy is mounted onto a small box which has the Barney logo on it and a picture of Barney. There is a piece of cardboard behind Barney to keep him mounted upwards. This means that you can touch the toy and feel the softness of it before you buy it. You can also press his belly to hear what he sounds like before you buy him.

You have to make sure to remove all the tags which are attached to the cardboard and Barney before giving them to your child as they would be extremely dangerous if they tried to eat them.

**WHAT MY DAUGHTER THINKS**

My daughter likes this toy and she enjoys playing with it. Sometimes she likes Barney better than other times however he isn't her favourite character, others take preference with her at the minute however she is older now.

She first got this toy as a present at Christmas when she was a year and half, now she is two years old and doesn't have the same interest in Barney as she used to have.

My daughter never grows old of pressing the belly and listening to Barney sing. She loves to dance to the short tune played. I have to say I do not share her enthusiasm as it is extremely repetitive to hear over and over again.

She enjoys giving him a cuddle every now and then. As she doesn't take toys to bed with her to cuddle to sleep it was never used for this. It may be of more use to a child who does do this.

**MY OPINION**

This toy cost around £9.99 and my daughter received it as a Christmas present. I have to say I don't really think that it really is worth the money to be honest. My daughter only looks at it every now and then and it isn't really one of her favourite toys and it never really was. It is really one of them toys that just gathers dust and takes up space.

The only way I can imagine that it would be a good toy is that if your child is a massive Barney fan.

I do have to admit that the toy is made very well and it is very soft and cuddly to touch. The hair on the dinosaur isn't too long and I am in no way worried about the fibres becoming lose which I have found a problem with other cuddly toys.

The music can be annoying to adults (or me specifically) but my daughter does like this aspect of this toy.

I do feel that it is too expensive for a cuddly toy that doesn't have much educational value. The only thing it potentially teaches your child is the 'I Love You' song.

This may not have been a problem for me as my daughter doesn't cuddle toys in bed but I do think that if she did with this toy it would make her more awake as music would start playing every time Barney's belly was squeezed. This function can be turned off if you wish I suppose.

Personally I would only recommend this toy to anyone who's child really loves Barney otherwise it really is a waste of money. The toy is made very well but it doesn't really do much and I find the music being played constantly annoying.