**Firstly, before I start my review I would like to point out that the toy I am reviewing seems to be a slightly different version to the one pictured. I have no idea if it is the more recent or older version but the name is the same & the version we have is still available to buy online too**

When my son was born, one of the many gifts that he received was a Lamaze Play & Grow monkey from his Nan. Being blue in colour I think it seemed an obvious choice for her first grandson. We have had several Lamaze toys now and, despite it being a brand I knew very little of prior to having my son (when I think of baby toys I think of the more obvious brands like Fisher Price), I have always been impressed with the toys. They are well made and brightly coloured to stimulate baby and this monkey is no exception.

It is a simple toy and is priced at around the £5 mark. Basically being a soft to, it is safe for baby from birth, although my son showed little interest in it until he was 2-3 months old when we would wave it in front of him (thus giving him little option but to show an interest!).

The main part of the toy is a large monkey's face. This fits comfortably in the palm of an adult's hand. The monkey is blue in colour apart from the area around it's mouth and ears which are both a bright yellow colour. The material is polyester but is soft to the touch. Within the face there is some kind of scrunchy material as this makes a scratchy noise when squeezed. From the face there are three ribbon-like attachments, the material is bright, stripy and multi coloured. At the top of the head the attachment links to a large white plastic hook. This means that the toy can be attached to pushchairs, car seats and shopping trolleys to keep your little one amused when you are out and about. My son did like to use this hook as a teether too though, so I was forever wiping it with a anti bacterial wipe! The other two attachments are from either side of the monkey. They look like arms but, given this is just a monkey's head, I'm not sure that's what they are! On one side there is multi coloured ball, about the size of a ping pong ball. This has various colours on and is made of two different materials that are different textures. Inside the ball is a bell, so this makes a ringing noise when moved. There are three small plastic hoops in red, blue and green around the attachment here too. These jangle together when the toy is shaken and can be manipulated by little fingers too. On the other side, there are two large plastic rings - one purple and one green. These are great teethers and have different textures, the purple one is bumpy and the green one more ridged.

My son loved this toy and it was one of the first ones that he showed any interest in. At 8 months he has pretty much outgrown it now, preferring instead much bigger toys that can make a lot more noise. He will still pick it up from time to time and chew on the teething rings though. It is a really well made and thought out toy, with a lot of stimulation of baby's senses - from the bright colours to the different textures to the different noises. I really can't speak highly enough of the toy if you are looking for a basic rattle-type toy for a young baby. The teether rings are a really lovely size and one of the first things that my baby gripped, he also regularly chomped on these.

There are some negatives to be aware of though. Nothing major and certainly nothing that would prevent me from recommending it or buying it again. One is that it is sponge clean only - not very practical when you have baby sick, dribble and sticky fingers to contend with. Another is that it has a huge label on it's back that I can't really see the need for. It can be cut, but I was worried about sharp edges if I did this. Turns out not to matter for us anyway as my son developed a fascination with labels..... Lastly, when baby learns that shaking this is fun and causes noise, beware! The teething rings HURT if you are hit with them!!

Overall, a great little toy for stimulating little babies.