Fisher-Price Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle; There's Something Fishy Here
Written: Jun 16 '04 (Updated Dec 28 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Colorful; spinning colors attract and hold baby's attention.
Cons: Too big/bulky for younger babies; small links harder to grasp; button/gears wear out quickly.
The Bottom Line: Pretty to look at, but useless for play.
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| krissingene's Full Review: Fisher-Price Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle |
For the first two and a half months of her life, my daughter was a lump. She slept, ate, screamed and wet and that's about it. What a happy day it was in our house when she grabbed a toy in her tiny fist and looked at it in confusion. She was interested in toys - hooray! Now nothing can keep me away from the baby section or toy department of whatever store we happen to be in - so many toys, so little time!
During a recent visit to a local closeout store, I made my usual pilgrimage to the baby department and examined the selection of infant toys. With my daughter in the shopping cart beside me, I patiently dangled each one in front of her to see which elicited the most positive reaction. We ended up purchasing the Fisher-Price Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle.
~* Okay, I Lied *~
So we didn't technically purchase the Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle (and no, I don't mean we stole it either!) The name on the packaging is actually See 'n Spin Fish Rattle, although the rattle is one and the same. Attempts to locate this rattle on the Fisher-Price website failed and, after examining the packaging more closely, I noticed a copyright date of 2000. Since that date, the name apparently changed and then the rattle was discontinued, although it may still be found in closeout stores such as Big Lots. We purchased ours for $2.99.
~* Oh No! Another Fish! *~
Our home has recently been plagued by fish, one critter that I never associated with babies before having one of my own. Fisher-Price apparently thought of something I didn't, however, as all of our fishy paraphernalia are by that same manufacturer - we own the Ocean Wonders Aquarium and bouncer and the Link-a-doos On-the-Go Goldfish in addition to this rattle, and quite frankly, I'm beginning to wish for a few fewer fish.
This particular rattle came in a bright orange and yellow blister pack and, due to the colors and sheer size, was rather hard to miss. The rattle is in the shape of a fish and measures about 4" across and 5" tall. The body of the fish is a rectangle, rounded at one end where the googly eyes and molded smile form the fish's face. There is a large yellow fin on the fish's back and a narrow pink loop with raised dots form a tail; a black and white ring is permanently attached to the tail so that the toy may be easily attached to other link toys. Several beads (or similar objects) inside the plastic body make a rattling sound when the rattle is shaken.
The middle of the fish is what makes it interesting, though. The fish's "belly" consists of a clear plastic panel, under which lie two cannister-like cylinders side by side. Each cylinder is printed with black and blue circles in a bullseye layout as well as brightly colored smiling fish. Just beneath this window lies a large purple half-circle shaped button with the Fisher-Price logo, which makes up the fish's bottom fin. When this button is pressed, the cannisters spin rapidly inside the fish's belly, creating a swirl of color and a rattling noise. The speed of the cannisters depends on how firmly the button is pressed; if pressed lightly, they spin very slowly but if pressed firmly and repeatedly, the cannisters spin wildly into a blur.
Colors and patterns vary.
~* Fishy Functioning *~
My daughter was amazed at the swirling colors when first I held the rattle in front of her, and stared at them for as long as I pressed the button to make them twirl. I had a little 'oops' in the store - pressing the button at a funny angle, it made a very loud clicking noise which startled her and made her cry. She recovered quickly and resumed watching the fish, however, so we bought it anyway...
It wasn't until we had played with this rattle for a few days that I began to wonder if maybe I wasn't to blame for scaring my little girl in the store that day. The more we pressed the button to make the colors spin, the more often it made that horrid clicking sound, until eventually it was clicking more often than it wasn't. My husband tossed the rattle aside in disgust and told me that the gears inside the button were obviously stripped, and that there was no way to repair it.
I wasn't ready to give up on it yet, though - she loved watching it so much, I had to give it another shot! So out of the toy bin it came and resides on her changing table even now. Sometimes it works properly and sometimes it makes that horrid clicking noise, but it always spins and she seems to have grown accustomed to the clicking. Had I known that it would wear out so quickly - and the button would be so hard to press when it was feeling uncooperative - I certainly would have left it in the store.
~* A Fish Out of Water *~
This toy is recommended for ages three months and up, so I didn't hesitate to give it to my four-month-old. She's become very apt at grabbing and holding onto toys (and getting them in her mouth) so I thought that the open rear fin and attached ring would be just the thing for her. And it is - she has no trouble whatsoever grabbing and holding onto her fishy. Or waving it around. And scaring Mommy very badly.
See, with a rectangular plastic body with inner cylinders such as it has, this rattle isn't exactly light from a baby's standpoint, nor is it well-designed for an infant who is still learning to control objects in her grasp. At first, she would wave the fish around and inevitably I'd hear a *thunk* as the large body came down onto her poor little head. This happened three or four times and she never cried, but it scared me to death - now she doesn't play with this rattle unless I'm nearby to keep her from clunking herself in the noggin with it again.
I'm also not sure that Fisher-Price put a lot of thought into the functioning of the rattle as opposed to the recommended age. It has certainly never occurred to Rachael to press the purple fin-button in order to make the inside cylinders spin, and even if it had, she wouldn't have the strength to push the button (even I have to exert a bit of energy to push it down fully.)
This definitely is not a rattle for baby to play with alone - at least not a young baby, I would say less than six months. Given the problems we've noticed, I understand why Fisher-Price discontinued this one.
~* But It's Educational! *~
The product packaging claims that this rattle encourages cognitive abilities - baby learns about cause and effect by pushing the button to see the inside spin. While Rachael may associate the clicking of the button with the spinning cylinders, I highly doubt that she has learned about cause and effect from this toy.
It is also supposed to help develop motor skills by shaking the rattle and pushing the button; again, since my daughter doesn't and couldn't push the button, that's rather a moot point. Holding and shaking the rattle may have helped her motor skills, but she was holding and shaking toys well before this one came along, and I've actually found this one a bit more difficult for her to grasp due to the small ring and narrow opening than other toys. Perhaps that's how it helps baby to develop - by presenting a challenge!
~* It's A Distraction *~
And that's all that it is in our household, a colorful diversion. It is not a favorite toy and I don't foresee it become more favored, but something in those googly eyes just won't let me throw it out - unless the gears strip entirely and the cylinders stop spinning, in which case it's outta here.
~* 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 On-the-Go Goldfish * Link-a-doos Teething Ring * Ocean Wonders Aquarium * Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer * Peek-a-Blocks Barnyard Friends Blocks * Sesame Street Light-Up Pet Pals: Ernie * Sparkling Symphony Twinkle Dancer
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 2.99
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
Trusted by: 120 members
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The strength of Motherhood is greater than Natural Laws. -Barbara Kingsolver
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