Fisher-Price Magic Rattles > Reviews (2)

After I saw my friend's magic rattles and being a bit of a Winnie the Pooh fanatic I couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy both Tigger and Winnie "for my daughter to play with". Why does no-one ever believe me!

I'll tell you about Winnie first and then move onto Tigger as each moves in a different way.

Winnie sits on the floor with his little chubby belly and his rattle in hand and to activate him you simply press him and he starts to rock and come out with a variety of phrases. When activated he rocks back and forth on his bottom and shuffles about the room.

Tigger, on the other hand, is standing up and is activated in a similar way. However Tigger, in true Tigger fashion, bounces up and down and maks his way round the room this way.

The idea behind these toys is simple - it encourages your little ones to shake their rattle thus learning cause and effect - rattle shakes, toy moves - however there were a few negatives which caused them to be put up on the shelf for now although we may get them out again soon now Alex is older.

Firstly - there is no off button on either and as encouragement for your little one to continue playing both Winnie and Tigger sporadically move and talk until a seemingly eternal time has passed.

Secondly - Tigger's rattle is qute a heavy, solid rattle and I had to take it off Alex as she started to get a red mark on her leg where she was laying on her back, shaking the rattle and bashing it against her leg. I did put my hand between the rattle and leg but was simply rewarded with an aching hand for my efforts to protect. Having said that though WInnie's rattle, being round, was easier for Alex to handle and less injury-causing.

Thirdly - Tigger's bounce! We have no carpet in our lounge and Tigger sounds like a pneumatic drill when he gets going therefore I wouldn't recommend him for anyone who has laminate or wooden flooring.

They are both quite solid, heavy toys and therefore are difficult for little ones to manhandle which is something little ones like to do and therefore I don't thinkthey are suitable for younger or smaller children.

And finally - it isn't just rattles that set them off. I had just managed to get them to nearly auto switch off when my husband walked in with the shopping in carrier bags and set them off again - much to my frustration as I had got a little fed up of hearing Tigger say "let's bounce".

Having said all of these negative things I am glad that I have bought them as they are slightly different to many of Alex's other toys and they also make quite sweet 'ornaments' in her bedroom.

I bought both of mine from ASDA for just under £25 in the sale but have just googled them and found them on Amazon at £12 - obviously not a hit with many people - especially as they are no longer available on the Fisher Price website.