Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium -- My son loves it... I do not.
Written: Jul 21 '06
Product Rating:
Durability:
Pros: Three different settings, 8 sound selections, helps baby's development, doesn't eat batteries
Cons: Doesn't fit all cribs, poorly designed battery pack, no projector, makes loud whirring noises
The Bottom Line: While Fisher-Price's Ocean Wonders Aquarium has its flaws, it is among my son's favorite toys. This fun, developmental crib toy is definitely worth a shot.
I will make this statement right off the bat -- my son is strong-arming me into giving this a three-star rating. When I discussed the possibility of giving one of his beloved toys a *gasp* two (or even one) star rating, he just broke down into tears. I couldn't possibly do that to him, so I will rate it higher than I would have. After all, the toy is technically for him... so if he can overlook the loud whirring noises and the battery pack, I guess I can learn to love it too. Now, I do realize that I commented differently on Mizgnomer's review, but we're all entitled to change our minds sometimes :).
But I refuse to give four stars. I'm sticking to my guns at three. And that's final.
Production Information
Ok, so what (exactly) is a Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium? It is a battery-operated toy that hangs on your child's crib. It is in the "Ocean Wonders" theme, so it looks as though you have an aquarium on the side of the crib. Depending on the setting, lights will come on, music will play, the fish inside will move around and the water will bubble. What's nice is that this toy can coordinate with a variety of Fisher-Price toys that have the "Ocean Wonders" theme -- such as a high chair, bouncer, swing and play yard. It is a fairly attractive piece that many fashionista moms would be proud to place in little one's crib.
However, as nice as this toy looks... there is one pretty large design flaw (at least in my opinion). Instead of the batteries being integrated into the toy itself, they actually have a separate battery box that attaches to the back of the Aquarium. Can you imagine that? There is a small square with a magnet in it that is supposed to hold up this huge, heavy battery box (it uses THREE "D" batteries). Yeah, this doesn't really work as planned. The Aquarium will separate slightly from the battery box in the event it is jostled, rendering the toy useless... this is rather unfortunate if you have a baby who loves to turn it on when they're alone, like I do. They get really frustrated when they hit the on button and nothing happens. I still can't figure out why in the world they have a separate battery box... big, big, monumental design flaw.
The Ocean Wonders Aquarium operates on 3 "D" batteries (like I just said) and is recommended for all infants -- from birth on up. One thing that I really like is how the toy doesn't eat batteries. The three "D" batteries that I installed when Aidan was 1 month old are the same batteries that are in it now. Obviously he's been using it more since he was able to move around... but those batteries have been in there for almost 7 months, and they aren't showing any sign of dying.
The good thing is that it isn't so large that it would overwhelm a baby's crib -- the Fisher-Price website says it's only 8" X 7". Nice size, not too large and not too small, and it isn't heavy either. The retail price is usually around $29.99, but there are ALWAYS sales on Fisher-Price toys... so I’m sure you can get it for less. I received this as a gift, but I'm pretty sure they were running a buy one Fisher-Price toy, get one free promotion. KB Toys is always having promotions on Fisher-Price, and Babies R Us will run an occasional promotion as well. I have also seen this toy at Toys R Us, Target and Wal-Mart... though their sales aren't nearly as good as KB Toys are.
You can access Fisher-Price's website at: http://www.fisherprice.com for more information, including the instruction manual for this toy.
What does this toy do?
Like I said earlier, the Ocean Wonders Aquarium is a box that has water and fish behind a piece of plastic. There are three different modes you can put the toy in:
*Music only
*Music and Lights
*The Full Monty (i.e.: music, lights, bubbles and moving fish)
I you choose the first two options, the Aquarium will play for 10 minutes... if you choose the full monty, it will only play for 5 minutes (according to the manual). Most of the retail websites get this incorrect. Before I reread the manual for this review I had noticed that it played for less time in the Full Monty position, but I didn't realize how much less. I would have said about 5 - 7 minutes. This, in my opinion, is a big detractor... especially for children who haven't yet figured out how to turn it on for themselves. On the top of the box you can choose which setting you'd like (your child won't be able to do this), adjust the volume and choose the song you'd like to have played. There are 5 melodies and 3 natural sounds you can select from -- from Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to sounds of the ocean.
Your child probably doesn't care about that, however. They are more interested in things they can reach. On the front of the Aquarium (in addition to the actual "aquarium" part) there is the on/off button as well as a spinning crab and a spinning ball with a fluttering toy inside. Your child can easily play with the two spinning toys as well as turn the Aquarium on and off.
Now, I will say this. The music comes out crisp and clear, the lights work perfectly and the bubbles offer a soothing counterpoint to the music... but the noise the fish make when they move is so loud! The artificial whirring noise almost drowns out the bubbles, and is even loud enough to drown out the music (depending on what volume you place it on). I couldn't imagine any baby being soothed to sleep with that whirring noise drowning out the relaxing music and soothing bubbles.
So... how does it attach to the crib
This is, again in my opinion, the other HUGE flaw that the Ocean Wonders Aquarium has. The toy is made with plastic straps in the back that are supposed to hang over the top of the crib and attach to the back of the toy. This is fine if you have a crib with a thin top rail... but I don't. I bought one of those convertible sleigh cribs from Baby's Dream Furniture... there is no skinny top rail. No matter where I tried it on the crib, those darned plastic straps weren't long enough to fit over the rail. How frustrating is that? I wanted to scream. I'm sure I should have just returned it, but it looked so neat... I just had to make it work for Aidan.
I finally realized I could jerryrig the darn thing so that the straps wind AROUND the rails instead of over the top rail. The Aquarium is secure, but now it rests ON the mattress instead of above. While this does solve a few problems (such as the fact that many babies cannot reach the toy when you shift the mattress down), it also creates a number of problems...
Firstly, it renders the spinning crab utterly useless. Since the toy is resting on the bed, the crab can't spin... though Aidan tries his best to get the little crab to move.
Second, I try to keep the Aquarium turned on all the time... that way if Aidan wakes up at 6:30 am and wants to entertain himself until mommy wakes up, he can just turn it on himself... However, since it is actually ON the mattress he has a tendency to accidentally turn the toy on in the middle of the night (because he's always been a mover in his sleep). Sometimes this wakes him up, sometimes it doesn't, but this is a little bit of a problem. Then again, I have heard about little ones turning the Aquarium on accidentally even when it is hung properly... so maybe this isn't a problem solely isolated to my case.
Lastly, he does occasionally knock his head into it. However, this isn't as bad as it sounds. My ped. advised me to never, ever, EVER use bumpers... especially once he starts moving around (which was at three months... when he learned to roll over). I asked him about him bumping his head on the rails and he replied "Well... it's either that, or the possibility your child could suffocate." I think I'll take the head bumps, thanks. So, is the head bump he receives from the Ocean Wonders Aquarium any worse than one he'd receive from the railing? Nope. Does he ever cry? Nope. He takes his knocks and keeps on rolling. Now, before the baby police jump all over me... I did ask the ped. about this already. He asked me if there was any for the baby to get a body part trapped underneath, and the answer is no. The Ocean Wonders Aquarium is firmly positioned against the mattress. Aidan could try to pick it up with all his might and it wouldn't budge. My ped. said that as long as that's true, it's perfectly safe to have it resting on the mattress.
But, you can clearly see why I have problems with this device. Besides the loud, artificial whirring noise, it doesn't fit all cribs and the battery pack is designed poorly. But these are all silly adult concerns... What about Aidan?
Ahh, yes... Does the baby like it?
This is the litmus test for any toy. No matter how much the parent likes it, if the baby doesn't... it's just a monumental waste of money. Have you ever tried to get a baby to play with something they don't find interesting? It's impossible. I've tried for over a month to get Aidan interested in a Leap Pad, but he refuses to do anything by try to eat the pages.
Needless to say, Aidan loves it. From the first time I turned the Ocean Wonders Aquarium on, he has been absolutely mesmerized. He only likes the Full Monty setting and won't fall asleep to it... but he LOVES to turn it on in the morning before I come in to get him. He just keeps on turning it on over and over again until the battery pack jostles loose, then he cries for me to fix it. I love watching him play with this toy -- his eyes just light up and a big grin appears on his face... complete adoration. From the time he could roll over, he would maneuver over to the toy and smack it until it would turn on. Then he'd reach for the glass and touch it while he stared at the fish and the bubbles. This is his coffee in the morning -- Aidan has to go through at least two full cycles before he can be picked up. He watches it with pup-pup (he stuffed lovey) clutched in his hands, and when it finishes... he just bends over (he sits up to watch it now) and presses the on button to watch it again. He really is an amazingly happy baby in the morning.. not sure where he got that from, since mommy is definitely NOT a morning person.
I'm serious... Love. Sometimes even I don't get that look of adoration. I guess the Ocean Wonders Aquarium is way cooler than silly ol'mom (man, it starts young!).
Overall Summary
Alright... so as I'm writing this review, I realized I was rating it from an adult's perspective. An adult would hear the whirring noises and think they were irritating... an adult would see the fact that it isn't made to fit all cribs (the straps would only need to be a little longer)... an adult would see the silly battery pack design and get frustrated... and an adult would think it merits only a star or two (maybe three)... But then I think that this toy isn't really MADE for adults. Like I said before, no matter how much an adult likes a toy, it doesn't translate into baby liking it. If baby doesn't like it, then the toy is useless.
But that's not the case here. Aidan doesn't see all the silly design flaws, and I wonder if he even pays attention to the mechanical whirring noises, he just simply loves his Ocean Wonders Aquarium. Honestly, I have to bring it with us when we travel. Recently, we stayed overnight at Grammie's house and Aidan woke up crying in the morning... I couldn't figure out why until I realized that his favorite morning activity (besides a mile walk with mommy) was missing. Take the Ocean Wonders Aquarium away from him is like taking pup-pup away, and that's something I can't do. My almost-8 month old child is so firmly attached to pup-pup that he cannot go to sleep without him, and apparently he can't wake up without his Ocean Wonders Aquarium.
So, final word? I gave in and rated it Four Stars... but only because I'm sure your child will love it -- maybe not as much as Aidan, but enough to forgive the problems inherent with the design. I would recommend it, for all its flaws, to any parent who wants some other form of crib entertainment besides a mobile.
Pros:
*Aidan loves it
*Three settings allow for music only (most soothing), music/lights, and the full monty (least soothing, but most stimulating)
*Helps to improve baby's cause/effect skills though the use of the on/off button, auditory skills through music, eye-tracking skills through the moving objects, hand/eye coordination by the spinning objects and helps to promote relaxation through the relaxing music and sound effects
*Easy for infants to turn on/off
*Two spinning objects on the front provide extra entertainment
*Batteries last a while
*Quite a variety of songs/effects that are played crisp and clear
*Not too large or heavy
Cons:
*Poorly designed battery pack has a tendency to jostle loose
*Straps are not long enough to fit over all cribs
*Doesn't have some of the newer innovations such as a light show projected on the ceiling
*Baby cannot change settings or song selections
*When the fish move they make a loud whirring noise that almost drowns out the music and water sounds
*My son couldn't fall asleep to this if he tried... it's way too stimulating... so if you want this as a sleep-aide, you may want to try something else. However, this is an excellent wake-up toy
*$29.99 is kinda expensive for a toy like this... but you can get good bargains if you find it on sale
*Toy only plays for 5 minutes in the complete mode -- absolutely not long enough. This should play the complete 10 minutes like the other modes.
PS: You know what's so great about this toy? As I sit here writing the review, my son is waking up from his nap. I hear him moving around, babbling a little bit to pup-pup... and after a few minutes of waking up, I hear "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Then I hear him touching the toy and turning it on and off, all the while talking to it. He sounds like the happiest little clam right now.
Seriously, you can't buy that at a store.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 29.99 Type of Toy: Baby Toy
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
If you listen closely to the Ocean Wonders Aquarium you can hear your baby sleeping! This versatile and remarkable toy is loaded with serene options t...More at eBay
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