LAMAZECaptain Calamari - Clip & Go Pram Baby Toys 0-6 Months - Sensory Toys for Babies' Development - Soft Plush Girls & Boys Toys - Expertly Designed Newborn Toys - Baby Essentials for Newborn & Up

Although he's not exactly spoilt, 7 month old Freddy has a doting Great Grandmother who loves to buy toys for him. Whenever she asks what toys he would like I point her towards the excellent Play and Grow range from Lamaze. The toys in this range are remarkably well made and feature lots of textures and activities for baby to explore and encourage his development. Captain Calamari is no exception and quickly became one of Freddy's favourite toys.Aye Aye CaptainCaptain Calamari is a wonderfully made soft toy masquerading as a pirate octopus. At approximately 13cm x 10cm x 25 cm and 110g he's the perfect size for Freddy to pick up and cuddle, but perhaps a little too large for younger babies. His blue plush head is hugglebly soft and his smiling face (with eye patch) is friendly, almost as if he's asking to be cuddled. His silky purple pirate hat is filled with a material that just begs to be scrunched so that it crinkles and has a felt feather so give another texture to explore.Turning Captain Calamari over, he has a baby safe mirror on his underside so that baby can talk to himself. And then each of his eight legs feature different activities and textures. Some of the legs are made of plush material, while others are silky, some contain crinkles while others are simply soft and squidgy. Five of the legs end with knots to be chewed on, while another has a silky foot. Of the other two legs one contains two rings that are the perfect size for Freddy to hold and chew on, while the other contains a rattle filled with tiny balls. Captain Calamari's final feature is a clip allowing him to be attached to a buggy or cot, which is attached via a `springy' strip of material which allows the octopus so bounce slightly when pulled.As a whole Captain Calamari is extremely well made, facial features are sewn into place and having pulled and tugged at all the seams I'm confident that he will be able to survive anything Freddy can throw at him. My only real concern is that Captain Calamari is not machine washable, from experience with Freddy I know that he will get sucked on, and eventually get quite grubby. Mind you, after two months of being played with and `eaten' he does still look as good as new.When Freddy Met the CaptainI was really shocked at Freddy's first reaction to the Captain, personally I didn't think he looked nearly as exciting as many of the other Lamaze toys. But obviously Freddy saw something in him that I didn't and he barely let him go for the rest of the day. Even now a couple of months later, Freddy will still play with his octopus several times a day, and even though he's not crawling he is quite capable of moving around the room and will make a beeline for Captain Calamari.How Freddy plays with the Captain has changed considerably over the last couple of months which bares out Lamaze's claim that the toy will grow with your child. To begin with Freddy was simply interested in the rings, that were just the right size for him to hold and he enjoyed exploring the different textures with his mouth. As time as has gone on, Freddy discovered the mirror and will spend time looking at his reflection and chatting away to the `other baby'. He also spends a lot of time exploring all the different textures and sounds with both his hands and mouth. He can spend a good ten minutes just checking out one arm after the other.The rattle was one of the first toys he passed from hand to hand, and he can often be found holding that part in front of his face trying to work out how to get at the balls inside it. As well as being used to attach the Octopus to his buggy, Freddy regularly uses the clip as a teether, or simply to hold the Octopus so that he can bash it against surfaces to make a noise. He has hit himself in the face a couple of times when he's become a little overenthusiastic, but as the toy is so soft he's not caused any injury.The final way Freddy interacts with his Octopus is something that's only happened in the last few days and is something really sweet to watch. You see, Freddy has just learnt to ask for a cuddle by making a very particular "Ahhhhh" sound and he will pick up his octopus and cuddle it while making this noise. All in all, it's safe to say that Captain Calamari is one of Freddy's favourite toys, surpassed only by another of the range, namely Freddie the Firefly.Learning Through PlayAlthough a baby will learn something no matter what toys they play with, I do like to buy Freddy toys that go that little bit further towards aiding his development and encourage anyone else buying him toys to do the same. The Lamaze Play and Grow range of toys fit this bill exactly and while the toys themselves don't change, the way baby plays with them does (as Freddy has shown). This means that the toy that visually stimulates a newborn also helps an older baby develop new skills. Although I must say that I'm not sure that Captain Calamari is the best of the range for a younger baby, as it features far more subdued colours in the range, 4-5 months is probably a better age. From this age upwards, Captain Calamari will help develop baby's hand-eye coordination as they explore the different textures and are rewarded with the different sounds and feelings. He also aids communication skills, as baby talks to himself in the mirror and eventually works outs that the `other baby' is actually him. He can also be used to encourage baby to move, if like Freddy he absolutely adores the Octopus. Baby might even use the rings and clip as a teether to soothe his sore gums, And finally as he has such a cuddly body he can provide comfort at bedtime.Final WordsWhile I personally wouldn't have rated Captain Calamari, the person whose opinion really matters adores him. From the very first moment Freddy laid eyes on this octopus he was entranced and couldn't wait to get his hands on him. Even now two months later the novelty hasn't worn off and Freddy will still play with the Octopus at every opportunity. He even had to go on holiday with us and comes on regular trips in the buggy as one of the few toys that doesn't get thrown on the floor. Therefore I can't help but give Captain Calamari five stars out of five, simply because he does seem to be perfect for my special little man and has helped him learn through play. Oh and just as a little extra, Captain Calamari does not require batteries.

The captain is very interesting for our child. Lots of different bits and pieces. The rattle/ball is a prticular highlight. Never fails to keep our child entertained. The hook addition to hang on the car seat or just to help carry is very handy.

My baby loves this and playing with it. It attaches to most things and really fun to play with. Sometimes I even find my husband figiting with it.

The media could not be loaded. My three month old loves “captain Calamari”, since 6 weeks old, the vibrant colours have caught her attention and now she’s older she’s grabbing onto the textured hoops and particularly enjoying looking at herself in the mirror on the bottom of the body. The legs are different colours and different textures too, on the toy there are 5 different textures in total: bumpy, crinkly, smooth, velvety and crispy. Great to stimulate a little baby and it never fails to make our baby stare and smile!

My 4mo baby loves this octopus toy. She try to put his legs on her mouth and have so much fun.

I hated this initially as its not super-cute (to me!) like other toys I've seen (the monkey or the pony) but my baby completely fell in love with it!! I was trying to get him a toy that would have a teething ring and a rattle that he can reach when the handle of his Maxi-Cosi car-seat is up. So I just tested this at Mothercare and my little one went WILD. I tried showing him another toy but he almost fell out of his push-chair trying to look at where I'd placed Captain Calamari back on the shelf!Ordered it from Amazon because of the amazing price. Almost 1/3rd less than high-street stores @ £7.95.I hand washed it and the colors haven't run. The cap and every alternate leg makes a lovely crinkly noise and my 5-month-old loves to squeeze them. The rattle and the teething rings are heaven to the very slobbery baby and keep him occupied for hours in the car/pram. Its a pretty big toy but its good in that he can manoeuvre it with his little hands and not-so-good-yet grip.He hasn't noticed the mirror at the bottom yet but I don't doubt he'll love it when he does.I highly recommend this. Just rattle it in front of the baby at a local store so you know which toy they like... mine hated the pony etc. Also, get an idea of the size or it might come as a shock - its as big as a small pillow! :)

One of my son's first toys! He played with it for months. Most appropriate for between 3-6 months. Easy to attach to buggy or hang above the cot. Colourful and with great textures for sensory play.

Great quality, fun to use and great price