Remember my post about how much my kiddos adore the Octonauts TV show? Well, the love they have for the show has only grown deeper in the past few weeks and it’s now the only thing my daughter wants to watch these days. Her world has shifted from one of unicorns and rainbows to something I never saw coming: a deep fascination with the depths of the ocean.
It may have started with a TV show and a book, but now with the addition of the new Fisher-Price Octonauts toys, I’m pretty sure we’ve lost her to the sea forever. That’s right, the Octonauts characters she adores have landed at select toy stores nationwide and, more specifically, at our doorstep.
We received two Octonauts playsets to review this past month and right away I knew they were going to be a hit. For one, the articulated characters look just like the show and are utterly adorable. Secondly, the characters all come with fun accessories, creatures, and vehicles just like the show. Thirdly, some of these characters/vehicles/accessories can actually go in the water. Just like the show.
These three reasons and more are why they have officially replaced all the other toys on the play table this spring. Since both kids adore the show and the toys, and the playsets are designed to accommodate more than one child, the Octonauts sets also do something else I love: keep the peace.
If you’re thinking about getting your deep sea explorer some of these awesome toys, I recommend you start with the Octopod. The Octopod playset is just like the Octonauts underwater habitat on the show and features different rooms to play in, all centered around their command center. With two sided play that includes a working launch bay, 10 accessories {including rescue tools and some creatures from the show}, and even a miniature GUP-A to send the included Kwazii and Barnacles out to explore.
I should note that the Octopod does make noise, which I typically am not a fan of, but I actually think the way that it’s designed is really quite brilliant. Instead of having a battery compartment on the actual Octopod that makes noise, the only sound producing part is actually a clip on Octo-Alert that you can either connect to the top of the Octopod or you can wear on your belt.
This removable feature is cool for a couple of reasons, the first being that it leads to active role play as your child can clip on the Octo-Alert and pretend they are an Octonaut, saving the world’s creatures. The second reason I love that the Octo-Alert is removable is that that if you have a “no sound” policy, it’s much easier to “lose” the clip on piece than it is to hope your toy batteries die quickly.
Once you have the Octopod and your children have fallen in love, you can now collect all the smaller Octonauts vehicles, just like they use on the show. We got to try out the GUP-A that moves along hard surfaces and over water by cranking the propeller, but there’s also the GUP-B, GUP-C and GUP-D available that we are waiting for our Toys ‘R’ Us to get back in stock. Each vehicle comes with a main character from the show {warning, you WILL get duplicate characters if you already have the Octopod}, a rescue tool and a creature so your kiddos can play Octonauts even with just one set, which I love.
But, in addition to the Octopod and the vehicles, you can also buy the characters on their own and each one comes with an accessory or creature to add to the fun. Because many of the sets are the main three Octonauts, I love that the other characters are readily available this way – and I love that they are all reasonably priced. Since the toys have been such a hit, we have picked up a few other Octonauts friends as well and my daughter has a list of who we still need for our Octonauts playtime.
Check out your local Toys 'R' Us to see these adorable toys in person, or you can order them online. You can also like Octonauts on Facebook and visit TheOctonauts.com to get yourself ready to EXPLORE underwater worlds, RESCUE sea creatures, and PROTECT the oceans with your little one – right in the comfort of your livingroom!
I am an Octonauts Blog Ambassador. This post is part of a sponsored campaign. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are 100% my own.