Finding Dory Dive Characters, Pool Shooter & and Mr. Ray Ride-On Make Great Waves!

   

Swimways Corporation is known for its selection of water toys and accessories.

This summer's line up offers a number of Finding Dory themed items in their Finding Dory Pool Shop. From themed life jackets to swim masks, to body boards and a sprinkler, you'll find all sorts of cool stuff! 

I reviewed 3 products from their 2016 Finding Dory summer line up: 

The Finding Dory Dive Characters come in a 3-pack and include Dory, Nemo & Hank. They are made of flexible plastic and will sink to the bottom so that kids can practice retrieval drills without even realizing they're working on their swimming skills. These are also fun for kids to play with in the bath tub. They retail for approximately $16.99USD and are geared for kids 5 years and over.

They have a Finding Dory Pool Shooter which has Hank affixed on the end of it. When the shooter is activated, water will spray out of 6 of his tentacles. It retails for approximately $12.99USD and is geared for those 3 years and over. This pool shooter has some weight to it, but fills up and sprays very easily. You can rotate the shooter chamber while spraying, allowing you to change up the direction of the output.  When full of water, this shooter will reach lengths of over 6 feet in any given direction! This would also be fun in the tub, but I would avoid using this item at the beach. The tentacle shooters have small tubes and debris could get stuck inside.When not in use, it floats, which makes it handy for any impromptu water battles that may arise. My 3 year old loves playing with this, particularly when he gets to blast his older sibling, or one of us parents with a surprise spray! 

We also got to sample the Finding Dory Mr. Ray Ride-On inflatable pool float. This stingray is pretty big! It measures 53" long and 42" wide, and is quite simply, an adorable floaty. Not only could you partially lie on it, you could use it as a flutter board. This inflatable retails for approximately $15USD, and like the Dive Characters, is geared for kids over 5 years of age. It also comes with a repair patch. While I did not notice anything on the packaging indicating weight capacity, I did see that 150lbs was listed on the Target webpage for this product. My oldest is approx 90lbs and he had no problem being on it, so that 150lbs is likely accurate. It does require a fair amount of air to fill, so you as the parent will likely be blowing this stingray up. 

It is important to note that the Mr. Ray Ride On inflatable toy is not a flotation device. It is simply a toy. As with any water or bath activities, it is imperative that you never leave children unattended while in or around water. All of the above mentioned water toys should only be used under the supervision of an adult. Vigilant care needs to be taken to ensure that children do not enter a body of water that is deeper or more challenging than their swimming skills can handle. When using these or other water toys and accessories, be sure that they are not located in an area in or around water which could be way too deep for their abilities. This has nothing to do with the products, and everything to do with basic parenting. So, just as you would watch your kids in a pool in general, be particularly vigilant when playing with toys that could get them closer to the deep end, or farther than their swimming skills can handle. 

Swimways products are sold at a variety of retailers. To find one near you, visit their Store Locator page. 

Enjoy your water play this summer! 

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****

Finding Dory Robo Fish Play Together Swimmingly in the Coffee Pot & Marine Life Institute Playsets!

   

Finding Dory has got to be one of the hottest movies to hit theatres this summer, and many a kid has been eagerly awaiting Finding Dory toys. I know mine have!

Zuru Toys, makers of the self-tying Bunch O Balloons, has brought a few Finding Dory toys to the market. I sampled the Finding Dory Coffee Pot Playset, as well as, The Finding Dory Marine Life Institute Playset. 

 The Coffee Pot Playset consists of a life-size commercial style coffee pot that you'd commonly see in a diner. It also comes with battery-powered and water activated Robo Fish Dory. For those of you who might think this seems like a random toy, it mimics a scene in the movie where one of the other characters help Dory escape by use of a coffee pot. You fill up the coffee pot with water, and let Dory swim around inside. This toy pulls double duty not only as Dory's escape vessel, but also as what it actually is - a coffee pot for pretend play. I can't tell you how many times I've had a cup of "coffee", poured by my little guy! It's amazing how realistic Dory swims inside. If it was painted more life-like instead of cartoonish, you'd think it was real at first glance. To preserve battery life, she will go dormant after a minute or two. To "wake" her back up, simply knock on the side of the coffee pot and she will perk right up. Dory requires 2 LR44 button cell batteries, which are included. They even include extra batteries inside the package. We've been using her for a while now and the original batteries are still in use so far.  This Coffee Pot Playset is geared for kids 3+, and retails for approximately $15USD/$25CAN.

The Finding Dory Marine Life Institute Playset is essentially interconnected open tubes of water that is placed on top of a Marine Life Institute decorated plastic mat. This playset comes with a battery-powered and water activated Robo Fish Nemo, as well, a little scoop. The intent of the toy is to put Nemo inside the water-filled tubes, and let him swim around to the different sections of the Marine Life Institute. If you have the other water-activated fish, such as Dory or Marlin, you can put them all inside the tube track to swim together. There is also a water-activated beluga whale Bailey, but, like a real whale, is way too big to fit into the tubes. Like Dory, Nemo requires 2 LR44 button cell batteries. There are also extra batteries included with this toy. Nemo will also go dormant within a few minutes, so just be sure to knock the side of the tube where he's at and he will "wake up" like Dory does. The Marine Life Institute Playset is geared for children 4+, and retails for approximately $30US/$40CAN.

While I did not notice any of these toys marked for indoor or outdoor play, I would highly suggest you use them outside, or inside a bathtub. Because little hands would likely be using them, you run the risk of getting water all over the place. We never used them inside at all, instead took advantage of the season and brought them straight to the backyard to set up. They are both fun toys, and my children have enjoyed them. Both are very easy to assemble and take no time to set up. If you are going to use them outside, just remember to bring them inside or to a shady area when you're done. I'm not sure if the extreme heat and humidity of summer would eventually warp or otherwise damage any of the items if left out for prolonged periods. I would also personally take the fish out and bring them inside as I would be concerned about any batteries being left out in the hot sun for extended periods of time. 

The Dory and Nemo Robo Fish are really neat. Their swimming patterns do look so life-like. They speed up and then slow down and then putter around and then go up and down. If you take them out of the water, they go to sleep. But if you put them back in the water, they activate immediately. I love the fact that it has the power-save mode, which allows you to preserve battery life. This is every parent's dream! 

I do find the price point of the Marine Life Institute Playset itself to be a little on the high side for what it actually does. With that being said though, I suspect that you are paying more for the technology of the Robo Fish. They are pretty ingenious! The plastic rock decor that comes with the playset doesn't seem to attach firmly to the play set, and my older son said he would have liked the tube track to be able to be re-configured to switch up the shape. Truth be told, we haven't had a chance to put much thought into trying to re-configure the tubes, so it may actually be possible if you are blessed with designed skills. At some point, we will attempt this. Be sure to keep the playset on a flat and even surface, as the fish seem to swim a bit quicker when it is filled to the brim with water. Overall, they move rather slow in the tubes. They move much quicker in the Coffee Pot or in the pool. The fish will putter along and then speed up a bit and then appear to look around. Don't be alarmed. It will eventually make it around. To empty, you will either have to dismantle a portion of the tube track, or just flip it over to dump.  

As a consumer, you can help to justify the price a bit as you can also use Dory & Nemo, as well as, Robo Fish Marlin & Bailey in a bathtub, regular sized pool, or in a kiddie pool. We pulled out the kiddie pool and put the fish inside. The kids loved watching them swim around and also enjoyed sitting in the pool while they swam around them. These little fish do seem sturdy but I would recommend you remind your children to be gentle when using them. The little fin that powers them I'm sure is delicate and you'd hate to have it break when they are the real stars of the show. I also personally take the fish out to dry when we're done playing with them. 

These fish do swim all over the place, so if you are going to use them in a pool or other body of water, you must be vigilant with regards to drowning. Never leave your children unattended or unsupervised. This has nothing to do with the product, and everything to do with basic parenting. So, just as you would watch your kids in a pool in general, be particularly vigilant when playing with toys that could get them closer to the deep end, or farther than their swimming skills can handle. While on the topic of safety, also remember to always keep batteries away from children. Button cell batteries in particular are a choking hazard, so be sure to keep them out of harm's way. 

Overall, my kids think these toys are pretty awesome. They will be a summer favorite for outdoor play, both backyard and poolside. If you can get the Marine Life Institute on sale, then you'll definitely be even happier with the bang for your buck. 

In true Dory style, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming"!

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****