VTech Dress and Discover Friend

This little monkey is very cute but also very loud and attention-seeking (you know the type of toy; he keeps calling for more play time if he feels neglected for even a moment ha). There is an "off" button but no volume control. If I were rating him as a mom, I would deduct a star for these reasons but as I'm reviewing him on behalf of my 2.5 year old, I'll leave him with his 5 stars as she loves his songs, the ease with which she can change his outfits, his catchy songs, etc. He is great for reinforcing colors, refining motor control, modeling good manners ("please," "thank you!") and following instructions. His red hat has to go on a certain way to stick (side-ways, sort of -my husband had to show us), but that's no deal breaker. A bonus is that his shoes are connected, so there's no way to lose one (it's all or nothing!). If your baby likes this, she (or he) might like the Minnie Mouse kit I think by Fisher Price? where you can dress Minnie by clicking in her (slightly more pliable) plastic dresses, hats, and shoes (which are also one piece). This monkey is a great alternative if you're looking for a more gender neutral (and louder?) option and to be honest, the monkey has been more engaging for my toddler because of the music. We've only had him for two days so I'll update if this changes but she's truly been very excited by this little guy and sits playing with him for long stretches of time (i.e., more than 15 min!). We bought him for twelve bucks and change, so might be worth waiting for a sale although I do think there might be a limited window where he'll be interesting to a toddler (and at 2.5 years old, I think my daughter will probably outgrow him within the next month or two).

I bought this monkey for my 18 month old for christmas, he has not gotten a chance to play with it but his dad and I have!! It is very fun and teaches alot. Daily life skills, colors and more. It also sings songs according to what he has on. For example he will say put on my yellow pajamas and once it is put on he will say thank you and then sing a song about pajamas and say goodnight. This is hands down one of the best fun and learning toys my son will have this christmas!!

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Such a cute, fun toy for young toddlers to learn their colors and clothing options. My son absolutely adores his, so we had to buy this one for my girlfriend's daughter when she turned 2. It too was a huge hit!

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This toy is LOUD. It's so loud that nothing else about it matters.

Sure, the clothes go on and off and maybe it says cute things, but when it's on, all you'll know about it is how LOUD it is.

No, there's no volume control. I might resort to putting glue in the slots over the speaker, but it might damage the speaker. Since the toy is unusable as it is, that doesn't worry me so much. Right now, it's packed away while I decide how (and if) I can make it softer. I fear for my (and my child's) hearing.

It's sad and terrible because the idea for this toy is so cute. VTech, please include a QUIET mode. And, really, this volume is damagingly LOUD, too loud for even a "loud" mode.

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As soon as I saw this toy on Amazon.com, I knew I had to buy it for my daughter, even though she is much younger than the recommended age (she was 6 months at the time). Now, at 1 year old, she simply loves it, even though I still sometimes need to help her 'dress' the monkey. It is a very unique and sturdy toy, as cute as it can be, and I am sure she will use it for a long time and that it will still be in pristine shape for her siblings.

I have one complaint though: I would love to be able to buy extra pieces of clothing for it. 8 pieces is fair enough for a start, but I quickly started to wish that there were more pairs of shoes, glasses, a cap, etc. Not only because it would be more fun for the child, but also because when the monkey says it needs its green shoes to go out, I am not sure if my baby puts whatever pair of shoes she finds on, or if she actually would make a difference between a green pair and a red one. And since this toy aims at teaching the name of pieces of clothing, why not do a more complete job at it and bring extras to the table?

A suggestion for VTech: I am not usually a fan of 'girly toys', as in general I prefer unisex toys. But for this one, I am sure girls would love a girly version of the toy, because they would be able to understand when it is appropriate to wear a dress and when a more casual outfit is best. And actually, a girl monkey would have the advantage to be able to wear a dress or a skirt as well as shorts, which would give baby the opportunity to learn about clothing for both sexes.

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