My twins adore this playmat.  We "play in the ocean" every day.  The whale makes a fun bubbling sound that captured both of their attention early on.  Soon, one was particularly interested in making the turtle rattle, while the other loved looking at the "pentapus" (only 5 legs, so not technically an octopus, but beloved nonetheless).  They figured out how to kick the arches to make all the toys move -- one of their first experiences with cause-and-effect!  Now that they're a little bigger, they love grabbing onto the toys' various parts.  They have been known to play on here for more than an hour, quite content.  The pillow is great for propping up little heads or helping slightly bigger babies with tummy time.  The mat washes easily in the washing machine and air dries quickly. An observation and recommendation: the arches are a little high, making the toys hard for very little ones to reach.  That was fine when they were happy just watching them move, but once they were interested in interacting more we added a link or two from a separate set so the toys hang lower.  It's been working really well.