Baby Toy Reviews

The idea of these blocks was brilliant. But the reality is a different story. I just purchased the "Giant Building Block 40-piece Set" for my 2-year old who loves building. The blocks were significantly smaller than I had envisioned. And 40 blocks may sound like a lot, but its not! Also, I believe that I read that they can support up to 200 lbs. My child is only 40 lbs and stepped on one and it began to give (yes, I did follow the directions and put them together correctly). (...) This product should be twice as big, double in quantity, and "durable" and then it would be perfect.

"Slightly" disappointed.

I found it amazing that no product listing or review mentioned an obvious question that we had when considering this purchase. YES, as you might suspect, these cardboard blocks come as individual, precut flat pieces that you must assemble yourself. Also not mentioned is the distribution of sizes. In this set of 40 total, 24 of them are the small size (blue). Even with practice, assembly takes time. Plan on an at least an hour to do all 40 of them, unless you are very nimble-fingered.

Our 2-year-old found them instantly intriguing, but quickly became frustrated by the difficulty of stacking them without knocking them over. We are not worried about that, as we expect this to be a skill-building process in dexterity, balance, large-motor coordination, and so on. But it is worth mentioning that some children, depending on age or taste, may not instantly love these blocks; and we can't say for sure that our child will either, until more time passes.

I think it also important to note that the stackability of these blocks will depend somewhat on the precision with which you fold each one during assembly. There always seem to be a couple of blocks that don't fit together quite as well as others, leaving a bit more tilt than one would like to blocks piled atop it.

However, one does get a very sturdy block when all the folding is done. The design creates "walls" of cardboard within the body of each block, making it strong enough that a small toddler can lean or even sit on one without flattening it.

We will have to wait a while to find out if our child "grows into" the specific skills required to really enjoy these blocks, or if they remain piled in a corner somewhere. The immediate reaction has not been as glorious as we were led to expect from other reviews,

And we really felt that the "assembly required" issue should have been mentioned quite clearly. Although we assumed that these came in "knock-down" form, a clerk at the local [store] (where we would have bought the blocks if they had been in stock that day) said she thought these came pre-assembled. I think that example alone proves that the information should be included in the product listing.

My family and I have been looking in every dept. store and mall from within an hour to two hour distance from our home for these blocks. I should have looked on Amazon.com first. Our five year old autistic child will spend hours using an imagination that we never realized he had, with these blocks building every fortress and castle he can think of. We had purchased him a set at the age of 3 and recently had a fire taking everything with it. Trying to locate them was an impossibility until someone reminded me to check the internet. Thanks Amazon. Here comes another Xmas order.

Just got word that this gift was an instant success with my nieces. Although, keep in mind that this is not a toy for infants. 1 year and older is the norm.

I bought this for my daughter because anything made by brio is great. All of their toys have been a hit at our house and this toy is no exception. My daughter loves the three little characters. I believe that they are a bear, dog, and a pig. Kaylie carries them everywhere. They even come apart so you can use them like a sieve in the tub. I didn't even know the mast was a whistle until I saw my daughter using it one day. She has a great time blowing it. The thing I really like about this toy is that all of the pieces come apart so you can really get the water out of the toy after the bath is done. I have had to get rid of some toys that retained water because I was afraid of mildew and germs. This is another well made fun toy by an excellent company.

I bought this for my daughter when she was 10 months old - it was highly recommended in a magazine. She is over 2 years old and still plays with it. The yellow top lifts off so you have a red bowl with holes to pour water. She still likes putting the little men in and out of the holes. The sail has a whistle, and she learned how to blow on this when 10 months old. This was her first whistle and she could hold it easily herself. She loves assembling and disassembling the toy. It is small so it travels well and is very durable. When my son was born, we learned that it was the first bathtime toy he would always reach for - perhaps due to the bright colors. This was well worth the price. I don't know about it's educational value, but I used it to help teach my daughter her colors. I suppose it also helped teach her the concept of in/out and helps wih manual dexterity.

My little girl got this for her first birthday and she just loves it. Everytime Lily starts to talk, she smiles. She's already learning how to press the numbers and make her talk. I would highly recommend this toy.

My husband and I purchased this toy for our daughter for her 1st birthday. She is now 18 months old and loves her. She is learning more and more about Lily each day. This toy is one my daughter can surely grow up with.

I used [a] gift certificate to purchase Lovable Lily, and it has become the greatest gift ever!! Now, my daughter is only seven months old, but with the help of Mama and Daddy, she can hear Lily describe, sing and laugh, and she loves it!! Unlike many children's toys that speak, Lily's voice is perfectly charming and not at all annoying. I highly recommend buying this for your little one!!

My 9 month old daughter has been playing with these for months. She loves all the different varieties of these blocks (as do my husband and I). She loves to knock them down after I have stacked them, shake them, palm them, and suck on them. As a Kindergarten teacher I know these will last 5 more years. As your baby grows she can sort them by catergories, build with them, and play many learning games with them. We have almost all of them!!!!!!

These blocks have mesmerized our (...) son for the past several months (and his parents and friends as well!). As he grows and changes--he realizes different aspects of the blocks to play with. I think these blocks foster fine motor movements, and reinforce cause-and-effect in a fun way. Plus they are indestructable! Obviously, some of the blocks are more fun than others, but as a whole these have been amazing toys in our household.

My husband and I had bought these blocks for our 20 mo old son and he absolutely loves them. The blocks are very cheerful looking as well as vibrant in color which draws his attention. The great thing about these blocks are that each one is different and do different things. You can play with each block individually or stack them up, make different things out of them, or knock them down for hours of endless fun!

I'm a big Fisher Price/ Mattel fan, but was disappointed with this product. It's very flimsy and comes apart way too easily. The mobile is always falling apart. It's highchair/potty has a very small seat and you need really tiny dollys to put in it. On a positive note - both my four and two year old love the accessories - shampoo bottle, powder and eating items and use them with all their dolls. I'm hoping Mattel will put a sturdier, larger care center on the market soon.

My daughter got the pink & lavendar outfit Little Mommy dolls for Christmas & all of the Little Mommy accessories for her 3rd birthday. I was a little concerned about their durability due to some of the other reviews, but it's what she wanted so we got them. Now I am so glad we did!! Although they don't seem to be quite the quality we're used to seeing from Fisher Price, they are very sturdy & durable. You just have to make sure all the pieces snap into place while you're assembling it. My daughter has been playing with her little Mommy collection NON-STOP & we've not lost one piece or seen it wobble. This set is wonderful & my daughter has not tired of it at all!! It is great for building imagination & has turned my daughter into a great Little Mommy!!!

Cons: The changing/sleeping piece that sits on top doesn't stay put, but then again it is for 2 year olds, not 5 year olds who know how to pop on/off lids.

Pros: My daughter absolutely loves this! Her "Little Mommy" doll that this toy is specifically made for, fits perfectly into the bath area and can be easily put into and taken out of the highchair/potty seat when it's attached to the table.

In regards to some of the comments of the legs falling off... I would advise them to take it back or apply more pressure to the leg to make sure it is installed properly. I have not had any problems with mine at all. This toy gets dragged daily around the house and the legs of potty chair and of the base have never come off. However, when I put it together I did have to add quite a bit of pressure to them until I heard a pop - then they were on securely.

My infant loves this product. The whoozit is colorful, sqeaks,and rattles when shaken. It also has a mirror under his nose. The product has firm and soft parts on his "arms" and also has key hole openings on 2 arms (easy for holding). The Whoozit meets several criterias for growth and development. It has different tactile parts/shapes, a mirror, sqeaks, rattles and is soft. The whoozit is a favorite.

My son got this when he was born but it wasn't until about 4 months that he paid any attention to it. He is 7 months now and he still plays with it. Once he began teething it became a favorite.

I definitely recommend it!

My daughter loves this toy. I had initially purchased the Baby Whoozit as a fun portable toy, and she loved it so much I bought her the big one for home. She loves to laugh at the face, and play with the rattles and squeakers. The hanging toys are also great teethers, and she enjoys chewing on them.

We bought this toy for my son for easter he was 6 months old. I wasn't sure he would really pay much attention to it. But he loves it. At first he would just take the top off and chew on it or just watch me as I put the shapes in saying the names and colors. Then he found out he could take the blocks out...which is his favorite thing to do now. I put them in and he takes them out and puts the bucket on his face and yells in it and jus laughs and then he puts a block in it and bangs it around. He loves it. And I love the shapes and bright colors. This toy will last a long time and can be used in many different ways.
As far as the lid coming off too easy well yeah but it's supposed to....that is part of learning...A 6 month old has to be able to get the blocks out on their own.
I would recommend this toy to a parent looking for something that will last for a long time and is fun and educational.

We let dd use to dump things out of at a few young age. Then as time went on, she was able to "put things in" the bucket and also dump out. Then she started to recognize shapes and used as a shape sorter. Then at 18 months old, she started to use as a learning tool for reciting colors. Now at 20 months we are working on the names of the shapes.

It is a fantastic toy. I read some of the other reviews stating that the cover came off too easily. I'm actually glad it goes on and off so easily - it allows dd to do things on her own sometimes and. Yes she too has little spats sometimes that she doesn't want to keep the cover on the container - - however we work with it and just lay the cover on the floor and try to have her fill the spaces with all blue blocks or all read blocks.

The only complaint that I have (and it's minor at that) is when using as a shape sorter, sometimes the blocks get stacked up on top of each other inside the container, so that by the time dd gets to the last few shapes, they don't go in right away until you shake the container to rearrange the blocks inside (making room for the new blocks to fall in). This sometimes frustrates dd - - again though it is very minor compared to all the great things this toy has to offer.

It keeps giving and giving and giving !

I tend to buy mostly wooden toys and toys made of high quality materials for my daughter but, I thought I would give this one a try. I must say I was pleasantly surprised! This toy has been washed several times, and still looks almost brand new! My daughter first became interested in the toy at about 4 months--first simply bitting on the blocks, then later taking all the blocks out of the container, and now at 15 months she has really began using the shape sorter! I must say that I am glad the lid comes off so easily, it allows her to work at her own pace, and allows less interuption of her play from me. If she is given the opportunity to play with this toy with only minimal distraction from me, she will get almost all the shapes in without assistance. Since the lid comes off so easily, she can just dump the shapes out very easily. She also likes to put her hands into the shape holes so she takes the lid off in order to remove the lid from her hand. For the parents who were disappointed that their children didn't use the shape sorter right away. Have patience and guide the child, but do not try to force them to play the way "they should." It may take several months, but eventually they will notice that the shapes fit into the holes. Let them work at their own pace. Have faith and show encouragement and help them build their self confidence by guiding them. I think you will be very surprised at just how smart your children really are!

My daughter got a few of these Melissa & Doug peg puzzles for Christmas, she is now 16 months old and has mastered all of them by now so I keep buying new ones, I love that she loves to sit down and do them, It is so wonderful to sit and help her and watch her learn! I think these are wonderful! She gets so excited to play with her puzzles!

My son received this as a gift (via Amazon). He loves it. The colors are bright, the pictures are clear and the puzzle is very durable.

Like all puzzles, once children have mastered them, they're ready to move to other toys. However, I recommend this for 2 year olds. The parent can play along and use it to build vocabulary (where is the dog? what sound does the dog make? let's put the dog puzzle piece in . . .).

Here is the thing about puzzles: Puzzles develop eye and hand coordination. Also, little children do not memorize a puzzle, do it one time and that is it. Little children will do a puzzle over and over again. Ask any teacher who teaches younger grades. Puzzles are great.

Personally, I look for toys that are fairly quiet, easy and fun. If they are educational that is good too. I prefer toys that will grow with a child, foster independence and creativity. Puzzles are great!

These puzzles with knobs are excellent for clumsy little fingers to play with. The little knobs make it easier for the child to get the pieces in the spot.

I particularly like the bright pictures with the matching picture in the hole. After the child outgrows these, you can buy the puzzles that are not individual pictures (but rather each piece is part of a whole!) You can graduate to more pieces in a puzzle and few visual clues. So, this puzzle is a great introduction to other puzzles as well.

Another way to make this more challenging is you can mix up several puzzles and let your child work on three or four at once.

Wonderful. This is one toy I'm glad we have in our house!

We purchased these beds for our 2 year old toddlers because they were able to climb our of their cribs and we were concerned for their safety. Well, the side rails are way too short and both my twins fall out several times a night scaring the life out of them! They are now terrified to even go to sleep in them at all.
Before purchasing these beds please consider whether your children move around alot while sleeping, like ours do, and remember it's VERY easy to fall out.

I was apprehensive about buying this bed after reading reviews that it was so difficult to put together. I couldn't believe it! I had the bed together in less than a half hour (and I'm not that good at assembly). It was very easy to do and the instructions are simple and straightforward. My son loves the bed as well as his new independence. I would definitely recommend this toddler bed. It's inexpensive and a good purchase. It's sturdy and looks good. My son loves it!

We purchased this bed for our 18-month old son as we have a baby on the way and wanted to transition him to a toddler bed. The bed was very easy to assemble, even for a woman! Our only complaint is that one of the guard rails has a pretty good ding in it, but that is the only noticeable defect. Overall, we are very happy with the purchase and feel it was a great buy for the price. And, the best part is that our son fell asleep in it the first night!

I highly recommend this product. My daughter received this as a gift when she was 6 months old. She is now turning 1 year old and she still plays with this toy almost daily. My nieces and nephews all love it. It keeps them busy on the bottom when they can't stand, aids them in standing when they are first learning. Now she is walking and still enjoys playing with it. It has several things to keep her busy, spinning, playing peekaboo with piglet, making the birds chirp, putting the square in the correct place or down the chute and much more.

Santa brought this toy to my 6 month old daughter and she loved it. Very cute in Christmas pictures seeing her sitting up and batting at the Tigger or chewing on the shapes: circle, square and triangle. The music it plays is adorable and my 2 year old plays with the shapes that he can drop through a musical chute running down the center of the toy.I have bought this toy for 2 friends that have 4 month olds. Everyone seems to love it.Definately 5 stars for fun and educational value.
Diana in Massachusetts

My youngest niece and nephew were born in May and July of '03. So for Christmas '03 I got them each one of these trees. They both absolutely love it and still play with it now. They love the songs and all the sounds it makes, especially the peek-a-boo Piglet. And all of the sounds are adult-friendly too... not too loud or too long. (It's not one of those loud toys that never shuts up.)

This toy has been especially great as they learn to pull themselves up and stand. I think it's a great motivator to do those things too... they want to get to all of the fun stuff to play with on top.

Both of the toys I bought work perfectly and they have held up very well. My niece has a 3 yr old brother and my nephew has an 8 yr old sister and they all play with them. Also, my nephew's toy resides in his mom's daycare playroom, so all of the daycare kids play with it daily. These toys have taken a beating and still work and look great!

If you are looking for a great toy for a 6-12 month old, I highly recommend this one!