My reviews of three more educational building blocks for toddlers are finally here after two HECTIC weeks. (We made a rushed trip to Singapore and then I spent most of last week keeping the family finances in order.) This is a follow-up of the previous comparison between LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks.

Read on for reviews of ELC Alphabet Blocks for little hands, HEROS Blocks from Germany, and unique Playskool Clipos.

Our Detailed Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no!     ★★ Poor     ★★★ Fair     ★★★★ Good     ★★★★★ Excellent!

1. ELC Alphabet Blocks

These are the main features of the blocks:

• Suitable age group: from 12 months old
• Material: Forest-friendly wood
• Country of origin: Made in China

(a) Packaging: ★★★ The 24 blocks come in a simple cardboard box. I don’t expect anything fanciful for these simple blocks. To store them, I simply place them in an Ikea TROFAST toy tray and slot it into our storage shelf system. Vee can easily pull out the tray of blocks when he wants to play with them. (I’d share more about our homeschooling organisation system when time permits.)

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★★ The blocks are colourful with clearly-printed alphabets in small caps and numbers. I like small letters because these form the bulk of the words we read and should be introduced to toddlers early on.

The size is just right for a toddler’s hands. Vee surprised me by stacking 4 blocks at 15 months old — a sudden change from knocking down towers previously. Since then, he went on to build higher towers until we finally built a mega one with all 24 blocks, even taller than him!

He enjoys turning the blocks to find familiar alphabets and numbers. His first obsession was alphabetical “o”.

We also sort the blocks according to colours, and he bugs me to build staircases with them.

(c) Quality: ★★★★★ I like the rounded corners and clear, bright colours. The wood and paint have been resilient to tumbling down onto the floor possibly hundreds of times.

Personally, I prefer wooden to plastic toys because they’re heavier, closer to nature and have a natural beauty appeal. Oh, and more recyclable.

(d) Overall Value: ★★★★ These blocks retail at RM69 in Malaysia (or £10.00 at ELC’s website). For the quality and frequent play we get, this is indeed good value for money.

2. HEROS Blocks

These are the main features of the blocks:

• Suitable age group: Stated from 12 months old (With small pieces, I think from 2 years old is more appropriate.)
• Material: Forest-friendly hardwood. Paints and dyes are water-soluble (water based) and is harmless if ingested. (Source)
• Country of origin: Made in Germany

(a) Packaging: ★★★★ This is the special 60th anniversary bucket of 60 wooden blocks. The bucket is made of thick cardboard, with plastic rims and handle. So far, it’s still in good condition after Vee’s handling over 1+ year and makes tidying up after play very convenient.

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★ I bought these blocks around Vee’s first birthday and found the pieces (especially the flat rectangular ones) too small. Vee mouthed things till 1+ year old, so these MUST be played under close supervision. Or kept till the child is older, about 2-3 years old.

It’s tough for a young toddler to handle the small pieces for stacking. Vee started playing with them closer to his second birthday. He loves to use them as pretend food by pouring all the blocks into his all-time favourite ELC Sand and Water Play Table*, then cooking and serving them.

Currently, he’s more interested in playing with individual pieces than building meaningful structures. Of course, I encourage him by leading with some simple models. And lining up the pieces and knocking them down as dominoes.

These blocks are highly popular with his older cousins (above 4 years old) who immediately started building towers and structures with them. So I expect the playing lifespan to be rather long.

(c) Quality: ★★★★ I like the bright basic colours that are suitable for sorting exercises, permutation games and building attractive structures. The paint doesn’t go completely well over the wooden surface though.

Good thing is that the wood has withstood months of pouring, scooping and other rough handling by a toddler.

(d) Overall Value: ★★★ The bucket of 60 blocks retails at RM89.90, so initially I did an “inventory count” regularly to make sure all 60 pieces were kept after playing. (Of course, I’ve given up doing that.) Generally, HEROS toys come at a premium price in Malaysia.

Compared to the lower-priced PlanToys 50 Construction Set*, this HEROS set has all its pieces painted and comes with a bucket, perhaps explaining the price difference.

3. Playskool Clipo Figure Bucket

These are the main features of the toy:

• Suitable age group: from 18 months old
• Material: Made of plastic
• Country of origin: Made in China

(a) Packaging: ★★★ The 50 pieces of Clipo pieces come in a plastic bucket with a clip-on cover and no handle. I like the convenience of a bucket to hold everything in after play.

However, the capacity is JUST NICE, so it’s often tough to close the cover after filling the bucket. Then I’ve to empty the pieces, place them in neatly and try closing it again. Duh… there should be at least 10-20% allowance so that a toddler can keep the pieces easily by himself.

(b) Effectiveness: ★★★★ This is a special toy with pieces that clip to one another for creative combinations. There’s a good mix of different pieces in the set.

Initially, Vee used individual pieces for pretend play — such as the rectangular piece as a remote control, and the cube as an apple. He loves the boy and girl figures.

Then later on, he started making simple structures like a mobile phone or hairdryer by stacking the pieces up. His older cousins like this toy too and can make more fanciful things with them.

This is a good toy for building fine motor skills because the pieces are challenging to manipulate, definitely tougher than LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks.

Below, we’ve made a simple laptop, a burger and a bus…

(c) Quality: ★★★★★ I like the cheerful colours and unique texture that makes it stand out from Vee’s other blocks. The pieces are still in great condition after 1+ year.

(d) Overall Value: ★★★ The bucket of 50 Clipo pieces retails at RM89.90 (comparatively pricier than LEGO DUPLO!), so it’s better to wait for a sale before getting it. There’s a smaller bucket of 30 pieces, but I think blocks are more fun when there’re lots of pieces to play with.
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Toddler Activities

These are some of the activities we do with the blocks:

• Create different sounds by banging different blocks together
• Build a vertical tower with as many blocks as possible. Try with left then right hand (or vice versa).
• Use 3 or more blocks to make a train. Encourage toddler to try doing the same.
• Pretend play using blocks as cooking ingredients
• Play guessing games: hide 1 block under a cloth. Then show toddler 2 blocks (1 which is identical to the hidden block). Ask toddler to guess the answer.
• Play memory games: show 3 blocks in a particular sequence to toddler for 5-10 seconds. Cover up the pattern with a cloth. Give toddler 3 of the same blocks and ask him to try repeating the same pattern.
• And let toddler lead by playing freely and creatively with the blocks

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Get Your Own

• ELC Alphabet Blocks are available at ELC outlets and some Mothercare stores.
• HEROS Blocks are available at Robinsons (Kuala Lumpur) and a toy store at Coronation Plaza (Singapore). They’re quite a rare find.
• Playskool Clipo Figure Bucket is available at major departmental and toy stores.

You may also check the prices at Amazon here:

• Heros 50 Pieces Classic Wooden Toy Building Blocks*
• Playskool Clipo Figure Bucket*

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P.S. Coming up soon: Review and giveaway of cloth diapers is back! Stay tuned.

Sharing time: Do you have creative play ideas using blocks? Feel free to share in the comments box.

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Disclosure: Mummy’s Reviews™ is a review site that receives compensation if readers make purchases from affiliate links (these are marked with an *). If we receive compensation from the companies whose products we review, this would be disclosed. These compensation help to maintain and grow Mummy’s Reviews™. We test each product thoroughly and give marks according to our experience with it. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: [Toys] More educational blocks for toddlers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Related posts:

1. Review: Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics™ Baby’s First Blocks
2. [Toys] Which is better: Lego Duplo or Mega Bloks?
3. Water Play Tips for Babies and Toddlers (Splish, Splash, Splosh!)

LEGO and Mega Bloks are the two best-selling plastic interlocking blocks for children nowadays. When I was 5 years old, an aunt gave me my first small box of LEGO, which quickly became my favourite toy.

After LEGO’s monopoly in the market for so long, Mega Bloks arrived as a formidable competitor. So which should you buy for your precious toddler — LEGO DUPLO or Mega Bloks? Today’s article shall compare the two to see how they have met up to toddler Vee’s and my challenges.

Why Play with Blocks?

In my opinion, simple building blocks are among the best toys for a child because they:

1. encourage creative play — her imagination can run wild building things she thinks of, do role play, etc.
2. help her learn about colours, shapes, sizes, dimensions, balance and more
3. develop fine motor skills (especially pincer grasp) and strengthen the hand muscles when she fixes and takes the blocks apart — pre-requisite to learning how to write, and with neat handwriting
4. develop social skills — pour out a bucket of blocks for a group of children and they’d need to learn to share the pieces, while interacting with one another’s building project

About LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks

Currently, Vee has 4 sets of LEGO DUPLO, 1 set of Mega Bloks maxi and 1 set of Mega Bloks mini:

• LEGO DUPLO Basic Bricks 6176
• LEGO DUPLO Creative Bucket 5538
• LEGO DUPLO Legoville  Deluxe Train Set 5609
• LEGO DUPLO Legoville Garbage Truck 5637
• Mega Bloks Classic Bag (maxi) 80 pieces 8468
• Mega Bloks (mini) Thomas at the Sodor Fair 10516

In case you think we’re that crazy over blocks, half of the above are gifts for the boy.

This is a quick comparison of the general features:

Notes:

1. LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks mini are of similar sizes and are compatible with each other.
2. The regular LEGO bricks and Mega Bloks micro are smaller and also compatible with each other, meant for older children above 4 years old. Both are not compared in this review.

Our Detailed Comparative Review

Rating Guide: ★ Oh no!     ★★ Poor     ★★★ Fair     ★★★★ Good     ★★★★★ Excellent!

(a) Packaging: This compares the packaging for basic bricks only.

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi comes in a large zippered plastic bag. Though the bag is reusable, it needs adult help until the toddler can open and close the zip around the bag with ease.

Mega Bloks mini comes in a large zippered plastic bag or plastic bucket. We haven’t tried both because the box we have is a Thomas Train set, packaged in a cardboard box. Toddlers tend to rip such boxes apart easily, so I prefer more resilient packaging.

LEGO DUPLO comes in cardboard boxes or plastic buckets. I like the bucket, which is lasting and keeps the blocks well-organised. The 4 round knobs on the cover allow Vee to easily open and close it.

Overall, my favourite is LEGO DUPLO’s plastic bucket with handle.

(b) Size:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi pieces are HUGE. These are good for Vee from 1 to 2 years old when he was just learning to fit pieces together and fingers aren’t that strong.

From about 2 years old, he started playing with Mega Bloks mini and LEGO DUPLO, which are of similar sizes, and require stronger fingers.

Mega Bloks mini may contain small parts not meant for young toddlers still mouthing things, so are more suitable for 3 years old. Actually, I think they should remove these parts and make the mini suitable for 2 years old.

Though the LEGO DUPLO Creative Bucket 5538 states 2+ years old, it contains 4 small flowers, which are definitely not meant for toddlers mouthing things. You may want to keep these flowers away.

LEGO DUPLO Basic Bricks 6176 doesn’t contain the small flowers, so the labelled 1.5 years old is age-appropriate.

Here’s how the sizes compare:

(c) Fit:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi fit rather loosely together. This means a 1-year old can easily put the pieces together. But some pieces fit very loosely, so the structure would come apart when holding it, which would frustrate an older toddler. Perhaps that’s why Vee doesn’t play with the maxi blocks anymore after he started with the tighter-fitting DUPLOs and minis.

Mega Bloks mini fit tighter but don’t click together as perfectly as LEGO DUPLO. 1 small piece at the ferris wheel carriage keeps dropping off, which irritates me.

LEGO DUPLO has an almost-perfect fit. Vee’s structures hold up well, while he can take them apart rather easily too. The secret ingredient to this:

In the manufacture of LEGO bricks the machine tolerance is as small as 10 my (0.01 mm). — LEGO Group, 2010 (Source)

(d) Compatibility:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

Mega Bloks maxi is compatible with Mega Bloks mini and DUPLO. Just make sure it’s right on top.

Mega Bloks mini is compatible with the even smaller Mega Bloks micro. It’s also compatible with LEGO DUPLO and the regular LEGO pieces.

Essentially, this means an older child can play with a mixed buffet of Mega Bloks (maxi, mini and micro) and LEGO (DUPLO and regular). Though he might ignore the maxi ones like Vee because they do seem quite babyish.

Below shows Mega Bloks mini fitting well with LEGO DUPLO:

(e) Quality:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★

I like the bright basic colours of the Mega Bloks maxi in the Classic Bag. They allow 1-year old Vee to differentiate and sort the colours easily. The quality of the blocks is also good.

Mega Bloks mini has fainter colours — not to my liking. The plastic feels more light-weight than LEGO DUPLO, and the Thomas Train set we have is certainly not as well-made.

LEGO DUPLO has bright solid colours; the pieces feel very sturdy with a highly-consistent quality. As a reference, my LEGO blocks are still in superb condition after 20+ years. They’ve been washed and Vee plays with them at granny’s place!

And I was the one who fell in love with the Deluxe Train Set 5609. Super thrilled when we finally bought it with a stack of credit card shopping vouchers that halved the price. The eye to detail in its engineering still wows me when Vee and I play with it.

(f) Overall Value:

Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★

This is a close fight.

Mega Bloks maxi has no competitor right now since LEGO has discontinued its QUATRO range in 2006. (FYI: The 75-piece LEGO QUATRO Bucket* has gained collector’s status, selling at a whooping USD499.90!) For a 1+ year old, maxi is a good choice.

Mega Bloks mini is less perfect than LEGO DUPLO. The lower price (almost 50%!) justifies the difference. If on a budget, this is suitable, but more for 3 years old because of potential loose pieces.

LEGO DUPLO is of top-notch quality, available at higher prices. If you want the quality at a budget, then go for the basic blocks in cardboard packaging. These are good from about 1.5 years old.

Overall, this are my preferred choices:

• 1 year old: Mega Bloks maxi
• 1.5 to 3 years old: LEGO DUPLO
• 3 years old: LEGO DUPLO then Mega Bloks mini

As a cost-conscious Mummy, I’d give cartoon character sets a miss (be it LEGO or Mega Bloks) because they cost significantly more with no added educational value.

Personally, I’m wary of buying very low-priced blocks from unknown manufacturers. I’ve seen wheels fall off from similar blocks of poorer quality, which could pose a choking risk. Also, these could contain harmful chemicals such as PVC and lead. Stay safe!

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Summary of Review:

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Toddler Activities

• Download LEGO Duplo colouring and activity sheets here
• Download Mega Bloks colouring pages here

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Get Your Own

LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks are available in major departmental and toy stores.

You may also check the prices at Amazon here (below are affiliate links*):

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P.S. Coming up next: More reviews on Vee’s blocks and building toys

Sharing time: What are your favourite blocks? Feel free to share in the comments box.

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Disclosure: Mummy’s Reviews™ is a review site that receives compensation if readers make purchases from affiliate links (these are marked with an *). If we receive compensation from the companies whose products we review, this would be disclosed. These compensation help to maintain and grow Mummy’s Reviews™. We test each product thoroughly and give marks according to our experience with it. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

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Special Announcement: Singapore’s Takashimaya Baby Fair has started again from 27 Jul 2011! For details, read this updated baby fairs list (item number 6). Happy shopping!

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: [Toys] Which is better: Lego Duplo or Mega Bloks?. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Related posts:

1. [Toys] More educational blocks for toddlers
2. Review: Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics™ Baby’s First Blocks

My article “How to Choose Safe Toys for Your Baby or Toddler” was published in Today’s Motherhood Apr/May 2011 issue, pages 16-17. You may also grab the tips below…

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Introduction

Last September, there was a massive Fisher Price recall involving more than 10 million toys. My son’s Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders™ Kick & Crawl™ Aquarium was affected. The valve on the inflatable ball could come off and there were three children reported to have begun choking on the valve. Needless to say, I have thrown the ball away.

Since toys are such an integral part of our baby’s or toddler’s playtime, this article shall share with you important tips on choosing safe toys.

Choosing Safe Toys

1. Read packaging label and instructions: Select toys that are of the appropriate age group for your child. Read the instructions carefully, focusing on warning statements. If you are confident that your child is no longer mouthing things, and choose to offer him a toy labelled as unsuitable for age 0 to 3 years old, supervise him closely during play.

2. Check manufacturer’s safety standards and policies: Both large and small brand names may produce toys subject to recall. Take some time to read the manufacturer’s safety policies on its website. Sometimes, you would be able to find safety tests certifications.

3. Use the toilet roll tube test: If the toy can fit into a toilet roll tube, it is too small and poses a choking hazard for young children.

4. Beware of small parts: Ideally, the toy should not have any detachable small parts such as the eyes, nose, buttons of a teddy bear. Stuffed toys should also not contain beans and pellets, which are hazardous when the toy is torn. The wheels of some toy cars may also come off during play, posing a choking risk.

5. Avoid small magnetic parts: U.S. CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) warns that when two small magnets (or a small magnet and a metal item) are swallowed, they can attract each other through the intestinal walls, leading to intestinal damage and even death. For this reason, avoid getting toys with small magnets that could fall out. Any magnets in the house should also be out of young children’s reach. One such hazard is fridge magnets, which are popular in many homes.

6. Avoid toys with cords and strings: Cords and strings pose a strangulation hazard, especially when many children love to wrap them around their necks. For pull-string toys, you may choose to tie a dead-knot to significantly shorten the strings, or cut them off.

7. Avoid toys that produce loud / sharp noises: These could cause permanent hearing damage. A young child may put the noisy toy next to her ears or her peer’s ears, so it is better to steer clear of these toys.

8. Choose toys made of wood or cloth: To avoid potentially harmful chemicals such as PVC, phthalates and BPA, some parents opt for wooden or cloth toys, especially for their children who are still mouthing items. When getting wooden toys, choose those with lead-free paint.

9. Check the quality of the toy: This is a checklist of other areas to watch out for:

• Not easily breakable or chipped, especially thin plastic parts
• No sharp corners
• Nothing to catch small fingers
• No wooden splinters
• No opened seams for soft toys
• No metal rust
• No peeling paint
• Battery case is screwed tight (Without a screw, a child may remove the cover and ingest the battery, which is very dangerous.)

These Toys Aren’t Mine

10. Check hand-me-down toys carefully: When you receive a bag of handed down toys, check every item for its suitability and quality according to the other tips mentioned above. After that, clean and sanitise the toys before giving them to your child. However, there is always the risk of recalled toys that you are unaware of when accepting hand-me-downs.

11. Be extra careful during a play date: This is especially so if your baby is younger than the host’s child and still mouthing things. Scan the toys for small parts and supervise closely. You may politely ask the host to keep potentially dangerous items during the play date.

More Good Practices

12. Check toys regularly for wear and tear: Every week, check existing toys for signs of wear and tear, or accidental damage. If necessary, repair the items or throw them away before danger arises.

13. Check toys before next newborn arrives: The arrival of a new baby means many toys could be considered dangerous again. Keep unsuitable items out of the youngest baby’s reach and educate the older child on items that are unsuitable for baby.

14. Stay updated on toy recalls: When unsure of a toy, you may search the U.S. CPSC website to check it it has been previously recalled. To receive first-hand information on the latest recalls, subscribe to CPSC’s updates via email or RSS feeds. Here are the links:

• via email: https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx
• via RSS feeds: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/rss.html
  

Conclusion

As parents, we can never be too careful, so let us make play time as safe as possible for our precious little ones.

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Sharing time: Do you have any more tips on choosing safe toys? Please share in the comments box.

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P.S. Check out my toy reviews and tips here.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: How to Choose Safe Toys for Your Baby or Toddler. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

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Recalled: Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders™ Kick & Crawl™ Aquarium

The U.S. CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) announced the recall of more than 10 million Fisher-Price products yesterday. I scanned through the entire list of affected products and we “struck lottery” with our Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders™ Kick & Crawl™ Aquarium. *Sigh*

Anyway, the toy was a baby shower gift and not something we rave about. Now that the inflatable ball could be hazardous, I’m not sure if I’d simply throw it away or contact the distributor. (The other inflatable balls recalled are listed here.)

Some popular Healthy Care Highchairs are recalled too, so check the list here if yours is included.

For support, visit Mattel Consumer Relations Support Centre.

Question: Is your baby’s toy on the recall list? What do you plan to do with it?

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: More Than 10 Million Fisher-Price Products Recalled: Is Your Baby’s Toy Affected?. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

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Shallow portable pool for outdoor water play fun

If you have read the article on Bummis SWIMMI swim diapers, you would know that Vee loves playing in water. He can take 20 to 30-minute baths and still refuse to get out after that. Water play is a fun way for babies and toddlers to develop their sensory and fine motor skills.

Tools for Water Play

Many common household items and toys can be used for water play, for instance:

• Bath tub
• Portable pool
• Squirt toys
• Bath books
• Sponges
• Cloth wipes / handkerchiefs
• Bottles / containers
• Utensils (e.g. small pots, plans, ladle, funnel)
• Cutlery (e.g. soup spoon)
• Bubbles

Water play toys from ELC at only RM21 during clearance sale!

Ideas for Water Play

There are endless ways to have fun in water. These are some of our favourites:

• Scoop and pour water: learn about capacity & gravity, improves hand-eye coordination
• Soak sponges / cloths with water and squeeze them
• Squirt water from toys: develops fine motor skill
• Talk / sing about water movements (e.g. waves), actions (e.g. pouring), temperature (warm vs. cold), feel (wet vs. dry), sound (e.g. splash, drip): enhances baby’s vocabulary and general knowledge
• Observe things that float vs. sink: learn about density
• Give toys a bath: pretend play develops creative mind

Scooping and pouring water in the bath tub

Health and Safety Tips

It is important to keep baby safe when playing with water, so note these:

• At home, direct the fan away so that baby does not catch a chill.
• At outdoors, choose the time of the day when it is less sunny, 5-7 p.m. is a good time. Avoid outdoor water play on chilly days.
• Keep eyes on baby ALWAYS
• Watch that baby does not drink play water that contains soap
• Have towels ready to wipe baby dry when he is done playing
• Have towels to wipe the floor dry to prevent slipping

Enjoy water play fun with your baby!

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Sharing Time: What other water play ideas do you have?

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If you find Mummy’s Reviews™ helpful, please share this link with your friends: Join Me in Reading Mummy’s Reviews™.

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Great for entertaining newborns outdoors

Before Vee was born, I started researching on best value toys by reading reviews written by other parents. One of the top picks for newborns was Jacques the Peacock (RRP: USD13.99) by Lamaze. You should have seen me searching for Jacques at the stores. When I zoomed to the rack of Lamaze toys, there were Eddie the Elephant,  Marina the Mermaid and Morgan the Monkey, but where was Jacques?!? He is THAT popular.

Description

The bright colours on Jacques are visually stimulating, just take a look at it again. Vee is especially attracted to the back, which has patterns made of red, black and white. He loves the crinkly plasticky sounds when the left wings are rubbed. The tiny mirror gets his attention too. The button on the right wing sounds like a horn when pressed and Vee likes to hear that. This is an all-in-one soft toy suitable for outdoor trips.

We love the visually stimulating colours at the back.

How We Played With It

For many months, Jacques lived in the car, so that it could entertain young Vee during our rides. When he got fussy, I would start trying every part of the toy to distract him. Usually, the horn won hands down. Jacques was also hooked to his car sear travel system / stroller, to entertain him while we shopped.

Toddler Vee has finally outgrown the soft toy. I took it out again just now; he held it for a second, then flung it away. Duh… poor Jacque!

One complaint is that it can only be surface cleaned (which means no washing). This is challenging when babies like Vee chew / bite / suck ALL his toys. Therefore, I wipe it with a clean damp cloth and use a steam cleaner on it occasionally. It looks as good as new and shall entertain the next baby.

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What we like about it:

• Visually stimulating
• Many different parts to entertain baby
• Very well-made
• Attached hook makes it easily portable with car seat & stroller

What could be improved:

• I prefer soft toys that can be washed

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Get Your Own

Lamaze Jacques The Peacock is available in most major babystores such as Isetan and Robinsons. He’s hot among parents and often out of stock.

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Lamaze Jacques the Peacock*

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*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™

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P.S. Read more toy reviews here.

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Recently, several mums have requested for more reviews on toys with mileage, so I am planning to share on Vee’s toys. I believe a lot in free (unstructured) creative play, to let him develop his creative mind. Many times, the simplest toys allow the child to explore the most with his own initiative. Therefore, I hardly buy any electronic toys, which tend to limit the child’s creativity.

My sister gave Vee The Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics™ Baby’s First Blocks (approximate retail price: USD9.00) when he was about three months old. When he turned six months old and could sit up to play, I unwrapped the toy and introduced it to him.

Description

The cover to the bucket is easily opened and there are ten blocks of five shapes and colours. A handle is attached to the bucket.

How We Played With It

Most babies are unable to sort shapes easily until they grow into toddlers. (If you have a baby prodigy, do let me know!)

1. I used the blocks to teach him colours and shapes, using the flash method (i.e. flash the block in front of him and say its colour and shape). Flashing holds his attention much better than talking slowly.
2. I stacked the blocks to make little buildings. He loves to crawl to the buildings and knock them down. (Until now at 14 months, he cannot withstand seeing stacked blocks.) This helps him practice crawling at a fast pace.
3. He holds two blocks and knocks them together. This is an important milestone to reach before babies learn to clap their hands.
4. He loves taking off the yellow cover and pouring or taking the blocks out. Then he would put the blocks in and cover the bucket and keep repeating the process. This helps him strengthen his hand-eye coordination and finger-dexterity.
5. The two red circular blocks are his favourites. Since they rolled about easily, he would chase them all over the floor and have a good dose of exercise.
6. Since the lid does not stay on, another way to learn about shape-sorting to to place the lid on the floor and put the blocks through.

He used to put the pieces into his mouth and they can be washed clean very easily, to my relief. After 8 months of regular play, the toy is still as good as new and attracts his interest. Currently, he is learning to put the blocks through the holes and I hope he succeeds soon.

Update: Vee successfully sorted the shapes into the holes at 15 months old.

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What we like about it:

• Simple toy with different ways to play with
• Washable and easily cleaned
• Basic colours that attract Vee’s attention

What could be improved:

• Some parents prefer a snap-tight lid (However, this would be less fun for a younger baby. I am fine with the toy as it is.)

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Get Your Own

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics™ Baby’s First Blocks is available in major departmental and baby stores.

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby’s First Blocks*

*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™
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P.S. Read more toy reviews here.

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Related posts:

1. Review: Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Stack & Roll Cups
2. Review: Fisher-Price Kick ‘n’ Learn Piano
3. Review: Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Portable Rocker

In an attempt to keep Baby V seated in his Chicco highchair for a longer period of time when I was having my meals, I purchased the ELC Highchair Steering Wheel when it was on 20% discount (listed price: RM74).

There are several buttons that imitate sounds made by a car, such as sounding the horns and braking. The buttons also light up when pressed. Baby V likes to turn the steering wheel, which is too high for him to reach, so I have to bring it down to his level for him to play with it.

The biggest drawback of this interesting toy is that the suction base does not stick well to the highchair’s plastic surface or to any other surface we have tried. Baby V can easily pull the toy up by himself and I have to use one hand to hold the toy, leaving only one hand free to feed myself, which defeats the original intention of this toy.

Pros:

• Entertains baby with light, sounds and steering wheel

Cons:

• Does not stick well to highchair or any other surface
  

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Get Your Own

We bought the ELC Highchair Steering Wheel at ELC.

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: ELC Highchair Steering Wheel*

*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™
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How do you keep your babies or toddlers entertained in their highchairs during mealtimes? Feel free to share some ideas here.

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Related posts:

1. Review: Chicco Polly 2 in 1 Highchair

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Get Your Own

Our relative bought this Tigger Terry Teether at The First Few Years (Paragon, Singapore).

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Disney Babies Terry Friend Teether (Tigger)*

*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™

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1. Review: GAD One-Size Microfibre Terry Inserts
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We bought this gymini months before Baby V was born when it was on sale at Robinson’s. There were several Tiny Love gyminis available and somehow I was more attracted to this one (Gymini Total Playground — Kick & Play) over the others.

The first time that Baby V played with it was when he turned two months old and was more alert. Since then, I have been placing him in the gymnini almost every morning while I spray his cloth diapers. This baby playgym keeps him very busy with the rattles attached to the arches and a large mirror. Just before turning five months old, he accomplished his first roll-over in the gymini and shifted his body clockwise for one big round. That really brightened my day!

Recently, I even started changing his diapers on the gymini to keep him still for at least a few minutes. Superb value-for-money!

Pros:

• Baby V loves being in it and it can keep him entertained for quite a while
• Machine washable playmat which retains its bright colours even after a few washes
• Very portable

Cons:

• Music box became faulty after only a few weeks — volume is very soft unless the box is banged
• Wind chime toy recalled (View details at CPSC website here)

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Get Your Own

Tiny Love Gymini Total Playground — Kick & Play doesn’t seem to be available at Amazon.com, probably due to the recall of the wind chime.

You may check the price of a similar Gymini at Amazon.com here: Tiny Love Super Deluxe Lights and Music Gymini Activity Gym*

*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: Tiny Love Gymini Total Playground — Kick & Play. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Related posts:

1. Review: Tiny Love Symphony-in-Motion Mobile
2. Review: I can’t survive a day without this VeeBee Play Yard!
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