My biggest issue with this product is that the design and the accompanying activity attachments don't make a lot of sense together. What I mean by that is the size/scale of the house is better suited for a 6-10 month old while I'd say most of the activities are more suited for 9-18 months (skills/strength needed to use). The square/all sides attached configuration is the only way to set it up that I feel is acceptably sturdy. The problem with this being that once baby hits around 10 months, the space inside the "house" is too small to comfortably crawl into through the slide or front door. Once your child is walking, you'll see another design flaw that they lowered the clearance of the front arch by adding a Little Tykes branding to it for your child to have to further duck under...or bump his head on. The only way around that is the zig zag configuration, but again, I don't consider it very stable set up that way. If your child uses it to pull up on, lean against, or has to use force to use the activities (mailbox hinge is hard plastic & difficult to open, bugs on top of phone accessory can be difficult to move, etc), you're going to constantly be holding it to keep it from tipping...especially the side with the high arch if its only attached on one side to the slide as shown on the box picture. Was hopeful this product would be a nice precursor to a bigger kid playset, but its use will much more limited than I was expecting.
This toy is meant to encourage development of kids from 6mos to 36mos. The bright colors attracts their attention, the simple ball drop makes a crawler wonder where it went, the peek-a-boo game they play with the door and you can set the toy up anyway you want! 2 year-olds will start to play pretend (I actually saw my friend's daughter pick up the phone and say hello)... One 3-year old focused on the telescope because he was a pirate while his twin sister thinks its her tea room. It was not meant to have advance technological apps and bright lights and music and all that sort of things but instead, it's the "play" that entices the childs' imagination, creativity and discovery.
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My daughter loved this toy from the second she saw it. At 8months old, she loves to sit in the middle of this toy and play peek a boo with the window shutters and teethe on the balls. She also enjoys playing with the removable console too. Right now, she's still learning how to use the ball shute correctly, and she could care less about the mailbox shape sorter or the "telescope" but these are activities that she will grow into with time. I love the bright colors, the different activities this toy provides, and the overall cuteness factor it has, but there are a few tweeks that could make this a 5 star winner....First, just about everyone can agree that the slide is a joke. It's not just the size of the ramp, that's not even my main issue, it's the overhang part that's ridiculous. It's a good 4-5inches too short. My daughter is of average height, and even when she first got this toy at 6 months, there was no way she could sit on the slide and use it normally. Your child would have to be 3-4 months old to be short enough to sit and not have their head hit the overhang. As cute as the slide looks, it's simply not functional for it's intended purpose. Little Tikes should either send new parts to correct the issue or stop calling it a slide and call it a crawl ramp instead.
Second, I love the zylophone on the door, it's simple, cute, and sounds nice, but I wished that they added buttons on the other side of the door so that babies could play with the zylophone when sitting inside too.
Third, I wished that the red door was able to stay closed if you wanted that option. The weight of the zylophone makes the door swing open at the slightest touch. The shutters don't have that issue, you have to actually push them out for them to open and it should be the same for the door, just saying....
Fourth, if used on tiled/harwood floor, this toy will slide around. While I don't have this issue (it's used on foam tiles), some might have an issue and it should be noted. You might need to use some of those felt pads that are found on the feet of furniture to prevent scratching the floor.
Lastly, this toy is marketed for children ages 6-36months, but lets be realistic. This toy's age limit is closer to 24months in my opinion. The reasoning for this is that while this activity center has lot's of features and the abiltiy to extend and provide the platform for imaginative play, it's simply too small for most 3yrs olds to play with comfortably. So if you're intention is to get 2 1/2 years worth of play for your dollar, don't count on it! A good 2yrs is more like it, but that's still a pretty good return for your money.
Other than these minor issues, I really love this toy and so does my daughter. I was able to set it up in less than 1/2 hour. The directions were easy and clear to follow. When closed, this toy is super sturdy, easy to clean, and has no sharp edges that could cut little skin if they bump into it. This is a gender neutral toy that any baby or a pair of siblings would love to play. While it's issues are minor, I still HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing this toy for the baby in your life! It's well worth the money and a great long term investment toy for growing babies.....
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It's cute and easy to put together. But it is soooooo tiny. And in my oppinion it is not worth $70. My kids played with it for a few days and haven't bothered with it since.Want Little Tikes Activity Garden Discount?
Very easy to put together. My son is 13 months now and still loves it. Even 3 old loves playing with it! Highly recommended.Save 19% Off
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