We have owned this water play table for nearly siz months, and its play value has not decreased at all. It is short enough that our 16 month old has always been able to participate comfortably, and interesting enough that it still attracts my 4 and 6 year old children as well.
The water wheel is great fun, and the children love scooping water into its reserve to make it spin. The two levels of the table give the children individual play space if two children are playing. Now that winter is approaching, I look forward to adding sand instead of water to the table. I appreciate the easy-to-open plugs built into the basin, as it makes it easy to remove water (or sand). The toy, though sturdy, is also lightweight enough for an adult to pick up and simply pour water out, if desired. Children cannot, however, easily move or turn the table over.
I recently purchased the water wheel table after looking at just about every kind available. Although I originally wanted a sand/water combo, I'm glad that I went with the water-only version. My 21-month-old is not known for sticking with one activity for very long, but she seems to love this toy.
Though we haven't had the table for long, I am very glad I didn't spend more on the larger combo tables.
Here are the pros:
~ Extremely easy to assemble. Absolutely no tools required and assembly, from box to completion, took less than 5 minutes.
~ Very light-weight and compact. The table is easy for an adult to lift (without the water) but it is still sturdy enough for a toddler. While this table is more compact than many on the market, it will accomodate 2-3 toddlers quite easily.
~ Less messy than combo tables. No sand to mix for a muddy mess.
~ Comes with water wheel, cup and two sail boats.
Here are the Cons:
~ Mine does not appear to have a plug. No leaks this way, but a bit harder to drain. However it is small enough that an adult can easily tip it over for cleaning.
~ No cover. This is my only real complaint. If a cover had been included, this would be ideal. However, the compact size makes it easy to drain and fill, so the lack of cover isn't really a big deal.
~ The water wheel is not attached and can be knocked over pretty easily. Not a big deal, but something to note.
~ The toys are just okay. I'll be adding more.
Overall, I found the water wheel table to be a good value, particularly if you want a more compact water table that is easy to assemble, move and store.
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I've always been a big fan of Step 2 products so when I was in the market for a water table this was a no-brainer purchase for my 1 year old (the 5 and 7 year old also enjoy it to some degree). While a water table in general is a lot of fun for any child I was really disappointed with the quality of this product (hence the unusually low price). I would rather pay more and get a quality plastic then this piece. The plastic is not the sturdy, durable plastic I'm accustomed to by this brand, but rather the flimsy, will crack if you drop it, plastic. Upon assembling the tower a part chipped off. Which meant the tower wouldn't hold together and that part was useless. I called Step 2 had to hold for 15 minutes to get through to anyone. Told them the tower was broken and I needed the 2 piece part sent to me. They were great and said they would only I only received one half of the tower. So that part is still useless. I'm too frustrated with the whole thing to bother calling again. I would hesitate to purchase Step 2 again in the future until I know the plastic is more durable. God-forbid someone chooses to put some weight on this thing I don't think it could support more than a few pounds without breaking a leg off. Save your money and by a Rubbermaid or Sterilite tote and fill it with a few inches of water and some rubber duckies.
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My daughter has always really liked the water, so we got her this table to play with on the patio. She loves it! She's still learning to stand and move around @ 8 mo. and the table is sturdy enough for her to pull up on and hang on to for balance (supervised of course). She really likes watching the water wheel go around and splashing away!
The drain does leak a little, but it's not a big deal. When we're done playing with the water, it gets dried off and brought inside as an additional play table. We stick toys in it and she walks around the edges playing with the toys in the middle.
Great value for the money. I had looked at a bunch of the other reviews on combo sand and water tables and saw good advice to keep sand and the water as separate activities to avoide a big mess. We'll get her a sand box when she's older, since she's still too young to have sand it would just get eaten.
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I own a family daycare geared towards infants and toddlers and my toddlers LOVE this water table. It keeps them busy for long periods and is just their size. Just be careful they don't try to climb in it when the water is not in it because it is very tippy!
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I got this for my 7 month old daughter and she loves it. Since it arrived and I gave it to her she hasnt put it down. The mirror is a real mirror which means no distortion or blurry-ness. The butterfly on the side makes crinkle noises, if u lift up the butterfly there's a family of bugs painted on it. The lion part rattles when its shaken. Its made of super soft material and is really big.
