Dexter is a very calm baby. He rarely cries and is easy to entertain. However, we do have the odd day where he throws a paddy and we run out of ideas for play-time.
Having bought him a number of traditional toys for Christmas - it’s been very hard to resist to opening them and letting him play. I just know he’s going to have a field day on Christmas Day ripping open his presents (with a little help from mum and dad). I’m not naive to the fact that it’s going to be a battle to get him to play with his toys rather than the paper - but I’m hoping some of them are a hit.
A few days ago, during one of Dexter’s “I’m bored” moments, my resistance broke and I opened a toy I ordered way back in November. This was an impulse buy when EverEarth were running a promotion with Casabu. I think I got it for around £10 but it’s available from a number of different retailers including Giraffe Toys (£15,95), Babe-equip (£17.95), Trendy Baby (£16.99) and Amazon (£19.63).
Although the recommended age is 18 months +, I never leave to Dexter to play alone and he loves to fiddle things so it’s ideal for him. The activity centre has six different activities including a peg maze, abacus, and bead slide - so is ideal for promoting hand-eye coordination, counting, and hand and finger dexterity. Another plus is that triangle can be placed anyway-up depending on which element has caught your baby’s eye.
As a note of caution, I should explain that I usually position Dexter between my legs and help him navigate all the different puzzles with his little fingers. I definitely wouldn’t allow him to play with it without having my hands over his as Dexter can lift this toy by himself and I suspect he’d wave it above his head and clunk himself with it given half the chance.
As a way to explore shapes, textures and colours - I love this toy. It’s very sturdy, well made, and is a great distraction for little people. EverEarth are also eco-friendly manufacturers and use only renewable resources for their toys. Above all - it looks gorgeous. You can’t beat the look of traditional wooden toys in your home and this one is no exception. It’s the sort of toy you don’t mind having on display in your nursery.
You can view all EverEarth’s toys on their website but they are available to buy from a number of UK retailers (both on and offline).
Disclaimer: This post has not been paid for, nor have I received any products for the purpose of this review. I will be reviewing all of Dexter’s Christmas presents as we enjoy sharing our experiences.