If I could banish plastic from my living room, I would. Both of my babies are really lucky they get to road test so many great toys, but when you stub your toe on some Duplo monstrosity for the hundredth time in one day, you get pretty fed up. So we recently undertook a massive toy cull and took dozens of near-perfect condition goodies down our local children’s centre - I felt a little like Andy’s mum from Toy Story.
Many toys escaped being donated, and most of these straddle a fine balance between being traditional and educational. Unsurprisingly most of our wooden toys made the cut and stayed. They’re so much more robust and timeless than their plastic cousins.
So when ASDA recently got in touch and offered me a chance to review some pieces from the George at ASDA brand new wooden toy collection, I couldn’t resist. Both Heidi and Dexter got some fabulous new toys and I’m chuffed to bits with them.
To start - I picked the 5 in 1 activity cube for the littlest explorer in our house.
This offers so much to engage tiny brains. On each side of the cube is a new game and a new challenge. On one side Heidi is treated to some spinny wooden numbered discs. Although she has little understanding of what these mean, she loves spinning them around and studying the brightly coloured images.
On side 2, is a child-safe mirror so she can preen herself. Mirrors have long since been regarded as great for promoting healthy development in babies. Gazing at their own face will help baby learn how to focus, track images, and explore the amazing things a face can do. It’s a powerful lesson in who’s who and gives baby a break from mum and dads coo’ing faces.
One side 3 are butterfly sliders that help promote early motor skills and problem solving. This is just the right level of complexity for Heidi who will spend up to half an hour twiddling the butterflies and guiding them up and down the painted tree.
One side 3 are some rolling ball tracks - this is slightly beyond Heidi at the moment as the balls need to be placed into a drop hole at the top of the cube. Unfortunately Heidi is a little too diddy to reach this high. Instead, her big brother is captivated by this, and has been known to throw them at us all too. I do like this element but it is the one side that features something that isn’t affixed to the cube - and, these being balls, there’s a strong likelihood they’ll go missing!
Sat atop the cube is a bead maze similar to those you’ll likely find in a GP surgery or hospital waiting room. These are great for children of all ages; from 6 months to 3 years.
What makes this 5 in 1 Activity Cube so utterly fabulous (and ideal for Christmas) is that is requires zero assembly, is a complete bargain at £20, and offers so much versatility. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on mums face too as it looks pretty in a nursery and can double as storage for pesky Lego bricks and the like. You can also flip the lid to protect the bead maze if you’d prefer.
Dexter was treated to a Wooden Work Bench. Unlike the Activity Cube this did require some assembly and I stupidly took this on myself… with a screwdriver that is probably older than me. It took me forever but this is probably a result of not having the correct tools and having an overenthusiastic little helper (Dexter). There is just one part that I haven’t managed to put together and this is the little storage tray that is supposed to live within the legs of the workbench. The holes for me to screw into didn’t appear to be there on one side - still, this doesn’t affect its use.
The workbench itself features dozens of activities to keep Dex busy. There’s a whopping 33 accessories (from tools to plastic nuts and bolts) all perfectly child-proof and set to stretch his burgeoning motor skills. Whether he’s hammering nails into the workbench, or using his screwdriver to create a wooden empire, he’ll happily chat to himself whilst he sets about his work.
There are a few elements he struggles with; removing the nails once they’ve hammered into the wood within an inch of their life, and getting his head around the vice; which are all so complicated we get a few incomprehensible toddler expletives. But I’m happy the toy is helping refine his motor skills and encouraging him to use his imagination. Role play games always seem to be a hit with Dex (I fully expect him to walk into the Queen Vic and onto my tv screen at some point in the not-too-distant future), and this is no exception.
When it’s time to down tools for the day, the accessories can all be slotted into the workbench so there’ll be no missing bits when it’s time to clock on again in the morning. I must admit I do miss the convenience of the built-in tray - maybe I’ll Craigy to tackle this project when Dexter’s in bed.
At £30 this is fabulous price for such a robust toy. I’ve seen a similar style bench by Janod that is sold in several major retailers at anywhere between £70 to £110 - so you really are getting a bargain with this nifty little number.
Unfortunately every other parents seems to have clocked on to the fact these toys are such great value (their wooden kitchen is priced at a stupendous £40 too), as many are sold out - If want to stock up in time for Chrimbo, you’ll have to be quick! You can view the whole range here.
