EVERYDAY PLAY NOTES / REVIEWS
Before you add to the toy box.
Clear, research-based toy reviews to help you choose for your child and your home.
New Sprouts Grow It review: Pretend planting without waiting for a crop
A child may want to put a flower in a pot, pull it out and begin again.
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Hiking Play Set review: Make the packing part of an imaginary adventure
For some children, packing the bag is the adventure.
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Fishing Play Set review: A dry fishing story with two rods to share
An imaginary fishing trip can begin on a playroom floor without a journey to real water.
Read the reviewFlower Gardening Play Set review: A pretend garden with a water-reveal moment
When a child wants to tend a garden but you need a small play scene, this set offers a pretend version with an immediate…
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Go, Go, Little Penguin review: Decide whether your family wants a race
A race can make a short game exciting, but it is a different experience from working toward one shared goal.
Read the reviewForest Friends review: Choose a three-dimensional memory game for the hiding, not the promises
Peeking through a small opening can be more inviting than looking at a flat row of cards.
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Building Site review: Give the toy truck a shared construction job
A child who already enjoys carrying things in a truck may find a building game more inviting than a conventional board.
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Hanna Honeybee review: A shared goal with a satisfying hive action
If your child likes putting something in a slot and seeing what comes out, Hanna Honeybee has an action worth looking at.
Read the reviewMelissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube: a small puzzle for curious hands
For the child who likes to turn a piece, try an opening and have another go. Here’s how this wooden shape sorter might fit…
Read the reviewMEGA BLOKS Big Building Bag: room to build, knock down and begin again
A closer look at the blue building bag and its current listed contents, with the everyday questions that matter: space, tidy-up and whether your…
Read the reviewCrayola Toddler Touch Lights: colour at your fingertips
Some afternoons call for colour without opening a paint cupboard.
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Melissa & Doug Tape Activity Book: little strips, big possibilities
A strip of tape can become a road, a roof or simply a line that feels satisfying to press down.
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