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Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted. C’est la vie. Life intervenes. I haven’t lost interest in toys or in this blog. I’ve just been..well..busy. With stuff. Yeah. Onwards.
The Soft Sorting Food was given to us as a 1st birthday present for Boy 2. I will admit that I didn’t think that we’d like it all that much. My kids don’t like stuffies much at all, other than for sleeping, and this food is a lot like, well, stuffed food.
HOWEVER, the play value of this food has been astronomical. Boy 1 likes them cause you can pretend to eat them. The shopping bags are great for playing grocery store. You can sort by colour or use them for counting. I especially like that they don’t hurt when you throw them. My kids like to throw the food, and that Melissa and Doug wooden stuff really cracks one off on your head. I bruise easily.
Anyways, the boys are almost 3 and 6 and are still loving the soft food. And they’ve been well used. Highly recommend them. I’ve never found them in stores though, so if you’re wanting to get them as a present – leave some lead time for ordering online.
This little gem from Folkmanis is quickly becoming a staple birthday present around these parts for kids aged 3-5. What I like best about it is that it is essentially a “dollhouse” without being too girly or princess-y. Speaking from experience, that’s hard to find. I’d probably be more likely to buy it for a girl than a boy, simply because my boys aren’t too keen on soft stuffed toys (other than at bedtime), but it’s completely non gender-specific.
Once you detach the six little animals from the tree, they can be used as finger puppets or tiny stuffed animals (the tree itself can be a puppet!). It comes with facts about sequoias, and would be an excellent teaching tool. There’s loads of pretend play possibilities and no batteries are required. Simply insert imagination.
Grade: A
I have feedback from people who have received it saying it is one of their favourite toys and much played with. However, I can see how people who don’t enjoy imaginative play might be challenged by what to do with it. Maybe that’s a good thing, though.
The Toy Pit 