Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Playskool Shape Sorter

Shape sorters are great educational toys.  They help teach shapes and encourage your child to problem solve.  It is a basic toy that I'm sure you will find in many toddler's playrooms.  


Pros:  This shape sorter is very durable.  It's made of a hard plastic, and measures just over 5" by 5". No matter how much it has been thrown, stepped on, etc, it has still held up.  It has holes for 18 shapes and is great for teaching basic shapes.  We picked this particular toy up at Kohl's just before Chandler turned 2.  He was engrossed in playing with it the entire afternoon while my mom and I shopped.  He continued to play with it at home and still plays with it to this day.  He would hold up a shape, I would tell him the name of the shape and he would try to find where it went.  Chandler can name all of his shapes now, and I'm sure that has much to do with the shape sorter.  Each side of the shape sorter is finished with a different texture to also stimulate touch.  It has stripes on 2 sides, raised dots on 2, and raised triangles on the other two sides.  The top of the shape sorter opens on one side, making it easy access to get the shapes out.  It did take Chandler a bit to get ahold of the concept of opening it, as it is hinged and only opens on one side. The shapes have the fun textures on them and come in red, orange, and yellow.  They are chunky and are great for little hands to hold and grasp. Although this toy is recommended for children 12-36 months, Chandler still enjoys playing with it, and he turned 3 almost 4 months ago.  Another pro - this toy is extremely affordable.  We bought it on clearance for $3, but regular price is $5-6.  So it's a great toy without breaking the bank.

Cons:  The top part of the sorter where you open it up to get the shapes out comes off.  This usually happens if Chandler has been too rough with the toy or throws it.  It easily fits back into the grooves though as it is a hinged lid and is a quick fix.  

The Bottom Line:  Great educational toy, great price, durable, bright and fun.

Price:  $4.99

Where to Buy: Hasbro Toy Shop, Target, Walmart, Kohls

Rating: Excellent

5 comments:

Wii are the Nelsons said...

I love these toys...we had a contest with these as adults too...

Cassandra said...

Mady received one of these as a gift for her first birthday. Even at 12 months I could tell this toy stimulated her and got her gears turning. She hasn't figured out how to get them in yet, but likes taking them out and opening and shutting the trap. We've also lost most of the pieces under the couch :)

Petula said...

I used to love the shape sorters until the shapes always ended up everywhere but inside of the thingy. My three youngest children are 5, 4 and 1 so, needless to say, I can never keep those shapes around. lol

Jayme Q said...

Tristan has one of these, but it's the Fisher Price "baby's first blocks" version. It's a bucket with a lid, instead of a cube. I like yours much better!

Holly Mayer said...

hey Tiff I was hoping you had some advice on baby proofing, especially drawers. Thanks