Hi friends! So the last week of Sept 2020 it looks like Lovevery updated all the 12-24 month (1 year old) play kits to include less items and also opened up a “shop” where you can buy discontinued and current play kit items for 40% off if you’re a subscriber (all the details here link in description (find the "update" note) Here are my updated thoughts as of Oct 2020: The Babbler play kit is still 100% worth it IMO. The items in it will REALLY last and are some of my favorites. At 20 months my daughter is now able to take the bottom off the “coin box” and I think would LOVE the changeable tops… I would 100% SKIP the Pioneer play kit. I don’t think it’s worth $120 AT ALL and am really disappointed in this change. The Realist play kit I’m on the fence about BUT thing it’s still worthwhile after looking at some comparable items on amazon (e.g. the lockbox similar on amazon was $60, the “felt critter pockets” was $30). My daughter has a 3d geo puzzle and LOVES it and I know she would LOVE the little number/counter push box. So I think this is still overall good - the reason I’m on the fence is I think the cup is stupid and the “checkup book” is my LEAST favorite of all the books we’ve ever gotten from them… The Companion: I’m on the fence. The items are great and definitely get a ton of use in our house, but a lot of the items you can find comparable on Amazon for $15 (so about $5 less than the kit). The amazon ones are much uglier though so if you love aesthetics keep that in mind. Personally, I'd probably get it, but if finding the cheapest item is what you care most about it's probably not for you. Personally: I’d “subscribe” at the Babbler, get the link for their new “shop” (they send it via email a few days after you get the box), order all the items you want at a discount, then cancel before the next charge.
It's so interesting seeing the differences in your daughter's preferences vs my son's. My son doesn't do pretend play yet at 20 months but he uses the matching game to communicate with us :) Long before he could say the names of any animals he would go get the giraffe when we see a giraffe in a book as if to say "I know what that is!"
Will you be purchasing the new 3-year-old kits? I really like that you wait until she has used all the items and then review instead fo just unboxing a brand new play kit.
I plan on getting them in the next month I think! A lot of the items in the first 2 kits of the 2-3 year old series I think she'd appreciate and use before two (she already paints and loves sink play and the flowers look SO up her alley as she literally spends an hour every day picking flowers haha) - i think there are 1-2 items in each kit that she still may be a little young for but plan to get them early like I did with this one! Also got my first Kiwi Co box that I haven't shared about yet!
@@confidentlymom That sounds awesome! She is really so cute when you show her in the videos! I love seeing these types of toys and actually seeing how kids interact with them.Seeing these videos really helps give me ideas for the kids I work with (they are older and don't use lovevery but its surprising how many things still work for them as little short activities).
@@allisonfranklin2059 Awe thank you! Haha yeah I had to stop doing DITL videos when she turned a year because when she sees the camera she wants to play director or grab it so i can only get quick clips of her actually playing right now!! I'm working on a series of activities based off the stuff in those play guides I always mention actually!! That series probably won't kick off until after the holidays though!
Awe yay! We still get SO MUCH use out of the critter pocket and flashlight! And got a similar push box item in montikids and she enjoyed that a lot! Which was your favorite from the 2 year old kits?
I don’t know if I understood correctly so you had this kit before the recommended age group...? For example the matching game with the animals toy you mentioned she’s been enjoying it since she was 12 months
That's correct. I address this further in another video, but we got the play kits before she was ever born so I've always had them in a closet and just brought them out when I felt it was right.
I got it here: bit.ly/3wzEkyy - they have a few styles in stock, but our exact one (Bay Tree House) has been sold out for a while. It's a european brand so getting it in stock in the US can be a bit of a waiting game
the bottom (opposite end of light) has what looks like a slit/flat head screwdriver shape - I just twist my nail in it or use my finger to turn it open - no screw driver required but i'm sure you can use one if you prefer.
Just the cups from the Inspector play kit (stacking and the metal one) which is why I thought it was kind of a bummer/repetitive to have these. It kind of happened naturally too... she just picked it up I think because she watch me pour water back and forth for her to watch the flow out of the nesting cups bottoms.
@@jacieroughton8501 Yes!! I actually just wrote down an idea on my walk this morning for a video in the next week or two about engaging/teaching with materials and how kids learn at this stage for the montessori at home series!! At least how we did it haha!
I can't speak to anyone else but I talk about this in a blog post I did on busy boards! www.theconfusedmillennial.com/busy-boards-toddlers/ - in short, if you shake it, yes they come undone easier than if you'd go to the hardware store and by these types of locks. But the slightly looser locks are intentional.