Toy Review: Birdwood Playhouses

Our new playhouse arrived this weekend!  Hurrah!  I've got big plans for this little house which I'll post about as I get it done, but for the moment it is being used empty and the kids are loving it.

I ordered it from Birdwood Playhouses for the bargain price of £250.  Their basic small playhouse runs less, but I had ours customised.  Andrew, the owner, added an extra window, window box, stable door and painted it for me which are standard customisations.  He also made the house taller and the door taller at my request as my boys are tall and I'd like them to get a few years use before they are stooping to get in.  The delivery was reasonable and the delivery company was fantastic.  It came as 4 walls, a floor, two pieces for the roof, the roofing felt and the trim.  There were basic instructions and the only tools I used were an electric screwdriver, hammer and stanley knife.   My only quibble was I would have found illustrations or more detail instructions useful.  Having never put roofing felt on a roof before I had to experiment to get it right (and I'm not entirely sure it is, but it keeps out the rain so far!).  

I didn't realise quite how tall the door would be and in hindsight would have made it a bit smaller as you can see that the shorter kids aren't going to get much use of the stable door until they grow a bit taller!  This doesn't seem to affect their enjoyment of the house though.

Overall I love, love, love it.  It is sturdy and well-built.  The customer service was excellent.  Andrew even phoned as he was doing the painting to explain the colour to me to check it was what I wanted (it is a light grey, not periwinkle as it looks in the photos).  I feel good that I was able buy one from a small UK business, rather than an off-the-shelf made in China from one of the chain stores.  I also love that it is wood - it wont still be around in a landfill in 500 years creating problems for future generations.  Great value for money.  I highly recommend Birdwood Playhouses - go check them out if you need an awesome playhouse too!  

Toy Review: Grimm's Spiel und Holz Extra Large Wooden Stacking Rainbow

I love this rainbow stacker from Grimm's.  No, really.  It makes my heart sing and I intend to own it for the rest of my days.  Ostensibly I bought it for the children and I do let them play with it.  This is one of the very few toys we own that doesn't get rotated off the shelves.  Sometimes I do move it around just to rekindle interest though.

The Rainbow Stacker from Grimm's Spiel und Holz Design is a truly beautiful toy.  Handmade from sustainably forested woods (mostly Alder according to their website), their toys are finished with water-based dyes.  The colours are bright, the dyes are even and the wood is light enough for children to use safely, but robust enough to withstand actual play. DO NOT let your kids stand on the pieces though, they are not designed to be weight-bearing and will crack and break (so I've been told).  If this does happen you can order replacement parts off their website.  Grimm's is a well known producer of Waldorf (or Steiner) inspired toys and has an excellent reputation for making beautiful, functional, open ended toys.  There isn't much more you can ask for really.

The rainbow gets regular use in our house.  At the moment E mostly makes a tunnel or bridges for his cars and trains.  Other children who visit have used the arches as animal shelters, sorted them according to colour, stacked and just generally arranged the pieces.  When E was younger he loved rolling balls and cars back and forth through the tunnel with any willing adult.  Because the toy is so open ended I expect it to be used for years and years, particularly as the boys' construction play becomes more advanced.

The Grimm's Stacking Rainbow comes in 3 sizes - small, large and extra large and costs from roughly £15 to £50 (or $20 to $80).  We went all-in for the extra large which has 12 pieces and I have no regrets.  This is a toy I'll pass on to my grandchildren (after I die - I'm keeping it for myself until then).

Toy Review: Djeco Tac Boum Pom (or the Wooden Apple Tree!)

Djeco's Tac Boum Pom is a wooden ball track disguised as an apple tree. 

The small bird is spring-mounted and the bird bends back to let the ball through to make its way down the tree and over the leaves to bounce off the small flower at the base and make it's way to the front again. We bought this for E's first birthday and it was one of his most beloved toys. The bird on our tree does not bend back with just the force of the ball and requires the child to push it through the hole. This seems to add something to the toy though and makes it a bit more interactive. 


Which brings me to the big downside of this toy – it really only does one thing. The lack of versatility means it is only going to hold a child's interest for a brief period of time in their development. At 25 months my son only gets it off the shelf about once every two weeks, as opposed to playing with it multiple times a day when he was younger. 


 O (7 months), is just starting to eye it up and enjoys waving the balls around and watching them to down the tree. His hand-eye control isn't yet developed enough to put the balls on the track or push them past the bird unassisted. He's trying though!

Great for small babies up to 2. The disappearing and re-appearing 'apple' is fascinating for little ones developing object permanence. E loved mastering putting the ball on the track and pushing in past the bird. It also makes a pleasant plonking noise bouncing down the leaves at the base of the tree.

Quality: This toy is fully painted and looks to be constructed of both real wood and MDF (I'm guessing). I would say it has average durability – the MDF tree part of the toys has several dents and minor chips in the paint where it has been dropped. However, the finish has held up much better than some of the other wooden toy brands we have purchased, the wooded tracks still look new. The balls have been thrown across our tile floor more times than I can count, but there are no chips in the paint at all. Unlike many other ball track toys, this one is smooth and the balls don't bounce off the toy at any point (as long as it's on a flat surface), meaning the ball returns where it's supposed to. It is a beautiful toy and one of the first that children and adults are drawn to in our house. I expect Tac Boum Pom to last through many children.

Green factor: Despite repeatedly e-mailing the company I've not had a response to my enquiry about whether they adhere to an Environmental or Sustainability policy of any sort. As always, I assume this means that environmental impact of the toy, materials and manufacturing are not taken into consideration. Djeco looses big points with me for this (and their lack of response to their customers!).

Value for money: Djeco's Tac Boum Pom is unique, beautiful and functional and it has been loved in this house. Retailing around £40 it is pricey. Despite it's limited shelf-life I would purchase another ball track toy. However, the finish could be better and I would prefer a fully wood version.  I love this from Selecta and if someone wants to send me one to review I would.  Just sayin'. 

Toy Review: Lakeshore Sort-A-Shape Activity Board

E received the Lakeshore Sort-A-Shape Activity Board for his first birthday (he's now 2.5) and I have to say, it has been a great toy.

E's friend (15 months)

Chunky enough for small hands to manipulate, but complex enough to pose some challenge.  A great introduction to numbers, shapes and colours, the Lakeshore Sort-A-Shape board helps children develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Whilst it is described as being suitable from 2-4, I've found that kids are able to use it purposefully from about 13 months or so and the 4 year-olds in my life are able to master it (and therefore bored with it) in about 3 minutes.  My 7 month-old, O, enjoys mouthing it, but he isn't very particular.

I used this often when E was learning basic shapes.  He enjoyed finding the shape I asked him for and figuring out which set of pegs it fit on before he was using spoken language.  I could also see he was developing a sense of humour as he deliberately put the pieces on the wrong pegs and waited for my reaction - laughing at his own joke (he takes after his father).

With his developing interest in numbers and counting I've put it back into rotation and he enjoys sitting near me and talking me through what he's doing - 'Look, I put the green one here.  One peg.  Oh.  Oh!  This one has two holes.'

The board and pieces are constructed of wood and are great quality.  After 1.5 years of play (and quite a lot of being chucked on the floor) it still looks new with no chips in the paint or dents in the wood.
If I used a star system, I'd rate the quality as 5 stars.

In terms of environmental responsibility, Lakeshore doesn't seem to have a policy or any information on their website.  They do have a Responsible Manufacturing information page which outlines how they ensure that their manufacturers comply with labour laws and do not engage in slavery or human trafficking (I may be naive, but I would assume this would be a given and not a selling point!).  I have contacted them and asked for any information about environmental protection measures.  I shall update* this post if I receive a response.  Until then, I assume that the wood is not sustainably forested and they aren't doing anything to mediate the environmental impact their products or manufacturing processes are making.

UPDATE: Lakeshore have got back to me and confirmed that the Sort-A-Shape is not made with sustainable materials.  They've written that they are always looking at ways of improving and the do sell some bamboo blocks.  Some of their nursery furniture is also Greenguard certified - complying with low-emissions standards to improve quality of indoor air.

Overall verdict:  Useful educational toy that deserves space on the shelf.  Fantastic quality, but I would look for an eco-friendly version from a different company or get one second hand.