HapeCountry Critters Play Cube| Wooden Learning Puzzle Toy for Toddlers, 5-Sided Activity Centre with Animal Friends, Shapes, Mazes, Wooden Balls, Shape Sorter Blocks and MoreThe Forest Stewardship Council

We love this toy! It’s large enough for my daughter to practice standing! So great

I bought this for my 8 month old grandsughter and she seems to love it. My 2.5 year old grandaughter loves it too. There's plenty of things to do to keep them occupied. The only thing I would consider is putting some sort of non skid pads on the bottom as it can slide a bit on carpet when the baby tries to pull up to stand. It is faurly heavy though and does not seem tippy. With the extra grip it will be a great tool to help her learn to pull up on her own.

There are many activity cubes out there on the market and it can be hard to figure out which one to get, especially with the different price points. Hape's Country Critters is worth the price (we paid $115). It is incredibly well build- no sharp edges or nail/screw heads sticking out. In fact, it has a board that keeps the shapes in shape sorter from going too far into the cube, and a bar that keeps the shapes inside until it is pulled. That's convenient for moving the cube about. It also has a handle that makes the cube easy to pick up. And the handle hold doubles as a neat bead maze feature. The beads, balls and other features are brightly and attractively painted. The paint is water-based and safe. It shows no signs of chipping or fading and we've had the cube for a few months now and, yes, my son has put all other things in his mouth (as a side note: none are small enough to be a choking hazard for my 10 month old). Also, the overall cube is fairly heavy- enough so that it won't tip over if a baby uses it to pull him or herself to standing. however, they could probably push it along on carpet, once standing. This could be fun for an impromptu walker-toy; however, it might be something to watch for, if you're child isn't expecting it to slide! We put ours up against a table to stop it sliding.Also- all the sides are engaging for babies, but will obviously grow with the child. Right now, the favorite side is definitely the ball maze. Still, he loves to push the shapes in, if I hold them to the right spot. As he grows, he'll be able to pair the shapes himself. Plus there's some great discussions about color sorting and discussing the shapes (how many sides does a triangle have etc.) for as he grows. He can also push the wheel on the third side around now. Honestly, if I had one complaint it would be that the wheel is a bit boring. Not much to do. But he enjoys it, so that's what counts. The final side (which is not shown for some reason in the promotional pictures), is an animal maze. There are different animal heads that are different colors and you can move them along different wooden tracks to match them to different colors. Right now, my son can move them about to practice fine and gross motor skills. As he grows, we can work on color matching.

I had been looking for a play cube for my younger son, so when this went half price near the holidays I pounced on it. I was looking for something that my son could use to pull himself up and hold onto while playing, and even though he's big for his age it hasn't tipped over (though it does slide sometimes). It also doesn't have any (even minor) damage, even after having two boys banging on it very enthusiastically over the past week. (To give you an idea, I also have the Melissa and Doug Pound and Roll tower, which had major dents in the top and all the balls after one play session with my older son.)Usually I like my toys simple and classic --nothing too cutesy or cartoony-- so I wasn't anticipating liking the look of it, though I know Hape toys are always excellent quality. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the attention to detail on this toy. The jumble you see on top is actually three different themed bead tracks: One is fish that appear to be jumping in and out of a pond. one is an earthworm that goes into the "ground" and back up again, and the last (my favorite) is bugs which fly into (and through) the mouth of the frog on top.The balls are similarly not just balls, but they are designed to look like flower faces (and there is even a designated place to put the mallet when not in use!).The shapes can all be stored in the cube, as it is designed to keep them from falling out once you put the shapes through the holes. (If the cube is jiggled too much they do fall out, though.)The "bee hive" not only makes fun noise for little ones, but it can also be turned into a game by trying to get the bees into their hives by turning it faster or slower. I myself actually find that one fun!The last side (which is not pictured) is a maze of sorts, with animal heads. Unlike other ones I've seen, this one seems to have a point-- you move the animal heads to the end of the maze in a specified color order, and move them back to their designated "homes".Overall, I love the quality and attention to detail of this toy, and both my sons (almost one and almost three) love this.