My 1 year old son received this Busy Zoo Activity Cube for a Christmas present from his grandparents. I wasn't sure at first if he would even play with it but it turns out he really enjoys playing with it. His doctor's office has one but it is much bigger and he liked playing with that one so I figured why not give this one a try. The product itself is really durable and it's handcrafted so it seems like it will last for a long period of time. He loves all the different activities there is on it that you can do and it keeps him entertained for a good portion of time. However I personally think the price is a little too high for this item but if your child loves playing with the one at the doctor's office then he/she will love playing with this one as well. One thing I do like about this toy is that it is smaller and my son can just grab it and bring it to wherever he wants too. I do wish that it weighed a little less so it was easier for him to drag.

jessicaswagbucks

USA

I am quite impressed with the quality of the Toysmith Busy Zoo Activity Cube. It is very sturdy and well made. Most toys in waiting rooms just don't stand the test of time with many children, but this one looks brand new although it isn't. It has some fascinating and interesting features. My one and a half year old and almost four year old were both excited to play with it...at the same time even! On one side, there are four little wooden doors that can be opened and shut to see what's behind them, which fascinated my 1.5 year old. The detail even includes the corners of those four wooden doors being rounded in case a child fell on them. The tiny knobs on the doors make them irresistible for curious minds and little hands. The wooden animals on top move along tracks in and amongst the bead mazes. My four year was engrossed in moving the animals into different places and rearranging them in the "zoo". There are things that spin and beads to count as they are moved along wires. A child's imagination can have them making animal sounds for the animals. It is a really neat toy that doesn't have a million pieces to keep together, but has a lot of different activities to enjoy and keep children busy.

thumps77

USA

I purchased this for my nephew who is one and a half years old.  We noticed that when we took him to a playground he enjoyed playing with these types of toys.  I was skeptical at first if he will even play with this.  But as soon as he saw it he loved it.  The cube itself is very sturdy.  Can withstand constant pushing, hitting and day to day activities of a toddler.  There are more than 5 different things that can be done in the cube.   Games that be can played are animal alphabet, squiggly tracks, jungle design pattern doors, silly critter puzzle and snake along beads.  My nephew's favorite is the snake along beads.  He liked getting the round block to the top and watch it go down.  I think he actually like watching them zigzag down more than getting them up because he has trouble moving them up.  There are three different tracks, looks like an easy, medium and hard.  My nephew is able to get the round block on the easy track but not on the other two.

badet

San Jose, CA

My three children have always loved to play with the Parents Busy Zoo at their doctor's office. I finally decided that it would be worth the money to purchase it and I am so glad that I did! This is an easy toy to just have sitting out in the play room and it is something that they are always using. There are many different types of activities on the Busy Zoo and it is great for toddlers just learning to pull themselves up or walk.

jbatjbat

Cleveland, OH

We were given the Parents Busy Zoo as a gift when our son was very little, and he has loved it from the beginning. It has so many activities that it keeps him entertained. There are four sides with all different activities...a matching game, little doors that open to reveal animals, three knobs that slide down at different speeds, and blocks that rotate that have the alphabet on one side and different animals on the other. Plus, there is a system of sliding animals and beads on the top, too! Our son particularly loves the side with the knobs that slide down, since he loves knocking them off to see how fast they'll slide! The toy isn't huge, so it won't take up lots of room, but it is big enough for more than one child to play with, which is great. Playing with the little blocks improves hand-eye coordination. We also like that the corners are rounded at the top, which is great protection against injury. All in all, this is a wonderful, classic toy!

tallulahtraveler

Gulf Shores, AL

I purchased this for my daughter when she was younger and she loved it and plays with it every day. My mom (a retired kindergarten teacher of more than 25 years) told me to introduce the toy to my daughter and I finally did. She said you would have to jump off something and land on the cube, or really be horsing around and fall hard on this to hurt yourself badly -- and she's right. All the edges are rounded and the top is covered with rubber covered wire that beads are on. A kid can get hurt on anything, and this toy is no worse than any other. The cube is so "busy" that it holds babies attention without loud annoying sounds or flashing lights. It's a nice quiet toy that is educational and fun, and if you ask me, there are precious few of those around these days. I highly recommend it. It's also built very well -- it looks like a toy from yesteryear, carefully and lovingly crafted with hand-painted images. My mom as an early childhood educator thinks this toy is great. It was a very solid purchase.

revonet93

Beverly Hills, CA

This was a Christmas present for my twenty one month old daughter. I wanted to get this because she loves playing with these kind of toys at the doctors office when we have to go for checkups. It kept her busy & this one seemed to be exactly the same as one she really liked. The product itself is really durable and there's a lot of things to do. The only thing I wish could be different would be that it was heavier. She likes to push toys between the cracks on top or the triangular pieces on the sides and then try to tilt the entire thing up to get whatever it is out again. Sometimes she's set it back down on her toe. And this thing isn't exactly light but I guess it'd have to made out of lead for her to not be able to pick it up. But she's never gotten really hurt so I'm not complaining at all. Kids find all kinds of ways to hurt themselves, it seems. I'm very glad that there aren't sharp corners on the sides though, so there is less of that chance. I'm extremely happy with this purchase and from the time she spends on it, she is too.

bryantsteven50

Glendale, CA

The Parents Busy Zoo Activity Cube is just not worth the money they charge for it. I got mine used and still feel like i was bamboozled. They are much smaller versions of the large activity cube toys that one might find in the doctor's office and the size of the toy really takes all the joy and excitement out of it. My experience is that it just does not hold a child's attention. This is something that is barely played with and only when a child is in the I can sit up now but can't really crawl a whole lot stage but as soon as they can get around a little they are uninterested. For something with so little usage age range this toy costs a complete fortune and is totally not worth it. Yes, it looks like there is a lot going on there on it but it just all sits there unused. My daughter and most of her friends were completely uninterested in this thing and I ended up giving it away. Glad I didn't pay full price.

alacrity

Saint Louis, MO

This item is very cute and has lots of neat features to keep kids entertained. I love the coloring and how each side is different. My older son even enjoyed it for awhile...he loved the stuff on the top. With that said, you really need to have a place to put it in the house as it does not compact. Also, my son (when we got it he was 12 months old) would pull himself up on it (he did not walk until he was almost 14 months old) and it would often tip over on him if I wasn't right there to catch it or put a hand on the other side to steady it.  We found ours on sale for 50 percent off and it was definitely worth the money. I wouldn't pay full price for it though. I didn't feel bad storing it in the garage when we got tired of looking at it in the middle of our living room. Another woman commented that there are reasons toys have age suggestions. I would totally agree, but also suggest this for a walker, or at least someone that doesn't pull up on everything. 

grets06

Bend, OR

This is a cube that is fit for any toddler. Basically, this cube has multiple sides that the toddler can explore. Each side can teach the little baby a lesson in imagination and creativity. Also, I believe this is a great way to start an individual's trek to hand to eye coordination. The cube features, for example, windows to open, snake beads that can be moved along the wire, and scrollable alphabets with accompanying animals. The top has a myriad of features, including the snake beads that i mentioned earlier as well as animals (such as a turtle, duck, and rhino) that can be moved to a certain degree. One of the sides features a body matching puzzle where the toddler matches the head of an animal with the body, for example: a giraffe's head with (if done right) a giraffe's lower body. The point of a toy like this is to stimulate curiosity and this toy succeeds in that regard in that every side of the cube features something to look at and touch. I recommend this for early brain development for your child.

kieblersteven

South Pasadena, CA