Author Topic: Activity table or activity cube???  (Read 6578 times)

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Offline newkidontheblock

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Activity table or activity cube???
« on: March 14, 2015, 14:34:14 pm »
Help me decide which to get, please

These are the activity tables available in my country. Does anyone have any of these? Are there any others that you have loved - I could look on amazon.com
http://www.amazon.in/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=activity%20table&sprefix=activity+table%2Caps

This is the activity cube that we love. What do you think?
http://www.ebay.in/itm/B-Zany-Zoo-Wooden-Activity-Cube-/121582551251?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_203&hash=item1c4ee280d3

Thanks:)






Offline michaeljacknnugg

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2015, 15:08:22 pm »
We had a cube thingy and it was a complete waste of money, never really got used. Lots of smaller toys were much better at keeping his interest as an older baby/toddler. It took me a while to get used to after the days of the play gym and a couple of other toys.

So I'd vote for neither! Probably not what you wanted to hear?
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Offline clazzat

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2015, 19:26:03 pm »
We didn't have either, but friends had both and I never saw any child play with an activity cube whereas activity tables tended to attract attention. One of the real benefits of an activity table is that they can lean on it while they aren't so steady on their feet, and they get a chance to play with a different perspective from sitting on the floor, iyswim. Having said that, I'm not sure that they are entirely worth the money or the space that they take up, so I suspect that I might vote for neither as well!

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2015, 19:26:39 pm »
We had neither at home but I know DS would have preferred the table out of the two options, I didn't get him one as I preferred him to play on the floor for muscle building etc.

We had various things which filled that 'need' without being those items.

One of the things we got which lasted *ages* (he's only just stopped playing with it at 4yo) is this alphabet bus, it also does sounds, numbers, a few shapes, a quiz and there's a button for just singing and music too, plus DS drove it around so it's pretty multifunctional.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/VTech-Playtime-Bus-with-Phonics/dp/B0009HBOGI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426360811&sr=8-2&keywords=alphabet+bus
A kids keyboard with lots of different pre-loaded nursery rhymes, rhythms etc was also a huge hit (at 1yo) and he still plays it. It's a colourful one with a bit of flashing light etc. Pressing buttons and getting a response is pretty much the purpose of those activity tables, and both these toys do that but can be used for more or longer too.
Not this but something like this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/CARRY-ALONG-KEYBOARD-CHILDRENS-MUSICAL/dp/B009IP7SU8/ref=sr_1_16?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1426361290&sr=1-16&keywords=kids+keyboard
Just my thoughts on it.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2015, 19:28:51 pm by creations »


Offline newkidontheblock

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2015, 22:04:34 pm »
Thanks, ladies. Yes, they are expensive and cumbersome. DH and I are not fans of the boom, bang, whistle toys but felt that maybe it was something needed. Glad to hear your experiences and alternate suggestions. Thank you. Hugs






Offline twogirlsmommy

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2015, 23:17:03 pm »
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=23324896&cp=2255956.2273442.2639789.3225458&parentPage=family

We have this one and dd2 who will be 2 tomorrow still plays with it and loves it.  Both my girls did.



Offline newkidontheblock

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2015, 05:20:16 am »
Happy birthday to your DD2! Yes, that is exactly the one we were thinking of getting.
But then DH read this review

Quote (selected)
My daughter loves this. I hate it with the fiery passion of a thousand suns.
11 December 2013
By D. Seward - Published on Amazon.com

Puppy and Friends are the giddiest asylum members I've ever met. The sheer goofy jubilation that emanates from this toy borders on the bizarre.

Most of the modes play a song or phrase when a button is pressed - my daughter does not have the patience to listen to any of these things all the way through. Instead, she manically works all of the buttons, flaps and levers as frenetically as possible. Every button press triggers a new song, phrase, shout, or wacky noise. I'd say the experience of watching my daughter play with this toy is roughly equivalent to being assaulted by a mob of invisible clowns with a counting fetish. If you're a 10 month old baby apparently this is marginally less addictive than opiates, because my daughter will not stop using this thing. I bought it because I knew she liked pressing buttons that made things happen, while standing up. Did I know what madness I would unleash? I did not. As I type this review, she is mashing a button and cackling like a miniature witch pulling apart toads for stew.

On the bright side, the batteries that came with the table have lasted for many hours and are still going strong. It is the perfect height for her to stand on. It's a bit slippery on the wood floor, but perfectly stable, so she is getting practice skooching around with her circus walker.

There are three volume settings, but the lowest volume echoes through our apartment like someone's using a megaphone. I turned it up once to see what would happen, and my daughter's thin eyebrows were blown off by the shockwave of sound.

LOL. I can just imagine this being us soon!






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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2015, 08:41:04 am »
Ha ha, what an amusing review :)

Thinking about it a bit more, if you do decide to go for something else instead, those books with buttons that make sounds are lovely. The activity tables often have a plastic sort of book but just a couple of pages long and the story never changes, whereas of course you can get a few different sound making books which still do the job of 'push button to make a noise'. They take up less space too. Mine still loves those at 4yo!


Offline newkidontheblock

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2015, 08:43:10 am »
Yes I have a few of those in my pre school and the kids love them! Great idea as E loves books anyway






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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2015, 08:56:51 am »
There are so so many you can get, numbers, letters, colours if you want those things, animal sounds, vehicle sounds, stories etc etc.
There are some lovely Julia Donaldson sound books
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/books/5231581031/ref=s9_dnav_et_ir03_z?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0TWY8R82F6REKBJ0RDP6&pf_rd_t=4401&pf_rd_p=539063227&pf_rd_i=B000APV1DK
DS loves Princess and the Wizard.

I will say, we never minded about any amount of noise here, I was quite happy to have all the noise toys/books/instruments etc so the table wouldn't have bothered me at all, only I didn't feel it would have as long a life or be value-for-space as some other toys. The tables often only have ABC and 123 which can be a bit limiting, or else they have a full alphabet but are limited on colours and shapes etc.


Offline newkidontheblock

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2015, 08:58:20 am »
True. I figured I could send it to the school once E got bored of it. The thing is, I generally don't go for *loud* as she is quite spirited & loud herself & prone to OS






Offline Frostygrrl

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2015, 11:10:07 am »
We have activity cube and it gets very little use. Basically you have to be there to help explore the thing which I'm guessing defeats the point. We don't have activity table but we do have elc ball activity table thing. It lights up, makes music every time the balls pop through. It's a real hit as it's great toy for cause n effect and even fun for older kids say 2 years.

Beware, they pretty soon figure you can just press the button instead of pushing ball through to make sounds. Can be real annoying, but does with off button.

Offline trimbler

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2015, 12:43:17 pm »
I'd also go for a table over a cube, but if you have a sturdy coffee table she can still play with things at the table. Ours has been a hit with both, it's the one on my avatar, have a link to uk amazon but seems to be out of stock so not so helpful sorry! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Early-Learning-Centre-Activity-Table/dp/B0063DEJOQ/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

Not so great for pulling up as it can tip over but then again neither were ever hurt when that happened... They both love(d) playing with the balls and seeing cause and effect, it's very basic but keeps them amused, DS used to use it as his laboratory - whenever he'd get a new small toy it would be immediately taken to his table for 'testing' :) oh and the lights and sounds can be turned off, indeed there wasn't much left in the batteries when DD got it but she happily plays with it without all that.



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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2015, 15:20:05 pm »
Lovely one, Trimbler. And thanks for weighing in, both of you. We decided to go with neither options ultimately. I bought a small train for her as an experiment to see how tolerable the lights & sounds would be. Thank goodness because we found it SO annoying!






Offline trimbler

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Re: Activity table or activity cube???
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2015, 17:02:12 pm »
I'm afraid to say you'll get used to that sort of thing over time... Good to be cautious at this age though, DS was similar and would get very easily OS, but as they get older they're able to process all of that better and it's usually ok, unless of course there's SPD (is that even the right acronym?) which I have no experience with myself. DD is mellower and doesn't seem so bothered by things like that, which is good because DS is very noisy! I usually manage to get him to calm down for a few minutes before putting DD down for sleep, but you can see the energy inside him waiting to burst out at the earliest opportunity :)