Peekablocks

[wattle]

I'm wondering at what age kids really get into peekablocks. They seem to be really popular in the toy shops - do kids really love them or are they just the trendy toy at the moment?

They are a bit expensive (our budget is a bit sad - heaps of bills at the moment :( ) but I'm happy to get some if they're really good for this age.

Ds is 7.5 months.

[Chickadee]

A friend of mine had them and thought they were a waste of time, her bub wasn't interested in them at all. But I'm not sure what age(s) she got them, and of course all kids are different. I bought soft blocks with flaps/doors for bub to lift and look behind instead.

Peek a blocks have been around long enough now that you might pick them up 2nd hand.

[madvoice]

I bought them when my daughter was around 3mo to use for later. Now that she's grasping things in both hands she's facinated with what's in them. She really does enjoy the different textures on the blocks. I guess all kids are different and respond to different stimuli.

[Nickster]

There is a similar product called "rollarounds" (I can't remember who makes them), and they are available in sets of 3 - a bit more budget friendly and you can assess whether your baby really likes them before committing to a bigger purchase.
Libby likes her 3 little rollarounds, plays with them for a little while, and then they are forgotten and she moves onto something else! All bubs are different though, and you won't know until you try, I guess! :)

[kaydensmum]

I found Kayden played with them on the odd occasion (they were given to us as a gift), they fit perfectly in his hands and are easy for him to crawl around with. He really seems to prefer playing with a cheap set of stacking cups (i think they were shelcore) and lids from jars, containers etc - he can post them under couches, in between cushions, throw/roll/bang them on the ground and play 'ta'.. We haven't bought him much at all - the 'old fashioned' potato masher and spatula are also huge hits!!!! Maybe when he's older and can stack/build he'll play more with the blocks???

Carole.

[draught]

If you are on a tight budget I wouldn't bother with them. We bought some for DD1 at 6 months and she hasn't really shown interest until recently (she is 2) when she has discovered that she can stack them really high until they crash down and make a huge sound. DD2 has been more interested in them, but they are certainly not going to make any difference to her development - she is more interested in the contents of my plastics drawer and smacking two saucepan lids together than playing with them. Personally I would spend the money on some books which will hold their interest for years rather than a few short months. (I am a huge fan of books for babies - can you tell??!)

[ThomasMum]

Yea Joshua and I are cheap :) We only buy necessary toys. We have to be careful not to go to the "spoilt kid" dept! To be honest, I can't wait for Thomas to play the saucepans and making mess of my plastic drawers!

Look at him now, we spent $$$ on a good quality bouncer, but he LOVES sitting in the laundry basket instead lol (guarded of course!)

Like draught, we are also into books instead. Besides Thomas loves readings! Even in his bath! Although he chews the books after finish the readings LOL!

So save the monik for other things instead if I were you wattle!

Sorry wattle, thats my 2 c.

:)

[wattle]

Great advice, thanks girls. The toy dept's are so overwhelming. I usually let ds play with books, kitchen containers and balls, but sometimes I think expensive toys might be more stimulating.

Geez... I nearly got sucked in!

Oh, he LOVES the remote control too, :mad: I am always searching for it.

[Chickadee]

try a flashlight as a cheap toy too. We have a very durable but small maglite. Chloe alternates between investigating the light where it hits the wall/floor etc, and enjoying pointing it and trying to find the light spot.

[TwoBlue]

My Ds has heaps of peekablocks and is quite dissinterested in them....

He much prefers basic wooden blocks, you can buy a bucket of them from Kmart for just over $10.
He also loves the stacking cups like Kaydensmum said and they are cheap too, you can get Fisher price ones for under $10 usually !

Its easy to get sucked in to expensive toys (besides we usually like them ourselves!!) but the kids usually prefer the basic stuff