Tuesday Toy Testing (Posted on a Wednesday!)

One of my favorite websites to find great toys and gifts is called ebeanstalk. They are dedicated to selecting good, safe learning toys and baby gifts. One of the greatest things about their site is that their products are kid tested and mama approved! The nice people over at EBeanstalk put out a call for toy testers, and it just so happens that I have three experts in that department!

Yesterday, we received our first toy to be tested. Much to my three year old's dismay, it was a toy for the littlest tester.The toy they sent is called the Grip-O-Sphere from International Playthings; they make great baby toys.


The toy is made in China and according to the packaging, conforms to all regulatory standards. I also lead tested it and it came back fine. I may clean my baby's paci that fell on the floor with a t-shirt, but I'll be darned if I'm going to let my child play with a toy that's laced with lead

Visually, the toy is stimulating. It has fun, bright colors and a unique shape. It has a little ball in the middle that makes a higher pitched rattle noise. The orbs around the outside either lay flat or expand to make more of a sphere shape. It kind of reminds me of the time-travel thingy from Contact. I think that's the movie - you know, the one with Jodi Foster and Matthew McConaughey? Anyway, it's easy to hold onto and has little bumps and ridges around the outer "orbs" that make for a great teething toy.

L seemed to like it for about ten minutes, which I guess is good considering she is only 8 months old. She did get frustrated that it wouldn't stay open in the "sphere" position. From a developmental perspective, this was a plus for me because it helped her work on some problem solving skills. And the frustration didn't prevent her from playing with it. She just got visibly irritated (which was actually kind of cute). When I placed it out on the floor for her with a few other toys, she didn't pick it right away. However, it was the second choice she made when she got bored of the first toy.


From the mom perspective, I'm not a huge fan. I've seen similar toys that feel more sturdy and seem like they might be a higher quality. It meets a lot of the developmental criteria I usually set for my toys in that it does provide a multi-sensory experience for my child. However, this isn't a toy that I would choose to purchase for my child or for a gift. The colors are bright, but the vibrancy of them makes the toy appear a little bit on the cheap side. I have no doubt that this probably is a quality toy, but it isn't one that I would throw in the bag when we're heading out.

Overall, I give this toy three out of five stars. It isn't great, but it could be worse. A lot of the appeal will depend on what price point it is given.

ebeanstalk Toy Test #1
Grip-O-Sphere from International Playthings


Love, hugs, and blessings,
The Mama