The Aquarium Shape Sorter is a wonderful sorting toy, especially for younger children who are just beginning to be able to accomplish this kind of activity. Most shape sorters only have openings to fit the particular shapes, which can be frustrating to the beginner. The Little Tikes Aquarium Shaper Sorter has one extra-large opening that fits any of the pieces. This made it a great toy for my daughter, who at one year old would quickly become frustrated with her other shape sorter toys. She soon learned how to put the shapes in their own holes, but having the "one size fits all" hole made it more fun for her even before she understood the shapes. Small hands will also fit inside the large hole, so children can retrieve the shapes that way if seems more fun than removing the lid and dumping them out.

The Aquarium Shape Sorter is a little larger than a shoebox. The colorful shapes (square, star, sphere, oval, and triangle) are all portrayed as different variations of sea life - fish, lobsters, whales, and starfish. This makes the shapes toys in themselves, since they can lend themselves to some creative play. The shapes are very chunky, but each has a "tail" that can be used as a handle. Some of the shapes (particularly the round fish) might be difficult for very young children to grasp if they cannot use the handle. I have one small, nitpicky complaint about the colors of the pieces: some of them are teal. I know this sounds silly, but I like to use this to teach colors as well as shapes, and I don't think my 16-month-old is ready to tackle teal yet, nor do I want to confuse her by calling it "blue" or "green" since it's obviously not.

But that's the only negative thing I could ever say about this toy. It's sturdy (like all Little Tikes toys), free of sharp edges, compact, versatile, and lots of fun.


Recommended: Yes