Probably from the time I had children, I coveted the wood activity cubes I saw in waiting rooms everywhere. When I first started looking at them, I realized I'd never be able to justify the expense of buying one myself.

Then, my infant son fell in love with one in the waiting room of a clinic where my daughter receives therapy. Every visit, he'd roll his way to the cube, where he'd play happily for her entire session. My renewed desire to have one of these cubes at home was nearly insatiable, and when the receptionist pointed out to me that it was available at Target, I ran right out to price it. Needless to say, this affordable toy has been in my home now for over a year, and was the hit of my son's first birthday.

~&~ The Basics ~&~

The Parents Magazine Busy Park Playground by Battat is a 12" x 12" x 12" hollow wood cube. Each of the four sides and the top have a different activity, and the bottom side is missing (which is a bonus that I'll discuss later).

The top side is plain stained wood with a border of black and white checks with red outlining. Three coated metal wires are fastened securely into the top (so securely that I've seen the children pick up the cube by the wires several times over an they don't budge). The wires intertwine, and all have wooden beads. One is bright yellow with five beads: a bright orange cube, a yellow ball, a lime green cube, a green ball, and a teal cube. The second is bright red with six triangular beads all with a design of polka dots and stripes: yellow with purple, orange with red, red with yellow, blue with lime, lime with teal, and green with red. The third is lime green with four shaped beads: a yellow star, white cloud, red circle with yellow painted sun, and a blue star.

The first side of the cube is painted blue, and has a wooden twisting tic-tac-toe game. Twirl the triangular blocks to play the game, with one blank side, one red X side, and one black O side on each block.

The second side is painted bright orange, and features a zig-zag cut out design. Set into the zig-zag is a wooden circle with a red painted outside, black and white spiral face, clear plastic cover, and one black and one silver bead. Move the circle up the zig-zag, then let it go to watch it slowly roll back down, spinning the spiral and moving the beads.

The third side is painted lime green, and has a large circular wooden rotating maze painted teal. The maze has four small knobs to spin it (yellow, black, red, and orange), and four silver and four black beads to move through the maze. Attached to this side with a sturdy black cord is a teal wooden stylus with a magnet tip. Move the beads through the maze by spinning the maze and moving the beads with the magnet.

The last side is painted bright yellow and has six various shaped cut-outs. Twenty-one wooden barbells (three each of plain wood, black, yellow, orange, red, teal, and lime green) can be moved around in the cut-outs like a maze. Sort them into the different cut-outs, or combine them to make patterns.

~&~ Parents Perspective ~&~

Perhaps it's because I wanted something like this for my children for so long, but I could not be happier with this toy. Considering the price point, it is EXTRAORDINARILY well-made, with sturdy wood sides, inset screws, and blunted corners. The attention to detail really shocked me for the price

The activities are common themes on activity cubes like this, and yet seem fresh and new with the color scheme, which is common to the Parents line of toys.

Overall, I have yet to find a toy in this line that I haven't liked. You can spot a Parents toy just by the color scheme, and this is a great example of the attention to detail and quality of this line.

~&~ Kid Value ~&~

This is one of the most popular toys in my house. When I brought it out of the toy room to write my review, I placed it next to the baby (8 months today), who immediately started playing with the beads on the top. Soon, my daughter came over and started playing along with him, and then my two-year-old joined in. I think of this toy as "The Great Equalizer" because it is one of the few toys that all three of my children can enjoy playing with. The baby loves that his big brother and sister will come over to play with him when he's playing with this toy.

The size is just right for a baby, but also perfect for a seated four-year-old who is very tall for her age. The activities are basic enough that a little one will enjoy the bright colors and movement, while an older child has the sophistication to enjoy the games and puzzles.

~&~ Overall ~&~

I think I was able to buy this toy for approximately $50.00 on sale at Target. It is definitely the best $50.00 I have spent on a toy, since we have already gotten one year of hard play out of it, and I expect many more. Even my four-year-old hasn't gotten bored with this toy, and that's saying quite a lot. It needs no batteries, and relies entirely on kid power, the best power source for toys.

Special thanks to Suzanne and MaryTara for getting this line of toys added!

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 50.00
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Other