My young daughter is in a really neat stage of her development. Over the past few months, I’ve noticed growth in her problem solving, creativity, and pretend play skills. It’s almost as if I can see her wheels spinning as she attempts to figure out how something works. I’ve been trying to maximize this time in her development and really nurture her love of exploration by presenting her with a variety of opportunities to explore and discover. So, as you may imagine, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to test out the Smartmax Magnetic Discovery Safari Animals. This toy is the perfect balance between simple and open-ended, yet innovative and motivating.
Developmentally on-point
This toy naturally allows for my little one to practice using two hands together in play, a skill that she is only beginning to develop and a highly recommended skill to target. She seems to be interested in the various textures of the toy. The magnetic portion is a bit heavier with a bumpy surface and the animals themselves are smooth with a silicone surface. The animals are really simple which I appreciate. I believe that this allows for more imagination. The animals can be mixed and matched and provide just enough of a challenge to keep her interested yet not too frustrated.
I’m a strong believer in investing in toys that can grow with my little one. I’m really happy with this toy because not only did it hold the interest of my 20-month-old but my 4-year-old nephew was able to jump right into play with us when he came by for a visit. Of course, his play ideas were a bit more advanced which really highlighted for me the variety of ways that this toy can be used. Overall, I am really happy with this product and look forward to looking into more Smartmax toys in the future.