Green Toys Shape Sorter for 6 months +, Green/Blue

I actually bought this one on sale just to go in the living room toybox for when company comes over with little ones. These Green Toys are absolutely the best, hands down! What's not to love? The minute you recieve one you relize the substantial and durable quality of them. They are easy to clean and I literally can not fathom any saftey hazards whatsoever with these toys (other than if the are used as a projectile, but that is the case with most toys that are not fabric, so obviously if there is a baby in the bunch with some older toddlers or so, you should still have your eyes on the kids). I love that they are all dishwasher safe for sterilizing. We have decided to keep all the Green Toys in a toy box in our main livingroom for 2 reasons. When we have company with children or playmates visiting, they can all just dive into these toys and we don't have the aggravation of my grandson's other toys being dragged out with multiple pieces, and those are not all small child safe, and we can not just throw them in the dishwasher afterwards as we can these. These are literally worry free toys when children are visiting (other than the aforementioned throwing, or maybe banging over the head, so yes you still must parent as we should be anyway). Second, after dinner, when there is just a small window of time for bath and playtime before bed, these are hassle free and the only toys we let him drag out because they are simple and easy pickup. BONUS, they are MADE IN THE USA, and of completely recycled materials. I have not seen that many quality toys like these other than ones made in the 1940's or so, where good craftsmanship (as these are) mattered, even in a toy. We have at least 2 dozen of these toys and they have become an awesome gift item especially when they go on sale, which is often. They are literally the PERFECT toys!

This is my 3rd shape sorter. The first one made by Tupperware was the same design I had as a kid. It broke very soon after I purchased it, when the internal band gave away. The second one made by Fisher Price was just not a good design. The top was too easy to take off and my daughter would just open it rather than sort the shapes.The Green Toys sorter is great for several reasons. The first is, it isn't easy for a toddler to remove the lid. In order to take the top off you have to twist and then pull up while holding the bottom. This thing is also super sturdy; the plastic is the strongest of any toy I've purchased. The second is that it's made in the USA, which means I don't have to wonder if there's lead in the paint. Which is a concern I have, because my daughter puts everything in her mouth and for some reason sorting shapes are her favorite things to chew on. The last thing I love is that the plastic is made from 100% recycled milk bottles, so I can feel good about not creating more waste.

Let's forget all the scientific developmental jargon and just admit that this toy is pure fun! Of course I like the fact that it is environmentally friendly and very well-made. But there's so much that a young child can do with it, besides putting the shapes in the holes. Did you know that it will spin like a top, either together or in halves? Or that you can let your child use one of the halves to gather the shapes, pretend it's a boat, or even a helmet? And I love,love, love, the fact that it doesn't beep, sing, or make any other annoying noise. And when your child picks it up to see what sound it makes, it acts as a rattle! My nine-month-old granddaughter and I just spent almost an hour playing with this toy. Amazing! Most toys she spends a few minutes with and then moves onto the next.

Although my 9 month old is still too young to know the shapes and successfully use this toy, he still enjoys handling the shapes and shifting the container for them around. He also likes to hold onto a shape and mouth it while his diaper is being changed. He has more interest in this sorter than the Fisher Price bucket one. The container locks into place nicely. This seems to be a better version of the classic Tupperware made sorting ball (the old red & blue ones). I love that this is made from recycled plastic and they do not use harsh dyes. This gives me peace of mind for the pieces constantly in my little one's mouth. My cousin's 4 year old was also interested in this. He liked to clap the two halves of the container together. All in all, this is a great basic toy to have.