Hape Country Critters Play Cube| Wooden Learning Puzzle Toy for Toddlers, 5-Sided Activity Centre with Animal Friends, Shapes, Mazes, Wooden Balls, Shape Sorter Blocks and MoreThe Forest Stewardship Council

A great tool for practicing standing. Well-made, high-quality materials, and no smell. The baby loves it and can play with it independently for over 20 minutes. A bit on the pricey side.

I got this when my kid was 7 months old. He didn't play much with it then because he was not rolling over/crawling/walking..just sitting up basically but even sitting he was pushing the balls down & using the hammer/mallet thing. He was afraid of the spinning thing but he is sensitive to sound. He plays with this activity center EVERYDAY. I feel like he's always discovering new things about it. He loves the spinning thing now at 14 months. But he loves the blocks & top part too. The quality is so nice. Smooth. We did have to sand down the hammer/mallet because his toddler friend came over and beat it so hard creating chips but its back to its normal state now. He uses it to stand. I would definitely recommend. I did purchase other ones & the quality, size just doesn't compare. It is a heavier piece so baby can use to stand and bare their weight. The picture I attached, hes 11 months old.

We purchased this for our son when he was quite young at around 5 months. He couldn't do much with it at the time, but loved looking at it and watching me spin the hive or drop the balls through the maze. Slowly he started to be able to utilize different parts. First he was spinning the hive, then playing with the knob on the shape sorter. A little later he was moving the animals on the tracks. He is 11 months now and loves using this to pull up on and also using the hammer and playing with the balls. I really think the bead maze on the top was one of the things that encouraged him to start pulling to stand. He still has room to grow with using the shape sorter and the ball maze in a more traditional fashion, but already 6 months later and he is still enjoying it.The minimal assembly required was easy enough and fairly quick to accomplish. Also, no paint chipping or anything like that even though it sees extensive daily use and abuse, especially from the included hammer. Both my son and his play group friends enjoy this quite a lot. One mom has since purchased this because it has been such a hit.We could have waited until about 7-8 months realistically, but we still found ways to utilize it younger than that. I have put the small shapes away and won't bring those out until he hits 12 months because they are a bit small.I can see this being well loved for a long time, and longevity is key with baby/toddler toys. We spent the same amount on his jumper at 6 months and it has already been put away, while we have had this longer and he is using it tons still. I am very happy with this purchase. Hape toys seem to be winners in our home.UPDATE:My son is 17 months old now and STILL uses it every single day. Whenever we have other babies and toddlers over, they enjoy it too. We have now given him all the shapes for the sorter and he is able to put most of them through the correct hole. The plus sign shape and heart give him trouble still. I love that he is still using and learning from it. I don't see it being put away any time soon!UPDATE #2:My son is now 28 months old and again, STILL plays with this daily. Of all the toys that have been purchased for him, this one has had the most "legs" in that he has spent the most time playing with it over the longest period of time. It still looks just like the day it arrived too! Even though he is able to do all of these activities, he is still engaged by the variety of challenges/activities.

I had been looking for a play cube for my younger son, so when this went half price near the holidays I pounced on it. I was looking for something that my son could use to pull himself up and hold onto while playing, and even though he's big for his age it hasn't tipped over (though it does slide sometimes). It also doesn't have any (even minor) damage, even after having two boys banging on it very enthusiastically over the past week. (To give you an idea, I also have the Melissa and Doug Pound and Roll tower, which had major dents in the top and all the balls after one play session with my older son.)Usually I like my toys simple and classic --nothing too cutesy or cartoony-- so I wasn't anticipating liking the look of it, though I know Hape toys are always excellent quality. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the attention to detail on this toy. The jumble you see on top is actually three different themed bead tracks: One is fish that appear to be jumping in and out of a pond. one is an earthworm that goes into the "ground" and back up again, and the last (my favorite) is bugs which fly into (and through) the mouth of the frog on top.The balls are similarly not just balls, but they are designed to look like flower faces (and there is even a designated place to put the mallet when not in use!).The shapes can all be stored in the cube, as it is designed to keep them from falling out once you put the shapes through the holes. (If the cube is jiggled too much they do fall out, though.)The "bee hive" not only makes fun noise for little ones, but it can also be turned into a game by trying to get the bees into their hives by turning it faster or slower. I myself actually find that one fun!The last side (which is not pictured) is a maze of sorts, with animal heads. Unlike other ones I've seen, this one seems to have a point-- you move the animal heads to the end of the maze in a specified color order, and move them back to their designated "homes".Overall, I love the quality and attention to detail of this toy, and both my sons (almost one and almost three) love this.

I bought this for my 8 month old grandsughter and she seems to love it. My 2.5 year old grandaughter loves it too. There's plenty of things to do to keep them occupied. The only thing I would consider is putting some sort of non skid pads on the bottom as it can slide a bit on carpet when the baby tries to pull up to stand. It is faurly heavy though and does not seem tippy. With the extra grip it will be a great tool to help her learn to pull up on her own.