Toy’s can be so fun, and also the worst! You buy a new toy from the store for your toddler, they love it for .2 seconds, and then never look at it again. Sound like you? Or, you buy a new toy that your toddler LOVES, and it breaks a day later because of its cheap quality. Last one. You want fun educational toys for your kids that promote cognitive development instead of just being mindless clutter around your house. Still sound familiar? I know I struggle all too well. So, if you’re interested in reducing clutter and having quality toys that promote learning in your home, then Lovevery may be what you need.
Lovevery is a Montessori style toy subscription box that is curated by a team of child development specialists based on your child’s stage. I ordered Lovevery’s The Looker Play Kit for my 8 week old baby to see what I thought, and SPOILER ALERT – I loved it. In The Looker Play Kit for 0-12 week olds you get fun toys and activities that help promote your baby’s rapid development and understanding of this new world around them. I got high contrast cards, a mobile, a cute wooden book, and plush sensory links. The Kit also came with a super helpful play guide that I refer to often.
What’s In The Looker Play Kit?
The Looker Play Kit is for babies 0-12 weeks old. This curated box has toys in it to help your baby process their surroundings, and build brain connections. Let me go through each item I received and what I thought…
The Looker Play Guide
As a Type A mom, this play guide had me excited! Not only is it printed on nice paper (made to last), but it’s super organized. The sections include: what’s in your box and when to introduce the toys, extra activities and ideas you can do with your little one at this stage, and developmental info. Super handy to have in general!
Mobile
This Mobile is cute! On the bottom side (the side that’s facing my little guy) is a black and white contrast pattern. Once they get to about 5 months old, you can flip it so that the colorful side faces down. Lovevery suggests hanging this above your changing table, and having it about 8 to 12 inches away from your baby’s eyes. In the guide it also suggests that this can be helpful to stretch a baby’s muscles in his neck if he prefers to look to one side vs the other. Just position it to the side they don’t look to as often. This was honestly my least favorite item in the kit, and don’t know that we will use it much.
Simple/Complex Black & White Card Sets
These high contrast cards promote good neural connections in your little one’s brain. In the guide it talks about how babies are naturally drawn to high contrast items, and how research has shown that time looking at contrasting images can strengthen cognitive development. Start with the simple cards, holding them about 8-12 inches from your baby’s face, and then move onto the more complex cards. You can also move these back and forth in front of your baby to help them practice following a moving object with their eyes. These cards are printed on quality paper, and made to last.
Standing Card Holder
To go along with your contrast cards is this standing card holder! The bifold design helps it stand on a flat surface which can be helpful with tummy time and muscle development. They recommend putting it to the side of your baby at first, and as they grow stronger, placing it in front of them so that they can see it when they lift their head. It also has a handy pocket to store your contrast cards which is nice. We love this!
Sensory Links
This is a toy that can be used at home, or on the go! The high contrast patterns and colorful tabs are so fun for babies to look at. The silicone handle and hooks make it easy to connect and even let the baby hold. My little guy even loves chewing on the silicone parts. Each link also has a sound it makes: shake, squeak and crackle. And the colored tabs are for when your baby starts to see color which is around 12 weeks of age. This has been one of our most used toys from this kit.
Lovevery sells a Play Gym separately that these links work great with!
Wooden Book
This Wooden Book is so cute, and feels like quality! The purpose of this high contrast book is to keep your baby’s attention, and to also promote reading and their understanding of rhythm and sounds in language. There are no words in this book, so I just describe the animals and the sounds they make. This is a great way to introduce books to your child.
Silicone Rattle with Removable Ball
The purpose of this toy is to help your baby learn to track sights and sounds. The ball makes a rattle sound, so you can use this to encourage them to look in your direction. You can also use this toy to help your baby develop their hand control. The handles on either side make it easy for you to introduce grasping an object to your baby so that they can begin having more control over their hands movements.
Black & White Mittens
These high contrast mittens help your child discover their cute little hands! This is important so that your child starts to recognize his body parts and gain hand control. It’s also a great way to prevent your little one from scratching their face.
Gift – Mug
This was a cute little surprise in my box! It says, “The days are long, but the years are short.” So true! This was just the cream on the top of this box, and made me feel that Lovevery really does care about your child’s development, and your sanity too.
What We Like About Lovevery
There is honestly so much we loved about Lovevery, and The Looker Play Kit specifically. We liked:
- How the Lovevery Play Kits are curated by a team of child development specialists based on a child’s age and stage in life.
- The toys and activities are Montessori based, and they feel like quality. They also feel more natural and organic than a lot of the cheap toys you can buy nowadays.
- We LOVED the comprehensive play guide that came with the kit. It had so much helpful information, and served beyond what came in the box.
- Shipping is quick, and ordering/canceling is hassle free. Because what parent has time to deal with all of that?
What We Don’t Like About Lovevery
With everything to love, there are also some things that we aren’t crazy about:
The subscription feels a bit pricey. Yes, the toys you get are quality and amazing. But is this subscription really saving you money each month on toys? I know I don’t spend $40 per month on toys for my kiddos, so this seems a bit pricey to me.
- Your child won’t like every toy. Some are hits, and some can be total misses. This lends to the feeling of the subscription being a bit pricey. It would be nice if you could have some ability to curate the box for your specific child.
- You can only get Play Kits for kiddos up to 3 years of age. They don’t have anything for ages past that.
How Much Does It Cost?
Lovevery has Play Kits for kids 0- 3 years of age. The Play Kits for 0-12 month olds are $80, and they ship every 2 months. The Play Kits for ages 1-3 are $120 a box, and they ship every 3 months.
They also sell individual Montessori toys like their Play Gym and Block Set, and you can use quite a few items from your Play Kits in the Play Gym. If you’d like for your Play Kit to come with books, you can add these on at checkout.
Final Thoughts
Toys, although fun for toddlers, can be a big headache for parents. Finding toys that are quality but also engaging for your child’s brain development can take a lot of research and be costly. Lovevery has a whole team of child development experts who curate each box to be exactly what your child needs at each stage of their young life.
We recommend trying out Lovevery’s Play Kits (specifically The Looker) if you’re looking for a hassle free way of introducing Montessori style learning and reducing toy clutter in your home. It’s a fantastic toy subscription box, and The Looker Kit was a fun one for my 8 week old and I to try out. It has helped my baby and I engage in meaningful playtime, and I truly like the toys. My hang up is if the cost is worth it to me. It might be for you!
