We've been having lots of fun this week playing with a new toy, the classic favorite of Louis XV: the Ball n' Cup. Truth be told, we're having a little too much fun. I thought it would be a great toy for Miles: made of wood, good for hand-eye coordination, hip multicultural origin, requires some dexterity, favored by kings, you know, proper Renaissance-style amusement. We've all taken a few whacks, but no one has ended up in tears and we are each becoming edgily competitive about mastering our techniques. Miles is mostly just swinging it around, then picking up the ball and plopping it in the cup-(makes a most pleasing sound!). I'd say that 3 is not the age a child will enjoy this toy the most-though it's rated for 3+. I'd wager a guess that he'll love it when he's about 5.
I love sharing resources for natural toy companies that offer interesting alternatives to all of the plastic, lead coated, noisy, no-brainer toys that are available at toy stores and megastores-most of which end up broken and in a landfill before the year is up. Down To Earth's selection of Natural Toys offers tons of affordable, well-made options that pose no chemical harm to our babes and they're the kind of toys you'll want to pass along to other kids later on.
The other thing is that playing with this toy makes you look dangerously cool.
