Originally His Brother's Cone
River Couldn't Finish It After Dinner
Zen Was Happy To Take Over
Even After A Huge Meal At The China Buffet!
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After his bottle, Zen fell asleep sitting upright. His head kept dropping forward and then snapping back up. When this didn’t wake him, I grabbed the camera and began filming. Luckily I got about two minutes of footage before he woke up. I wish we would have had him in a cuter outfit, but we can’t always plan these things ahead of time. It makes me laugh every time I watch it so I had to share.
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Until recently, Zen had never owned a real puzzle. He has a few puzzle-like toys with pieces that play music, but he is too young for any of the peg puzzles we had seen in the past. The puzzle was created by a brand called Guidecraft.
We did not pick this toy for our son, but rather had the toy picked out by members of a team of specialists and mothers. This team belongs to a company called Ebeanstalk. The toy was chosen based on Zen’s age, gender, and the developmental milestones he has reached. Here is some info from the company..
Ebeanstalk is a website dedicated to selecting great toys for 1 year olds and toys for 2 year olds. They have a team of moms and a team of child experts that help them pick out toys by age, so you can be sure your child gets toys that have been specifically matched to his or her age!
When Ebeanstalk sent the puzzle, my wife and I were surprised by the quality since we had never heard of Guidecraft. The box informed us that they have been in business since 1964, and after looking them up, we learned that they have a fantastic website filled with educational toys and furniture. Judging by the quality of their Geometric Puzzle Board, I can understand how Guidecraft has stayed in business for such a long time. The toy has several wonderful features that make it perfect for a baby such as Zen.
The Geometric Puzzle Board is constructed of real wood and seems very durable. I like that the board is carved from one piece of wood so that no sections can come apart and pinch our child’s skin. This may seem like an obvious attribute in a wooden puzzle, but our older son has several wooden puzzles that are made out of multiple segmented pieces. Even though the box says it is for ages 18+, this Guidecraft puzzle is completely safe for all ages.
The pegs are carved and attached to the shapes using a single screw each. After a thorough washing, I had no problem with Zen putting the pieces in his mouth because there was nothing that could come dislodged to create a choking hazard. Another safety feature that I liked was that the board itself was rounded so there are no sharp corners. Safety is a huge concern with any toy, but the toy’s fun factor and educational value is also very important.
Most children love puzzles. Not only are they fun, they are also great for developing critical thinking skills. The Guidecraft Puzzle’s pegs are large and easy to grasp. This keeps Zen from becoming frustrated while he solves it.
Fitting the shapes into their proper places is enhancing Zen’s hand eye coordination as well as developing simple problem solving skills. There is also inherent educational value in the geometric puzzle pieces themselves.
We can verbalize the names of the puzzle’s five geometric shapes. This way Zen can associate the words with their meanings while he learns to speak and use language. The shapes are also painted different colors, so not only is our 10-month old son learning what a square looks like, he is also learning to recognize the color green.
I am very happy with the toy Ebeanstalk chose for Zen. The Geometric Puzzle board will provide him with several months of educational entertainment while he cultivates necessary skills. Perhaps most importantly, learning to solve a puzzle like this is giving Zen the confidence he will need to succeed at harder puzzles and tasks throughout his life.
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