Anatex Deluxe Mini Play Cube Review

So my little man will be turning 2 years old in just 11 days! I am by no means ready for that, as it just makes him that much closer to going to preschool, grade school, highschool, college, and then leaving me for another woman! I know I am overreacting and him growing up is just what is supposed to happen but he is my first and I am his mama!

Okay so before I start going to old photos and reminiscing about his baby days I wanted to post about this great toy that we bought him for his 1st Birthday. I got the idea for it because they always have these contraptions at doctors offices and I remember having one when I was little. I searched the stores with no luck as the ones they offered were cheaply made and did not look very stimulating. Then I checked out Amazon.com which of course has everything! Amazon.com had many of these play cubes available but this one really caught my eye. It is from Anatex and it is still one of my son’s favorite toys.

It has 4 full sides of toys and of course the cool mini rollercoaster on the top. The four sides include:

• pathfinder- you have to move a peg around a maze
• counting abacus- different colored beads you move back and forth
• fun gears- different colored gears that you just move around
• the alphabet- each letter is on a piece of wood that flips over and shows a picture that the letter represents

The ages on this toy are 36 months-5years (I know I bought it early but it is fine for him) and the suggested retail price is $299.99, but you can see below Amazon sells it for around a $100. The size of it is also nice as it measures 17 x 17 x 33 inches so it is perfect to sit or stand and play, and you can place it on a table or the floor. It is hollow inside and very easy to move around. My favorite feature though is that it is made of high quality wood, not plastic or cheap scrap wood. Also, another awesome feature is that there are NO Stickers and the paint is non-toxic. I have so many toys that the stickers have fallen off and been eaten and left the toy looking cheap and with all the recalls lead paint is always a worry.

A little a bit about the company Anatex. They were actually the first company to manufacture and distribute Rollercoaster wire bead maze frames in the US and North America and ever since they strive to make high quality toys with great service. Anatex is a Parent’s Choice Gold Winner and has received many more awards for its unique and innovative toys.

Okay so I did do a lot of research about this toy and these play cubes last year when I bought it because I was a new mom who only wanted the best and more educational toys. This toy proved to be both for me and my son and with it being so nice and so far able to withstand his rough playing I believe it is going to be a long lasting toy in our family. So if you do not have a toy similar or you are looking for some ideas here you go. They do run much cheaper and now they do offer more of a selection in retail stores, but when I bought it this was definitely the best for its price.

Here is a link to it on Amazon if you are interested in reading more and seeing more pictures:

So here is my question: What do I get him for his 2nd birthday? I am stumped so I desperately need ideas! It is hard because his birthday is right after Christmas so whatever we get him for his birthday I want him to enjoy for the whole year because he won’t get presents again until December! (I know I know, I will probably be buying him stuff all summer!) So please leave me a comment with any ideas!