Considering ordering this for my 3,4, and 9 year old children. They love using blankets over the couch to make forts to play in. My youngest always knocks it down though. Is this sturdy? Will it stay up with a toddler in it? It almost looks to complex for them. Can you just build a simple fort also? Does it end up being an annoying mess all over the floor? Appreciate any input and love seeing so many rave reviews, just asking some personal questions that I had. Thanks! Considering ordering this for my 3,4, and 9 year old children. They love using blankets over the couch to make forts to play in. My youngest always knocks it down though. Is this sturdy? Will it... » Read More Considering ordering this for my 3,4, and 9 year old children. They love using blankets over the couch to make forts to play in. My youngest always knocks it down though. Is this sturdy? Will it stay up with a toddler in it? It almost looks to complex for them. Can you just build a simple fort also? Does it end up being an annoying mess all over the floor? Appreciate any input and love seeing so many rave reviews, just asking some personal questions that I had. Thanks! « Show Less
1826961
Michelle, it is a sturdy product that is easy to use and take down. I have a 4 and 7 year old that love using their imaginations to build whatever comes to their minds. This is a great product.
1826962
I got this for my 5 year old who is now six. I must admit I did not consider the finished size of the projects. The kids LOVE it and tend to build their own thing more then the projects in the book. Due to our limited space we will use it with the couch. When constructed well it will hold up to a toddler. We bought some cheap twin sheets to use with the clips to cover the fort. Both of my kids 4 & 6 love it.
1826963
It gets more sturdy once the sheets are attached. It will stay up to certain standards with the toddler. The little ones will need help to assemble. We set size limits to cut down on mess. If they don't listen it goes back into the Rubbermaid. You can build just about anything you can imagine it does come with an idea book also.
1539868
My youngest is 4 now. If yours are like mine, they will play if once or twice & then go off it to other toys & maybe come back in couple of months & relook at it & then off again. The good thing about this is its big sized cardboard pieces so chance of pieces getting lost is quite low (as in how do you loose a piece thats 7 inches long). So its not bad & keeps them engaged for a short while. Hope this answers your question. If not, please do feel free to ask :)
331535
Its a good sofa set. Just make sure you follow directions putting it together. I have two kids ages 9 and 12 and a nefew who comes over durning school breaks and sleeps on the sofa, its been almost a year and the sofa is holding up very well. I think that if the kids didnt jump in the furniture it would be even nicer, but even with them using the furniture as playground equiptment and sleeping quarters it is still very sturdy.
1586425
....put it this way ...if they suddenly decided to run up to it and hug it ...they would feel that it is not the best thing to do....and it would not physically burn their skin but it gets very warm...I hve walked into it in the dark ....it doesn't burn ur skin ...I have had this for 4 years and am using it right now in my bedroom ...I luv it it's the best thing and very worth the money...it has safety cut off switch ...if u don't like it after trying ...just return it ....but it's very sturdy and very safe and warms my whole bedroom up. I think it would be fine to be around the kids and u can just tell them over and over not to touch it though and if they do ...it will not hurt them at all but they will feel that it's something that prob they shouldn't play with :))
392992
Well, it is a really nice barn - at least I think so. My daughter loves it - I bought it for her when she was 7 or 8 and she is ten now and still playing with it. I think it would be fine - it is basic and I can't think of anything on it that would be harmful and it is made well so should be durable through the years. It would be a good gift - it also depends on how advanced your child is - however as I said my 10 year old is still playing with it so your 3.5 year old will get many days of play out of it! Hope this helps.
1364559
Hi Katie,I had to buy extension panels so she (10 months daughter) could attempt to crawl. Otherwise she would not have anywhere to go. I actually combined to sets together to giver her an even larger play area. It was great for play dates too because at least 3 adults and 3 babies could comfortably fit in there at the same time.Our daughter is very close to waking now (14 months) and we were thinking of selling her play pin. It is in immaculate condition. Let me know if you are interested.Thanks,Karla
1167575
i bought it a while ago soon after my son turned 2. we use it at the kitchen table when making art projects. i still use his high chair when eating since he does not resist sitting it in still. i think if i sat him in the booster seat i would have a mess on my floor :-) my son sits very well in this seat - he is 2 1/2 years old, weighs 28 pounds, and (I'm not totally sure on his height) is a little short for his age. i feel that this booster seat will last at least 2 more years for him. fyi...i saw this exact seat at Walmart the other day for just over $10. You could probably go there and see if they have it in order to see it first-hand. i bought it a while ago soon after my son turned 2. we use it at the kitchen table when making art projects. i still use his high chair when eating since he does not resist sitting it in still. i think if i sat him in the booster seat i would have a mess on my floor :-) my son sits very well in this seat - he is 2 1/2 years old, weighs 28 pounds, and (I'm not totally sure on his height) is a little short for his age. i feel that this booster seat will last at least 2 more years for him. fyi...i saw this exact seat at Walmart the other day for just over $10. You could probably go there and... » Read More i bought it a while ago soon after my son turned 2. we use it at the kitchen table when making art projects. i still use his high chair when eating since he does not resist sitting it in still. i think if i sat him in the booster seat i would have a mess on my floor :-) my son sits very well in this seat - he is 2 1/2 years old, weighs 28 pounds, and (I'm not totally sure on his height) is a little short for his age. i feel that this booster seat will last at least 2 more years for him. fyi...i saw this exact seat at Walmart the other day for just over $10. You could probably go there and see if they have it in order to see it first-hand. « Show Less
340129
Just my thoughts on it is that I feel that it's a safe play area for most children from the age of 2 up to 8 or 9 years old. I think most children under the age of 2 are not going to be interested in playing in it and also, children over the age of 8 or 9 aren't going to find this much fun to play in. I am impressed with how it is built. Except for the pretend sink/counter that is attached inside, I cannot find anything on it that would be a problem for any child, any age. My 3 1/2 year old granddaughter STILL loves playing in it.
831426
not at all... We bought this for Christmas when our first son was 3. He is now almost 7 and still loves playing with it with his friends and our other children. Our 1 year old and 2 year old LOVE it as well. I only wish we thought of buying it sooner for our first son. I think it is only recommended after 3 years but I would recommend it for 6 months +. My daughter played with it before she could even walk (at 8 1/2 months) she would crawl over to the kitchen and use it to pull herself up to a standing position to play with it. My kids are very rough on their toys and this is still standing and used daily after four years. The noise on the burner doesn't work that well as water was poured on it during a secret mission cooking experience but other than that everything still works and beeps as it ought to which is really amazes me. For the people who gave it poor reviews- it must be put together properly in order to have the oven door close and no, this is NOT a self cleaning kitchen. The children take all of the drawers out of the kitchen and all of the cooking products & food products out of it to play with them, so yes, it does create a mess but it is so easy to pick up afterwards and why would you buy a toy that they don't want to play with? It also provides a great opportunity to teach the children how to pick up after themselves with an easy task of putting everything back where it belongs in their kitchen. We supplemented it with many Melissa & Doug food products and the Melissa & Doug produce stand and they play with it every day. It has survived a move to the UK as well and is still played with often even though my kids are now 10, 5 & 4. Still a great toy 7 years later!
2239220
It is sturdy - but your toddler will easily push it over. Also, got mine last summer, and now the paint is peeling off. Maybe I should have taken it inside during the winter.
334895
We have cardboard blocks that I bought for my older children (probably 20 years ago), and now my younger two (ages 5 and 7) are playing with them - they ALL love these blocks! I'm looking to buy another set for my younger two, so they can make BIGGER castles :)
931320
Yes! This is a pricey gift and I did hesitate but then I realized that my 5 year old loves to build things and this toy really promotes imagination and creativity. I pulled out all my old sheets and colorful big silk scarves that I used maybe 10 years ago and no longer do and have all these stacked in a bin for her to use as cloths. She has enjoyed this fort builder from the moment she opened the box. A great plus is that she can build anything: tents, castles, spaceships, forts, ... basically anything that she can imagine. I also love the fact that my couch cushions stay intact as that used to be the old "fort". I know we will get many years worth of fun with this toy so I consider it worth the price. Best of luck in your shopping!
2256551
We purchased this item for our grandsons who are - unfortunately for us - living in the USA. I only saw them playing with the unit on Skype. The boys are 3 and 1, it seems to have survived so far. Their Mom, my daughter, managed to put the thing together and from what I can see it is strong enough to support my youngest grandson who is busy learning to walk. Sorry I cannot give you more details.
363408
I bought this tent for my 5 & 6 year old granddaughters. My husband and daughter put it together in a matter of minutes. I have never taken it down. I did put a blanket under it since it is sitting on tile flooring. The girls seem to enjoy it, but homemade tents where more fun to them. I guess I would say it is strudy since the youngest is always bouncing in and out of the "doggy" door. The tent is the perfect height for them also.
45651
Personally my now 20month old likes sitting beside his brothers, who are 4 and 8years old, and trying to put these together. It is a very open ended toy. It doesn't matter what they build with them. I think they are well worth the $. They are well made and I believe even parents get a kick of seeing what they can made - no exposed magnets (it is all enclosed). The magnets don't repel each other either. I envision Magformers being a life long toy for my boys. You won't be sorry on your purchase - we now have several sets so check which set is best for the number of pieces. Boys or girls it doesn't matter and any age group too. Personally my now 20month old likes sitting beside his brothers, who are 4 and 8years old, and trying to put these together. It is a very open ended toy. It doesn't matter what they build with them. I think they are well worth the $. They are well made and I believe even parents get a kick of seeing what they can made - no exposed magnets (it is all enclosed). The magnets don't repel each other either. I envision Magformers being a life long toy for my boys. You won't be sorry on your purchase - we now have several sets so check which set is best for the number of pieces. Boys or girls it... » Read More Personally my now 20month old likes sitting beside his brothers, who are 4 and 8years old, and trying to put these together. It is a very open ended toy. It doesn't matter what they build with them. I think they are well worth the $. They are well made and I believe even parents get a kick of seeing what they can made - no exposed magnets (it is all enclosed). The magnets don't repel each other either. I envision Magformers being a life long toy for my boys. You won't be sorry on your purchase - we now have several sets so check which set is best for the number of pieces. Boys or girls it doesn't matter and any age group too. « Show Less
1125721
That's a great question! I don't know! In fact, mine stopped playing all together yesterday! He's not even a year old! And I push the button and keep him where the kids with him, so it's not bc they're rough with him. Our first one was from a consignment sale and did the same thing, but I assumed it was bc the people before were rough on him. Now we have two Elmo's that don't work.
1161867
my kids received this when they were 8 & 6 and still play with it at ages 12 & 10. play with it as pictures with friends, use it as ceiling for a fort and pretend play too. our school uses it in PREK with 4& 5 yr old. I just don't think you can go wrong with this:)