As speech therapists, we appreciate toys with several props along a theme. Kids start thinking within a category and have several characters to interact in the jungle, on the farm, or in prehistoric times. Anamalz provides darling animal characters with movable arms, legs an necks that are gathered in sets. I used the Jungle Box Set with kids from 3-9, as they took their little pals on adventures, working on verbs, vocabulary, and expanding sentences. There is something about the simple design with just enough detail to suggest the animal but enough left up to the child to create open-ended play.
Here is my review:
Anamalz just multiplied the play factor by combining themed animals and props in their new box sets. Gathering animals and trees from the jungle, the wild, the farm and prehistoric times, they give kids the related characters to interact and start a story. My friends in the Jungle Box Set, the tiger, rhino and gorilla, were quickly picked up and manipulated to “run fast,” dip into the water for a drink, and climb a tree. The wild giraffe, elephant and zebra come with an orange tree for a nibble as the giraffe is just the right height. Kids easily grip the smooth bodies and shape the movable legs, arms and necks to match their intended actions. Take the play to a new venue as you play online, learning about your animals, how to help them in their environment, or my favorite which is choreographing “wild dancing,” combining animal dance moves to animate. Great toys grow with a child and encourage creativity at different ages. Anamalz creatures do just that. A 3 and 6 year-old befriended the jungle pals, bringing them into their play world, while a 9 year-old girl, loved the little creatures as collectibles to add to her special table where she reported that her “frog key chain was the mayor.” Let’s hope our jungle friends behave in that pretend world!
Ages 3 and up
The above in solely the opinion of the author. The Jungle Box Set was provided for review by anamalz.
