Review: Wonderworld Safari Activity Board

Regular followers of this blog are likely to know how much S loves to draw. Give her a pen and some paper, and that's her entertained for a good hour or so. More if you let her draw on the floor or herself as well as the paper!

Imagine our excitement then, when Argos offered us one of our Dream Toys: a Wonderworld Safari Activity Board to review. 

The board was delivered while S was at nursery, which was great as it meant I could put it together and have it ready to surprise her when she got home.

I am one of the least practical people I know, but this thing was fairly easy to put together; it came with all the bits I needed and they all fit together quite well. It was also pretty easy to dismantle when I got it wrong, and put back the right way!

The frame is made from brightly coloured wood, and I'm fairly sure the board itself is wooden as well. There's a white board one one side, and black board on the other. It has a shelf underneath for holding pens/paints/chalks with an indentation so that things don't roll onto the floor, and a hole on the other side for a paint pot to sit in. There's also a small rubber, which is attached with a length of cord so that it doesn't get lost. The whiteboard is also magnetic, so you can either have fun with fridge magnets (we do) or use magnets to secure paper to the board while you paint.

Well, S came home from nursery at 4 and that was it. Pens in hands, scribbing away. I had to drag her away for tea time! The best part is that with the white board she can just wipe it off and start again. Unfortunately, she's a little young to grasp the concept of putting the lid back on her pens, and they dried up - but no bother, I just pulled a big wad of paper out of the cupboard and stuck it over the white board side, and she uses her normal pens on it.

We love this board; it's already had so much use and as it can be used for pens, painting or chalks, it has many uses and I'm sure it'll last her a long time.

The board is fixed in place, which I thought was a disadvantage at first as you have to have it out in the middle of the room in order to use both sides... but thinking about it, I can see the alternative is likely to involve a toddler bonking herself on the head with a moving board at least 50 times a day. Plus it has that added bonus that the "hidden" side will be treated like a new toy whenever the board is turned around. The Activity Board is now kept against our dining table, and I turn it around every couple of weeks, which is fun.

At time of posting, the Wonderworld Safari Activity Board was £59.99 with free delivery. I think this is a great price as it's sturdy and well-built against toddler stumbling/heavy-handedness. I know it won't collapse if S leans too hard on it! As far as we are concerned, this is definitely a Dream Toy; S loves it, and it's not pink and plastic and making a horrible noise so I love it too!

Disclaimer: we were provided with this Activity Board for free in exchange for writing this review, but that was not dependent on my writing a favourable review. All words and opinions are my own.