The Sassy Wonder Wheel: Wonderful?!
The product I will be discussing is called the Sassy Wonder Wheel.
Here's a link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AHMCKA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=parentingmagazine-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004AHMCKA
The spinning wheel encourages baby to reach, tug, and bat, strengthening hand-eye coordination. Trapped within the clear structure are colorful beads, which help baby connect the sound to sight. The spinning center pieces provide a higher level of visual tracking and strengthen fine motor skills. The wonder wheel has multiple texture points, encouraging baby’s tactile exploration. Plus, the suction cup base attaches to flat surfaces such as high chairs and table tops for frustration-free play. This toy is mainly marketed to children 6-24 months old. If Piaget were around today, my bet would be that he would give this toy a strong endorsement because it compliments the sensorimotor stage of development.
My wife and I have a 4-month old infant. Having a baby intrigues us each day simply because of how quickly he is adapting to his world around him. Henry loves to observe people, animals, and anything on a screen. He especially loves if he can fit any of those things into his mouth. As Henry has been getting bigger and stronger, we have noticed that he has a stronger desire to grab things with his hands. He clasps anything he can get a hold of (which gets painful for my long-haired wife).
The Sassy Wonder Wheel makes multiple claims...6 to be exact.
The makers of this toy feel that tactile exploration, hand-eye coordination, and sound-to-sight development are key components. To increase the diversity and accessibility of their product, the folks at Sassy have also made the Wonder Wheel lead free and appropriate for both genders.
There's no doubt that many factors come into play when examining how a child mentally and physically develops. Play is the mechanism by which children learn - how they experience their world, practice new skills, and internalize new ideas - and therefore is the essential "work of children" (Paley 2004). The Sassy Wonder Wheel has a strong advantage in their advertising because it helps children develop through multiple stimuli. It is also appealing to consumers (parents) because of it's usefulness for learning. Though a child's growth is ever-changing, this toy makes a claim to help in multiple seasons of development.
From 6-9 months, one of the most beneficial things a child can observe is cause and effect. Fogel writes that Infants now develop a serious interest in the object world, and come to understand that objects are whole entities with an existence separate from their own. Babies are also learning how to identify depth and distance. While the Sassy Wonder Wheel takes advantage of some of these developmental traits, any child could learn this with common household items. You fill a clear plastic baby bottle or a soda bottle and fill it with shells, rocks, glitter, or whatever can capture your kiddo's attention. This may sound a bit primitive, but let's be honest, your kid really will not know the difference!
The Sassy Wonder Wheel is not without criticism, however. The most common gripe that parents have with the SWW is that the suction cup used to keep it in place often fails or is simply not strong enough. What is the purpose of owning a toy that your baby will just drop, right? Other consumers have claimed that there is a screw that sticks out of one end of the toy. Yikes!! This is such a rarity that it should not cause parents to get too concerned. Other concerns have been focused around the SWW's long-term durability. Honesty time: baby toys on average don't last very long. If you're thinking that any toy purchase for your kid as an investment, you may be in for a harsh dose of reality. They go through some serious abuse!
Some final thoughts: I feel, especially as a new dad, that's it is awesome that there are so many toys out there that are specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of children. Regardless of what age, there is something that can benefit them in some way or another. However, when I examine the research, it's hard not to think that as a culture, we've overdone the whole toy thing. At the end of the day, toy companies are just like any other company and they exist to do one thing. Make money. This doesn't necessarily mean that the products they produce are bad, but it simply means that they have underlying interests aside from the well-being of your kiddo. I think as a parent, it is always beneficial to know this. Some may call it paranoid, I like to think of it as cautious perspective. The research I've read supports that there are less expensive means to meet the cognitive/developmental needs of your child (look above for clear plastic bottle reference). I would probably pass on the SWW. Don't tell my kid I said that...
Meh you can tell him.....He doesn't know English yet..
Guyton, G. (2011). Using Toys to Support Infant-Toddler Learning and Development. YC Young Children, 66(5), 50-56. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/42730772
Here's a link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AHMCKA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=parentingmagazine-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004AHMCKA
The spinning wheel encourages baby to reach, tug, and bat, strengthening hand-eye coordination. Trapped within the clear structure are colorful beads, which help baby connect the sound to sight. The spinning center pieces provide a higher level of visual tracking and strengthen fine motor skills. The wonder wheel has multiple texture points, encouraging baby’s tactile exploration. Plus, the suction cup base attaches to flat surfaces such as high chairs and table tops for frustration-free play. This toy is mainly marketed to children 6-24 months old. If Piaget were around today, my bet would be that he would give this toy a strong endorsement because it compliments the sensorimotor stage of development.
My wife and I have a 4-month old infant. Having a baby intrigues us each day simply because of how quickly he is adapting to his world around him. Henry loves to observe people, animals, and anything on a screen. He especially loves if he can fit any of those things into his mouth. As Henry has been getting bigger and stronger, we have noticed that he has a stronger desire to grab things with his hands. He clasps anything he can get a hold of (which gets painful for my long-haired wife).
The Sassy Wonder Wheel makes multiple claims...6 to be exact.
The makers of this toy feel that tactile exploration, hand-eye coordination, and sound-to-sight development are key components. To increase the diversity and accessibility of their product, the folks at Sassy have also made the Wonder Wheel lead free and appropriate for both genders.
There's no doubt that many factors come into play when examining how a child mentally and physically develops. Play is the mechanism by which children learn - how they experience their world, practice new skills, and internalize new ideas - and therefore is the essential "work of children" (Paley 2004). The Sassy Wonder Wheel has a strong advantage in their advertising because it helps children develop through multiple stimuli. It is also appealing to consumers (parents) because of it's usefulness for learning. Though a child's growth is ever-changing, this toy makes a claim to help in multiple seasons of development.
From 6-9 months, one of the most beneficial things a child can observe is cause and effect. Fogel writes that Infants now develop a serious interest in the object world, and come to understand that objects are whole entities with an existence separate from their own. Babies are also learning how to identify depth and distance. While the Sassy Wonder Wheel takes advantage of some of these developmental traits, any child could learn this with common household items. You fill a clear plastic baby bottle or a soda bottle and fill it with shells, rocks, glitter, or whatever can capture your kiddo's attention. This may sound a bit primitive, but let's be honest, your kid really will not know the difference!
The Sassy Wonder Wheel is not without criticism, however. The most common gripe that parents have with the SWW is that the suction cup used to keep it in place often fails or is simply not strong enough. What is the purpose of owning a toy that your baby will just drop, right? Other consumers have claimed that there is a screw that sticks out of one end of the toy. Yikes!! This is such a rarity that it should not cause parents to get too concerned. Other concerns have been focused around the SWW's long-term durability. Honesty time: baby toys on average don't last very long. If you're thinking that any toy purchase for your kid as an investment, you may be in for a harsh dose of reality. They go through some serious abuse!
Some final thoughts: I feel, especially as a new dad, that's it is awesome that there are so many toys out there that are specifically designed to meet the developmental needs of children. Regardless of what age, there is something that can benefit them in some way or another. However, when I examine the research, it's hard not to think that as a culture, we've overdone the whole toy thing. At the end of the day, toy companies are just like any other company and they exist to do one thing. Make money. This doesn't necessarily mean that the products they produce are bad, but it simply means that they have underlying interests aside from the well-being of your kiddo. I think as a parent, it is always beneficial to know this. Some may call it paranoid, I like to think of it as cautious perspective. The research I've read supports that there are less expensive means to meet the cognitive/developmental needs of your child (look above for clear plastic bottle reference). I would probably pass on the SWW. Don't tell my kid I said that...
Meh you can tell him.....He doesn't know English yet..
Guyton, G. (2011). Using Toys to Support Infant-Toddler Learning and Development. YC Young Children, 66(5), 50-56. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/42730772
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