Are They Worth it: Fat Brain Toys
Erin Burt
We love our Squigz, and we have all the varieties including mini, pip, benders, and the regular line-up of eight shapes that come in the starter pack. They’ve offered hours upon hours of entertainment over the last two years and still counting. I’ve even used the benders as a hair clip when I couldn’t find mine. Talk about endless, creative use! These silicone marvels can stick, grow tall, wiggle, and never leave a mess behind. They stick firmly when you apply the suction ends to each other or any non-porous surface but even my one-year-old can pull hard enough to pop the suction.
I appreciate the craftsmanship of Fat Brain Toys (FBT) and the inspiration behind them. FBT has heart and creativity from the drawing room all the way through manufacturing. The small-business brand looks to create toys that step away from many of the violent, single-purpose, and overly-licensed rows of typical toy stores.
Open-ended creative play offers the opportunity to make your play anything you want—it’s every toy all in one! Because the toys have no one particular use there is great freedom to play without pressure on the imagination to conform. Aside from something that impairs safety in some way, there is no wrong way to play with Squigz.
Since investing in them we’ve found other FBT that are winners. Our infant, now toddler, enjoys the MiniSpinny that leaves her mesmerized, watching and manipulating its elements. She is getting old enough now to shape-sort with the OombeeCube. I love that the pieces are made of 100% food-grade, BPA-free silicone if she chews on them and, most convenient, that the shapes are attached to the block! No more random block shapes laying around the house at 2 AM for me to step on!
Tobbles take infant stackers to a fun new level all ages enjoy; SpinAgain allows children to meddle in mechanics, and Teeter Poppers are like bendy but sturdy K’Nex! And be ready to hand them down as well. After YEARS of play our 100% of our Squigz are still basically like new. From infant to adult, these toys get daily use in our house. Join the FBT movement of thoughtfully-made, open-ended, quality-crafted play!
Lynette is a mom of three children from one year to age five. She has cloth diapered all three since birth and enjoys all things eco-friendly and mindful living.
