We've had this less than 24 hours, but my 3.5 year old is *obsessed* with it. I'm honestly baffled by how much he loves it. He'll even sit behind it, waiting for us to walk by, so that he can offer us ice cream and make it for us. I guess it combines exactly the right elements of variety (so many colors and shapes and toppings!), delicious treats (ice cream!), the satisfaction of fitting pieces into one another, handling of new tools (scoop and tongs), and control (over EVERYTHING) that he needs.