A Neat Product!
I really appreciate this product because I feel like it is developmentally appropriate. We know that fine motor skills develop a little later than 6 months of age, but nonetheless it is a great tool for early motor skills discovery. I believe that this material inspires creativity because you can see into the mechanics of the toy. Like the description mentions, you can use this tool as a nut cracker as well. I would argue that you could place a number of different materials inside of the toy (ice cubes, fruit, etc.) for the purpose of understanding force/strength and cause-and-effect. I think this toy also provokes critical thinking in that the hand-eye coordination necessary for placing the screw into the hole is challenging for infants/toddlers. Also holding the base while screwing in the top requires specific cognitive and physical skills that appropriately stimulate infants and toddlers.<br /><br />I believe that this product speaks to a strong image of the child in that it provides many opportunities for the child to discover skills (mentioned above) independently, trusting that the child is competent and capable. I would perhaps offer this toy in a multitude of sizes, to appeal to younger and older aged children in relation to fine motor development. Overall, I believe this is a great product. Research tells us that infants as young as 2.5-3 months of age can begin to comprehend containment (Baillargeon, 2004). Containment is simply defined as an object fitting inside of another, and infants can start to understand that the contained object still exists even when they cannot see it anymore (Baillargeon, 2004). The specific design of this product allows them to see inside of the base, which adds a unique element to cognitive development.
Rating: 5 stars