DYI Lovevery kit series: The Looker Play kit (0 - 3 months)
Alternative to Lovevery kits for sad beige parents
Hi there,
I’m a new mom and a little bit neurotic, so I thought it would make sense to research what are some great developmental toys on the market. Since, you know, I don’t know anything about developing babies.
I came across Lovevery kits, liked the idea, but didn’t like the toys. So this is what I came up with.
The “why” & structure of the articles:
Originally I planned to subscribe to Lovevery kits, as I generally like the idea, their picks and the guidance they provide #montessori. I do actually think they do a great job overall.
The main reason I decided to find alternatives to their kits was the simple fact that I didn’t like/need all of the toys. Some seemed redundant or there were better “3-in-1” type alternatives on the market that don’t take up as much space in my crowded place.
My other reason was aesthetics. I like the muted look of my apartment and just because I have a baby now doesn’t mean I have to give up on that (let’s re-discuss 6 - 12 months in) (PS: The first copycat kit is not a real eye-pleaser either, but there was just nothing better on the market).
The budget was not my main motivator, but since I like to analyse every child/home-related spend, I tracked the difference between the subscription boxes and my purchases including shipping costs and will be sharing those along the way.
Notes
While I am based in Prague, the Czech Republic, the toys picked are from international brands easily found in most of Western Europe as well.
I don’t make any money on the things I tagged, simply sharing what and where I purchased these.
The toys picked by me do not include the Play Guides, which are an intellectual property of Lovevery.
The Looker Play kit alternatives
Here’s a look into what’s in the 0 - 12 weeks box. The current price point is €84 /kit.
Alternatives picked by moi:
The Mobile → X
I decided to not buy anything similar at this point. I might change my opinion on this, and in such a case, this article will be edited. However, for the time being, I think I don’t want to put anything distracting for the kiddo to look at in the crib. We also do not have a designated changing area, so no point in having it permanently hanging somewhere else either.
Standing Card Holder + Simple Black & White Card Set + Sensory links → Taf toys Urban garden book
The basic use case is you show black & white cards first (you put them into the holder) and as the baby grows, you switch to colourful alternatives. I like the idea of having this as a two-sided book to begin with, which also has a few sensory add-ons (mirror, sound, grasp) and seems more practical (can be attached to a cot etc.) 3-in-1 scored!
Or if you don’t like this exact book, there are free-standing card alternatives of the same toy by the same company here. (They come in various themes as well).
Wooden Book + Complex Black & White Card Set → First Books set
Again, the use case is to show the baby different black and white objects, either on the cards or in a wooden book. Since this bundle was extremely cheap and I got 4 different books instead of one, I feel like I made a pretty good deal here and have more variety. While this one is specific to the CZ market, I am sure there are similar alternatives wherever you are.
Black and white mittens → Black and white “bracelets”
From what I've read, Montessori actually doesn’t champion mittens as much, since in the first months the baby learns about the world through their hands. I however liked the general idea of this toy, so I found the seemingly cuter alternative that is more of a “bracelet” to be put on both hands and legs. While this one is specific to the CZ market, I am sure there are similar alternatives wherever you are.
Silicon rattle → X
Again, I haven’t purchased it as of now. My baby has a Little Dutch Wooden Baby Gym which has different attachments to grasp that also make noise as well as the “mittens” tagged above, therefore I don’t feel the need for an extra thing.
Verdict
The total cost of my “alternative kit” focused on the same development ideas, including shipping costs stands at €38. Therefore I saved ~ €46 by purchasing only selected alternatives.