What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Jungle-themed play station designed to benefit children as they grow and develop The Bad: Large footprint; may not keep the interest of older children In a Nutshell: With flashing lights, jungle songs, and colorful characters, this set inspires interactive play At a Glance Ages: 6 to 36 months Requires: Phillips screwdriver for assembly

Children will be delighted by the songs and flashing lights of the Musical Jungle. View larger.

The Musical Jungle features sturdy construction that won't easily break. View larger.

One song with a fun beat begins, "Walk like an elephant, stomp, stomp, stomp." Another says it's "time to move, fast or slow." Kids ability to clap with these tunes or sing along really makes playtime in the jungle more fun. Best of all, there's several different songs, so parents and kids don't have to keep listening to the same tune over and over again.

In addition to the music and the slide for balls at the center of the jungle, there's a spinning hippo at one end of the arc and a big blue elephant at the other. The hollow elephant has openings in his ears, and when baby drops a ball into them, it comes shooting out his mouth, often eliciting a bout of laughter. If your baby is crawling or walking, he's sure to tire himself right out chasing after run-away balls. There's another set of fun features to help keep the jungle interesting for younger children, especially those who are not yet cruising around on their own. There's also a hanging rattle ball, an alligator on a swing that moves back and forth, and a safe, plastic mirror shaped like the sun so that baby can contemplate her reflection. All these different toys mean that the Musical Jungle stays interesting as children develop new skills.

Durable, Dependable Construction for Safety
We really appreciated how strong the top arch is. Despite being made of plastic, our adult tester was able to lean on this arch without feeling like it was about to break. This is good news for parents of children who are learning to pull themselves up or still need to hold onto an object while standing, since there's no need to worry about the sturdy, stable Musical Jungle coming apart and hurting or disappointing a child.

All in all, we found lots of ways to have fun with the Musical Jungle. Despite the fact that this set is recommended for children up to 36 months old, we found the activities it offers and the infant-friendly look more suited to younger children. There are many great reviews of this jungle set out there, and it seems like most often they come from parents with a child who has not yet turned two.

This toy requires adult assembly. You'll need a Phillips screwdriver and a little bit of patience. While the included instructions do an excellent job of illustrating each step in the assembly process, snapping the pieces together and getting the screws secured takes a bit of effort. Despite the time involved, we really appreciated the fact that this activity set uses real hardware to provide a very solid structure.

The Musical Jungle is much stronger than plastic toys assembled solely from snap-together pieces, and the parts can be unscrewed by an adult if you want to disassemble the jungle for storage, another feature that similar products often overlook. Three AA batteries are included to power the lights and sounds.

What's in the Box
Six balls, monkey, elephant, hippo, center arch, sun mirror, rattle ball, base, two arch ends, two tube pieces, two ramp pieces, two legs, 16 screws, three "AA" batteries, and instructions.

The monkey's cupped hands will hold a ball. View larger.

The hippos large mouth holds many balls. View larger.

Putting a ball in the elephant's ears will cause it to shoot out of its mouth. View larger.