Average Price: $17-20
Availability: Widely available online and in select stores
Product Link: Animal Den
Rating:

Haba’s “Animal Den” fabric ball is a squishy toy that is made up of six “ribbed” stuffed sections that come together to form a ball. In-between each section hides a small animal toy that crinkles or squeaks and that can be pulled out to play. These little toys are attached to the core of the ball with a durable high quality elastic band.

Plush toys can be a bit hit-or-miss when it comes to kids. Some kids will love this toy, others will have no interest in it. Does your child like taggies-style blankets, crinkly things, or plush toys? She’ll fall in love with this toy and can easily spend a half hour or more simply exploring. Is your child more into car keys, remote controls and harder noise-making objects? This toy may be a bit too passive and soft for her tastes.

STYLE

This ball is classic Haba style. Whimsical colors that are childish but pleasant at the same time. The character of the little creatures varies from an easily identifiable pink reindeer-like character, to a more abstract element that that doesn’t seem to resemble anything that I’ve seen before, be it animal mineral or vegetable. (This particular character is the red and green one in the upper right of the photo). The green “leaf” adds to the mystique by making it even less clear if the mystery element is an animal or a plant. Regardless, it is cute and will certainly encourage a child’s imagination as they try to figure out what it is.

QUALITY

The quality of materials used in this toy all appear to be excellent. The fabric is soft and sturdy and the bands of soft fabric elastic holding the toys in place are flexible enough for a child to tug on and get a response but they resisted my efforts to pull them to the snapping point. The individual toys are very well sewn and while I’d regularly check the mouse-like squeaking toy for any fraying or ripped stitching that could possibly let the squeaker toy out, there doesn’t seem to be any choking hazards present on this toy.

EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS

I love how this toy reinforces and allows a child to safely explore natural curiosity. “What’s inside of that? How does it react when I touch it? How does it react when I pull on it?” My daughter, who is into EVERYTHING found this toy to be a wonderful outlet for her explorations. Something intriguing and complex for her to explore, yet very inviting and safe.

CONCLUSION

If I had to name one aspect of this product that I would change, it would be the lack of a toy loop. This toy simply cries out to be a stroller toy, with it’s small size and the number of different elements that a child can play with. This is really a “wish list” item, however, and not really something I can hold against the toy. The Haba Animal Den is an excellent addition to my daughter’s toy box and is a really nice change from the proliferation of plastic toys that typically catch her interest.