Availability: Widely available
Average Cost: $6-10
Buy @ Amazon
Product Link: Wooden Trio
Rating:

This wooden trio has three rounded hardwood triangles fastened with a strong red cord. Each triangle of the trio has an “activity”- wooden beads, fabric shapes of varying textures and colors, and wooden rings. The red cord is tied loosely enough that the triangles can clack together.

I came across this toy in the infant toy section of Babies R Us just before a 5 hour train ride. I was stocking up on small non-obnoxious toys to entertain my then-9 month old son. I was immediately drawn to the smooth wood and bright colors of this toy, and when I added it to the shopping cart he immediately tried to turn around in the seat to get to it.

As it turned out, my newly mobile son spent most of the train ride attempting to climb my luggage which was on the floor in front of us, and showed very little interest in the toys that I had purchased.

Once he was home in familiar surroundings, however, this toy became an object of utter fascination. He has spent hours twisting the shapes around and rubbed his fingernails across the cudoroy texture of one of the fabric shapes, tasting each part of the toy and teething on the wooden rings

The one negative thing I noted about this particular toy is the fact that is not your typical wooden toy. While most wooden toys can be passed between multiple children and even across multiple generations without much wear and tear- the brightly colored wood of the beads and rings quickly wears down and the fabric soils and is difficult to clean. This toy will most likely be a single-child item rather than a family heirloom.

The low price point, small size, and fascination factor of this toy’s many textures and sounds make it well worth its $6-10 price range.