Animal Planet Polar Land Playset

I was happy to be chosen to be a part of the Global Influence (formerly Momfluence) Holiday Gift Guide. They sent me a children's product for my family and I to review for the Holiday Gift Guide. We received the Animal Planet Wooden Polar Playland.

This item is intended for children ages three and up. Nathan and Gabriel, my 3 and 5 year olds, were the recipients of this item to try. The packaging was just as it advertised, and the box was of a substantial size and weight. I opened it with the boyz eagerly right beside me. It is easy to remove from the box. There were no broken or damaged pieces. The only thing that needed any maneuvering were just snipping the two zip ties that held to two penguins in place. These penguins can be seen through the plastic window in the cardboard box. What is a little misleading is that it was labeled "Bonus Penguins!". This is not in addition to the two shown in the promotional photo, there are only two penguins included total.

The play set itself comes disassembled. With only a handful of pieces, and none being remotely similar in shape or size, it is very quick to assemble. I have to say that this is not a permanent construction. They fit together almost like a puzzle, but there is no snapping, screwing or gluing into place. The play mat on the bottom is a waxed paperboard mat that folds out. I was sure that with so few play pieces, each boy had just one penguin, and the not entirely steady construction it would take my sons only a few minutes to evaluate this toy and throw it by the wayside. In the end they really love the playland. Although after the first ten minutes the penguins went by the wayside and the matchbox cars were diving into the ice. They have successfully taken apart and reassembled the set several times. Overall, my review is be sure this product meets your needs. It is not of sturdy construction, and that would make moving the item from place to place without disassembling and reassembling it nearly impossible. If you are planning on this being used for a long term period of time, do you have a place to store the rather large pieces in the meantime? It does not have many included penguin, or other ice faring creatures. So either be prepared to purchase more or expect it to become the play place of other toys. It is a rather simple toy that does lend itself to making the child use their imagination and come up with their own scenarios. That can be a plus or minus depending on your intended use.

This item is an "R Exclusive" and is available at Toys R Us, currently retailing for $24.99.