When your child starts climbing, you’ll want to invest in some toys to keep them from dangerous activities. An indoor play set is also great for the cold winter months or for summer months too hot for outdoor play. When deciding what toys are best for you, there are several factors to consider. The Little Tikes Swing Along Castle and Junior Activity Gym are both great toys for toddlers. How do you chose between them?
The Little Tikes Swing Along Castle sells for $98.97 at Wal-mart. I purchased mine off of Craigslist still in the box for only $75. As for the Little Tikes Junior Activity Gym, it sells for about $50 new, but you may have trouble finding it new unless you are in the UK. I got my son’s off of Craigslist for $25. I sold it for the same price to a friend a few months later.
The Little Tikes Swing Along Castle and the Little Tikes Junior Activity Gym are two of the most popular play sets for toddlers. Both are equally entertaining and will last about the same amount of time. They are made of hard plastic. Each one has its own unique design, and both are very colorful and attractive. My son was excited about both of them when we first got them and enjoyed them both equally. Each is quite affordable.
My son began climbing when he was about 14 months old, so I had to invest in some climbing toys to keep him from swinging from the chandelier. We don’t have a yard so I needed toys that would fit in my home. Both of these toys are wonderful for indoor use, though the Little Tikes Junior Activity Gym is more suitable than the Swing Along Castle for an indoor environment. They can each be used outdoors as well, of course.
The Little Tikes Junior Activity Gym is a smaller version of another toy for older children. It is essentially just a play cube with a slide. There are no steps, but the platform is very low. It has several holes to crawl through. There’s also an area under the platform into which a child could crawl and then hide. Each side of the play cube is a different color, very bright. It comes in many different designs, from green and red to pink to rainbow-colored.
The Little Takes Swing Along Castle is a small swing set. The support system is gray and fashioned to look like stone, as a medieval castle would. There are yellow steps leading to a platform with a red slide. There is also a yellow rotating spyglass and steering wheel, similar to that on a ship. On the other side, there is a blue swing. There are openings so that the child can crawl under the platform and play there, hidden away. There certainly is a lot to do on this neat little toy.
The Little Tikes Junior Activity Gym took only minutes to put together. When we moved it to another room of our house, it took only minutes to break it down and then put it back together. It does take some strength to snap the parts together. The Swing Along Castle, however, took us at least an hour to build. We needed some hardware to do it, mainly a screw driver. There were a lot of little parts and many pieces that needed to be put together. It was time-consuming and somewhat confusing, but worth it.
The Little Tikes Swing Along Castle takes up significantly more space and is much better for outdoor use, though we’ve used it indoors just fine. The Little Tikes Junior Activity Gym takes up a lot less space, making it a better indoor toy. Many people use them out side though. The space beneath the platform on the play cube is great for storing toys, another reason it is great for indoor use. There is space beneath the platform on the castle, too, though, so you could also use it for storage. My son doesn’t care much for hiding under things, so I’ve used both of these products for storage as well as play.
The Little Tikes Junior Activity Gym is recommended for children over 18 months old, but it probably wouldn’t be much fun for a child over the age of three. It is very small, which makes it safe for young ones but a bit boring for older children. My son began using it when he was only 14 months. The Little Tikes Swing Along Castle is recommended for children ages 1-4. Younger children would do fine with either with close parental supervision, I think. Which one would be easier for your child to use will depend on their skills. The Junior Activity Gym has no stairs, so a small toddler must pull himself up onto the platform. The Swing Along Castle has steps, which may be easier for some children to use to get to the top.
My son loses interest in most of his toys within a few weeks, with the exception of ride-on toys and matchbox cars. He stopped playing with the play cube, so I sold it to a friend for $25 about seven months after buying it. She is getting great indoor use out of it as well. Her son has been playing with it since I first bought it, and several months later, he still hasn’t lost interest. My son has stopped playing with the Little Tikes Swing Along Castle as well, as he prefers real swings and big slides now. His little friend, though, is still plenty amused by it. My son maintained interest in these toys much longer than he usually does. These are two toys that will entertain even the most easily distracted child for many months.
Each of these are great toys for toddler. Both are suitable for indoor or outdoor use. The Swing Along Castle is the best outdoor toy, and the Junior Activity Gym is the better indoor toy. They are both suitable toys for toddlers, equally safe and sturdy. Each has an attractive design. There is more to do with the Swing Along Castle, which is more expensive. They both have excellent resale value. Like many products, which one is right for you will depend on your family’s needs!
I would definitely recommend the Little Tikes Swing Along Castle over the Little Tikes Junior Activity Gym. It does take longer to put together and is more expensive. It has a unique design, like a castle, and much more to do. It offers everything the Junior Activity Gym does and more. It will take up a lot of space in your house, so if you’re searching for an indoor toy, I’d recommend going with the Little Tikes Junior Activity Gym. It is also the cheaper product, which may be much more affordable for some families. Ultimately, the Swing Along Castle is the nicer, more entertaining toy.
