Alex Active Monkey Kids Toddler Balance Board

My sons, aged 5 and 3, both are starting ice skating lessons. The five year old is in hockey classes. A friend of mine played hockey from age 3 s to 24. His dad got some advice from some NHL players who told them that the best thing that they could do was get him a balance board. So I ordered this one. Any ALEX toy we have ever gotten has been awesome. This one is great and very easily put together. It took me about five minutes and that is only because I am not very handy with constructing even the simplest of things. The boys LOVE it. I wish it was a tag longer but other than that, it is great. It is perfect for the boys and will hold even my husband and me (him 230 and me 147 in weight). I think this is a great toy for core stabilization and strengthening muscles to improve balance. The boys use it all the time and only think of it as playing. It works on carpet as well but I think it is more effective on a harder surface floor. I think that once you master the balancing portion, you could probably do different exercises and positions on to further enhance balance and strengthen muscles. Would very much recommend. We do a number of sports including soccer, hockey, skate, swim, and karate. I think it will help in all of these areas.

This thing is the perfect gift for almost any age group and it makes my kids look waaaay cooler than me too (like in an awesome "living room surfing" kind of way). I wish they made them in adult sizes now. Seriously though, this balance board was given to my 4-year-old as a Great Pumpkin gift but is now equally adored by my 2, 4 and 6-year-olds. We've had it over a year now and it still gets regular use and has survived two separate toy donation purges. The key to its longevity is the great quality. The wood is very strong and durable and the image on it hasn’t scratched or faded in any way. In other words: It has withstood the abuses of a four-child household with ease! It was packaged flat in the box upon arrival (which makes it incredibly easy to gift wrap, by the way) but only required minimal assembly. Honestly, my 6-year-old probably could’ve easily assembled it himself. I’m really thrilled with the price too. It’s hard to find long lasting, actively fun toys at a reasonable price. And best of all: No batteries or obnoxious electronic noises or lights! And it’s an active toy too (as opposed to a sit-on-their-butts-staring-at-something toy). I really have nothing bad to say about it. My kids have given these as birthday gifts at numerous birthday parties already and the parents always seem a little confused at first but thank me repeatedly later. That speaks volumes in my book.

I purchased a balance board for my very active (then) 3 year old for Christmas. She was a bit intimidated at first, especially since we tried it on a hardwood floor--it slipped when she tried to step on it, and she was afraid she would fall. We eventually got her to try it out by putting on a carpeted floor, and she's been using it almost daily since then. She is very rough on her toys, and the balance board still looks brand new 8 months later, which is unheard of around here! She has gotten very good at balancing on the board, and often invents games that involve jumping on/off, twirling, trying to stand on one foot, etc using the board. It is difficult to keep her occupied AND burn off some excess energy when we are stuck inside--the balance board is definitely our go-to toy for rainy afternoons! Update 4 years later: Yep, this still gets played with. Still in great shape, too! My now almost 8 year old keeps it in her room for using as a fidget-board when she's working at her desk: she stands on it while she draws or reads. She is still awfully hard on her toys, and this balance board has held up beautifully to years of being used as a table/'skateboard'/doll bed/TV watching accessory/desk tool. Her 4 year old sister now borrows it to balance on as well, and it's great to see a toy being used so much--definitely, DEFINITELY worth what I paid for it 4 years ago, and the price has dropped dramatically since then. I'm buying a second for my nephew for Christmas!

We purchased this for my 3 1/2 year old daughter for Christmas. She's an active kid and rarely sits still. I made an outdoor balance board for her using a log and 2x4 and it was a big hit. I wanted something smaller that would give her the same benefits inside and not tear up my living room. This fit the bill perfectly. It's cute, sturdy and safe. She mastered it within a day, so it wasn't as challenging as I had hoped. But she still uses it and enjoys it. For us, this isn't a toy she takes and plays with all by itself. Instead, we usually incorporate it into other activities. Sometimes, she'll stand on it when she gets TV time. Or she'll play on it while we play catch or dance or even play I-Spy. She likes to use it to pretend to surf or snowboard. And it may or may not have been turned into a launching pad. My husband pleads the fifth on that one. In my mind, this is a great balance board for toddlers and early pre-schoolers, but probably lacks the challenge older preschoolers and early elementary schoolers would need. But we will get some mileage out of it for now and any toy that encourages activity and doesn't require bells and whistles is all right by me.

Bought for toddler who constantly falls possibly due to weak ankles. Super easy to assemble, all wood, very sturdy (holds adult with ease), provides balance exercise for my kids. Cons: slips when used on hard surfaces like laminate flooring- so we use on carpet. Standing Surface is smooth and can be slippery with socks- so we use barefoot.

Very nice must have for kids to learn balance... parents attention very much required.

Tiene muy buen acabado es madera pero sin una sola astilla, dibujo lindo y cumple su función para la terapia de mi hija.

Very sturdy! Easy to assemble. Bought it for my 4 year old but everyone in the house is trying it out. Great fun item that’s not your typical “toy”

Wonderful toy!!!, this brand is the best. Alex toys have everithing for our kids. My soon needs therapys and Alex have many options for him.