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Our daycare was closed for a few weeks over the holidays… and let’s just say that busy toddlers, cold outside temps, and small spaces don’t mix well. I desperately texted a few of my mom friends how I should handle the time off. What was the number one recommendation they had, you ask? They swore by active toys, specifically playsets. I was skeptical, especially because my almost 2-year-old tires of toys quickly and because our living room is pretty small. But then… like a shooting star… a targeted Instagram ad came my way and I was introduced to Avenlur.
We like
- My kids absolutely love the playset!
- Options for indoor only set and indoor/outdoor set
- Foldable design means that your living room is not permanently surrendered to the playset
- Great quality with premium New Zealand pine wood
- Multiple configuration options with the rock wall/slide
We don't like
- Wish there were more designs other than chevron for the baby swing
- Time-consuming assembly
- My kid wants to play with it ALL of the time!
Meet Avenlur, Your Destination for Indoor Play
Avenlur is a Montessori-inspired brand making playgyms, slides, and other structures for learning and play for kids. Founded in response to a plastic-dominated play industry, their gorgeous indoor gyms are a refreshing and welcomed change up. I vividly remember a big, bulky plastic playset that we had in our basement growing up. I think sometimes it even made its way upstairs to the living room; it was a total eyesore… and likely a source of microplastics in my then-tiny body.
Avenlur recognizes that your home is still your home, too – it doesn’t just belong to the kids. Creating beautiful products that seamlessly integrate into your home’s existing style is something they do quite well. These thoughtfully designed products are regularly tested for safety to ensure they adhere to the highest standards for safety in play and composition.
4-in-1 is Way More Fun
When you pursue the brand’s website, it’s easy to get excited – and admittedly, a little overwhelmed – seeing all of the cool products they have. I was primarily focused on getting a playset that would keep my toddler busy and active, as well as be able to be put away. Like I said, we have a small space and can’t afford to lose the square footage to a playset permanently. With this in mind, the Juniper Playset made the most sense for my family.
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The Juniper is a 4-in-1 playset that comes in both an indoor wood, as well as the option to get an indoor-outdoor set. With a bucket swing for babies, a standard swing for toddlers, and a convertible rock wall/slide, this set, I thought, would certainly keep my kids busy and active indoors.
The Toddler Test
When the playset arrived, we scrambled to assemble it while our toddler was napping. It took about an hour or so, but overall, assembly was not difficult. When he woke up, we excitedly brought him out to the living room where he said “woahhhhh” in the most perfect sleepy voice ever. He proceeded to immediately head for the swing, which was new for him (he’s used to the baby swings at the playground). But, in typical Montessori style, he impressed us with his fast learning, even learning how to pump his legs to keep himself going. It also comes with a bucket swing for babies, which we have not yet tried, as our baby is only 2 months. I am excited for him to use it, but I do wish it came in other patterns besides chevron.
He then went for the slide, which required him to climb a few bars to get up to the top. I was a bit nervous about socks, so we ditched those, and off he climbed. He was slow to reach the top, but was so proud of himself. At the top, he counted “one… two… three” and pushed himself off, giggling the whole way. He wasn’t as big of a fan when we flipped the slide over to the rockwall, so we kept it slide-side up most of the afternoon. No exaggeration, he and stuffed Elmo played on this thing for nearly two hours together – minimal interference from mom and dad required.
As I mentioned, our living room is really small, so the fact the playset folds is not only nice, but essential. When it’s out, it takes up a pretty good footprint in our city home. The folding isn’t too difficult, thanks to great engineering, so we can get our living room back to our regularly scheduled programming come bedtime. It probably takes a minute or two to fold it, but that is a small price to pay for the smiles and giggles my son has on it.
Play On, Parents
In a world of screentime galore, I love seeing my son (and eventually his brother) play independently and with imagination. His brain absolutely lit up with ideas of how to play with the set. From pushing cars down the slide to pushing stuffed animals on the swing, the sky is his limit with this. Beyond just seeing him happy, I love that the foldable design means my small home doesn’t have to be entirely ruled by items for my babies. If you need us for the rest of winter, we’ll be hibernating – and staying active – with our Avenlur playset.
Slide into some indoor fun for your kids with Avenlur today!
