Baby Birthday Bash Sponsor Spotlight: Step2

I am SO excited to announce the next sponsor for the Baby Birthday Bash event, which starts TONIGHT at midnight! It's no secret that Step2 is probably my favorite company ever when it comes to toys and creative play items. They offer products that are fun, durable, and built to last for many years. The wonderful products from Step2 also encourage kids to be active while nurturing their bigger-than-life imaginations. Plus, Step2 is an Ohio based company, and Ohio people are some of the best folks in the world, in my humble opinion. (I happened to grow up just down the road from the Step2 headquarters in North-Eastern Ohio!)

In the past, I have featured a couple of wonderful indoor toys from Step2, like the Build & Store Block & Activity Table and the Art Easel Desk. My toddler, Sophie, loves these products, as they allow her to be creative, even at the young age of 2. She loves nothing more than finger-painting at her easel, doodling at the desk portion, and creating block and play-doh masterieces at the activity table. These products are the best thing ever on a cold, winter's day!

While Step2 has many great indoor toys, did you know they have an even bigger selection of outdoor toys as well? From wagons to clubhouses to full-blown swing sets, Step2 has everything you need to transform your yard into a dream playground! There is so much to choose from, and you're sure to find something to make any kid's dreams come true. I will admit, I have a Step2 wish list about a mile long!

I have some exciting news to share! Step2 is always looking for innovative, fun new ideas for products. They recently unveiled some new products for the Summer/Fall 2012 line at the Toy Fair, including revamped wagon designs, a realistic looking Corvette bed, and even a retro-style playhouse! How cool is that?! I know I will be waiting to see all of these great new items in stores in just a few short months!

Here's a sneak peek at the brand new Corvette Bed! How cool is that?! I know in a couple of years, my Xander will be begging me for one of these! Especially since Daddy is a "car guy"!

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Recently, I was sent the Step2 Naturally Playful Woodland Climber for my review. I was super-excited about this, since my 2 year old daughter is a little monkey. Sophie loves to climb, jump, and run, and has no fear of anything at all. This climber is a great way for her to get all of that energy out without climbing on my furniture! It arrived quickly and very well-packaged, and came in several different pieces. This product is very visually appealing and features natural looking elements, such as realistic looking "wood" for the frame, as well as authentic looking "stone" used for the rock-climbing walls on the sides of the climber. Of course this product is made of the incredibly durable plastic used in most Step2 toys, but I really appreciate the attention to detail in the Woodland Climber! It gives kids the feel of a real rock wall and jungle-gym!

Take a look at the Naturally Playful Woodland Climber before assembly:

I did a Happy Dance when it arrived. The delivery driver must have thought I was nuts!

Yes, ALL OF THIS came in one HUGE box!

Check out the Rock-Climbing Wall!

The slide is very generously sized, too!

While the Naturally Playful Woodland Climber is HUGE, it was actually very simple to assemble. That's one of the things I love the most about Step2! Their products are not only kid-friendly, they are parent-friendly, too! My husband was able to have this put together in about 5 minutes. It was literally a matter of fitting some pieces together and inserting 10 screws, most of which went into the steering wheels. We have a large, cardboard playhouse, and my husband said assembling the Woodland Climber was actually EASIER than putting together the cardboard playhouse! So obviously, the designers at Step2 are geniuses!

The Step2 Naturally Playful Woodland Climber offers loads of fun for little ones with several different activities to engage in. This item is geared towards kids ages 2+ and has a maximum weight limit of 240lbs. Yes, this means that multiple kids can play together at once! This will definitely come in handy as Xander gets bigger and can join his slightly older sister in the fun!

One of the awesome features found in the Step2 Naturally Playful Woodland Climber is a brightly colored ladder to climb onto the main platform. This ladder is durable, and is perfect for even the smallest of climbers to easily navigate! My 2 year old has gotten the hang of the ladder, and can get to the platform all by herself. This is wonderful for building self-esteem and a sense of independence!

Another thing I absolutely love about this product is the fact that it has not one, but TWO steering wheels on the platform. I have two toddlers, and they love to fight over who gets to play with a certain toy. The folks at Step2 must be parents themselves, since they have eliminated this problem with the addition of an extra steering wheel. This will save me and my kids from lots of headaches in the future, since they will both have their own wheel to steer! Yay! Hooray for harmonious play!

The Naturally Playful Woodland Climber also has "rock-climbing walls" on both sides of the toy. These walls have footholds that are spaced perfectly for little feet to scale effortlessly. Of course adult supervision is required, but this is also a great way to allow little monkeys to get that excess energy out in a fun, constructive way. I don't know about you, but I would MUCH rather have my daughter climb these rock walls than try and scale my bookshelves. Yes, she has really attempted this in the past! What can I say, my daughter is nuts!

If these great features weren't enough to have you running to the nearest Step2 retailer, there's more! Once your kiddos are on the platform, they can choose to go down the generously sized slide! How cool is that?! I love the bright, vibrant blue of the slide, and Sophie loves going down it with an enthusiastic "Wheeeee!"

Once your tots are all tuckered out from all of their climbing, sliding, and steering fun, they can hide underneath the platform in their own secret fort! Yes! Underneath the platform, there is a little area that can be used as a hideout or even a sandbox! I cannot wait until we buy our new home this summer and I can get a liner and some sand to make our own sandbox! For now, this is a hiding place for my daughter when she wants to hide from her parents and brothers. Still, it's a whole lot of fun and a great feature to have in an outdoor toy!

Take a look at Sophie enjoying the Step2 Naturally Playful Woodland Climber:

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Ooh! I have big plans for this slide!

I think this will be my secret hiding place when my brothers annoy me!

I think I can, I think I can!

Yep, I can! My Daddy helped!

Is that a slide I see?!

Why, yes! Yes it is a slide!

Wheeeeee! That was FUN!

Here is a short video of my preteen, Kyle, helping show all of the amazing features of the Woodland Climber! Yes, I do realize he is channeling what sounds like a game show host of sorts. What can I say...He's a born actor, and quite the ham!

Overall, we absolutely love the Step2 Naturally Playful Woodland Climber! This outdoor toy absolutely rocks! I love the fact that it can accommodate more than one child at a time, and I also love all of the great features included. This product is colorful, fun, and simple to assemble. As a mom, these factors are very important to me. More importantly, though, I love the great big smile on my daughter's face as she plays on the Woodland Climber. My kids love that they can climb, play, imagine and just be kids! Step2 has blown me away, yet again. I can honestly say I have never tried a Step2 product that I didn't absolutely love, and the Woodland Climber is no exception. There's a reason that Step2 has been a leader in creative play for over 20 wonderful years...Their products rock!

HOW TO CONNECT:

You can check out the awesomeness that is Step2 on their website. Check out their handy retail locator to find Step2 products near you!

You can also connect with Step2 on Facebook, twitter, and on their YouTube Channel!

For even more Step2 fun, check out their blog!

WIN IT....But not yet!

I am THRILLED to announce that one of my lucky readers will be winning a Step2 Naturally Playful Woodland Climber of their own as part of my HUGE prize package in the Baby Birthday Bash event! This event starts at midnight, 2/17/12! That's TONIGHT!!! Be sure to come back for your chance to win! After you're done entering here, head over to the other blogs participating and enter their giveaways, too!

***Disclosure: As a Step2 Test Drive Mom, I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***