WaterWheel Play Table Reviews

• Terrific Outdoor Fun, Great Price!

  
  By A21UK4C42M4QTT on 2005-11-27
  We have owned this water play table for nearly siz months, and its play value has not decreased at all. It is short enough that our 16 month old has always been able to participate comfortably, and interesting enough that it still attracts my 4 and 6 year old children as well.
  
  The water wheel is great fun, and the children love scooping water into its reserve to make it spin. The two levels of the table give the children individual play space if two children are playing. Now that winter is approaching, I look forward to adding sand instead of water to the table. I appreciate the easy-to-open plugs built into the basin, as it makes it easy to remove water (or sand). The toy, though sturdy, is also lightweight enough for an adult to pick up and simply pour water out, if desired. Children cannot, however, easily move or turn the table over.
  
  

• !!!TONS OF FUN!!!

  
  By A3RX5RMRAJ8Z5B on 2006-04-19
  No leaks here because there is no plug. It a wonderful size my toddler daycare kids. They could play with Water Wheel Play Table all day long. I did add more cups and water toys for added fun. For $30 you really can't beat that price. I also got Naturally Playful Sand Table these go great together. LOVE IT! A must for parents and caregivers of toddlers!
  
  
  

• Great concept - poor quality

  
  By A2DI6XF85SE0ZR on 2007-07-02
  I've always been a big fan of Step 2 products so when I was in the market for a water table this was a no-brainer purchase for my 1 year old (the 5 and 7 year old also enjoy it to some degree). While a water table in general is a lot of fun for any child I was really disappointed with the quality of this product (hence the unusually low price). I would rather pay more and get a quality plastic then this piece. The plastic is not the sturdy, durable plastic I'm accustomed to by this brand, but rather the flimsy, will crack if you drop it, plastic. Upon assembling the tower a part chipped off. Which meant the tower wouldn't hold together and that part was useless. I called Step 2 - had to hold for 15 minutes to get through to anyone. Told them the tower was broken and I needed the 2 piece part sent to me. They were great and said they would - only I only received one half of the tower. So that part is still useless. I'm too frustrated with the whole thing to bother calling again. I would hesitate to purchase Step 2 again in the future until I know the plastic is more durable. God-forbid someone chooses to put some weight on this thing - I don't think it could support more than a few pounds without breaking a leg off. Save your money and by a Rubbermaid or Sterilite tote and fill it with a few inches of water and some rubber duckies.
  
  

• Great water toy

  
  By A26FYAEW0YLKBR on 2005-03-26
  We bought this for our 2 year old daughter, who was always wanting to play in the water of our kitchen sink. I like this toy because it's not too bulky and it doesn't combine sand and water, which I couldn't see my daughter playing with yet without making a huge mess. We plan on letting her use it both outside and inside, since we can just drain the water out each time she uses it. That makes the toy very easy to clean since I really wouldn't want her playing in old water anyway. It's a great way to keep her busy playing and having fun.
  
  

• Great table for fun

  
  By A32FGHKCNU8P5U on 2005-07-30
  My daughter has always really liked the water, so we got her this table to play with on the patio. She loves it! She's still learning to stand and move around @ 8 mo. and the table is sturdy enough for her to pull up on and hang on to for balance (supervised of course). She really likes watching the water wheel go around and splashing away!
  
  The drain does leak a little, but it's not a big deal. When we're done playing with the water, it gets dried off and brought inside as an additional play table. We stick toys in it and she walks around the edges playing with the toys in the middle.
  
  Great value for the money. I had looked at a bunch of the other reviews on combo sand and water tables and saw good advice to keep sand and the water as separate activities to avoide a big mess. We'll get her a sand box when she's older, since she's still too young to have sand - it would just get eaten.
  
  
• Perfect Water Toy
  By A3U0T3JEFAT2IQ on 2005-03-24
  This is the best water toy I have seen yet. My 2 year old loves playing in water and now she can play year round if she wants to! I like this a lot more than the sand/water play sets. I also like that it's small enough to store but large enough to have my daughters friends play with to! It's super easy to clean off and even if it gets stuck in the rain or mud all I have to do is spray it off!!! :) Makes a great birthday gift to cause it's such a cheap price.
  
  
• So Glad I Bought It!
  By A2RODT7X53PN3H on 2006-05-09
  I gave this to my daughter for her second birthday not realizing that my 5 y.o. would love it just as much! They play together for hours on the back deck.
  
  It is a wonderful design - it is just the right height for both of them to play comfotably. There are two levels of play connected by a hill which the girls love rolling balls, etc down. It includes quite a bit, too. Two sail boats, a scoop, and a water wheel with a deatchable top sieve.
  It is a perfect size for a deck or patio - not too big or imposing. It won't make your deck look like a toy store.
  All in all, I am really please with this product. You should feel good buying it.
  
  
• HOURS OF FUN!!!
  By A1VXJG8FPYKNXB on 2005-06-06
  SO MUCH FUN! I got the water only table because we have a sand box and thought a water toy might be fun...WOW! My 15-month old has so much fun with this and screams when I take him away. It's small enough so that it can be brought inside the porch, but large enough for a couple of kids to play at the same time. Extremely easy to put together...I didn't even read the directions. I'm going to use a small grill cover to keep the bugs out, but it's small enough so that you can fill it each time you use it.
  
  I have had no problems with leaks at all. Based on the previous reviews, I did call Step 2 for replacements, but I don't need them. Step 2 said that they have fixed the problem.
  
  
• Lots of Fun for the Price
  By A3UMKCLXCUQKLE on 2006-06-06
  I recently purchased the water wheel table after looking at just about every kind available. Although I originally wanted a sand/water combo, I'm glad that I went with the water-only version. My 21-month-old is not known for sticking with one activity for very long, but she seems to love this toy.
  
  Though we haven't had the table for long, I am very glad I didn't spend more on the larger combo tables.
  
  Here are the pros:
  ~ Extremely easy to assemble. Absolutely no tools required and assembly, from box to completion, took less than 5 minutes.
  ~ Very light-weight and compact. The table is easy for an adult to lift (without the water) but it is still sturdy enough for a toddler. While this table is more compact than many on the market, it will accomodate 2-3 toddlers quite easily.
  ~ Less messy than combo tables. No sand to mix for a muddy mess.
  ~ Comes with water wheel, cup and two sail boats.
  
  Here are the Cons:
  ~ Mine does not appear to have a plug. No leaks this way, but a bit harder to drain. However it is small enough that an adult can easily tip it over for cleaning.
  ~ No cover. This is my only real complaint. If a cover had been included, this would be ideal. However, the compact size makes it easy to drain and fill, so the lack of cover isn't really a big deal.
  ~ The water wheel is not attached and can be knocked over pretty easily. Not a big deal, but something to note.
  ~ The toys are just okay. I'll be adding more.
  
  Overall, I found the water wheel table to be a good value, particularly if you want a more compact water table that is easy to assemble, move and store.
  
  
• not exactly a 'Perfect' toy
  By AGZCT50FO9FEC on 2005-03-18
  I purchased this for my 16 months old daughter. I liked the idea that this was only a water table and not one of those water and sand table because I didn't want my daughter mixing the two and causing a mess. I didn't mind that it didn't have a lid since I'm keeping it indoors. My child loves it. But I did come upon a big problem, two to be exact. The plugs on each of the chambers of the table leaks. I thought it was a fluke so I went back to the store and exchanged the first table for another one. I had the same problem with the second table. After that, I decided to call the 1-800 # for Step 2. The customer service guy told me to put vaseline around the seal of the plug to 'see if that'll help'. I told me I don't want a quick fix, I want the problem fixed. He agreed to send me two replacement plugs free of charge. I called about a week ago and I'm waiting for the parts to arrive. I hope the new plugs will work this time. My daughter really likes the toy and I hope I don't have to return it and switch to a different brand all together.
  
  
• Great fun!
  By A2MLMUW4UIVU8D on 2006-08-08
  I haven't read all the reviews, but see that someone had the same problem that we did--the water wheel wasn't turning. My Dad (the plastics expert!) discovered that there was extra "flash," around the piece that connected it to the tower. I think flash is just extra plastic that came from when it was manufactured. He removed it with a pocket knife and voila! it works great. Now even a small trickle of water will move the wheel.
  
  We got this for my son's 1st birthday and he LOVES it. I do think he would love splashing in any type of water, but this is the perfect height for him. I do agree that it would be nice if the tower "clicked" in somehow though, because that's the first thing to get thrown on the ground.
  
  But it was fairly easy to assemble (once the water wheei worked) and a pretty simple toy that brings lots of fun.
  
  
• Great Toddler Pastime!
  By A1AZGY5QXVXTGG on 2006-08-22
  I own a family daycare geared towards infants and toddlers and my toddlers LOVE this water table. It keeps them busy for long periods and is just their size. Just be careful they don't try to climb in it when the water is not in it because it is very tippy!
  
  
• My son loves his water table....
  By A1OR6TBEVEW5G0 on 2005-03-15
  My husband & I chose this table, because it was fairly inexpensive. It was easy to assemble (you just insert the legs, and put together the sail boats) & my son loves it!!! He puts all of his water creatures in it, and plays for hours. It has two plugs on either side to drain out the water when you are finished playing with it; which makes it nice...then you just put it aside & fill it with fresh clean water the next time you are ready to use it.
  
  
• great fun!
  By A1JMT0MMXF7TXS on 2005-06-19
  This water table is great! I just bought it for our 1 year old for her birthday. The moment I got it home I set it up..it took all of 2 minutes to snap the legs on and snap the water wheel together and fill it up...then my 7, 3 and 1 year old were all over it!! the poly pockets and little people had a gay old time swimming and splashing around in the water! Its perfect size makes playing in it very clean, the kids can stand around it and you can get at least 4-5 kids around it at a time. It is very sturdy and mine doesnt leak at all..even if it did who cares, the water doesnt all stay in the tub anyway once the kids start to splash around in it! It is very cute and well designed and if you wanted to use it indoors with rice or beans it is small enough to do that, the fact that it doesnt have a lid is irrelevant to me because you would want to fill it with FRESH water each time you used it anyway, at least I know I would since my kids try to drink the water, put their faces and hair in it, etc...besides, standing water breeds mosquitoes..blech!
  
  this is a great water table all around and the price is fantastic for the quality!
  
  
  
• More Fun Than You'd Think
  By AU767NIA81I3E on 2005-11-08
  Our 2 and a half year old daughter is a water baby. She loves all properties of water in every form and has been since she took her first bath. She loves sand too so we looked at a few of the combination tables - but I decided that they would get too messy and be too hard to empty and keep the sand clean on the roof-top deck we had at the time as the only outdoor play area at our house.
  
  We got this table for her for her second birthday. When it arrived, my husband thought it didn't look as fun as he had pictured it being...but we can't keep her away from it. Give her a few cups and other water-proof toys and she will fill them up and pour then out and splash around for hours.
  
  My only complaint is that the boats it came with do not float very well. And it may be hard to determine the "educational value" unless you search for it...but just learning the way water works, what happens when you pour it into something that has a hole in it, what does the water wheel do when water flows over it, what happens when you try to pick water up in your hand...At this age - EVERYTHING is a learning experience.
  
  The two spouts on the bottom make for easy emptying of the two areas. None of the pieces have broken even after being thrown and dragged around.
  
  
• Great fun but it LEAKS...
  By A2KIVAOUZ37AOE on 2006-03-17
  I cannot recommend this toy because it LEAKS. My 21 month-old daughter really likes it, but the lower pool began leaking after only a few weeks and we have to put a bucket under it to collect the water. To make matters worse, the legs DO NOT come off once they're on, so we can't even box it up to return it! I tried everything to get the legs off without breaking the toy and it just isn't possible. Overall just a bad experience, clearly some reviewers haven't had this problem but you're taking a chance if you buy the table.
  
  
• Highly recommend!
  By ATD5M4PWY3TUL on 2005-04-21
  We just bought this for our 20 month-old 2 weeks ago and he absolutely loves it. He plays with it for hours, something he has never done with any other toy. The first thing he wants to do when he wakes up in the morning is go outside and play in the water. It's durable, super easy to clean, and has lots of versatility (you can add bubbles, sand, shaving cream..whatever). With the exception of bad weather, we've used it practically every day since it was purchased. (The reason I didn't go for a water/sand table is because he already has a sand box, but even if he didn't, I would still go for this).
  
  
  
• Great water table for the price!
  By AZ45TCG0AT10O on 2006-06-03
  My mom bought this water table for my 1-year old last year. It is very sturdy and the perfect height for her plus it came with some cool toys. My daughter loves to play with it and it has held up well over the last year. Ours does have a plug and it does leak, but it doesn't really bother me. I did contact the manufacturer and they sent me new plugs promptly, but it still leaks. My only complaint is it doesn't have a lid so it gets dirty easily and usually needs washed out before playing with it.
  
  
• Not very exciting and it does not have a lid!
  By A2KNPLA605EM56 on 2005-02-03
  I saw this water table at the store and I must say that it was not very exciting. The water funnel is the best part of the table and even that is just okay. The table does not have a lid, which is a serious negative to a water table. I don't want my kids playing with this inside because they will make a mess, but if they play with it outside, then I have no way to cover it. It will definitely get all gross being outside in the bad weather. Leaves, bugs, dirt and who knows what else will get into this table. Not recommended.
  
  
  
• great deal
  By A32MUPI2SSEATU on 2005-04-20
  I recently purchased this table for my 18 month old daughter. I set it up in under 5 minutes and I am mechanically retarded. It is sturdy and loads of fun. What a great deal at under $30. I didn't like the idea of water and sand together. It seemed like it would be a mess. This toy is top notch. I will sure look for more toys by Step 2.
  
  
• Great Toy, Great Value
  By A1I16BH624VV5G on 2005-10-17
  My kids LOVE this toy, from 18mos, 3yrs, to 9yrs. Most kids love to play with water, and this table is a great way for them to play safely (always with supervision of course). This water table is great quality, and the accessories with it are cute. It teaches cause & effect to little ones, and bigger ones can play 'dolls-are-swimming' imaginative play, or everyone can just have fun splashing and cooling off. It's great for either the yard or even on the deck, and it's easy to empty. And the price is great. (I just wish we could have found it in a store, instead of just online.) Definately recommend it!
  
  
• Hours and Hours of Watery Fun
  By A1WM8DNWJ8SCEL on 2006-04-17
  I have a 23 month old boy who loves to stack things and play in the water. With summer approaching, we had planned to get him a small, plastic swimming pool to splash around in. On the advice of a friend, we chose this water play table instead.
  
  I am happy to say that this water table is, without exception, his most favorite toy. The first day we filled it up, he played in and around it for two hours (this from a boy who, like most toddlers, had never spent five minutes on any one activity). He likes it so much that we found it necessary to purchase a small unmbrella to shade the area around the table.
  
  I did read the reviews of others, and leaking is frequently mentioned as a problem. Ours, thankfully, does not leak. But the reality is that the splashing makes it necessary to refill the table about every 15 minutes. I consider this to be a very small price to pay for the hours of fun and enjoyment that this has provided my son.
  
  Net/net: at less than 30 dollars, this water table has the best price to value of any toy on the market that I have seen.
  
  
  
  
• Best Water Activity Toy!
  By A13A0HC3JJK2US on 2005-04-13
  We don't have a very large deck, and our 2 year old daughter just loves playing with water. So once I found this, I new it would be perfect. I didn't want to get a Sand/Water Table- because I knew that the water and sand would get mixed and it would be a horrible mess to clean. And if I didn't use Sand, the Sand/Water Tables would just be way too big. The WaterWheel table is the perfect size- not too small, not too big. It comes with 2 boats, a cup, and a Water Wheel. We added a couple boats from her bath toys, and she can play outside independentally for as long as I let her. Easy to set up, easy to clean- GREAT toy.
  
  
• how to keep it clean
  By A3CKJTOZR06CPY on 2005-05-20
  for those who are worried about keeping the table clean, a grill cover would help keep out leaves and dirt. this is a fun toy and I can't wait for summer so my little girl can play with hers all the time. this table could also be used inside as a sensory table. use shaving cream, streamers, pasta, rice, (rice fits into a water wheel) beans, etc. It is the items that are good in a pre-school room. also, baby doll and a wash cloth for babies bath is good inside or out.
  
  
• aewsome toy for kids of all ages
  By A3OMG6NY1809ZS on 2005-06-10
  MY 1 YEAR OLD GOT THIS AS A GIFT AND SHE LOVES IT. ALL OF THE KIDS IN THE NEIGHBOR HOOD PLAY WITH IT. IT IS A GREAT SUMMER TOY. BUT PLEASE REMEMBER THAT KIDS NEED TO BE SUPERVISED AROUND WATER AT ALL TIMES......
  
  
• A hit, but problems w/ wheel & tower.
  By AOW5CC0211QIH on 2006-07-29
  After reading all the enthusiastic reviews here I told my sister she *had* to buy this toy for my just-turned-one year old niece, who adores playing in water. Well, the "little dame" does have lots of fun with this, but we're a bit disappointed that the water wheel won't turn at all, even when we adults attempt to make it work - it's just too stiff to be affected by the rather weak stream of water that falls onto it from the reservoir above (even turning it by hand takes some effort). I assume this is a defect in the unit my sister and her husband purchased, but they haven't yet had the time to try contacting Step 2 about a possible replacement. Also, the "tower" that contains the water wheel isn't very stable; it doesn't snap into place or anything, so it's too easily knocked over... or removed and thrown by a certain little "wrecker". ;) I'm not saying it should lock into place completely so children can't remove it w/o adult help, but it would be easier to use (assuming the wheel actually turned) if it at least "clicked" into place so it didn't fall over so readily. Hopefully this is just another defect in this specific unit that will be solved by replacing the tower/wheel assembly.
  
  
• the table does not hold water
  By A11Q9G6UAWLA1A on 2005-04-22
  The concept of this table was great. It is one piece and nicely laid out but it does not hold the water. The plugs in the bottom leak. We called Step2 and they did not have a fix for the problem so we returned this table. Step2 needs to remove the drain holes at the bottom of the table and this table would be perfect.
  
  Wait for the updated version.
  
  
• super fun!
  By A3PTH0NW78K3KN on 2005-05-20
  I just bought this water table for my 23 month old and she loves it! We already have a great sandbox outside, so we decided to look for a water-only table. We bring it inside to play with it on rainy days and take it out on our deck on good weather days. We've added lots of sea animals and bathtub squirters to play with, and measuring cups to pour water with. We also add a bit of soap to the water and give her little people and other plastic toys a bath. I also found that the plugs leak, but a bit of Glad Press and Seal seems to do the trick! Also, Step 2 is sending a set of replacement plugs that are supposed to fit tighter. Even with the drips, this toy is well worth every penny!!!
  
  
• Leaks, leaks and more leaks!
  By A19ZUBMGTQLLP1 on 2006-03-29
  We purchased this table for my 18 month old daughter. She had a blast playing with the table, loved making the water wheel turn. The problemn was that the table leaked, and leaked and then leaked some more. I called customer service and was told to use vaseline until I received my replacement plugs. The vaseline trick worked for all of 15 minutes and then it was leaking again. Finally received the replacement plugs and they did not fix the leaking problem. I ended up having to return the water table. I hated doing having to return it since my daughter enjoyed playing it so much but the leaking was so excessive that it was just not worth it. We ended up getting a water table by Little Tikes and have had a much better experience with it.
  
  
• My 16mo. old daughter loves it
  By A3PLG21HTPF1LN on 2006-06-17
  Anyone who has a toddler knows that it is difficult to maintain their interest in any one play activity for more than a few minutes. You rarely get past the first few pages of a book, the fun of a bubble blower starts dissipating when the first bubble pops on the carpet, and it's even tough to get them to finish their plate without resorting to the "flying teaspoon" or something like that.
  
  But this toy changes that. My 16-month old loves playing with it. The first day, she spent about 1 hour with it, and we had to pry her away.
  
  It's easy to assemble, and it's sturdiness was proved when my precious baby learned how to climb up and sit in it. It did not buckle. Because of the climbing potential, I wouldn't recommend it for your 18-month to 2 year old (or precocious 15-month old).
  
  There are no small parts that would pose a choking hazard. My daughter wasn't very interested in the water-wheel, but to each his/her own, right?
  
  I bought it when there's was a free shipping promotion. It was a good deal then.
  
  

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