Introducing updates to ‘The Thinker’ and ‘The Explorer’ Play Kits for babies

After play studies, weeks of in-home testing, and thousands of customer surveys, we are excited to announce updates to The Thinker Play Kit for months 11–12 and The Explorer Play Kit for months 9–10.

We updated these Play Kits to provide a combination of stage-appropriate play essentials that your child will love. We designed each Plaything to prioritize independent play value, provide more unique sensory experiences, and reflect the diversity of our Lovevery families—including new customizable dolls. 

Our Play Kits for babies focus on helping your child practice development fundamentals with unique Playthings that are interactive and engaging ❤️ We are happy to offer subscribers who received the previous versions either Kit (within the last 60 days) $15 toward new items, available in our Subscriber Shop. Please check your email for access.

As always, The Play Kits are designed in house with a team of child development experts, and you won’t find them anywhere else.

Why we update our products

Our product update philosophy helps us deliver on our core value: “driven to innovate.” 

We are continually listening and learning. While each new product is the result of more than 30 touchpoints, we learn the most from you—and the hundreds of thousands of families who bring Lovevery products into their homes.

Our work is never done. We are proud of our products but honored to be a part of your family’s life during the early years. Learning starts at home—thank you for welcoming us into yours.

FAQS

I wish I had known sooner or had the option to choose which version I wanted. 

We understand, and we have a solution: we’ve set up The Subscriber Shop to provide access either to the items in the prior versions of the Play Kits or to the new items in the updated kits. 

If you received an updated Play Kit:

Anyone who received an updated Play Kit has access to purchase the original Playthings in The Subscriber Shop. You will receive an email with a link to the Subscriber Shop to access additional items and books from the prior versions of the Kit. 

If you received the original Play Kit:

Anyone who received the original Play Kit in the past 60 days also has access to new Playthings in the Subscriber Shop. You will receive an email with a link to access the Shop.  

We are happy to offer subscribers who received the previous version of The Thinker or The Explorer Play Kit (within the last 60 days) $15 toward new items, available in our Subscriber Shop. Please check your email for access.

If you did not receive the original Play Kit within the past 60 days and are interested in access to The Subscriber Shop, please contact our Customer Experience Team here. 

These updated Play Kits look really cool. Can you tell me more about them?

The Thinker: Months 11-12

• Wooden Peg Drop (New): Practice precise fine motor skills with this engaging problem-solving challenge

• Organic Cotton Baby Doll (New): A pal for play—available in your choice of three skin tones

• Organic Cotton Sensory Pouch (New): Fun games in hiding and finding with a reversible design to help practice the pincer grasp

• Opposite Balls:  Explore light versus heavy and sinking versus floating—for fun on the floor or in the bath
• Sliding Top Box: Build strength, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills with this surprising box
• Pincer Puzzle: Practice the pincer grasp while working on gross and fine motor skills at the same time
• ‘Animals I See’ Mini Book: Small enough for baby to hold—and interesting enough to make diaper time more tolerable

The Explorer: Months 9-10

• Stainless Steel Tip & Turn (New): Practice bilateral coordination to make the ball spin around the circular groove

• Stainless Steel Jingle Keys (New): Safely explore real-life objects with an easy-to-grasp ring

• Bright & Light Play Scarf (New): Play peek-a-boo, see how shapes change, and delight your little one with open-ended play

• ‘How I Feel’ Board Book: Building emotional intelligence begins with talking about feelings
• First Blocks:  A classic set of blocks crafted from sustainably harvested wood
• Clear Tube with Stacking Rings & Baby Ball: Designed to teach concepts like containment and ring stacking
• Montessori Egg Cup: This Montessori classic helps your baby work on concentration and coordination
• Little Grip Canister Set: Ergonomically designed for little hands, this set teaches volumes about volumes

What is your process for updating The Play Kits?

Customer feedback is central to our product and Play Kit updates. Both quantitative and qualitative data—and consultation from our team of experts—inform our design process.

Listen: We collect extensive customer feedback from in-home play studies, phone and email surveys, and our Customer Experience Team.

Ask: What worked? What didn’t? How can we better serve your family? 

Obsess: One product is the result of at least 30 touchpoints, not including surveys (conversations about intent, in-home testing, development experts, prototyping, etc.).

Refine: Our in-house product team—with consultation from our team of experts—makes sure the product is engaging, revisited by the child, builds the intended skill, and provides both play and developmental value.

Validate: We broaden and narrow our scope continually—and test products back in homes—until we’ve perfected each product to be exactly what the child needs at each stage.

Test: Every new product undergoes a series of testing to ensure it meets or exceeds global safety and quality standards.

I would love to provide feedback. How can I help be a part of this process?

We are developing a customer panel and would love to have you join us. We will reach out to subscribers when we are ready to formalize the group. 

Are you going to continue to update The Play Kits?

We are constantly working to improve our products, which may result in periodic Play Kit updates. We are listening to you and grateful for your feedback on product surveys. 

While these Play Kit updates occasionally include exciting new products, we also make minor improvements to Playthings to provide an even better play experience. For example, we occasionally update images, improve materials for sensory play, and make minor dimension adjustments so our Playthings are perfect for your child. 

We announce these improvements on our social media: Follow us @lovevery. 

I love the new customizable dolls. I received Avery, but I don’t feel it’s representative of my family. How can I order a new Organic Baby Doll of my choice?

If you already received the Avery Doll and do not feel that Avery represents your family, please reach out to our Customer Experience Team here, and they will help provide options.

How have you updated the books?

We will continue to offer books in our Play Kits to help your child explore new concepts, emotions, and milestones. 

The updated Thinker Play Kit includes the ‘Animals I See’ mini book for your child, just like the previous version. The ‘Silly Songs’ booklet was for parents, and very similar content can be found (for free) at our blog here. We’ve also included the ‘Notes to My Child’ cards in The Thinker to help you celebrate and remember your baby’s first year.

Can I access The Subscriber Shop if I didn’t receive the prior version of The Play Kits recently?

We are working on expanding our access windows so current and past Play Kit subscribers can purchase the updated Playthings in The Subscriber Shop. Please contact us to let us know you’re interested ❤️

Which Playthings and books are available for each Play Kit in the Subscriber Shop?

The Explorer: Months 9-10

Updated:

• Stainless Steel Jingle Keys
• Stainless Steel Tip & Turn
• Bright & Light Play Scarf

Original:

• Shapes Bean Bags
• Zipper Pouch
• ‘Opposites’ Board Book
• Peek-A-Boo Blanket

The Thinker: Months 11-12

Updated:

• Wooden Peg Drop
• Organic Cotton Sensory Pouch
• Notes To My Child
• Organic Cotton Baby Doll: Light Skin Tone, Tan Skin Tone, Dark Skin Tone

Original:

• Wooden Stacking Stones
• First Wallet + Big Spender Cards & Wood Coins
• Baby Avery

Is The Subscriber Shop here to stay?

Yes—we are so excited to offer this special option as a benefit to our subscribers moving forward. After each of your Play Kits ship, you will have exclusive access to the Lovevery Playthings and books you can’t find anywhere else ❤️

Can I buy multiples of an item in the Subscriber Shop? I wanted to have an extra copy of a book for grandma’s house. 

We’re so happy you’re excited about the products, and you are welcome to order one of each item—each item is limited to one per customer. This policy helps make sure as many Lovevery Play Kit subscribers have access to the Playthings and books in The Subscriber Shop as possible. 

Can I return to the same Subscriber Shop once I’ve ordered something?  

You can visit the Shop as many times as you like, but can only place an order once—you will no longer have access to The Subscriber Shop after you’ve placed your order. You can choose from products specifically from your most recent Play Kit. Once your next one-year-old Play Kit ships, you will have access to the Subscriber Shop again to order Playthings specific to that Kit. If you didn’t order everything you wanted from The Subscriber Shop, please contact our Customer Experience Team here.

When will my Subscriber Shop items ship? What are the shipping costs?

Ship dates for specific items vary based on inventory. In the case an item goes on backorder, the ship dates are indicated on the product page. Regardless of when your items ship, your card will be charged at checkout.

All Lovevery orders, including from The Subscriber Shop, ship at a flat rate of $5.95 for orders under $75, and we offer free shipping for orders $75 and over.

I prepaid for my subscription. Can I still cancel my subscription, and how will my refund be calculated?

If you pay upfront for your subscription, you can still cancel from within your customer account; however, your refund will be calculated based on the total amount you paid, minus the purchase price of the Play Kits you’ve already received. Cancellation requests are processed and any refunds issued within 2–3 business days of cancellation.

We’d also love to hear your feedback—you will be prompted to answer a quick question as you cancel. We read every word of your response, so thank you for helping us improve.

I haven’t heard from Customer Experience. When can I expect to hear back?

Your feedback and questions are important to us, and our team will get back to you as soon as possible. Our Customer Experience team works to support every customer with the appropriate care, time, and attention. A Customer Experience team member will be in touch with you within 5-7 business days, and we thank you for your patience as we respond to questions in the order they’re received.