Lovevery “The Inspector” Play Kit Review For 7-8 Months

Trying to decide if “The Inspector” Play Kit from Lovevery is worth it? In short: Yes! To recreate this play kit using Etsy and Amazon dupes, you're looking at spending a minimum of $84 or up to $108 – both of which are more than the cost of this montessori subscription box!

Plus the items in it have been some of my kids ABSOLUTE FAVORITE since we got them back in 2018! Below, you'll see a video review with a look inside the montessori based toys from Lovevery, Amazon dupes to curate it yourself, the pros and cons to it, and which of the toys my daughter still plays with as a toddler!

You can read the FAQs and full review of all the Lovevery Subscription Play Kits here.

Video review: “The Inspector” Play Kit in action:

How much does The Inspector Play Kit from Lovevery Cost?

The Inspector Play Kit is $80, or you can get a 10% discount if you pay up front which would bring the price down to $72, or “$36 a month” as it says on their website.

This breaks down to about $8 a toy in the subscription box. So it's actually a really good deal as some of the comparable items on Amazon cost about $25!

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What is inside The Inspector Play Kit for Months 7-8?

Dupes

There are loads of dupes for this, given it's a classic toy and one I recommend EVERY parent have in their toy box, but this one has amazing reviews and is at one of the best prices and this one includes 2 extra balls which works as a dupe for the next item in this play kit…

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Amazon Dupe

There are two books I'd recommend for this Lovevery Dupe:

• The Toddler's Handbook – It has 100 words, with a mix of real life pictures, and the gestures drawn out making it easy to understand. With that said, there's a handful of gestures per page, which may be overwhelming for a baby compared to Lovevery's single focus approach which I love. However, this book will last through the toddler years and teaches significantly more in the long run.
• Baby Sign Language Made Easy – Features 101 words and teaches one word per page, which I like from both a long lasting standing and deepening focus. While it's technically for parents, I think baby's will enjoy reading this alongside as the drawings of little kids are very realistic!
• ABC Signs: A board book with 26 signs. While it features cartoons instead of real kids/objects like the others, it is a durable board book and also has a solid illustration of the gesture, making it easy to follow!

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Dupes

The brand DK tends to have a lot of great books featuring real life objects and they actually have sets of touch and feel cards similar to Lovevery's! They come in a few different themes to choose from and would make a great addition to this play kit or dupe:

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My daughter can play with these in the sink, bath, or pool for SO LONG. We've gotten weekly use out of these the last 3 years! I use them in so many activities too!

Amazon Dupes:

The cheapest dupe is this set of 8, which we also have. Just like Lovevery's, there are a graduating number of holes on the bottom (smallest has 1, next has 2, etc.). I will say, our Lovevery one's are in perfect condition, but the dupe ones have struggled with some mildew.

Now the best dupe for this is actually a Lovevery dupe! Yep, Lovevery released a line of stand alone items with target, including their nesting cups which is the original set of 12 cups. We get SO much use out of the bigger cups included in that set. We use them for sorting activities, to hold puzzle pieces and organize our play shelf, water play, and so much more! If you're going to buy nesting cups, this is really the best set.

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Dupes

Nothing exactly like Lovevery's puzzle but there are a couple of montessori shape puzzles dupes, and you can always cut pictures of your family to fit into the puzzle piece slots to recreate the inside of Lovevery's, but with family members!

• 3 Shape puzzle: this is one board with 3 shapes on it.
• 4 Separate puzzles each with its own shape. Personally, I'd go with these over the other opt, even though they are a little more expensive. These are about the same size as the Lovevery one. We used it all the time for the first 18 months as the size made it perfect for travel, the car, or even at appointments to keep her busy.

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Dupes

Most felt balls for sale are smaller, designed for DIYs and banners. So finding larger ones that also work with Lovevery's ball drop/the object permanence box is a little challenging, but I have a few options for you!

• This set of rainbow balls – This is technically not a dupe, but I always recommend it to people. We use the for SO many activities and counting! They are 2.5 cm and about half the size of Lovevery's. I did a custom order with the shop, 100 balls, the primary rainbow colors plus the white, black, and royal blue. My tip: choose ball colors that match your nesting cups for a sorting activity!
• This set is the most similar to Lovevery's. Choose from a ton of colors, quantity, and sizes. I'd suggest the 4 cm to dupe Lovevery's most accurately!
• This is a set of 10, also the same size as Lovevery's.

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In my post on activities to do at home with your toddler using household items, you may remember me saying, “the secret to keeping a toddler entertained is just finding new containers to put things in” Yep, this is just another container that is a unique texture and will keep your kid entertained!

Dupes

You can really use any basket that matches your home decor! But I do like this set of 3 affordable woven baskets, which you can use for sorting activities, store the balls from this play kit, nursery organization, and so much more. Honestly, with kids I feel like you can never have enough baskets!

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It's the perfect size for little mouths and helps them build muscles for forming sounds later on.

She even puts her pinkie out while using it… too cute!

Dupes

Lovevery's actually no longer features a handle, but does still feature the unique lip. I think the small size and lip of the cup makes it very easy for small mouths learning to drink from an open cup. For that reason I chose stainless steel espresso cups with a similar rim. These are all basically the same size as Loveverys but come in a 2 pack – Amazon changes prices up quite often so just look to see which has the best price below!

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Discontinued Items:

Dupe:

Instead of buying this Lovevery book, I'd actually suggest this first 100 words book. We have a few books from that author/collection and my daughter has always been obsessed with them! They feature real kids, animals, and objects just like Lovevery but give you significantly more items in the book. With that said, there are tons of montessori aligned “first words” books to choose from:

Is The Inspector Play Kit from Lovevery worth it?

YES YES YES! Financially speaking, to recreate this play kit using Etsy and Amazon dupes, you're looking at spending a minimum of $84 or up to $108.

Qualitatively, this is one of our favorites from the first year! All of the items lasted us at least 18 months and are in wonderful condition to reuse with my second. It really is a great selection of items!

Without a doubt, if you've been skeptical on buying the Lovevery Play Kits up to this one, this is the one to jump in on and buy it here!

Shop “The Inspector” Play Kit from Lovevery:

You can read the FAQs and full review of Lovevery Subscription Play Kits here.

Quick Shop Amazon Dupes:

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Originally published 7/27/2020; Updated 10/20/21