Big Belly Banks - a review and fantastic giveaway!!

   What kid doesn't love to play with coins by putting them in piggy banks? I know my 6 and 3 year old does! Every time we need to dip into our big old 'water jug' piggy bank, those boys here that booming sounds of the change being dumped out and they are right by our sides ready to put the coins back in. Which can be helpful.... or NOT! Either way, I can't deny the fact that the boys love to do it.

   There are tons of banks out there for kids but boy did I find a gem for my boys to try! Big Belly Banks is a small family business that makes fantastic, hand crafted, wooden banks for kids of all ages. Designed by John Chesnut and inspired by a hungry goose that wanted his sandwich, these banks not only have a great story behind it but they are unique and will stand the test of time. I have always thought that simplicity is better in most cases and this is something that kind of throws you back a little and shows you how a simple idea can be a major hit. Just to explain what I mean by simplicity... I am mainly talking about all the bells and whistles (and let's not forget battery operated) toys. One of the best investments with my kids was a wooden train track that didn't take a single battery. It has lasted for years and is still played with on a regular basis.

   These banks come in 2 sizes, 20" and 23" high and there are many different designs to choose from. John was generous enough to send my family out a choice of his banks. We chose the 23" fish bank. I loved a lot of the designs but my husband really was fond of the fish and since we weren't going to have the boys fighting over which one, we went with that one. It took no time at all for it to arrive and was very safely packaged in a big box with Big Belly Banks written on the side.

   After opening the box, right away you could see that it was very well done. You could smell the fresh paint and there wasn't a drip, scratch or mistake anywhere. The coral and the base are made from 3/4" wood and is just really solid. What seriously impressed me though is that the coins are dropped in John's patented coin track (in our case) down the coral and into the fishes belly through one solid piece of wood.

I don't know how he did the cutting but I love the neatness of this piece! The hard plastic belly displays his name, the US patent number and Big Belly in small writing around the edge. To the right is a shot of the coin track and you can see what I mean. This track takes dimes, nickels, pennies, and quarters.
    You can purchase these great banks from www.bigbellybanks.com . You can also get replacement bellies in case yours gets cracked. They don't have a facebook page but they do have a fan group that someone started.

WIN IT

Yep! John is giving one of you very lucky readers a bank of your own! Use the rafflecopter below to enter the giveaway and good luck cause this is a fantastic prize!






 
 
 


I received this product for the purpose of review. The opinions in this post are 100% my own and may differ from yours.