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Melissa and Doug Primary Lacing Beads

Keep busy for hours with this bright, vividly painted assortment of wooden beads. Each bead comes with oversized holes, and the included laces are longer for smaller hands.

This classic collection of beads and laces helps children with hand coordination, dexterity and color recognition — all while inspiring creativity. Convenient wooden case makes clean-up and storage a cinch. Comes with 30 painted beads. Case measures 8″ x 10″ x 2″.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Spectacular!
Use beads with typical and special needs children in regular and adapted form. Kids just love them (starting at age 2).

5 Stars More than lacing..
Purchased for my 2 year old…..we have not only used it as suggested but found many other ways to play with the beads. We roll them across the table to each other, separate them into color groups, shape groups, etc and we stack them.

5 Stars A classic for good reason
My two year old son loves everything Melissa and Doug and the lacing beads did not disappoint. This toy has many educational uses; he loves making patterns and stacking the beads like blocks. He is building his fine motor skills and working on problem solving (how to get the string through the hole without it falling out, which even led to a discussion on gravity.) The beads are well made and the wooden box they come in stores everything very neatly. A great product at a great price!

5 Stars Lacing beads
The lacing beads can be used to improve sequencing skills, to promote recognition of colors and shapes and to increase fine motor coordination skills. Is an excellent investment for everyone!

5 Stars Engaging, Simple Toy – But NOT for Under 2’s!
I love this toy – and my 22-month-old twins do as well. I would just caution that the two smallest beads, while the size of very small plums, are still just small enough that they could get lodged in your toddler’s mouth if they were inclined to try to get the whole thing in. I wouldn’t trust my kids with this toy unsupervised for at least a few months yet (or will only let them play with the half of the beads that are substantially larger.

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Kid Toys [Learning & Education] Assortment, Case Measures, Cinch, Color Groups, Color Recognition, Colors And Shapes, Coordination Skills, Dexterity, Educational Uses, Good Reason, Hand Coordination, Laces, Lacing Beads, Melissa And Doug, Motor Coordination, Plums, Special Needs Children, Trus, Wooden Beads, Wooden Case

Melissa and Doug Classic Wooden Abacus

This brightly colored wooden abacus is a great first calculator for kids to learn counting, patterns, colors and more. The 100 colorful wooden beads slide smoothly on this classically styled, high-quality frame.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Good product
This product is more educational tool than a toy. I have 3 and 5 years old kids and they love to play with it while they are learning counting, adding, and subtracting. This is a great product.

3 Stars unsteady base
The base on the abacus I got is badly warped. I will have to somehow build up a corner or edge to keep the abacus from rocking too much. I imagine this is not a common problem.

3 Stars Good product
We bought this for our 3 year old, so that he can develop his counting skills – so far he has not shown much interest in using it for counting. But it seems like a sturdy and colorful abacus and we are hoping he’ll soon develop interest in using it.

5 Stars Excellent choice
I bought this for my friend’s daughter for her second birthday. According to my friend, her daughter opened it and immediately played with it for a full forty-five minutes. She loved it so much that before the week was out, she was saying “Good night, abacus!” along with good night to Mommy and Daddy.

3 Stars Not a real abacus
Although many reviewers tout this toy as highly educational, I find that beyond working on color recognition, fine motor skills, and simple counting, this toy is very limited because it is not a real abacus. Yes, it has beads on wires that you push back and forth, but it doesn’t have the right number of beads grouped together. There should be groups of two beads and five beads in a row–not 10 all together.

Buy/More Info

Kid Toys Baby Product Abacus, Color Recognition, Colors, Educational Tool, Fine Motor Skills, First Calculator, Five Minutes, High Quality, Love, Melissa And Doug, Mommy And Daddy, Quality Frame, Reviewers, Second Birthday, Wooden Beads

Trouble Board Game

Trouble is a board game with a simple concept: Be the first player to send your four game pieces all the way around the board, moving spaces determined by rolls of the dice. The “trouble” of the title comes when an opponent’s piece lands on a space occupied by your piece, thus sending yours back to the beginning. Parents will likely remember the game from their youth, or at least remember the game’s signature gimmick, the pop-o-matic dice roller. The Pop-o-matic is a dome-shaped clear plastic housing for the dice in the center of the board game that automatically tumbles the dice when pressed down and released. This feature, plus the board’s plastic slots that hold the game pieces in place, make Trouble a perfect travel game–car or boat motion won’t upset the game’s progress. It is indeed satisfying to press, slap, or pound the pop-o-matic. It’s strong enough to withstand the frustration of the losing player(s). The game’s simplicity makes it easy to jump into without elaborate explanations or practice games for new players, but it’s utter lack of strategy will likely limit interest to just a few rounds. –Porter B. Hall

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Hours of fun
My five-and-a-half year old son received this game as a Christmas present and, hands down, it beats anything else that he received. He wants to play it night and day. To stir things up a bit, we’ve created our own new rules, such as “you have to move backwards for 2’s,” or “you can switch places with another player for 4’s” and it makes the game even more fun and interesting.

Trouble … it’s an oldie but a goodie!

4 Stars great for young players!
I bought this for my 6 year old for Christmas. Based on the same strategy as “Sorry”, this game is easier for the very young to play. The game is intended for ages 5 and up, but I bet most 4’s could play and probably even 3’s would enjoy it as it could be used for learning to count, number recognition and color recognition. The dice popper is hard to push sometimes, but an older player could assist hand over hand. Overall, great game for family time!

5 Stars Jane’s Scoop
This is a great children’s board game and lots of family fun! I must confess, we “bend” the rules a little when only two of us are playing…..! This way we get to play “lots” more games!

This board game helps with finger dexterity plus it a great beginner counting game. In addition, it teaches patience. I reccoment this game to parents with children 3 and above.

The design of the game board itself could be improved, needs to be sturdier. The plastic bubble that holds the dice is very sturdy.

4 Stars Fun with a purpose!
Though I grew up with Trouble and loved it, I now use it in play therapy. It is a great tool for working with kids who have difficulty stopping and thinking before acting.

5 Stars Trouble Game no Trouble
We bought this to keep in our house when my 6 year old granddaughter visits. She already has this game at her house. She loves the game and it is an excellent one to teach children the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat of board games. Simple to learn. Fun for all to play for two to four players. Self-contained, portable and Inexpensive.

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Kid Toys Dolls B Hall, Board Game, Christmas Present, Color Recognition, Dice Roller, Explanations, Few Rounds, Frustration, Game Car, Game Pieces, Gimmick, Number Recognition, Oldie, Opponent, Pieces In Place, Practice Games, Simplicity, Slots, Travel Game, Utter Lack

Melissa and Doug Large Shapes Jumbo Puzzle

Extra-large knobs make it easy for small hands to remove each brightly colored piece. Matching full-color pictures are underneath. This super-sized; solid-wood puzzle with extra-chunky ?thick pieces is the perfect first puzzle!

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars jumbo puzzle / shapes
I bought this as a gift for my 10 month old granddaughter. The large wooden pieces will be durable and the large knobs will fit in her hands perfectly.

5 Stars Fantastic First Puzzle!
When I decided to introduce my kids to puzzles at around 16 months, I wanted something simple, safe, and educational. This fit the bill, and has been a wonderful toy that my kids seem to enjoy more and more. I like that each of the pieces will only fit in its own space – a simple idea, but a flaw I have found with many puzzles on the market. The pieces are hefty and durable, and the knobs are easy for my kids to handle. My kids are still in the habit of chewing on toys occasionally, and I’ve noticed just a little bit of peeling of the color on the pieces – if your child really gnaws on his/her toys still, this may not be the right toy yet. My kids have learned the basic concept of a puzzle from this toy, and they get so excited every time they get a shape in the right hole. I use the puzzle to reinforce/teach shapes, colors, and the concept of “matching” and “turning” pieces until they fit.

2 Stars great concept, but colors don’t match, etc.
I just purchased this puzzle for my 16 month old daughter who enjoys it. However, the colors of the plug and the hole are supposed to match and they don’t. Some are just very different shades and two are different colors altogether (purple versus blue/ orange versus red). Since color recognition is a fundamental aspect of this puzzle, this seems to be a significant flaw.

I also found as another reviewer did that the pieces don’t seem to have been removed and cleaned after the jig cut them out. There is particle board dust that seems to keep wearing off with continued use even after it is cleaned with a damp cloth. This can be considered a small trade off for the price of the toy since it is so functional and educational.

However, the only concern I have with the dust is whether there are any chemicals from glue or other materials that might have some degree of toxicity. The pieces are in no way deteriorating of crumbling apart; there is just dust that my daughter found fascinating and began licking off her fingers.

The pegs to hold the pieces are perfect. The pieces fit well, not too loose, not too tight. I really like this puzzle for my daughter and hope that I can get it exchanged for one that has accurately corresponding colors.

5 Stars Great puzzle for any toddler
My one year old boy just got this toy as a present and loves it. He actually bypasses his other puzzles for this one each time. Since he is only one – I am using the puzzle to teach him colors. When he is older, I can use it to teach him shapes. Really happy with this toy.

5 Stars wooden shapes puzzle
my 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old sons both enjoy this puzzle. good for working on motor skills, teaching colors and shapes.

Buy/More Info

Kid Toys Dolls Color Recognition, Different Colors, Fundamental Aspect, Granddaughter, Habit, Jig, Jumbo Puzzle, Knobs, Match, Melissa And Doug, Particle, Puzzle Shapes, Puzzles, Shades, Small Hands, Solid Wood, Thick Pieces, Turning Pieces, Wood Puzzle, Wooden Pieces

Melissa and Doug Cutting Food Box

Contains 8 smooth-sanded wooden foods, cutting board and knife. Food makes fun “crunch” sounds when sliced! Made of wood with non-toxic finishes. 12 x 11 x 2 3/4. Promotes social, fine and gross motor skills.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Fun, Durable, Educational
This goes perfectly in the play kitchen. The kids love it, especially the four year old. He wants to be a chef just like in Ratatouille.

Beautifully painted and durable, I expect these will still be in great shape when they are a having kids of their own. That in of itself is a treasure with so many other cheap plastic toys that fall apart within days on the market.

The opportunities for imaginative play, food names, math skills (counting, early division), color recognition etc. are endless. My personal favorite is cooking in the kitchen with mommy. I prepare food and they “help”.

5 Stars Lots of great play
We’ve had this set for about five years now and few toys have had the constant use among our children and their friends as this. It still looks great (hardly any chipping), which is amazing since it’s been used so much, the velcro has stayed attached on all the pieces except for the carrot but we’ve glued them back on. We bought it for our then 2 year old and thought it would be one of those toys that would only be used for a few months and then be passed on, but somehow it always gets pulled back out and played with by both our oldest daughter, then our son, and now our toddler, as well as friends. Great toy for older kids to play with younger ones as well and often is quite project as they “make soup”,dish it up, and repeat. One of our surprise favorites.

5 Stars Creative
My little guy loves to pretend to cut food just like Mom in the kitchen. Melissa and Doug make great quality products.

5 Stars AWESOME!!
My daughter received these as a gift for her first Christmas. They were a little out of her grasp at first, but they have been one thing she plays with every day. The wood is a great quality and they are a sturdy toy. Fun, artful and educational. She is almost 3 now!

5 Stars Very Happy
I have a daughter that is blind and has other disabilities and this is perfect for her. My 4 year old enjoys them very much as well.

Buy/More Info

Kid Toys Puzzles Carrot, Color Recognition, Cooking In The Kitchen, Crunch, Cutting Board, First Christmas, Food Names, Grasp, Great Shape, Great Toy, Gross Motor Skills, Imaginative Play, Math Skills, Melissa And Doug, Mommy, Plastic Toys, Quality Products, Surprise Favorites, Velcro, Younger Ones