Reviews (2)

An Awesome T-Rex
My four year old grandson has had this puzzle for two years and has probably assembled it over 100 times! He still loves it more than any other puzzle we've given him, probably because it's in the shape of a T-Rex. I highly recommend it for any dinosaur loving child.

dinosaur shaped large floor puzzle, very good quality
Typical of this manufacturer, the cardboard pieces are strong and durable. The graphics are a high quality printing. Without abnormal abuse this puzzle will last for many years.

The puzzle is shaped like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It is large. Will be loved by dinosaur fanatics like my son!

I highly recommend all carboard and wooden peg puzzles by Lights, Camera, Interaction for their durability and high quality. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Unzip this 10-by-14-inch, bright turquoise, soft cloth book, and you'll find two animal-packedalphabet trains spanning both pages. Each train car is a pocket, and each pocket is embroidered with aletter of the alphabet. Inside the pockets you'll find friendly little pillow animals, each one marked with aletter of the alphabet: the pink elephant rides in the E car, and the green alligator rides in the A car.Your child will love taking the animals out of the pockets and stuffing them back in (a favorite toddleractivity). You'll have fun teaching your child the names of the animals and letters, such as N for newtand X for xenops. When playtime is over, your toddler can zip the whole gang safely inside, grab thesturdy handle, and tote the little animals to their next destination. --Elisabeth Fredrickson ... Read more

Reviews (8)

My favorite toy for my kids!
This was a gift to my newborn boy, but my 2 1/2 year old adores it!
Pros:
1. helps teach letters (each animal has the letter that starts its name on its back)
2. compact, portable
3. cute!
4. animals good for other play (my daughter likes to pretend to "save" them when they are stuck in a tree, or have them ride in her "airplane" (shoe)... and much much more
5. OK for babies (although the animals are smallish, ~ 3inches tall, they never presented a choking hazard for my son -- who likes to chew them)
6. The animals machine wash well (see chewing note above :) )
Cons:
1. Lots of pieces to lose -- we lost the lion for quite a while, but he showed up behind the entertainment center
2. Some of the animals are not so recognizable -- I think "N" is a newt, but it's hard to tell.

Despite the few cons, this is probably my favorite toy that my kids have. Thus, 5 stars all around!

A worthy investment
I bought this for my daughter at 17 months and she loves it. Not only is it beautiful, it's the best quiet time toy ever!!

Just an FYI
We've owned this toy for over 3 years. The manufacturer (Pockets of Learning) replaces missing pieces at no charge, not even shipping!

Great Old MacDonald Cheat Sheet
We love our Animal Train. We sing Old MacDonald Had a Farm and use all of the animals in alphabetical order. Some are a little hard to come up with sounds for (like newt, for example!!!) and some of the animals are hard to recognize, but still, this is a wonderful idea and a nice implementation of it.

My 16 month old loves this learning toy!!
I bought this when my son was 14 months old and it immediately became his favorite toy. Within a month he knew at least 10 of the animals and could point to them when I asked where they were. He even knows exactly where to place his favorite 4 animals when all of the pockets are empty. This toy has helped his dexterity too as he has learned how to slide the animals inside of the pockets. These soft animals are just the right size for little hands and at any point during the day our son can be found carrying 2 or 3 animals all around the house. They have even helped with nap and bedtime!! Putting him down for sleep was a dreaded event as he would always cry. I began to place the entire "book" in his crib, telling him to talk to each of his animals. He becomes so focused on taking them in and out of the book that he forgets about going to sleep and ultimately falls asleep within 15 minutes. When I go in to check on him he is always sound asleep with one still in his hands! I HIGHLY recommend this toy as it teaches colors, letters, animals and helps increase dexterity. ... Read more

Teacher Review

With this well-designed, double-sided easel, preschoolers can enjoy theadvantages of creative expression on an upright surface. The easel's frame ismade from sturdy wood left in its natural state, with thick pressed board usedas the bases for the art surfaces. One side of the easel has a 24-by-24-inch,green chalkboard, and the other side has a 24-by-24-inch, white dry-erase board.Two removable, washable trays are included to attach to the easel (one withmolded spaces to hold paint jars and brushes). The easel requires simpleassembly, but no tools are required and all bolts and plastic bolt covers areincluded. Some thoughtful design aspects include an adjustable height feature, aconvenient, built-in paper roll dispenser (with paper), and two metal clips to attach paper forpainting. This set was a winner of the Dr. Toy Best Classic ToysAward, and it would be a winning addition to any playroom, family daycare home,or preschool. --Marcie Bovetz, mother and former children's librarian ... Read more

Reviews (4)

"Let's Play School"
We've had easels in our home for many years. First, with our 4 children, and now, we're replacing for grandchildren. The girls enjoy drawing pretty pictures for my fridge. Now that they are in school, that is ALL they want to play. IT'S MARVELOUS! As the school age children play, repeating their math questions and spelling words, the younger children ARE LISTENING and LEARNING.
I whole heartedly recommend this easel for ANYONE with children in the home. It is very beneficial to their learning...

we like it
My father bought this easel for my daughter's 5th birthday. It was easy to but together and works really well with a child who loves to draw,color,& paint. We only wish that it came with a roll of paper.

Highly Recommended!
I bought this easel for my then 2 year old daughter. It was surprisingly easy to put together..even with her helping me. It is very sturdy and looks like it will last for a long time. The paper roll is very handy. And the trays give a nice large area to store chalk/eraser/paints/etc. The easel has 2 heights, so it will grow with her. I highly recommend spending the little extra on this easel...you wont be disappointed!

Fun but frustrating
We purchased this toy as a Christmas present for our kids and didn't put it together until Christmas morning. The rod to hold the paper in the middle is too long so we have to tear pieces of paper to fit the easel for them to color on. This was one of the reasons that we chose this over other easels and it doesn't work. Also, the dry erase marker board doesn't clean off very well. I use them often at work and this board is by far the hardest to clean off of any of them I've used. The kids love it, other than trying to clean it off and have a great time playing school with it. As far as the enjoyment the kids will get out of it, I think it is great! I just wish for the price that it worked a little better. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Jay Jay and my son Evan are 2 peas in a POD!
I am such a major fan of PBS and all the programming they share especially for children. When I saw that LeapPad for preschoolers offere one with Jay Jay from the hit show Jay Jay the Jet Plane I pulled out my credit card. They are few choices in our local stores for these books for the My First LeapPad version of the educational toys. I say if you can get it-grab it! The morals to the stories are one's my son Evan who is only 2 retains from day to day

If your child likes Jay Jay...
My son is 2 years 4 months old. He can't run the entire toy alone yet (as the My First Leap Pad is made for 3-5 year olds) he plays Jay Jay for at least an hour at a time. He loves it with Snuffy and Tracy etc. This book has plenty of games for the kids to play and a lot of places to touch and hear the "planes'" voices.

Science and Fun!
My kids 2 & 4 like this leap book. We are not especially JayJay fans, but I was really pleased with the content of this book. It has some really neat stuff to learn about in it...not just the ABC's and 123's. Its content includes many science themes like Animals,Dinosaurs, Planets and Solar system, Landforms, Seasons and weather, as well as simply learning what goes on in the Day and Nightime or what to wear for different weather. The main story focuses on a butterfly named Breezy that is flying south. I was pleased with the different content that it provided, it was a nice change from the typical abc's. You don't have to be a JayJay fan to enjoy this one, but Science is the main theme here so if you are looking for abc's and 123's...you wont find that. I gave it 4 stars for durability simply because its paper, and it can get worn. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not Fisher Price
The toy is fun and educational but the cartridges are easily lost and the pen stopped working after 3 months, probably because my kid was rough with it. If your child is tough on toys, this one won't last long.

another good leap book
This one has a lot of fun games in a wide range of types.

It has lots of the "guess which animal/person/thing I'm thinking of" games... which are my daughter's favorite.
It also has a lot of pages about letter sounds and rhyming.

Good addition to your leap library.

Very nice book to add on to My first Leap Pad
This book covers 21 nursery rhymes, and is much nicer than the book which goes with the regular Leap Pad. Except for one, the songs are sung by Leap, Tad, or Lily, and the childrens voices are a vast improvement on the quavering high pitched voice on the other book. Nice responses, and games for your toddler -- my 2 1/2 year old really likes the book, and liked to sing along. They can learn about pretending to be a rhyme character, and also learn rhyming words which are highlighted as vocabulary when they point to objects and in the games. As compared to the Mother Goose Songbook, there is no option to listen to just one instrument at a time, or even to an instrument only version, but that is not much missed for a toddler.

4 stars on the durability, since the leap pad as a whole is much too sensitive to be a toddler toy! This one also shuts off if the cartridge is jiggled, though the pen seems slightly sturdier than the green LeapPad, and its great that the flip books snap on to the pad for easier play. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Excellent Puzzle!
My three year old loves this puzzle and it has helped her learn her letters. We even play games with it - kind of like "I spy" for the next letter. The peices are large and easy for her to assemble. Well worth the investment.

Grab this puzzle!
This has got to be one of the best puzzles or tools to teach the alphabet. My little one just received this for his birthday and has put it together all by himself already (he's 3)! It teaches great motor dexterity as well as the alphabet and 26 animals. He loves to make all their sounds as he goes along. It stretches clear across the kitchen floor and it's a bunch of fun for the cat too! My son is getting a big jump on the alphabet with this puzzle and it's just a great investment. Here's a little hint though. Don't wait until the last minute to get it for Christmas. I tried last year and it was sold out for 2 months! Get it now and don't be disappointed!

Lots of fun
I bought this puzzle for my 2 yr old daughter for Christmas and she loves it. She doesn't know her letters yet, but she can find all 'passengers' on the train and we say the letter for the piece that she is looking for. Now, she is starting to know what letters we are looking for. This is a step up from the alphabet song and leading into letter recognition. The pieces are thick and durable. She stands on them and there is no wear and tear. This is a great toy for any preschooler! Wonderful 'hands-on' toy!

Can't go wrong with this one!
My 3 year old daughter is autistic and I read another person's Amazon review. The review recommended it for working with autistic children. These puzzles are outstanding in quality and "entertainment with a purpose". This puzzle is so much fun and holds my daughter's interest. It has helped her motor skills to figure out how the pieces fit and manuever them into place. She loves to sort and to search through the pieces, hide and seek style, to get the one that comes next. She used to not be able to sit and finish anything. This has increased her attention span and we love it! Buy it!

Wonderful Floor Puzzle
I just got this puzzle and the animal barn puzzle today. They are wonderful. I bought them because of the nice reviews I read here. When I got it, I am still surprised in their thickness and size. My daughter is still too young for them, but I am sure she will love them when the time comes. ... Read more

Features

• No tools needed for assembly
• Working door
• Front and back curtains

Reviews (3)

Fun, Colorful and Durable!
I bought this last year for Christmas and my girls use it virtually every day. They have put on puppet productions, used it as a lemonade stand, a club house, a shop and a thousand other uses. As you can see, it is extemely colorful and surprizingly durable. This was money well spent. I highly recommend it.

Great imaginations at work!
This is a great puppet theater, sound stage, restaurant, play house, etc... My daughter was 4 when she received this from Santa. He only wished he had found it sooner! My daughter continues to love it, and will now be sharing it with her younger sister. Many hours of pretend have been spent inside and outside this theater. We especially love it because it is large enough inside for two or more children. All the others we researched were too small for our needs. The colors are so vibrant and fun, we get tons of compliments from all our company. All the kids gravitate towards it!

Playhouse sparks imagination!
This playhouse theater is an excellent way to spark your child's imagination. My son received this as a Christmas gift last year and it has not only been a theater, but a house, cave, secret hideout, restaurant, and schoolhouse. Very colorful and the front chalkboard is excellent for strenghtening writing skills! The only downside I have with the theater is that it is not very durable. The theater is made of some sort of flimsy plywood and it is not secured with screws, etc. It slides together and a child can easily disassemble it. The front panel that the child rest's his/her arms on broke after two weeks of having the theater. Other than the durability factor...great product! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This Star Explosion kit allows children to create a universe intheir own bedrooms. With over 500 glow-in-the-dark adhesive pieces tochoose from (including stars of all sizes, comets, asteroids, and spiralgalaxies), junior astronomers can create star displays, black-holeeffects, and, with the aid of the included star map, actualconstellations. There are 364 small (.25-inch to 1.5-inch) star stickersand about 200 larger (1.5-inch to 5.5-inch) plastic shapes that adhereto walls and ceilings with the putty that comes with the set (it's safeto use on most surfaces). The stickers and plastic shapes are made ofGlominite, a safety-tested product that stores light. Each time theGlominite shapes are exposed to light, they recharge--so that theglowing keeps on going. --Kathryn Gustafson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

WE TURNED THE BEDROOM INTO A GALAXY
I had a lot of fun with my granchildren transforming their bedroom into a glowing galaxy. There was more than enough stars to make a bunch of constellations on their ceiling. These are easy to use and weren't messy at all. The kids love staring at the stars and pointing out the names of constellation before they go to bed at night. I was surprised when they started pointing out the real ones once we were outside one evening.
The experience really turned them on to learning about the constellations. We even ended up buying a real telescope and book about stars. What a fun way to learn for all of us. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Kids won't be afraid of the dark with this heavy-duty flashlight by their beds. It looks just like the one you carry in your car, but it's made for kids. For one thing, it shines in white, green, or red light with the turn of a switch, and it has an automatic shutoff. If the bar underneath the handle isn't pressed down, the flashlight will shut off in 30 seconds. It also has a manual on/off switch, so kids can feel like they're in total control. Mom or Dad will need to help install the batteries with a screwdriver, but after that kids will be off to explore the darkest corners of the closets or on a jungle safari through the living room. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (26)

not a battery hog!
We purchased this on Amazon for our than 2.5 year old son. At 3.5...a whole year later, he still likes playing with it. It has held up to a very active little boys rough play, with its durable plastic and large buttons. It doesn't hog batteries like some flashlights. It goes out after awhile, rather than burn the night away inside your child's covers AFTER they have fallen asleep. It has a fun nob that creates 2 extra colors to play with. It is bright enough to really USE in the dark. The model we have is not the white one, it is bright yellow. This is a really nice little flashlight for kids. Recommended!

best toy ever!!!
This toy is SUPER. My son received this as a Christmas gift and I thought it as a terrible choice (he was 2 at the time) 2 years later my son STILL sleeps with this flashlight and takes it everytime we go anywhere in case we "can't see"! Great tool for potty training (or trying to get little ones not to pee the bed) my son LOVES getting up in the night with his flashlight, so he can see, and going to the bathroom. This is a toy every little boy should have from the age of 2 on :-)
Great gift idea !!!!

Has lasted thru 2 boys
This was a gift for my first son when he was 18 months old. He wasn't so interested at first, but by about 2 years old he loved it and would "rediscover" it from time to time. Now my 2nd boy, 18 months old, plays with it all the time. Has been a great toy for in the car. The batteries do last a long time. Take awhile for the kids to figure out how to turn it on (there are 2 buttons required) but once that is mastered, it is fun all the way!

a fun fun thing
I forever looling for items that will keep my three year old triplets busy for mor then two minutes=these flashlights did the trick-they love them

My first flashlight
This was my first flashlight growing up & finally threw it away when I got married (didn't use it anymore, of course, but call me a pack rat...)--that should sum up the durability part!. I am buying this for my 2 year old son for Christmas so we won't have to hide our flashlights anymore! I'm sure he'll love it as much as I did. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lots of fun....
I bought this for my 2-year-old and he likes it a lot (I keep the markers in a safe place, though....markers and 2-year-olds are a dangerous combination). I especially like the reverse side of the workspace; you can put paper over it and lightly rub the crayon to see images come through. I like it as much as he does. I think it will be used for a long time.

The only thing I don't like is the price....I got it on clearance. I don't think it's worth the full price. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Learning Toy
Great for teaching the concept of 10's, adding, subtracting - in a fun way! Highly recommend.

Great Value
There are 10 wooden beads which slide across each of the 10 metal rods of the toy. The colors are bright and the frame is thick and durable. As should be expected, there are no instructions included with the abacus. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

We LOVE this PUZZLE!
This puzzle has lived through three children! All of them have enjoyed playing, and learning with this toy. It is very durable, and easy to use. The letters fit in their places with ease. Good for little fingers, and bigger ones as well. The pictures behind the letters are clear, and easy to interpret. I highly recommend this puzzle! Your children will enjoy learning their ABCs with this toy.

Great Puzzle
I got this puzzle and the big knob geometric puzzle for my 21 month old twin daughters because their other 3 piece puzzles were no longer challenging, but they really liked them. This puzzle is good quality but not excellent quality. The letters do not have knobs, but they are not hard to get out because the places where they go are shallow. As a result, the letters fall out easily if the puzzle is tipped (which means cleaning them up a lot). The letters have pictures under them for each letter, though I would have chosen different words for some of them. My girls already knew all their letters before I bought this puzzle, but it is great for reinforcing them!! They can pick up a letter and name it. You can also do colors as well, though there are only 4 colors. If they chew on the letters, the colored coating will scratch off. It is great for fine motor skill as well and hand eye coordination -- trying to get the letters in the right way. I would recommend this puzzle. My girls have really enjoyed it.

Very Educational.....NOT DURABLE
My son received this puzzle as a gift when he was just 26 months. He loved it so much and played with it all the time. He knew all his letters when he received this toy, but it helped to reiforce them. Unfortunatley, even though this is a very educational toy, it has some big problems. The letters in the puzzle appear to be painted on, they are not! The letters have a sticker GLUED on, not painted as it appears in the picture. Needless to say after little hands play with them for a while, the sticker peels off and you are left with a bare piece of wood. Next, the wood is of very poor quality and has some jagged edges. The last point is not all pieces fit very well in their spot. It is such a shame because the concept is great and it is very educational just very, very poorly made. I would recommend taking a look at the puzzle in Toys r us first or any Imaginarium store to get a good look at the quality. Personally, we had to dispose of this puzzle and bought the Alphabet Art Puzzle from Lights Camera Interaction. Much Better.

Loved the puzzle!
At 18 months, my son knew his alphabet thanks to this puzzle. We have 4 other puzzles from this manufacturer and this is his favorite. He loves puzzles and quickly masters them so we keep buying them. We also let him watch Wheel of Fortune and he calls out letters as Vanna turns them. He spells out letters on books, cereal boxes and tee shirts. These real life examples demonstrates that he can distinguish the puzzle from the real world. We play mind challenging games with our son daily!

FIVE STARS PRODUCT !!
This puzzle is made of wood and the letters are very colorful that attracts my tot's attention. I brought it only 2 days ago and I start teaching him the alphabet. He already learned 2 letters as I am teaching him a letter a day. The beautiful part is you can use the letters independently without the board. Also, after removing a letter , you'll see a picture of an item which started with that letter. very educational ! Excellent teaching tool!! ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Not Well Designed
I bought this toy because my daughter is really into sorting shapes right now. She has several shape sorters that work really well. This one, however, is not well designed. First of all, the lid cannot be fastened to stay down. When your child needs to turn it over to put in the different shapes they all fall out. Secondly, once you have a couple of shapes in the box they block the way for the others to go in. I have always loved Melissa and Doug toys up to this point but I would love to get my money back for this one.

This toy is frustrating, the lid does not stay on!
I bought this for my son and how the lid is made it does not stay on so that you may turn it to put the different shapes in. Also, when putting shapes in, it gets so full that other shapes will not fit in with out a fight. I would highly recommend tupperware's shape sorter before I would ever buy this one.

Challenging Shape Sorter, Great Toy, Manage the Frustration!
My 22 month old daughter plays with this toy, but there are 2 major sources of frustration.

1) The lid doesn't stay on well - whenever you try to put a shape into the side with the lid, the lid flips over. An older child could probably figure out that you have to hold the lid (or just drop the shape neatly into the hole without touching the lid) - but a younger toddler just isn't going to get that. It is very frustrating. Other people have pointed it out as well - perhaps the designers will respond in version 2. It's needlessly frustrating.

2) Some of the shapes are very similar /complicated - it is frustrating for a young toddler. BUT!!!! my daughter is slightly younger than the recommended age, and, it is a learning toy - it isn't supposed to be immediately easy. Just know that for younger toddlers, you should play with them and help them select the right hole.

A bit of guided play is called for while they are learning and it will increase fun/decrease frustration. My daughter has learned some of the shapes on her own, and is getting 'closer' on some of the others, but I frequently play with her and talk to her about the shapes and help her find where they go.

All in all, it is a good toy. We have several Melissa & Doug toys, and have been pleased with them all. They are safe, high quality, and nice looking. And you can never have too many small, brightly colored pieces of wood underfoot. :)

SAFETY IN TOYS
THE WOODEN CABINET FOR THE BLOCKS IS HARD WOOD WITH SHARP CORNERS. IF IT WAS MADE OUT OF DURABLE PLASTIC, WITH CURVED CORNERS ITS WOULD BE SAFER AND JUST AS DURABLE.

So-so
I read these reviews before I bought this toy so I knew that the lid didn't stay on and I bought it anyway. Another problem about this is that the shapes don't all fit in the toy easily. You have to shake the toy (and hold the lid) to move the other shapes out of the way for the other ones to fit in properly. I would look for a different shape sorter if I were buying a new one. It IS very durable though. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Just a great toy
My 22-month-old has loved this toy for almost a year. The shapes are attractively colored and very pleasing to hold, and the attached hammer never gets lost! All in all, a very nice version of a timeless toy.

Awesome toy!
I am constantly looking for non-electronic toys that don't "play themselves". I bought this toy for my 9-month old daughter-each of the shapes have a different rattle sound and she loved to shake them. Now that's she's 11 months she's starting to learn the shapes and using the hammer. My husband and I love to play with this too! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Kids love to emulate adults around them--give them the pleasureof learning to use their very own phone with the Pretend & PlayTeaching Telephone. The bright red and yellow plastic unit measures 7inches across and has large buttons for easy use. Program in a number(your home, for example) and record a message for the kids to hear whenthey get it right. There's also an emergency message associated with911 to teach them what to do when trouble strikes. Other fun featuresinclude speed dial and an 11-digit display. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Special Toy For A Special Boy!
My son has autism, so I am constantly on the lookout for toys that will help him in everyday task. The phone is FANTASTIC! In only two day, he got the hang of the phone and learned his home phone number! The kicker was for praise, he heard mommy's voice saying, he got it right! No mechanical, strange voices! Good Job! Great Product!

Gets loads of play! Kids of all ages love this.
This toy can be used by babies and toddlers and up. Younger kids can use it simply as a pretend phone. When certain buttons are pressed there is a dial tone sound, a ringing sound, and a "busy signal" sound. My youngest was one year old when he began playing with this, randomly pressing buttons, listening, and really pretending to talk.

Older kids (5 or maybe 4) can use this as a teaching tool, with the parent. As described by the manufacturer (above) this has the capability to program in numbers, record your voice, and practice calling 911 or practice calling other important phone numbers.

So far we've only used the toy to play with during imaginative play. My kids have played with it so much that it is worth the cost. Kids who visit for playdates also gravitate to this toy and love to play with it. I highly recommend this as a great toy for pretend play.

Also great from this manufacturer is the pretend cash register. ... Read more