Reviews (1)

Let your child be King (or Queen) of the kitchen!!!
After watching our son play with the little tools that came with the Play-Doh set he received for his birthday, we decided to get him toys for a pretend kitchen. There are lots of "kitchen"-based toys on the market, but most of them are pink or focus on tea cups. We wanted one that wasn't boy or girl specific, and that would give our son tons of individual kitchen items to play with.

Imaginarium's 70-piece kitchen set is what we decided to get, and we couldn't be happier with our choice. For one thing, the sheer variety of kitchen utensils included is incredible. Besides the basic plates, forks, knives, spoons, etc, this set also includes a measuring cup, some tongs, and even a spatula! Almost every item my son used to take out of our kitchen cabinet is here.

To make room for all this, we cleared out a cabinet in our kitchen and put everything in it. Now our son can behave just like we do. This was important to us, because he's really starting to enjoy imitating us and we wanted to make this as close a replication as possible. He loves the idea of having his own kitchen utensils to fix his own meals for us.

Another nice thing about this set is that, for the most part, it's safe. There are some pointed items included (like the forks), but they aren't that sharp. And as long as your child doesn't run around with them, I don't think you'll have any trouble.

I should also mention this: We've REALLY enjoyed the amount of time these kitchen items occupy his time. In the morning, my wife and I are able to sit and eat our breakfast in relative peace while our son organizes his cabinet, feeds his stuffed animals, etc.

All in all, we feel we've definitely gotten our money's worth. If your child loves playing in the kitchen, you should definitely consider this set! ... Read more

Reviews (25)

I was amazed!
I bought this toy for my two-year old nephew for Christmas since he was so fascinated with watching his Dad mow. It turned out that there was another two-year old who was at our Christmas as well. My nephew wouldn't let go of this toy. He wouldn't even open up his other gifts! Between him and the other two-year old (a little girl) we had to do some negotiating to keep them from fighting over it. I was very impressed as I didn't expect him to like it very much - he gets tons of toys (we spoil him!)! But it was clearly his favorite toy. I highly recommend it!

The love of my son's life
My son LOVES this toy. We had bought a Fisher Price lawn mower that couldn't even roll on real grass. This is sturdy enough that he can walk behind mommy or daddy while we mow the lawn. He is just obsessed with this toy. Highly recommended!

Great Entertainment
I am purchasing the mower for my 15 month old son. He used his 3 year old cousins non stop on our vacation. It is so cleaver. It talks to you and makes these neat mower sounds just like daddy's mower. He wore himself out every night with this thing. His cousin still plays with it too. I think that the minimum age is a not correct. My son had no problems figuring out this toy and having a great time.

Where have our manners gone?
My son was given this mower as a first birthday gift. It is easy for him to push around however I am amazed with the so called "fun phrases". Mike The Mower belches several times and at one point belches and says "oh, was that me"? Disgusting. Not what I want to be teaching my 1 year old.

A great great toy!!
I just read a review here that said it does not have an off button, my 18 month old son found it right away, he turned it over and loves to turn it off and on. It is a great toy and very very durable, my son is now 2 and still plays with it hard. It is also popular during playgroup, it usually causes a fight, everyone wants to play it and my son doesn't want to share. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A fun learning toy for budding homemakers, this massive multipurpose unit is designed with electronic sensors that recognize the make-believe foods and housewares that accompany the set and respond affirmably with more than 50 different phrases. ("What a great cook!") A two-burner stovetop sits aside a sink and a cordless phone, handy for chatting with a friend. Above rests a shelf with a microwave oven, digital radio, and coffeemaker, while stationed below are a refrigerator, oven, and dishwasher. adjacent to this, swinging out from the kitchen base, is a laundry center complete with an ironing board situated atop a stackable washer and dryer, all equipped with appropriate sound effects. The toy is multilingual, able to speak in English, Spanish, or French. Included are 21 accessories such as a grilled cheese sandwich, a sauté pan, cups, plates, and silverware. In all it requires nine AA batteries, sold separately. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

Editorial Review

Budding young pastry chefs can get some early training in the culinary arts with this pretend kitchen. Kids can make, bake, and decorate toy goodies in this workstation, which includes a refrigerator, overhead pantry, and side storage for ingredients; a stovetop with burners and knobs and an oven for cooking treats; and a sink for cleaning up. The magic oven appears to actually "bake" the seven different sweets that come with the kitchen by changing their color when "cooked." Kids can refer to the built-in cookbook to see what treats should look like before and after baking. An icing bag with a soft tip lets kids decorate their masterpieces after they come out of the oven. Other vital kitchen accessories in the set include a mixing bowl, a baking dish, two serving plates, a potholder, a pitcher, two water goblets, a spatula, a fork, a spoon, a whisk, a cake stand, four cake toppers, cake mix, a milk carton, an egg, and a phone. The oven operates on three D batteries (not included). --Cristina Vaamonde ... Read more

Reviews (73)

boring
We had bought this kitchen for my 20 month old daughter after we saw how much fun she had with a garage sale 1950's kitchen that a freind had. We chose the higher price tag kitchen hoping it would grow with her and for the snazzy picture on the box.

This kitchen is BORING!!
Only the stove makes noise or lights up and it cooks too long.
It does not have a sprayer for the sink and the pantry is too high. Also none of the accesories fit in the pantry. Also small children are not intrested in specially preparing to cook and have colors change they just want to walk up and play with it.
And the kitchen comes with lady bug stickers which once applied I could not remove and my daughter is afraid of them.
Even when she does attempt to play with this toy " she ends up yelling bug the whole time. I am very upset that I made a rash decision and paid (...) for this kitchen that is not up to parr when this will probably be the only kitchen she has. It would not make sense to buy yet another.

{Parents this is just one more reason to always check the online reveiw of toys)

Not worth the money!
We bought this for our daughters 3rd birthday. The kitchen we wanted to get her was not in stock at the time. She picked this one out, I think because of the colors and cookies in the picture.

I was not happy with it but I figured she liked it so that is all that mattered.

After it was put together I realized I really didn't like it and wanted to return it.

The refrigerator was cheesy, the plastic that it was made of was the kind that if she or her soon to be climbing brother climbed on it it would break into sharp pieces.

Every time she opened the oven door, it would hit her toes. I had to remember to freeze the part that goes in the oven so it would bake the dessert which I always forgot to do. Plus it was in our basement which is a bit on the cool side so the food never went back to the uncooked state.

The knob to turn on the oven was hard for me to move let alone my 3 year old.

I was not happy with this toy and I love Fisher Price toys too. (...)P>The only good thing about this kitchen was the play cups, they were cute.

Great Kitchen for Two
I got this for my two and four year old for christmas 2003. They play all the time with it. Remembering to keep the color changing device frozen can be hard but they play just as much without it. The oven door was a little hard to open at first but it has been broken in and works great now. I did not put this toy together so I do not know about the hardships of it. All I know is my girls love it and use it almost everyday. It came with two sets of color accessories so that worked out great. Even though one does not work as well as the other it pacifies the urge to not share.

FRUSTRATING!!
I bought this on sale AFTER Christmas in 2003 knowing it would be a good purchase for my 3 year old daughter. She LOVES to cook and was thrilled when I FINALLY got it put together.

I agree that the oven door NEVER shuts and the refrigerator door comes OFF all the time. We never could get the sounds to work.
BUT since I got it 50% off, it was worth that amount of money.

If you're paying full price, think again- spend a little extra and get a deluxe play kitchen.

Not to happy!
If I had it to do over again, I would not suggest this kitchen. The oven door does not stay closed and my daughter gets so mad trying to shut it over and over again. Even though all the items that come with this kitchen are cute, its not worth the hassle of making the food change colors. Think twice before you purchase this one!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Presto, change-o! Children can transform themselves intomagicians with this ultimate prestidigitator's prop. The velvety blacktop hat comes equipped with a secret interior compartment and a soft,plush white rabbit that hides easily inside. Aspiring magicians can showspectators a seemingly empty hat and then proudly pull the small rabbitout of the well-concealed pocket. Great looking and a cinch to maneuver,this hat will truly set the stage for a terrific magic act. --JaneSnyder ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great toy!
My daughter received this magician's hat for her birthday, and has truly enjoyed performing magic tricks for all her friends, classmates, and visitors. She's really learned some showmanship with it, and even adults are at first amazed that her items seem to vanish from the hat. The hat itself is soft and well made. The bunny is a cute stuffed animal, but the best thing about the hat is that is works equally well with all smallish items. A great toy!

Well made and fun!
I bought this for my 4-year-old son and he is thrilled with it. The hat is very well made... soft and sturdy, so it's comfortable on his head and doesn't lose its shape.

He doesn't seem to tire of showing off his magician skills, and he has already experimented with putting different things in the hat to make them appear and disappear.

This is one of those simple toys that allows kids to really use their imagination. Best of all, no tiny little parts to lose. Even if the rabbit gets misplaced, kids can still use any small toy in the hat.

Buy this item it is wonderful
I bought this gift for my sisters toddler and he loved it!! I had read a review and was trying to decide whether it would be worth it or not. Well it was, and I am very happy that I bought him this toy. It was totally worth every cent to see his face light up when I showed him this magic trick for the first time. I showed him the hidden space inside the hat and within about two minutes he was off showing everyone his new magic hat. He told his grandma see theres nothing in there and then waved his hand over the hat and said abera cadabera and pulled out the bunny. He was about 3 1/2 at the time and I was worried that he would be too young for the trick but he wasn't. He is now almost 5 and I just visited him a month ago and he still enjoyed showing me the hat trick. He even loved wearing the hat on his head and he was laughing the the whole time he played with the hat. I think it also helps with abstract thinking and the concept that something is still there even if you can't see it. It also is very impressive to friends when your child (or in my case my nephew) shows them the trick. It is adorable. I am now pregnant and plan to get one for my baby also :)

Great fun
I purchased this product for my five year old son. It was a hit. He was able to perform the trick instantly. He really dazzled them at daycare! I teach kindergarten and borrowed it to dazzle my students when we studied the letter R. Pulling a Rabbit from a hat really impressed them. It is a great product and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Holy Blunder Batman!
My son loves everything batman. He even calls himself batman, so when his 3rd birthday came, we thought the perfect gift would be this utility belt. How wrong we were! The belt won't fit around his waist. We stuck a folded hand towel in the back to keep it up. The pellet foam gun, which turned out to be his favorite part, broke within 1 hour of play. He now won't wear the belt. He does however still play with the flashlight that came with it. Thankfully, I was more disappointed than he was.

Very disappointed!!!
My son earned this belt for finally being potty trained. It sat on top of the refrigerator for 2 months while my son would look dreamily up at it. He was so excited when he finally got to open it his 3 year old hands were shaking. He loved it, at first. Now he still loves it, but it frustrates him constantly. The belt does not fit around his waist. It is not even close to fitting, it constantly falls down around his ankles. He walks all hunched over when he wears it so it will stay up. I don't know what type kid this was designed for, but I can wear it, with a few extra notches to spare (and I am not petite!) He also gets frustrated because the "gas pellets" get stuck in the specially designed pocket. All in all this was not the great toy we thought is was going to be. ... Read more

Features

• Interactive vanity lights up and talks to a child as she plays
• Features a cute ballerina that twirls to music and a locking, pull-out drawer for storage
• Includes a stool and 5 accessories: hair dryer, lipstick, nail polish, comb and key
• Requires 6 “AA” alkaline batteries (not included)

Reviews (1)

2-year old loves it!
I got this for my daughter's second birthday, and she loves it! The hair dryer sound is her favorite, and she likes to put lipstick and nailpolish on everyone in the house. I love that it tells her to put her comb, hair dryer, and makeup back when she is finished-it has made her keep all the pieces together! I would recommend this toy to anyone with a little girl! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great "old style" toy.
Thought the toys I had as a child were lost forever, however this one comes very close! Solid tin box with very happy looking clown and the obligatory "pop goes the weasel"! My daughter loves it.

My Son's New Favorite Toy
My son LOVES this toy. He is 2 1/2 and it only took him a time or two to figure out how to get Jack back in the box by himself. He plays with it all the time, and never fails to get excited when Jack jumps out at him. You don't have to completely finish the song to get jack back in, you just have to make sure the song finishes the "pop" note. The music is a very traditional music box sound, and not annoying in the least. We suspected he would love a jack in the box, and had trouble finding one that worked well. This one is fantastic.

Love it and leave it
This is a great toy...for a small amount of time. After a minute or two my son gets bored of it because it only does one thing and only plays one tune. Not great for younger kids because jack is hard to get back into the box and I think the young ones will have a hard time (sometimes I have a hard time...lol). Not worth the money I spent on it, but still a fun toy...and a classic.

Great, Old Fashioned Fun!
This toy has a beautiful look and is very sturdy---made of metal, not plastic. The music sounds wonderful and both our sons love it! So do we---Mom and Dad! We are very happy with this toy, there is no other like it. Made the old fashioned way---to last. Bright colors and such a cute clown. I have not seen one like this since I was a little girl---many years ago! Well worth the money spent. Get one!

there is a trick to getting it to "reload" that is too hard
In order to put jack back in the box it must be in between songs. If you try to relatch it once the music has begun it doesn't work. That is clearly stated in the instructions but is very difficult for a one or a two year old to understand.

I feel that the kids who enjoy this the most are babies through age two. The sad thing is that the "reloading" of Jack is nearly impossible for these aged children. Even when they "get" how to push Jack down, hold him there, close the lid and snap the tiny latch, they have difficulty stopping the music at the exact point in which "reloading" is possible. All kids I've seen use it love to continue to wind the crank and make the music continue.

Perhaps they could redesign it so that the music won't play until Jack is back in the box. Then the kids would understand when to put Jack back in the box.

I bought this when my first born was one year old and he loved the toy but became frustrated with putting Jack back in the box.
The challenge with "reloading" extended to my second child and for every child-visitor. Frustration abounds! The only way to successfully use this with the very young to avoid tantrums is for the adult to sit with the child and help them as they need it. When they were very young and most-upset about this, I put it on a high shelf until the next time.

When my first turned three he finally "got it" and was able to play with it by himself.

The beauty of this is that it has a classic look. Other jack in the boxes I've seen have TV characters on them or other non-traditional characters. Also I like the "Pop goes the weasel" tune. I have seen others with different songs and even with electronic sounding music---YUCK!

We've owned this for over 4 years and it has not broken yet. The paint is in very good shape, it is not peeling from some defect (as others have reported). Most times now it is not stuck on a high shelf, so it is played with often. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Abracadabra! Now kids can mystify an audience with MagicRainbows, Rabbit and Rings, Tricky String, Mystery Tube, MagnetizedWand, and more. My First Magic Set holds 12 fun tricks, complete propsand secrets for presenting them, and the carrying case to take the showon the road. All magicians need is the cape and top hat. Actually, the4-to-8-year-olds for whom this set is intended probably also need adulthelp in reading the well-written and illustrated, 16-page "SecretInstruction Booklet." Parents and kids get together doing the lightassembly necessary (such as separating the perforated sheet of cards,folding cardboard to form the magic box, applying a sticker) to four ofthe tricks. Then pore over the step-by-step pictures and instructionsbefore the little magician goes off to perfect the sleight of hand. Forextra help, every trick's instructions are accompanied by a "Secret"that summarizes and explains the key to the trick. (Example: "Thehidden finger hole allows you to secretly reach in and 'untie' thestring.") A sure-fire hit--better start sewing that cape and top hat.--Ava Natov ... Read more

Reviews (4)

AbraCadabra!!
A first Magic set for my 5 year old, he loves it!! He and his friends have created magic acts for each other and have laughed all the way. The tricks are easy enough for their age to try, and remember how to do. The directions come with pictures, so they can figure them out if the wording is too comlplicated. The set itself is durable enough fot most tricks to be done over and over. The blocks take some reshaping and the rabbit ring trick does not really fit right, but overall, a good first set. It definately was the hit of a rainy Sunday!!

Perfect for the beginner magician
This is an easy to understand and simple to set-up magic kit for the first time magician. If your child is a reader, then they are capable of presenting most of the tricks independently. A plus! My seven year old enjoys demonstrating his magic tricks for family. His four year old sister loves to watch, and if allowed, to be an assistant. A great buy!

Lots of fun!
My son got this kit as a gift. The durability is as good as that of the next. It must be taken care of. It's not a rough and tough item. We've had many magic shows...and it is still around 3 years later because it is put away in the box and up on the shelf when not being played with. It is magical fun for the little magicians and builds confidence too. In our house one adult helped "learn" the tricks while all others were in the audience at the big show.

Disappointed
This item was not at all what is seems to be. The box was the only durable part of the toy. I unfortuantely purchased 3 of these as Christmas gifts for 3 different boys ages 5 & 6 years old. After seeing them open and what was in the box, I was very disappointed. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Daughter Loves It
My daughter received it over a six months ago and still uses it regularly. She plays with the microphone and really uses the cd part for all her music and learning cds. I was worried it would be too complicated for a five year old but overall, she had no trouble. I would recommend it.

kara"JOKE"
Cuteness isnt everything...Looks good but thats about it. CD player constantly skipped or didnt work at all. Buttons on mics got stuck while pushed in and they wouldnt turn off. Overall very plastic and cheap. If you want a cd/karaoke machine spend a few bucks more and buy one from the electronics dept. and not a brand name toy. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

2 going on 3...loves it!
My daughter has been creating birthday cakes all around the house...when I saw this I just had to get it for her...she loves playing with it and it is durable...I like the idea of the toppings and candles however I agree with the 1st reviewer...should be frosting and blowable candles...but for the money, it is a great toy

Sweet Confection Falls Just Short Of Perfection
In general I applaud the Melissa & Doug company for its dedication to simple, classic, durable wooden toys that are genuinely educational in that they invite imaginative play rather than recite facts to a passive child at the push of a button. The birthday cake toy is no exception. Since my daughter received this toy for her third birthday, we have baked and decorated dozens of cakes in her play kitchen, and thrown birthday parties for each family member, as well as all the dolls and all the stuffed animals.
However, I can't help feeling that this toy could have been a bit better. Basically it consists of a red wooden serving platter, and a cake comprised of six sections that velcro together to form a circle. Each piece is quite large -- almost as big as a real slice of cake. The set includes a cake server that can be used to cut the slices apart, which provides that satisfying velcro-ripping sound. The cake is painted white with blue icing swirls, and has velcro spots in concentric circles on top for the decorations. The decorations are painted on wooden discs that velcro to the top of the cake. The set comes with seven candles that can be velcroed to the top as well. There are only three different decorations -- strawberries, jellybeans, and gumdrops. I would have included icing flowers, so that the cake could be decorated like a "real" cake that a child might have for his or her birthday. Also, I would have made the candle flames detachable so that the candles could be "lit" and "blown out" by the child. Also, it is very difficult to cut out and serve the first piece of cake, as it tends to refasten itself to the pieces adjacent to it before it can be lifted out and served.
Still, this is a neat toy and a good addition to a child's imaginary kitchen. Two months after our daughter's birthday, she still plays with this toy quite regularly. It's constructed so durably that I'm sure my grandchildren will be playing with it, too! ... Read more