Melissa & Doug have some of the best learning toys around. I completely favor them over pretty much all toy manufactures because I really think they "get it." Don't get me wrong, Fisher Price has some pretty neat stuff, but nothing that captures my Little Man's mind and attention quiet like Melissa & Doug. I want to share our favorites. I use these and rotate them out of the tote every few weeks. Little Man doesn't play with them outside of Structured Play, even though he really really wants to, mostly because I feel like these toys are geared towards learning and development and I want him to actually sit down and concentrate. And not lose the pieces!! Most Melissa & Doug items are made of wood and very durable. You can get some of their stuff (including the train below) personalized, too, which is way cool!
Moving on. Here are our favorites, so far.
Stacking and Nesting Blocks- Just like it sounds, they can be stacked and nested for two separate types of play. Little Man loves stacking them and then crashing into them like Godzilla.
Wooden Puzzles - M&D have a huge variety of these wooden puzzles (and puzzle racks) so you're sure to find something that interests your child. They even have ones that make noise if you get the piece in correctly, but they can get pretty annoying!
Stacking Train- Little Man loves trains and blocks and this toy is perfect for both. He stacks the blocks and pushes the train around all the time. My three year old niece also has this and plays with it all the time. Just be sure to keep the blocks together! I suggest a ziplock bag!
Pound & Roll Tower - This one is an exception to my rule. I leave this out all the time for Little Man to have full access to. The reason for that is because he plays with it all the time. Like, every single day. We've had to replace the balls a few times because he keeps losing them. I'm pretty sure there is black hole in my house that eats things. He got this toy for his 1st birthday and nearly a year later, he still hammers on it.
Magnetic Dress Up- I actually got this one for my three year old niece who absolutely loves it. The Fairy is magnetic and you can change her outfits with the magnet pieces included. After it was such a big hit with her, I bought Little Man one of the more masculine ones (although I do not discourage him from playing with girl toys) and he seems uninterested so far. Granted, he is younger, so he may like it a bit later. I've put it in the closet to bring out again in a few months.
Play Food-
I cannot say enough about M&D's play food kits. They are genius and
really well thought out. They are great for all ages, I think. Little
Man loves them, my niece loves them, my friend's son who is in
Kindergarten loves them. The Cookie Set is our favorite, but our
Kindergarten friend likes the sandwich kits the best.
Lacing Beads- The boys loved these beads. They are large enough for their little hands and they enjoyed trying to get them on the shoe-lace type string. Once they got enough on, Super Nanny tied their new necklaces around their necks and they ran around like crazy listening to them clink and clank. The next day, they used the same kit to learn color sorting.
We will expand this list as our Melissa & Doug collection grows! We are hoping to get the Mailbox next! We have tried out a few more of their toys, but they weren't as successful with this age group as the others. Maybe in time.
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