Melissa & Doug Band in a Box

by Melissa & Doug

Product Features

• Make a band of your own
• Contains 10 pieces
• Wooden crate
• Recommended Age Range 4 Years and up

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14.9 x 11.3 x 3 inches ; 7.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005RF5C
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 488
• Our recommended age: 36 months - 10 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 3 years and up
• Batteries: 488 Lithium ion batteries required.
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #504 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #3 in Toys & Games > Musical Instruments > Drums & Percussion
  • #27 in Toys & Games > Pretend Play
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (156 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

What a value! Whopping 10 piece set is chock-full of favorites guaranteed to bring hours of musical joy; all conveniently packed in a sturdy wooden storage case!

Product Description

Little musicians can form a traveling band with this compact wooden music set. Featuring ten fun musical pieces, this quality kit is the perfect way to introduce youngsters to musical play. Pieces include a colorfully designed pair of maracas, hand cymbals, tambourine, triangle and two other wooden noisemakers. Every piece fits conveniently into a sturdy wooden storage case, making clean up a piece of cake.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

119 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Quality Fun, October 3, 2002

By 

Melanie Andersen (Daly City, California United States) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Melissa & Doug Band in a Box (Toy)

These instruments are durable and of good quality. I don't worry about my kids banging on them as hard as they want. They make beautiful music. The kids have so much fun playing with them. They are real instruments, not plastic imitations that don't sound quite right. This was a purchase I don't regret.

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not so durable Band in a Box, July 18, 2003

By A Customer

= Durability:2.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Melissa & Doug Band in a Box (Toy)

This item was purchased for as a Christmas gift. Within the first day the head of the tamborine was destroyed by light to moderate tapping. Not too worried, figured not everything is toddler proofed. But six months later, with minimal use, one of the handles from the maracas came off, beans everywhere. Thankfully my son came to me right away to tell me it had broken. The handle just comes right out of the head, the seal is gone. I'm in the process of tracking down the manufacturer's website. But if you have little ones, check these handles!!!!

72 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Big dissapointment..., March 13, 2003

By A Customer

= Durability:1.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Melissa & Doug Band in a Box (Toy)

Our three year old really likes to "make music" and we wanted to get him some quality rhythm intruments. Unfortunately these did not fit the bill.

The thin paper on the tambourine tore before we even had it all the way out of the box. I don't see how it could have stood up to even the most gentle use, much less to an enthusiastic child. It is also really small, even compared to other toy tambourines I've seen. One of the maracas split open along the seam, though we put the beans back in and it sticks together pretty well. I guess some glue might fix it better, but I'll be sure to add more beans - the skimpy amount in there just doesn't make a satisfying "shake".

The triangle is very large and looks sturdy, but it sounds awful, not at all like the pleasant sounds of the ones at our child's preschool. The lengths of the sides are uneven; perhaps that's why it is out of tune with itself. It's also pretty heavy for a small child to hold. Let's see what else... the hollow wooden rhythm stick also broke, during normal use, but it at least lasted about two weeks of occasional use. The clapper stick is still intact but probably because my son hasn't used it much. The cymbals seem sturdy enough although the screws that hold them together are a bit rusty (they arrived that way) and the brass finish scratches off immediately so they look really beat up.

The wooden box was not a selling point for us, though I suppose it could be a good storage solution for some families; for us it is easier to put the instruments in a bin or basket, since we have some other instruments, jingle bells etc., that won't fit in the box.

So, while I can't recommend highly enough giving your child rhythm instruments, skip this product and either get find some better quality ones or just get out the wooden spoons and plastic containers from your kitchen - they last longer and are more fun.