Customer Reviews

Melissa & Doug - Alphabet Sound Puzzle

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I ordered this for my 3 year old and while he likes putting the puzzle together the sounds are completely random and unreliable. I've tried everything I can think of. Sometimes it makes sounds and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it makes only one letter sound for all the letters. Sometimes it makes some sounds but not others. I've used new batteries etc. But the puzzle is OK if you just remove the batteries. Not worth the price tag though.

We have so many Melissa and Doug puzzles. However, we don't have this one. We have the number sound and both abc and numbers chunky puzzles. With the sound puzzles, there are LIGHT SENSORS under each letter, number, vehicle, etc... When the puzzle is in the shade and/or sun, fluctuating light from the windows and the room, will activate the sounds. Just place another puzzle over it when you are finished playing with it. "Stack the sound puzzles" and they settle down.

I hope this helps.

These puzzles have been instrumental in my 36 month old child READING and doing simple mathematics already. In addition, it has enhanced his ability to speak. He started by repeating the puzzle and then started "racing" the speaker.

Get them out of the light and give them another try.

There is nothing like waking up at 2AM few nights in a row to the voice saying " O is for Olive". Keep in mind that it takes you a few moments before you can correctly determine that it is a puzzle talking, and not an intruder or "voices" that you are now hearing. (I completely panicked the first two times). And it will keep repeating the phrase 20+ times (I counted), so you will HAVE to get out of bed, in the middle of the night to look for a screwdriver, so that you can take out the batteries, because there is no off switch!

I bought this for my 2.5 year-old. I usually love all the M&D toys I purchased for my boys. This is my first disappointment. This puzzle has light sensors and I think this is a bad choice. It annoys me that it is not reliable and it says the wrong letter almost 70% of the time! How is that going to teach a child his ABC? Now that he's 3 and knows all his ABC he will laugh at how wrong this puzzle is, and thinks this is "silly". And if this is left in a certain position in a semi lit room, sometimes it will just yell out an alphabet non-stop. Also, this doesn't have an on/off switch button. So to stop the sound, I have to keep it face down so no light can get to it. Now that we have a younger child, we'll just have to take off the batteries in this puzzle for him to play as a normal wooden puzzle so as to prevent teaching the child wrong association to those alphabets! If you do have this, please use it in a well lit (and with even lighting) area.

Ours works okay except for the T, which is unreliable. We can live with that, but I'm a bit irked that it says, "Now I know my ABC's" with notes across the bottom of the front implying that it will also emit the alphabet song, but it doesn't. Mind you, it doesn't say it DOES on the description on the back, but I still think it's misleading.

The previous reviewer's one sounds like a real dud - I'd ask to exchange it as there are alphabet puzzles without sound (including a couple from Melissa and Doug) with more cleanly and attractively shaped letters at a lower price). This is apparently a good item to buy with caution and where it can be easily exchanged for one that works (try it out on the spot if it doesn't need to be still in the packaging when you give it to your child.)

My daughter is 21 months and she loves this toy. She mastered it quickly and is quickly learning her letters. The sounds are easy to understand and we've had no problems with it.

I am pleased with this learning puzzle! I bought it kinda early for my son (age 2), and had no problems with him eating it or putting the pieces in his mouth. My son already knew (recongizes/says) all his ABCs by the age of 2 1/2. He is now 3, and still loves learning from it. These puzzles also helped my son with his speaking ablities, by speaking words now...after hearing/learning the letter sounds. The interactive-learning is a fun and interesting way to teach children their ABCs, FAST! I didnt have any problems with the puzzle's sound, acting up...worked just fine. The problems I might haD, is losing one letter pieces, because they are small and can get easily get lost and it got beaten up (after much use), in the hands of my son, lol...but it got him to learn his ABCs, well...so it was worth the purchase. Other than that, the puzzle worked GREAT for my son, as advertised. I recommend this product for any adult who wants to a child, in a FUN & FAST & EASY way.

ENJOY IT... THEN PASS IT ON TO A SCHOOL FOR THOSE CHILDREN TO ENJOY... IT IS WHAT WE DID... AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN...

GREAT TOY... VERY WELL MADE!!!!

MY SON LOVED THE SOUNDS FOR GETTING THE LETTERS CORRECT

This puzzle does not work well, their number puzzle works a little better. It uses light sensors under the letters to trigger the audio. When you place a letter the puzzle states A is for ... The problem is any sensor your hand shadows causes the audio for that letter to sound. This is confusing to a child trying to learn his/her letters. And sometimes it gets stuck on a letter and just keeps repeating for no apparent reason. My 3 year old son does not show much interest in it.