Customer Reviews

Melissa and Doug Basic Skills Board

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I purchased the basic skills board to help my 3-year-old learn to tie, snap, zip, clip, button and buckle. It's a bust. He doesn't use it because the functions aren't secured to the base. It's difficult to teach these skills when they're not stationary. And it's large, heavy and cumbersome for him. Being a puzzle just adds to the confusion of its function. I'm going to glue the pieces into place and mount the board to a wall. I think this will turn it into an investment rather than a waste of $[...].

I originally bought this because my twin daughters needed to learn the basic skills of tying laces, buttoning, etc. But the fact that it's also a puzzle just confuses things--it's almost impossible to perform these tasks when you already KNOW how to do them if the underlying surface is not stationary, let alone learn to do them. I cannot BELIEVE the idiocy of this design. Whoever did this does not have children, was never exposed to them, and did not think about what they would probably do with this. Instead of learning new skills, as I had hoped, they immediately scattered these useless bits of wood about our house, as I knew they would as soon as I opened it. Who didn't see that coming? I would never have purchased this if I knew it came apart, but it was enclosed in tight cellophane and didn't say. I thought it was a solid board, and really, that would have made sense. Being a puzzle doesn't. Don't waste your money.

Everyone said they didn't like this because it is a puzzle and the pieces come out when the little ones try to complete each task, I think they are using this Backwards!

What I believe the point is to take each of the pieces of clothes off the bear 1st, then have the child shut each item (button, buckle, snap, zip, etc.) and then once the task is completed you put each one on the bear where it belongs. My daughter is 3 1/2 and has had no trouble in using each of these items seperately. She has fun getting the bear dressed.

If anything I would say that this toy is so much better than one of the stuffed animals that has all of the zippers/buttons/shoe laces on them because with this toy there is only one task at a time and a child won't get so distracted easily.

This is a heavy duty, quality toy that I think will last a very long time. Quality I've come to expect from Melissa & Doug doesn't disappoint.

Like any other Melissa and Doug product, this is very durable and has stood a 2 year old's worst and now a 12 month old's chewing. However, it's really hard to manipulate the concepts the puzzle is trying to teach because the puzzle piece the function is on is too small so little hands can't button and hold the piece still at the same time. I would just stick with the standard plush doll to help teach zipping, tying, buckling, buttoning and snapping.

I usually like Melissa & Doug products but this one is not great and not worth the money. The puzzle pieces are very hard to work- it was hard for me (an adult) to unbuckle the one piece and the belt is so firm that its hard to do too. I even found the zipper a bit tricky. Its not likely my almost 2 year old twins will be able to use this anytime soon. (other than carrying the puzzle pieces around the house)

I found this at my local toy store and i immediately knew my kids had to have it. Though the product says for 3 and up this can be played with by children as young as 18M. The product has a bear stretching his arms out and on each arm are various basic skills your child can practice, all in one spot! there's learning to lace and tie(like tying a shoe), learning how to button, use a snap(like on pants), then learning to use those snaps like on a fanny pack or backpack, zip up a shirt, and use a belt. i think this toy is adorable and can really teach kids in a fun way the basic skills they need to know.

I bought this for my 2 year old grand. My daughter reports that her 4 yr old does the more complex tasks and enjoys trying to teach them to little sister. The 2 yr old is happy doing the more simple tasks all by herself! All in all it's a great toy that offers something for a few years age span.

We got this toy to help with the essential dressing items. The concept is great but some of the parts are hard to use. Even for me, the zipper gets stuck regularly and the button is almost impossible to do. The other ones work great but those ones are the most important in my book. Our son plays with it but not nearly as much as other zipper/button toys.

Don't buy this - you'll be disappointed. I've been searching for a 'skills' book and found this puzzle by Melissa and Doug. I really really wanted to love it, but ended up hating it and returning it. My son can do and undo every buckle in our house and stroller, except this one. This buckle requires a lot of hand-strength to squeeze it open and he's not able to do this buckle. The belt material is so stiff it's hard to thread through the 2nd half of the buckle. The button you have to pull the fabric together very tightly to get the button to go through the buttonhole. The zipper comes undone at the bottom and you have to pull the fabric together tightly and it's difficult to get the zipper back on while holding the fabric (the fabric is riveted to the puzzle piece without much give). Only the lacing and the snap are satisfactory, but that's 2 of 6 skills. My MIL has some old-fashioned soft-books with skills on each page - i think I'll borrow those for a while or even make my own with zippers/buttons/buckles/velcro cut off of out-grown clothes.

There is nothing like an old-fashioned toy. My grandson is two and loves learning how to master things like zippers and snaps. This is a well made toy.