Customer Reviews

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Pound and Roll

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Some of the other reviews annoyed me enough because of their low rating of this toy that I needed to add my own two-cents worth. My son is 23 months old and we have owned it for about for about 2 months now.

The reviewers complaining over the level of difficulty in getting the balls to go through the holes are complete correct in their assessment. Yes, it is not a particularly simple task, especially for a child who is 10 months younger than the recommended age for the toy. Melissa & Doug's recommend age is 24 months and up. My little boy, who is very physical, has bashed his fingers more than once using this toy but loves playing with it all the same. He enjoys having to whack the ball more than ONE time to get the balls to go through the holes. That's the fun part!

Part of the reason why manufacturers put a recommended age on their products is because they believe that is the most suitable age for their product. It is not to dissuade parents of younger or older children not to buy it. So when parents do not heed these suggestions, it seems a bit slanderous to say the toy is not "age-appropriate" or of poor design because it is difficult for a child who has yet to reach the necessary milestones to appreciate the toy.

Also, another reason why we chose to buy a wooden toy is because wood is a renewable resource. Once we create plastic, it is here forever. I don't feel as though our toy was cheaply made, but if for some reason it did start to loosen, we could find ways to fix it, as it is made of wood--something that we couldn't do with plastic. I'm stepping down from my soapbox now.

I just wanted to stick up for this toy.

My Son, Lives and Breathes Bob the Builder. He was starting to hammer the walls and the furniture, so off the store I went to find a product that he could bang on instead. I was so excited when I found a Melissa and Doung product. Usually they are well built. But....After banging and banging and my husband banging and banging and still no balls going through I was very disgusted. Instead of taking it back to the store, we called the number on the back and they were extremely nice and apologetic. They sent another one right away, within a week. The second one worked fine and now we have two hammers and 8 balls!!!! My son loves pounding on it and I love the fact that only occasionally,do my walls and furniture get whacked! Their response made me love their products even more!

I can understand the complaints about this toy. As it doesn't come with any directions, I was confused at first. But the balls are actually slightly different sizes with the yellow being the biggest - so it takes the most "hits" to get it through the bench. AT first, my son didn't take to it, but my husband and I would hammer the balls through and he'd just stack them in the holes. Then, after seeing us hit the balls through - he will now sit and pound on each ball until they go through. He loves it - and it keeps his attention for a long time, longer than most other toys.

I think it's great for hand-eye coordination. But at first, it IS frustrating because some balls take a while to go through - hang in there. The whole bench does loosen up after used a few times.

WONDERFUL TOY for the Money!!!!

I took this home to my son as part of his second birthday, and as soon as he took the first swing of the hammer, he shouted, "Wow!" It has been one of his favorites ever since.

We did not have the "fit" problems that others have had with the balls going through the holes; everything there worked just fine. Our son Jack literally played with this for a solid hour the first time, and I can usually count on him to be at it for a good 20 minutes now. He's not just precoccupied with the hammering, but especially fascinated by the paths that the balls take when they fall. He likes to guess which direction they'll go and head them off at the pass.

I gave this toy a high rating for sheer enjoyment value. My only caveats: 1) I needed to buy a second one when the first one broke, but my son was very hard on his, literally hurling it into the toybox. 2) You're going to need earplugs when the hammering begins. I do worry what impact that has on a child's hearing in the long run.

I bought this toy for my 16 month old boy for Christmas not realizing the age requirement. We showed him how to use it and not long after he was hitting the balls through like a pro! Granted he does use the hammer incorrectly (he uses the long part) but he still got it. I think this is a fantastic educational toy as we talk about the ball colors as well as count the balls as he hits them through. He is getting cause and effect out of it (hit the ball---it rolls down and out) as well as learning hand dexterity. This toy is under $10 so for the price and educational element I give it 5 stars.

I bought this toy for my small 18 month old son (he was a preemie). He was able to figure it out and enjoy it right away. He loves to hit the ball down through the hole, sometimes with one whack, sometimes with more and watch it roll out. This is one of his top three favorite toys to play with. I highly recommend it. We also bought the pound a peg, but he seems to enjoy the balls more. The pegs take a little more effort to pound down - he may just be too young. I think the recommended age is two years old.

One thing though - being a boy, he's figured out how to use that little wooden hammer for other things, such as throwing it off the stair landing and hitting his sisters. He has also missed the ball and hit his hand a few times, but nothing serious. He still loves it.

This toy is pretty fun... I prefer to buy older so my girl can grow into her toys. She's 21 months old, and likes this okay. Not sure it will ever be her favorite, but it is fun. Very sturdy, and the balls take a little effort (even for her mama!) to knock through, but it's fun to work on. A quality toy - just watch the little fingers!!

I purchased this for my 18-month-old, and he loves it! Any kids who come over to play always pick this toy. The only thing I do not like is that the hammer comes unscrewed most of the time. And it is not as durable as I thought it would be. The paint has chipped on most of the balls, and the wooden base top is really dented. Besides those things, my son is learning his colors and is having a blast!

I purchased this product for my daughter. While she was occupied with another great Melissa & Doug toy, I took a turn at the Pound and Roll. Was I ever shocked to discover that it took many, many very hard whacks with the hammer in order for it to go through the hole. I mean, I was whacking the ball with all of my might only to have it make a few millimeters of progress until it hit a tipping point. I'm thinking there was a problem with the size of the balls, the stiffness of the rubber gasket or the size of the rubber gasket.

I called M&D in order to let them know about the problem I was having. A real person picked up on the second ring. She made note of my problem and offered to replace the toy with another one (either the same toy or a different toy). I was floored! I had had a good feeling about M&D just based on the retro feel and simplicity of their toys (not to mention the educational aspect) and my experience with the company sealed the deal. My issues with the Pound and Roll notwithstanding, I would highly recommend the company and its products to other parents.

I work with children up to 3 years old and this is one of our most cherished toys. It is very durable, colorful, children can learn to count and their colors, build upper body strength, eye hand coordination- just to mention a few things this toy has to offer. We love it- the other early intervention educators- and I, and hate to see it discontinued.