Customer Reviews

Melissa & Doug First Shapes Jumbo

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

We bought this puzzle for our daughter's first birthday - hoping to counter some of the noisier toys we suspected she would recieve (and she did).

To our great pleasure it was well-recieved, and is something she enjoys tinkering with whilst making her rounds of the toys.

The pieces are large and - unlike so many first puzzles - are made out of thick, sturdy plywood. They are painted with non-toxic paints, rather than having a layer of paper like many other puzzles which so quickly become soggy and unusable the first time they find their way into the mouth.

The only downside is that the pieces do have slightly rough edges - I think I may end up taking a piece of sandpaper to them at some point just to smooth them out a bit. And, as the other reviewer noted, this can cause difficulty in getting the pieces in.

Despite this minor flaw this is an excellent learning tool for young toddlers, and I highly recommend it.

We got this for our son's 1st birthday. He understands the concept of putting the pieces back in the puzzle but he usually thinks it's more fun to take one puzzle piece in each hand and bang them together like cymbals. The only negative thing I can really say about this is that for some reason the puzzle we got is really tight fitting, unlike the two other Melissa & Doug puzzles, one which was bought at the same time as this one. So that creates a little bit of frustration sometimes for my little toddler. But they're each cut by hand (with the proper equipment of course) so each puzzle will vary.

-knobs are perfect size for little hands
-colorful and attractive
-sturdy, well-made
-large pieces (easy to find when your toddler takes them to other parts of the house)

I bought two of the Melissa and Doug puzzles and decided to test them for lead before letting my 9 month old chew on the pieces. This type of puzzle came up POSITIVE FOR LEAD using Lead Check swabs! I would rethink buying one of these as lead exposure has been linked to numerous health problems. This company claims to offer safe, non-toxic toys that they rigorously test for the presence of chemicals. I was initially glad to find toys made from "wood" rather than the usual plastic. After finding lead in this puzzle meant for toddlers, I am appalled at how little we actually know as consumers in this country. Please do not give this puzzle to any child! Who knows how many other Melissa and Doug products contain the same materials... they have certainly lost a customer in me!

We bought this puzzle when my daughter was around a year old. Now it is my favorite gift to give on First Birthdays. It is a wonderful first puzzle - she still enjoyed it until about 24 months. Great for teaching shapes and colors.

I used a sanding block to sand down the pieces so that they fit easily in any direction.

Great idea, good-sized knobs, but no match for a drooling toddler. It would be more appropriate for the wood to be painted directly instead of the use of a sticker. The hand jigsaw work also means that neither the circle nor the square fit very well when turned... making it less educational... unless it's worth learning that overpriced products made with cheap labor produces poor results.

I bought this for my daughter for Christmas, three days before her first birthday. She loves taking the pieces out, banging them together and recently, putting them in the correct spaces! The size of the pieces is perfect for a young toddler and the knobs are the right size for her hands. Will definately look at Melissa and Doug puzzles for her again!

My daughter (10 months) loves to play with this toy. It is cute and educational. However, the quality is very poor like other products made in China. Every single time you set a piece in there or take it out a bunch of sawdust comes off. I have to constantly wipe it out and I am getting tired of it! Too bad there aren't that many of these puzzles that are for younger children and are good quality products.

My son (15 months) loves the toy. The wooden knobs are big enough for him to grasp easily. The puzzle itself is made of a lightweight particle board material. The pictures are stickered onto the wood. There is alot of dust. The pieces are not all cut very well, you will have to sand down the sides of at least the circle piece.

You'll have to clean it when you get it because it is full of dust. Do not let your baby put it in their mouth because it will take the sticker off. The puzzle is not painted.

The circle piece is not well cut. It needs to be sanded down. My son has trouble putting it in because it doesn't fit in every orientation as it should, so I am unhappy about that which is why it is not five stars. Overall its cute and my son enjoys playing with it. I am unhappy about the quality, but I would buy it again as long as its not 15 dollars. 15 is too much for this low quality.

I like the concept of this puzzle, but it did not arrive in a condition acceptable to give to a 1 yr. old. The pieces were cut from the background with a jigsaw, and there was no sanding or cleanup whatsoever. The hardboard was chipped and rough, with sawdust and loose particles everywhere. It took about half an hour of sanding and cleaning before I felt comfortable letting my child play with it. In theory it is nice that the puzzle is "crafted by hand", but Melissa & Doug needs better quality control!

This puzzle is great for little ones. Once they have mastered the puzzle placement, you can then work on puzzles and shapes. Be careful with babies putting the pieces in their mouth, the paint chips.