Customer Reviews

Melissa & Doug Lace and Trace Farm

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this toy because I wanted to give my 3 year old something to do while I home school my older child. I wanted to help encourage him to develop his fine motor skills. This fit the bill. He enjoys it and so does my 6 year old. They also play with the animals individually. It would have been nice to have a box that you could cover it for storage but that is a rarity with Melissa and Doug toys.

Great toy for teaching coordination and for independent play!!
They are made of a sturdy wood that keeps them from bending or falling apart, and appear to be very durable for little hands. The laces are very easy to handle.
I bought two sets of these - one for my son who is 23 months and one for my nephew who is 2 1/2. Although they both play with them, my son is still a bit too young for the concept although they do keep his attention. I think as others have said, they are perfect for children closer to 3+.

Lacing cards are great for improving hand to eye coordination. They give the kids a feeling of accomplishment and also calm down an agitated child. I loved them as a child and these are less flimsy than I remembered. My age 5-8 grandkids have been enjoying them. I am teaching the 8 year-old to sew and this is even helping with that.

I bought the M&D Lace & Trace Farm AND the Lace & Trace Pets for my almost-4-year-old. As I type, she's having a ball with the pets set. I can see hours of enjoyment coming, and I can certainly see that it's going to be a challenge for her hand-eye coordination skills -- something all kids need to develop.

Speaking as an adult, I am absolutely tickled pink to have found sets of cut-outs that are made of something that's not going to bend or tear, like the ones I had when I was a kid. These cut-outs are sturdy, 1/8" thick wood. It's going to take a lot more than general wear and tear to ruin these puppies! In fact, I can even see getting them out for my grandchild(ren) to play with one day. They're that well-made. On that score, I give them a full five stars and would give more if possible.

The laces, though, are rather another story. After less than an hour's play time, they're already showing signs of wear. They're made of some sort of braided nylon-type material that snags a little too easily on just about anything (including the pre-drilled holes in the wooden cut-outs), so I'm already reminding my preschooler not to let the cat play with them. Though they're color-coordinated with the edges of the cut-outs, my daughter hasn't noticed and probably wouldn't care if she did; I'm sure I'll be able to replace the laces pretty easily if they get too snagged and ratty. Still, it would have made more sense to make them out of something less "snaggable."

One last thing would have made this a fully five-star item in my book: Some sort of lid on the box, or perhaps a soft-sided carrying tote. These sets come in a flat wooden box with two compartments -- one for the cut-outs, one for the laces. While the laces and cut-outs do fit back into the box with little trouble, there's nothing to KEEP them in the box -- no lid, no straps, nothing. If it had come with some sort of lid, problem solved, but I think I'm going to have to buy some sort of tote that zips or snaps shut, so my daughter can keep everything in one place easily.

Still, as I said before, this is one heck of a durable set of cut-outs. I am very happy with the purchase and, more the point, so is my daughter!

My three kids love this product. They will sit there and lace for hours. I also use this for my in home daycare and all of the kids love it.

This is a bright and colorful set of 5 lacing toys in the shape of farm animals: a cow, a rooster, a sheep, a pig, and a horse. The animals are quite appealing to look at, and the laces are colorful as well. This is a good toy for practicing fine motor skills, and children enjoy it.

These are made with the usual outstanding quality of Melissa and Doug toys. We have had this set for several years, and they've been used by my preschoolers, and even lower elementary age children. Considering the quality of this toy, the price is quite reasonable.

While this is not a "must-have" toy, I would recommend this set to parents of preschoolers.

bought two sets of these for christmas, and they are wonderful. good quality old fashioned, keeps them occupied and helps them learn and use their little hands to learn a sewing and lacing technique. It travels with you and for a good price these will last a long time.

Received my order yesterday and very disappointed. The image 2 of the boards are peeling and damaged. The lacing holes are not smooth and poorly punched. I expect better quality from Melissa & Doug. I wouldn't recommend this product.

Good for younger kids. Nice way to introduce sewing concepts. Melissa & Doug toys are always good quality, colorful and reliable.

Bought for my 2 year old son. He loves lacing the animals, but we also practice the names and sounds each animal makes. He does this all on his own now. Singing Ole' McDonald is fun with these too!