Customer Reviews

Melissa & Doug Large Shapes Jumbo Puzzle

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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the fronts of all the pieces have stickers (versus being painted on (w/ vegetable dye)like Haba does with their toys) so after my son chewed off half of a piece's sticker and was swallowing it all within 5 mins, i had to take it away from him

i discovered another sign that it's too cheaply made when after i took it away from my son- he was covered in saw dust!!! turns out the thing is made of PARTICLE BOARD and the sides are not sealed so it's slightly rough and when my son rubbed his hand on it, saw dust comes off... which is messy, but more importantly- dangerous! the inside of each shape on the board is also unfinished without any kind of sealant so saw dust comes from there too!

if they had spent a bit more (and charged a bit more) they could have created a well made, safe great toy but doug and melissa have blundered on this one

I just purchased this puzzle for my 16 month old daughter who enjoys it. However, the colors of the plug and the hole are supposed to match and they don't. Some are just very different shades and two are different colors altogether (purple versus blue/ orange versus red). Since color recognition is a fundamental aspect of this puzzle, this seems to be a significant flaw.

I also found as another reviewer did that the pieces don't seem to have been removed and cleaned after the jig cut them out. There is particle board dust that seems to keep wearing off with continued use even after it is cleaned with a damp cloth. This can be considered a small trade off for the price of the toy since it is so functional and educational.

However, the only concern I have with the dust is whether there are any chemicals from glue or other materials that might have some degree of toxicity. The pieces are in no way deteriorating of crumbling apart; there is just dust that my daughter found fascinating and began licking off her fingers.

The pegs to hold the pieces are perfect. The pieces fit well, not too loose, not too tight. I really like this puzzle for my daughter and hope that I can get it exchanged for one that has accurately corresponding colors.

We have a lot of different puzzles for our daughter and this is our favorite. The background is simple and doesn't distract from the placement of the pieces. The wooden knobs are easy for her to grasp and the pieces are simple shapes and colors that she can recognize and easily put where they belong. She's learning colors and shapes from our "play" with this puzzle and doesn't get frustrated with it like she does with some other puzzles. I highly recommend this puzzle.

We were so happy to have received this as a gift for our daughter. However, there is not one piece that correctly goes into place. The circle, which you would assume would be the easiest piece to place (since there are no edges) is the hardest to place, because of the notch that was made to cut out the circle. The remaining pieces (excluding the oval and rectangle) should fit in any direction, however they are only cut to fit one way. For instance, the square (4 right angles) should fit in any direction, but it only fits one way. We are highly disappointed in this company.

My 13 month old son loves this, but I unfortunately have to echo the comments that it's poorly made. The saw dust went away after a bit, and I can live with the fact that the pieces can sometimes be difficult to put in, but the biggest problem is that my son is chewing the paper off the top of the pieces. It's kind of shocking actually, that they would manufacture a product that could be chewed away so easily when the product is geared toward children that are likely to put things in their mouths! I'll probably end up throwing it out shortly, but I'm hoping to find a replacement from a different company before I do. Bottom line is that I would never buy this again or gift it to anyone I cared about.

This is a great first puzzle for toddlers who are beginning to show interest in putting puzzles together. My toddler (now 18 months) has been playing with this puzzle since he was just about a year old, and he loves it every time I bring it down off the shelf. He likes to show me a piece and have me name its shape for him before he places it into the hole.

The Good:
- The knobs are chunky, easy for a toddler's fist to grip
- The pieces are colorful and bright
- The "hole" for each piece is a matching color, so this puzzle can be used to help little ones learn to match both shapes and colors
- The puzzle pieces are large, thick, and sturdy - they stand up well to being chewed on, sucked on, dropped, and thrown
- The pieces only fit in their proper hole, so there's no confusion for a little one just learning shapes
- Puzzles are great for the development of fine motor skills

The Bad:
- If your little one likes to throw his toys (or sometimes throws them in frustration), the size and weight of these puzzle pieces makes them a bit of a hazard - if you've got a thrower, you'll probably want to supervise his/her puzzle play until s/he outgrows the throwing stage!
- The puzzle pieces weren't perfectly sanded when this arrived... but that was easy enough to fix with a bit of sandpaper and a wet rag

All in all, this is a very good puzzle for toddlers learning colors and shapes. If your tot's developing an interest in puzzles, this is definitely one to get.

In addition to the problem with sawdust that other reviewers noted, I did not like how the pieces only fit in the exact way they were cut out. For example, you cannot rotate the circle even though it seems like you should be able to. Rather the imperfections of the sawing means that the circle only fits in the space if you line up the imperfections exactly. It is very frustrating to see my son successfully match the shapes only for the piece not to go in because of poor design. He thinks he messed up some how and then gives up because the toy looks impossible. By the time a child is old enough to know how to line it up exactly, I would imagine a simple shapes toy like this would not be interesting. It is also extremely heavy for the age group for which it is marketed. It also looks like it is made of thick plywood, not solid wood. Try the kid o puzzleKID O Recognizing Shapes Puzzle which is actually for 1+ according to the manufacturer. Those shapes fit perfectly in any direction.

My twins got this for their first birthday about a month ago. They like it and they understand what to do with it, which is great, but the poor workmanship makes it hard for them to actually put the pieces where they go. Each piece will only go in one way -- so if, for example, you put the circle in "upside down", it won't fit. How can a circle be upside down?? This is really frustrating because they often get it right (right shape, right hole), but because they have it turned upside down or rotated one or two turns (for shapes like the pentagon and triangle), it won't go in. The pieces should fit whichever way they're rotated. (And the octagon should not fit in the circle hole -- which it does, quite nicely!)

Even if my kids do get it right, however, the pieces don't easily slide into place -- the particle board catches on itself. It requires a higher level of manual dexterity than it should for the concept of the toy.

All of this makes it difficult for my kids to do what they're supposed to with the toy, so they get frustrated. This morning I found them banging the pieces on the board over and over -- and churning up sawdust from the poorly finished edges in the process. Gross. And dangerous.

I love the idea of this toy, but the way it's been made makes me recommend that you look elsewhere for a better version of the same thing. We're going to try sanding off the edges of all the pieces and see if that helps a bit.

UPDATE: We did sand off the edges, and it improved the toy 100%!

This is my son's favorite puzzle! I like it because he learned both colors and shapes from playing with it. We probably use it every day. It holds up to when he dumps the pieces and when his little sister chews on them. If you are looking for a quiet, learning activity that can also be fun, then I would suggest this puzzle.

This is a great puzzle and my son loves it! The knob handles are actually screwed into the shapes, making it very durable. Each shape is a different color, so it can be used to teach colors as well as shapes. Even though my son has mastered where the shapes go, he still enjoys playing with it. Overall, this is a great item!