Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube

by Melissa & Doug

Product Features

• Interactive design lets your child sort shapes into corresponding holes
• Bright colors and easy-to-hold blocks encourage creative play

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches ; 1.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005RF5G
• Item model number: 575
• Our recommended age: 24 months - 4 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 24 months - 6 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #456 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #3 in Toys & Games > Baby & Toddler Toys > Shape Sorters
  • #70 in Toys & Games > Learning & Education
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (153 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The ultimate shape sorter! Features 12 chunky, vibrantly colored shapes that make a satisfying ‘clink’ as they drop into the natural finished hardwood cube! Then open the lid, take them out, and start all over again!

Product Description

Challenge little minds with the ultimate shape sorter! Bright and cheerful, it features 16 chunky, vibrant shapes that make a satisfying "clink" as they drop into the hardwood cube. Then open the lid, take them out, and start all over again.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Challenging Shape Sorter, Great Toy, Manage the Frustration!, January 23, 2004

By 

Colorado reader & parent (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube (Toy)

My 22 month old daughter plays with this toy, but there are 2 major sources of frustration.

1) The lid doesn't stay on well - whenever you try to put a shape into the side with the lid, the lid flips over. An older child could probably figure out that you have to hold the lid (or just drop the shape neatly into the hole without touching the lid) - but a younger toddler just isn't going to get that. It is very frustrating. Other people have pointed it out as well - perhaps the designers will respond in version 2. It's needlessly frustrating.

2) Some of the shapes are very similar /complicated - it is frustrating for a young toddler. BUT!!!! my daughter is slightly younger than the recommended age, and, it is a learning toy - it isn't supposed to be immediately easy. Just know that for younger toddlers, you should play with them and help them select the right hole.

A bit of guided play is called for while they are learning and it will increase fun/decrease frustration. My daughter has learned some of the shapes on her own, and is getting 'closer' on some of the others, but I frequently play with her and talk to her about the shapes and help her find where they go.

All in all, it is a good toy. We have several Melissa & Doug toys, and have been pleased with them all. They are safe, high quality, and nice looking. And you can never have too many small, brightly colored pieces of wood underfoot. :)

82 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great idea, but poor design, March 8, 2005

By 

Henry K. Cookson Jr. "leecookson" (Burlington, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:1.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube (Toy)

We bought this shape sorter for my older son when he was about 18 months old. He'd already been playing with a lightweight plastic one for months, but we liked that this one was wood and had more shapes -- in addition to the basic oval, circle, rectangle, triangle, square, etc., this one has a flower shape, a heart, an octagon, a couple of different triangles, a wedge, parallelogram, etc.

Unfortunately, the shapes fit through any hole in the sorter, so the child isn't really learning much of anything. Plus, the lid is impossible for a small child to keep on while they're playing with it -- even my older son (now 4) has trouble with it!

I've also found that it gets so crowded in there that the shapes don't always fit well when you're fitting in the last few. You need to shake the sorter so that the shapes settle to the bottom. Another issue that I have with this product is, several of the pieces are small enough to fit INTO a small child's mouth -- our younger son, 18 mos, has proven that on several occasions! The plastic ones we have from the other shape sorter are all a bit larger than these pieces, and I think safer. We keep this shape sorter up on a high shelf, to be played with on a rainy day with supervision. It's not a toy I'd leave out for everyday play.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Looks good, but poor design for actual use, August 31, 2004

By 

Kelly R. Stanaj "artsysmartsygrrrl" (Grand Blanc, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube (Toy)

I commend Melissa and Doug for the nice variety of shapes this cube offers as well as its classic wooden toy appearance, but that being said, actual use of this cube is cumbersome and faulty. A bit too heavy for tiny hands to turn and look for the appropriate hole, it also becomes frustrating when the lid falls off (no latch or hinge to keep it on) or it is almost full with blocks and you are trying to push in one of the shapes in the lower portion of the cube and it won't go in because there are blocks inside sitting on the bottom. If the lid latched, you could turn the sides facing up and easily insert the shapes, but not so. I sold my daughter's on ebay and got her the classic plastic Playskool one that has a snap lid and that is lighter weight so she can turn and tumble, looking for the right hole for the shape she has.