9.5.2020

I decided to buy two sets of letters and two sets of numbers and the abacus too but for some reason I could only buy one set of numbers and letters. I get the whole rationing thing with food but with letters and numbers!? Strange but with no school at the moment wouldn't we want to teach our children more and get them to eat less. What a world we live in. Anyway, I'm sure its a stocking issue but it still seems odd to me. Anyway, on to the products. We bought a set of letters previously and thought we would get a couple of sets of each numbers and letters, an abacus and a magnetic whiteboard to "teach" our 3 year old at "school" as she doesn't go currently due to the pandemic. It worked,

4.10.2008

Had this for a couple of years now. Kids have thrown it around and it's been under other toys at the bottom of the toy box etc. Still in one piece though. Quality build and hardwearing.I have used this to help kids with the concept of adding and subtraction. Can't say that this is their favourite toy. They'd rather play with their NDS than with this. But has an educational value and they get a concept of addition and subtraction for their maths through this. Would recommend it for 4+yrs in my opinion, but others may have different experiences.Update May 2014Have had several kids use it (bigger than average family!!) and my 3 year old is using it now. Still as good as new. Very hardwearing and solid toy.

14.8.2014

Product is a nice chunky size for young children to hold and use, yet not too big and bulky that it can't be easily stored away when not in use. Very sturdy and practical, i bought it to help my 5-year old with adding and subtracting, and will hopefully help her with homework as she is now going into year one at school. It is a good visual tool to help children to understand working with numbers. So far she is getting the jist of how to use it for adding, taking away and counting, and im sure as she learns more math it will become even more useful for her, as can also be used to help understand multiplication and times-tables etc. Additionally my baby also finds this abacus fun,

10.1.2016

Bought six years ago and still looks like it did then - is this because maybe it hasn't been used much or because it is good quality? I think that as with most Melissa & Doug products the quality is great. However I also think that maybe I didn't know enough about how to use an abacus in order to make the most out of it. My daughters have enjoyed arranging the beads and making patterns more than doing any number work on it.If you want an abacus then this is a great abacus to go for, but maybe first ask the question, do I really need an abacus? There are just so many other ways of inspiring a child and teaching a child about numbers.Would I buy this again? Maybe not,

23.8.2012

This got an awesome reception from the child but I was disappointed because some of the paint fromsome of the beads had perhaps not dried thoroughly before it was assembled and so some paint was jaggedly dried on to one or two of the rods.It does seem durable and looks lovely. The colours are brighter than some I've seen. I'm sure it will be used for years to come. Minimal counting or arithmetic is done with it. I have been told it's a a musical instrument! And this is how it's most used. I'm confident that in time I will be able to use it to make arithmetic fun.

18.12.2020

Keeps baby entertained to sit long enough that we’ve been able to start successfully weaning. Sticks to the Ikea highchair a little too well! Need to get nails under at least 2 of the suction pads before it will release! Baby is 6 months now and his favourite thing to do with it suck on the bars which are at perfect mouth height but hopefully that means will have longer play value once he can coordinate enough to move the beads round. We just rinse under tap after use to clean. Would recommend.

7.10.2011

This is a good buy for the price. The quality of the product is good, with smooth wood and colorfast ink. The suction cups make it easy to move around from the high chair to living room, and if you put a drop of water in the cups before sticking they are really strong. I can grab it and yank very hard and the thing will not budge. It keeps my child entertained and is helping his motor skills when he moves the beads along the wires.

16.9.2020

The suction is really very good to the point it’s even hard for me to get off. No chance of him throwing it, although perhaps it might lose its suction in time. It doesn’t fill up the whole tray which is good but is big enough for 9 month old to play with. It keeps him occupied for quite a while giving me time to make his lunch and seems very good for fine motor and problem solving skills. I am very pleased I bought this item

29.9.2013

This abacus is well made and I would expect nothing else for Melissa and Doug product we have been extremely happy with everything purchased from this brand.It is a traditional abacus which is what I really wanted for my four year old who has started to show an interest in adding and subtracting. It would be fair to say that she is not as excited by it as me, however I still think every child should have one.

31.1.2020

Other high chair toys drive me mad falling off constantly. This doesn't - it's sturdy, good quality, nice looking, & keeps my 9 month old entertained (& has done for the last couple of months). We also use linkable plastic clips to attach teethers / other toys to it which means they are also not constantly going straight on the floor - works really well. Would definitely recommend. Good price too.

12.1.2011

Does exactly what I bought it for. 6 months of use and still standing so maximum points for durability. I must add that I bought 2, and though both have been dropped (intentionally by my monsters?)a few times, there is no scratch to be seen. Easy to use, beads slide effortlessly and sits well on any flat surface. V pleased though my boys hate them (well, they hate anything to do with studying;-))

5.4.2016

I was tempted to buy one of the other, cheaper abacuses I saw in the amazon store, but read some opinions about the fragility and lack of quality of those. So I went for the more expensive one, the Melissa and Doug.And I do not regret a thing. It is sturdy and quality-built indeed. Great value for money.I'd rather have less educational toys for my children that are well built and durable.

13.8.2012

I was tempted to buy one of the other, cheaper abacuses I saw in the amazon store, but read some opinions about the fragility and lack of quality of those. So I went for the more expensive one, the Melissa and Doug.And I do not regret a thing. It is sturdy and quality-built indeed. Great value for money.I'd rather have less educational toys for my children that are well built and durable.

9.5.2016

We love all Melissa and Doug products and this is no exception. Our baby loves playing with this and while it is small he does get bored with it, after a while he will rekindle his interest with it. Can be good to bring along on a day out and use them to keep them interested on the dining table instead of using a tablet. We have used this to probably 50/50 result, but at least we tried!

1.4.2020

Our ten month old loves this toy. She plays away with it in her high chair while we eat dinner. It is great quality and we felt it was very safe under supervision. The suction is excellent on the kitchen table. Not so great on the high chair tray but that is due to the material of the tray as nothing else will still to it either. Looking forward to buying more products from this range.

Melissa & Doug First Bead Maze - Reviews

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