Notes From the Manufacturer
& Editorial Review
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.
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Customer
Reviews
Middling Quality, Middling usefulness
I am not impressed by the quality of Melissa and Doug products, especially compared to brands like Plan. M&D seems to skimp or wood quality and on the objects' finish. This shape sorter compares unfavorable to Plan's 3-shape sort. The M&D sorter arrived cracked. The blocks aren't very smooth and don't feel great in the hand like Plan's do. And more isn't necessarily better. There are lots of shapes here, but our child likes the box better than sorting, while she loves to sort with the Plan sorter. I'd recommend the simpler, elegant Plan sorter over this one. And coupled with what I've seen of M&D products, I'm going to bypass them from now on and spend a few dollars more for toys that will last multiple children (and grandchildren).
melissa & doug are great, but this toy is lacking...
We have tons of Melissa & Doug toys and really are impressed with their overall durability, educational value, and price. However, this is one of the few pieces I would not buy again. The shapes are chunky, varied and colorful, but the design is flawed. It is very difficult for my daughter (received it at one year is now nearly two) to get the shapes in the holes because of the layout. She has other shape sorters that are much more child friendly. Overall this is not an enjoyable toy for her.
maybe not the best for sorting shapes
We were given this as a baby shower gift and I gave it to my daughter once she was able to sit upright on her own. She has been playing with it for several months. She is not yet at the stage where she is interested in sorting the shapes. She is a big fan of chewing on them and I've noticed the paint has come off on some of the edges. She also likes to put one into a plastic cup (from an Ikea staking cup toy) and shake it around, making noise. Once she started crawling, our little one discovered they quickly slide across the wood floor when she tosses them, and then she loves to retrieve them. I think she likes that the lid comes off easily, because that's the first thing she removes and chews on. Then she drops it on the floor, dumps all the blocks out, and chews on them. Not necessarily its intended purpose! Some of the blocks are smaller than I'd like and I sometimes fear she may choke on them, but I really don't think that is likely.
I suppose that if/when she starts to use it as a shape sorter, she will have to learn to put the shapes that fit into the bottom holes in there first; otherwise, if the bottom of the cube is lined with blocks, you cannot push the star, pentagon, and diamond in (well, maybe a very determined kid could forcefully shove them in and make it work!). I found that to be potentially frustrating myself because it somewhat takes away the fun of randomness out of inserting the blocks.
She (and I) have played with the Fisher Price shape sorter, the plastic one with 4 different shapes (3 pieces of each shape). That one allowed for less creativity because having only four shapes to sort instead of twelve different ones forces the child to learn that one shape fits one hole. If that's what you want, then the Melissa and Doug toy may not be for you, since more than one shape can fit through some of the holes.
Nice buy for little kid around age 1+
I bought this for my daughter and she loved it at the first time she saw. The colors are bright and attractive. The shapes are just right for them to hold on their hands. This is more educative than other small toys such as cars or dolls.
Shape sorting cube
This is a good educational toy; however it is quite challenging for a 2year old to get the shape into the correct slot. Some of shapes are too similar for example the square and the rectangle. The diamond shape when turned is very similar to the rectangle also. It is somewhat frustrating for a young child. I am sure in another 6 months it may not be. I would purchase this shape sorting cube for an older child.
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Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube
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