I have two small children, one is now aged 2 years and 6 months and the younger is aged just 12 months. I bought this great toy really for the younger of the 2, but as inevitable, it was immediately stolen by the 2 year old, and being unable to explain to my 2 year old daughter that the present was not actually for her, and that the huge kitchen, which was much more expensive and heavy to carry up the stairs to our apartment is in fact her present, I decided to buy another one of these things. The Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube is really great little toy that will keep your toddler entertained for hours. I originally thought that the toy was best used by a smaller child of about 6-18 months, but my 2 1/2 year old has disproved this.
This toy comes with 8 musical compositions from Mozart and really does seem like it is building a strong musical foundation for my kids. Kids can learn how to combine the noises from different musical instruments to make Mozart masterpieces. As they push the different buttons on the machine they either add or subtract the noises from instrument such as the harp, French horn, piano flute and violin.
This toy actually has the best seller slot over at amazon.com in the toddler, music and sound section, so if you are looking for a great way to introduce your children to music then this is apparently one of the best toys for the job. The flashing lights as the kids push the buttons also helps to hold the children’s attention for that little bit longer as well. The soft rounded corners that this toy has also means that you could give it to much smaller children without risk of them hurting themselves. You will need 3 AA batteries.
Some slightly negative issues might include the packaging being a little awkward to open. The plastic ties that keep the toy firmly attached to the cardboard packaging mean that you will have to be very careful when opening it to make sure that the ties do not fall into the toy itself. Then there is the instructions which some reviews have indicated are not as clear as they might possibly be. From my own experience however and that of my 2 year old daughter, you shouldn’t really have too many problems when it comes to trying to figure out how to use this toy.
Thanks for reading this Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube review.
If you are looking for a toy that will stimulate and allow for your kids to express themselves, but without the risk of them taking the paintbrush to your wallpaper, then this could well be the toy for you. The Lego Duplo Building Set is a very nice pack that allows for your kids to build not just “squares” but rolling cars, houses planes and many other things as well. Included with this building “set” is a building plate used as a base for constructing houses and the like, 1 DUPLO figure, a wagon base, a window and of course all the building bricks. The user manual comes with a lot of great ideas for things that your child can build, and it would be my recommendation that you show the child how to build the things yourself, especially if they are only 2 or 3 years old.
The smaller items that come with the set, such as the flowers can be a real choking hazard and should be kept away from any child who is less than 2.5 or thereabouts, but this is a judgment call and of course the 3 years+ logo on the box is just a recommendation, if you feel confident your child can use the toy safely it is your prerogative. I have let my own 2 year old use this toy and she uses it almost every day, building towers mainly, she’s perhaps not the most creative of all children, but she enjoys the toy all the same. Even if it’s just build a tower and smash it to bits after it’s built, there is a great deal of fun to be had with these brick from a very young age. I remember having Duplo when I was small as well and I don’t want my daughter to miss out on the experience.
I actually live in Japan myself, and when it comes to trying to get hold of cheap toys from overseas it can be very difficult. The beast answer for me has on many occasions been Amazon.co.jp. But even then, there are some products that can only be bought in Japanese and in these cases I will buy the item (toy or dvd usually) from Amazon.com who have very respectable shipping to overseas addresses.
In conclusion I would say that this was a “can’t do without” toy for me and my kids, but even if you didn’t play with duplo yourself as a child I would thoroughly recommend this as your child will get lots of enjoyment out of it, no matter what their personality is.
Thanks for reading this LEGO Duplo Building Set-71 review.
The Melissa and Doug Standing Easel best price is available right here folks. For a quick review of this great toy please keep reading.
If you have been looking for a way for your pre-schooler to express themselves as fully as they like, then you may well have found it here with this standing easel from Melissa and Doug. This Easel comes with two sides, so two children can use it at the same time, this means that there will be a lot less arguments if you are only buying one easel. One side of the easel has a blackboard and the other side is a whiteboard. There is also a dowel in the middle of the two easel sides for a roll of paper (must be bought separately) that you can pull through and cover either side of the easel. There is also a number of large clips that you can use to attach large sheets of paper to the easel side if you prefer.
The fact that there is no paint included with this product might seem like a negative, but if you look at the price of this item, you can see that you are being given the option to choose whatever paints you like. Having it this way means that they are trying to meet the needs of as many people as possible. Some people might prefer to have more expensive paints, while some might want the cheapest paint possible to save on the cost.
The only real issue that I am seeing with this easel is the chalkboard. The chalkboard that has been provided has received consistent reports of customers not being able to write on it. Children on the other hand are even more so going to have difficulty writing on the board as it comes from the retailer. After contacting customer services you will most likely be told to “sand” or “prime” the board. This is a little bit of an inconvenience to say the least and definitely goes against Melissa and Doug.
I would recommend that this easel could well be for you if you either don’t mind a bit of DIY and or are not looking for the chalkboard in particular. Even with the chalkboard issue this is a very high quality and very low price toy that will almost definitely be a welcome addition to any playroom. I have also read reports that Melissa and Doug will replace the chalkboard if you find it to be unsatisfactory.
Thanks for taking the time to read this Melissa and Doug Standing Easel toy review. I hope that you feel more confident about whether to make a purchase of this easel or not.
