<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812</id><updated>2011-04-21T18:35:55.334-07:00</updated><category term='Easel Companion Set'/><category term='Deluxe Standing Easel'/><category term='Melissa and Doug Toys'/><category term='Melissa and Doug Cutting Food Box'/><category term='Wooden Cutting Fruit Crate'/><category term='Stack and Sort Board'/><category term='Creation Baby Born'/><category term='Inside Numbers Peg'/><category term='100 Piece Wood Blocks Set'/><category term='Standard Unit Blocks'/><category term='Wooden Shape Sorting Clock'/><category term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><category term='Unit Blocks on Wheels'/><category term='Basic Cardboard Blocks'/><category term='Band in a Box'/><category term='Shape Sorting Cube'/><category term='Vehicles Sound Blocks'/><category term='Melissa and Doug Articles'/><category term='Melissa and Doug'/><category term='Melissa and Doug See Spell'/><category term='Beginner Pattern Blocks'/><category term='Melissa and Doug Unit Blocks'/><category term='Top 10 Christmas Toys 2008'/><category term='200 Piece Wood Blocks Set'/><category term='Top Christmas Toys 2008'/><category term='Melissa and Doug Toys Articles'/><category term='Melissa and Doug Farm Sound Blocks'/><category term='Pattern Blocks and Boards'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Blocks Toys Reviews - Wooden blocks, Castle, Puzzle etc.</title><subtitle type='html'>Look for a new child learning toy, Your primary one should be choosing a child learning toy that teaches a skill or a concept that is new to your child.</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>35</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-1771494016572934787</id><published>2008-11-20T21:34:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-11-20T21:37:27.208-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Unit Blocks'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Unit Blocks on Wheels'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Unit Blocks on Wheels</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SSZIqcSTjcI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/C9q41rDZlso/s1600-h/Melissa+and+Doug+Unit+Blocks+on+Wheels.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 151px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SSZIqcSTjcI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/C9q41rDZlso/s320/Melissa+and+Doug+Unit+Blocks+on+Wheels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270980307868421570" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00005TNIE"&gt;Melissa and Doug Unit Blocks on Wheels&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:100%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great First Blocks, but they won't last.&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I might have rated these blocks lower, but I got them for a fantastic deal before Christmas last year. As such, they have paid for themselves countless times over. The blocks are a good size, no choking risk, and the wagon is fantastic to store them in. My 10 month old has been playing with these since about 6 months (mostly banging them together). That being said, they do show dents/wear rather quickly. When he is older and building with them more, we will get a higher quality set.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;A classic, durable and versatile toy.&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I bought this for my 3-year old nephew. He loves the blocks &amp;amp; his 18-month old brother loves to pull the wagon along. A classic, durable and versatile toy.&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Encourages Creativity&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My great-grandson loves these blocks...he builds towers and other structures then knocks them down and starts all over again. He's just over 2 years old. He enjoys putting them in the wagon and pulling them around. In this age of 'entertaining' electronics, remote-controlled toys, talking toys, it's great to see a child using his own creativity to build something, learn shapes, see how they fit into the little wagon, etc. Both his parents and I give this generations-old toy an A+&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;36 smoothly sanded wooden blocks for unlimited building possibilities; which store neatly in a sturdy pull-along cart!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-1771494016572934787?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/1771494016572934787'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/1771494016572934787'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/11/melissa-and-doug-unit-blocks-on-wheels.html' title='Melissa and Doug Unit Blocks on Wheels'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SSZIqcSTjcI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/C9q41rDZlso/s72-c/Melissa+and+Doug+Unit+Blocks+on+Wheels.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-1733472384919276840</id><published>2008-11-19T20:46:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-11-19T20:48:23.565-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Vehicles Sound Blocks'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><title type='text'>Melissa &amp; Doug Vehicles Sound Blocks</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00009AA6G"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 173px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SSTrsvnOLFI/AAAAAAAAAJU/XkpJwK5Dpjo/s320/Melissa+%26+Doug+Vehicles+Sound+Blocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270596617858067538" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00009AA6G"&gt;Melissa &amp;amp; Doug Vehicles Sound Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:100%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;My godson loves it.  &lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I bought this for my godson's 2nd birthday.  It's durable so he can't break it.  Now he's also talking more.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Pretty good!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We wanted to purchase more traditional toys for our daughter for christmas 06. We bought a lot of M&amp;amp;D toys and this by far was the better of their toys. Even though our daughter is still a little young to put pieces together properly it will be even better when she figures this out. Like other said the sound is very appropriate. I like this toy and definitely recommend this to others. The only reason I gave it a 4 is colors on blocks could be a bit brighter or more colorful.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great toy&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star30_tpng.png" alt="3" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I think this is a great toy, but at this point my sons aren't too interested in it. The pictures to match up and the sound that results are very clear, the two puzzle pieces are easy to manage, and it doesn't take up a lot of room. Also the noise it makes when you match up the pieces is at an appropriate level.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;24 months &amp;amp; up. Vehicle sounds play when matching cubes are placed in the wooden tray! Six realistic sounds per set. 2 AAA batteries required, not included.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #2851 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Color: N/A&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 1272&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 7.00" h x   4.30" w x   3.80" l,    1.60 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Vehicle sounds play when matching cubes are placed in the wooden tray&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Six realistic sounds per set&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;These clever activity toys help develop fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Easy to grasp and maneuver&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Exceptional Quality and Value&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-1733472384919276840?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/1733472384919276840'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/1733472384919276840'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/11/melissa-doug-vehicles-sound-blocks.html' title='Melissa &amp; Doug Vehicles Sound Blocks'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SSTrsvnOLFI/AAAAAAAAAJU/XkpJwK5Dpjo/s72-c/Melissa+%26+Doug+Vehicles+Sound+Blocks.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-6076664084765096358</id><published>2008-11-19T20:40:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-11-19T20:45:03.653-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='100 Piece Wood Blocks Set'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug 100 Piece Wood Blocks Set</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000068CKY"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 182px; height: 210px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SSTq3e7Bk5I/AAAAAAAAAJM/9Pl5gDXEHq8/s320/Melissa+and+Doug+100+Piece+Wood+Blocks+Set.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270595702844658578" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000068CKY"&gt;Melissa and Doug 100 Piece Wood Blocks Set&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;" class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Excellent learning toys&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This blocks are so colorfull and durable and the shapes help to be more creative...excellent learning blocks What I wish I'd known prior to purchase is the dimensions of the blocks. They are smaller and thinner than I had anticipated. That being said, their size has not diminished my grandson's enjoyment one iota. He likes to build roads with the blocks and can't wait to build the castle pictured on the box the blocks came in.&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Grandson LOVES these blocks!!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My 4 year old grandson, and his parents, were thrilled when he receieved these blocks yesterday. We'd been unable to find colored wooden blocks in any local stores. I was happy to see that the yellow blocks were just as vibrant as the red and blue. In the picture I saw they looked rather pale. (As soon as we can find a time when his little sister isn't around to knock it down, that is.)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;Kids can use their creativity and imagination to build all sorts of things with this 100-piece set. The structures are only as tall and wide as the child's imagination! With endless possibilities, it's sure to provide hours of engaged play.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Editorial Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;div id="editorialReviews"&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;From the Manufacturer&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;100-piece Colored wooden block set&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-6076664084765096358?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/6076664084765096358'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/6076664084765096358'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/11/melissa-and-doug-100-piece-wood-blocks.html' title='Melissa and Doug 100 Piece Wood Blocks Set'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SSTq3e7Bk5I/AAAAAAAAAJM/9Pl5gDXEHq8/s72-c/Melissa+and+Doug+100+Piece+Wood+Blocks+Set.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-2867625890617907660</id><published>2008-11-05T20:10:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-11-05T20:13:00.485-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Top 10 Christmas Toys 2008'/><title type='text'>US - Top 10 Christmas Toys 2008 List</title><content type='html'>Christmas 2008 is coming soon and busy parents are looking for the ultimate gifts for their kids. So what's hot this year? Find the top 10 list of Christmas gifts toy for kids here.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;the Official top 10 Christmas toys 2008 list to be announced by the Toy Retailers Association.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/"&gt;&lt;h2&gt;US - Top 10 Christmas Toys 2008&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1.&lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/detail/B0015KOFZK"&gt; &lt;b&gt; Fisher-Price Elmo Live&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/detail/B00160JSNI"&gt; &lt;b&gt; Fur Real Friends Biscuit My Lovin Pup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/detail/B000TTPEXU"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Wild Planet Hyper Dash&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;4. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/detail/B00134K8PY"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Bakugan Battle Pack (Styles and Colors May&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;5. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/detail/B000NWU9NI"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Fisher-Price Smart Cycle&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;6. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/detail/B000BTNQUQ"&gt; &lt;b&gt;LeapFrog® Leapster® Learning Game S... &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;7. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/detail/B0014SRP0A"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Bakugan Battle Arena&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;8. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/detail/B000OKW1DU"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Hasbro Electronic Hyper Slide&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;9. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/detail/B00007G39I"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;10. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/detail/B0017WDWTG"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Scene It? Seinfeld&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/"&gt;&lt;h2&gt;UK - Top 10 Christmas Toys 2008&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Thank You : &lt;a href="http://besttoysreviews.blogspot.com/2008/11/official-top-10-christmas-toys-2008.html"&gt;US - Top 10 Christmas Toys 2008 List&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-2867625890617907660?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/2867625890617907660'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/2867625890617907660'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/11/us-top-10-christmas-toys-2008-list.html' title='US - Top 10 Christmas Toys 2008 List'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-7764765791077378162</id><published>2008-11-04T01:36:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-11-04T01:40:56.785-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Top Christmas Toys 2008'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Creation Baby Born'/><title type='text'>Creation Baby Born - Top Christmas Toy 2008</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/images/B0018CR44Y"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 192px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SRAX9eo_z6I/AAAAAAAAAIc/YBH4PZlcKtE/s320/Zapf+Creation+Baby+Born.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264734309360586658" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/images/B0018CR44Y"&gt;Zapf Creation Baby Born with Magic Potty, white&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Zapf Creation&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;11th : Baby Born and magic potty are well and truly on the Official UK Top 18 Christmas Toy List of 2008.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;Baby Born is being potty trained! Place Baby Born onto the Magical Potty and when she tinkles you'll hear music! Press the crown button and you will hear a flushing sound! There's even flashing lights Baby Born has many life-like functions, she can cry real tears, open and close her eyes and can squeal with delight! Her limbs move and body is waterproof, enabling you to bath her! Feed Baby Born with her very own special food, and let her drink from her bottle! Baby Born is wearing a special outfit! She comes with all the accessories necessary to perform the major functions; including a potty, nappy, doll food, bottle, plate and much more! Baby Born with Magic Potty is a wonderful way to encourage roleplay!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;17" Baby born doll and magic potty with light and sounds&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Feed, bath, change her nappies and comfort her when she cries&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Give her the magic pacifier and watch her close her eyes and go to sleep&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Also includes nappies, bottle, feeding bowl, spoon and food&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Age 3 +, By Zapf Creations&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-7764765791077378162?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7764765791077378162'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7764765791077378162'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/11/creation-baby-born-top-christmas-toy.html' title='Creation Baby Born - Top Christmas Toy 2008'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SRAX9eo_z6I/AAAAAAAAAIc/YBH4PZlcKtE/s72-c/Zapf+Creation+Baby+Born.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-132719689403731286</id><published>2008-11-02T09:10:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-11-02T09:15:28.872-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Top 10 Christmas Toys 2008'/><title type='text'>UK - Top 10 ChristmasToys 2008 list to be announced</title><content type='html'>More importantly which Christmas toys are in stock! If you want to aviod disappointment it is highly recommended placing your order as soon as possible. Better today than tomorrow.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;the Official top 10 Christmas toys 2008 list to be announced by the Toy Retailers Association.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/"&gt; &lt;h2&gt;UK- Top 10 Christmas Toys 2008&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/detail/B00160JSNI"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Fur Real Biscuit My Lovin Pup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/detail/B001BLO2HY"&gt; &lt;b&gt;My Life Portable Console - Virtual Life Simulator&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/detail/B000I0JQ6Q"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Nintendo DS Lite Handheld Console (Pink) &lt;/b&gt; &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;4. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/detail/B001DV3G60"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Bandai - Catcha Beast - Red&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;5. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/detail/B000ZJ2Z0Y"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Star Wars Clone Wars Clone Trooper Helmet&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;6. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/detail/B0018QQQEO"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Rescue Pals Swim To Me Puppy&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;7. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/detail/B0015KOFZK"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Fisher-Price Elmo Live&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;8. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/detail/B00134K8PY"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Bakugan Battle Pack&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;9. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/detail/B000ZJ5H0O"&gt; &lt;b&gt;High School Musical Get The Moves Dance Ma&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;10. &lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/top.christmas.toys.2008-21/detail/B0018CR44Y"&gt; &lt;b&gt;Zapf Creation Baby Born with Magic Potty, white&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a rel="nofollow" href="http://astore.amazon.com/top.christmas.toys.2008-20/"&gt;&lt;h2&gt;US - Top 10 Christmas Toys 2008&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Top 10 Christmas gifts are selling real fast. So if you want to see your little boy or girl smile, order now.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-132719689403731286?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/132719689403731286'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/132719689403731286'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/11/uk-top-10-christmastoys-2008-list-to-be.html' title='UK - Top 10 ChristmasToys 2008 list to be announced'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-8326532561913927545</id><published>2008-10-25T21:17:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-25T21:25:50.546-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Inside Numbers Peg'/><title type='text'>Melissa &amp; Doug See-Inside Numbers Peg</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000GKXY7U"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SQPvipYIodI/AAAAAAAAAH8/iCyx1VSKcxA/s320/Melissa+Doug+See-Inside+Numbers+Peg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261312168200544722" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000GKXY7U"&gt;Melissa &amp;amp; Doug See-Inside Numbers Peg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;" class="by"&gt;From Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great puzzle.&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Overall I have been very happy with the Melissa &amp;amp; Doug products. My children (2 &amp;amp; 3) really enjoy them and have learned a lot from them. This puzzle is well made and the pieces fit very well. I do have to warn you though that it is very hard to keep track of the pieces.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Challenging puzzle&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This puzzle has kept my son's interest for a couple of years now. Because the pictures under the pieces don't match the piece he really has to think about where each piece goes. It helps him now that he's 3 to identify the numbers and count items to figure out where they go, rather than just looking at the shapes. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;GREAT NUMBER BOARD&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Our son plays with this board while I'm feeding him. He's only 20 months, but using this board is helping us introduce the numbers to him. It's well built. Arrived in only a couple days. Our son loves it!!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;Each removable wooden puzzle piece on the peek-a-boo puzzle is hiding a special full-color illustration underneath. Tell a story, play a guessing game, or find the hidden pictures! 12 x 9 inches. 10 pieces. Ages 2+&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-8326532561913927545?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/8326532561913927545'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/8326532561913927545'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-doug-see-inside-numbers-peg.html' title='Melissa &amp; Doug See-Inside Numbers Peg'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SQPvipYIodI/AAAAAAAAAH8/iCyx1VSKcxA/s72-c/Melissa+Doug+See-Inside+Numbers+Peg.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-854401991302424497</id><published>2008-10-25T21:10:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-25T21:13:45.742-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug See Spell'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug See &amp; Spell Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B0007Y4DLG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 293px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SQPuGOAKJoI/AAAAAAAAAH0/j5RUr-9NHCY/s320/Melissa+and+Doug+See+Spell.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261310580304258690" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B0007Y4DLG"&gt;Melissa and Doug See &amp;amp; Spell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;" class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;True learning fun&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My 2 1/2 year old loves this... "toy". I love that it comes with 8 different boards each with a front and back (so you get 16 spelling puzzles in all). My daughter even likes to simply sort the letters on the floor and tell me what each one is or what sound each makes. The possibilities are numerous. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;See &amp;amp; Spell and be Smart&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I bought this for my niece's daughter and she loves it. She is very smart and this is a great tool to help her associate the word with the picture. She is writing the letters and is breezing through them. I wish there were more words, however, this is a great starting point. The pieces are very durable and it helps her by placing the letters in their appropriate places. It's a great learning tool and I highly recommend it.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Helps children learn lowercase letters&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My 3 year old son loves puzzles, and this was great for helping him learn lowercase letters. We keep the letters in a ziploc bag inside the puzzle case.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;Place the colorful wooden letters in their proper places to spell words on the cut out two-sided wooden boards. Includes 20 playful pictures with three and four letter words to keep learning fun. Includes over 70 letters.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #71 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 2940&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 14.00" h x   9.20" w x   2.00" l,    3.75 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-854401991302424497?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/854401991302424497'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/854401991302424497'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-and-doug-see-spell-review.html' title='Melissa and Doug See &amp; Spell Review'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SQPuGOAKJoI/AAAAAAAAAH0/j5RUr-9NHCY/s72-c/Melissa+and+Doug+See+Spell.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-4812466216713864105</id><published>2008-10-20T23:20:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-20T23:23:01.889-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Band in a Box'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Toys'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Band in a Box Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00005RF5C"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SP1064P9yUI/AAAAAAAAAGM/L504HMOd7vw/s320/Melissa+and+Doug+Band+in+a+Box.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259488494719191362" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00005RF5C"&gt;Melissa and Doug Band in a Box&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Good times had by all!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My son just adores this toy! Since we are pretty tolerant people, the noise from a toy band doesn't bother us and the sounds coming from the toys sound like actual instruments, not cheap fakes. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Not so durable&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star10_tpng.png" alt="1" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I gave this to my son for his 3rd birthday as he is interested in music and says he wants to play in a band, so I thought he'd enjoy this. He did enjoy it, but broke the tamberine within an hour. The material in the middle was so flimsy - almost like thick paper. It says on the box that this is appropriate for ages 3+. I admit my son can be rough on toys, but I know other three year-olds that are even rougher. This is a cute little set, but not sturdy enough for a three year-old. I think they should reword the recommended age on their package.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Making music&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is great- we are going to use the instruments at our reception so people can play along with the music.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #27 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 488&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Number of items: 1&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 2.91" h x   11.40" w x   14.45" l,    3.35 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Make a band of your own&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;10 pieces&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Wooden crate&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 4 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-4812466216713864105?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/4812466216713864105'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/4812466216713864105'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-and-doug-band-in-box-review.html' title='Melissa and Doug Band in a Box Review'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SP1064P9yUI/AAAAAAAAAGM/L504HMOd7vw/s72-c/Melissa+and+Doug+Band+in+a+Box.jpeg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-4668228464065816964</id><published>2008-10-20T23:17:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-20T23:20:11.112-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Wooden Shape Sorting Clock'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Clock</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000GKATU0"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SP10GJbhdKI/AAAAAAAAAGE/rp13YKJGQw8/s320/Doug+Wooden+Shape+Sorting+Clock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259487588798002338" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000GKATU0"&gt;Melissa and Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Clock&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great clock:  educational AND fun&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;One of my kids is interested in telling time, and another is interested in shapes.  They both like playing with this clock.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I read a lot of reviews that complained that the 5 has six sides and the 6 has five sides. Mine must be a later model, because the 5 has five sides and the 6 has six sides. But even if they were the old way, I wouldn't have been bothered by this at all: the 2 has four sides and the 9 has four sides and the 10 has four sides and the 11 has four sides and the 12 has ten sides---so the number of sides don't correspond to the number on the shape, and they're clearly not supposed to.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Beats Electronic Toys Hands Down or Up&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is a great teaching toy. Wooden toys like this beat electronic gadgets every time. With a gizmo you assume, or hope it will talk to your child and teach them how to tell time. But we have quite a few of those gizmos and my kids don't play with them a quarter of the time they play with this. Yes, I noticed that the pentagon and the hexagon are reversed in numeric value, but so what. It took a minute to explain that to my daughter and she moved on. It turns out, it was just another learning opportunity.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This very colorful clock has been around our house for years. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking too.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This requires parent participation, it doesn't talk to the child but it really educates them. It gives them something to hold onto, both literally and figuratively. This is a really good toy. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;NEAT FOR OLDER CHILDREN&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I got this for my 5 year old and it's a great toy. She likes to put the different shapes in the holes but isn't too interested in learning the time part of it. I have a 1 year old and she likes to get the pieces and put them all the way in her mouth so please beware around smaller children.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #147 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 159&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Number of items: 1&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 8.50" h x   8.50" w x   4.00" l,    1.72 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Wood Clock&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Colorful shaped numbers&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Learn to tell time&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-4668228464065816964?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/4668228464065816964'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/4668228464065816964'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-and-doug-wooden-shape-sorting.html' title='Melissa and Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Clock'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SP10GJbhdKI/AAAAAAAAAGE/rp13YKJGQw8/s72-c/Doug+Wooden+Shape+Sorting+Clock.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-2561528322308815228</id><published>2008-10-20T23:14:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-20T23:17:01.888-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Stack and Sort Board'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Stack and Sort Board Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000AS2AL4"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SP1zXCU8tYI/AAAAAAAAAF8/dkVld_CP3oQ/s320/Melissa+and+Doug+Stack+and+Sort+Board.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259486779437528450" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000AS2AL4"&gt;Melissa and Doug Stack and Sort Board&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;" class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great learning toy!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Got this for my 22-month old nephew. Within a couple of minutes, he figured out how to put it together correctly. Sometimes he'll put one of the pieces on the wrong peg and then immediately say, "Noooooooo" and move it to the correct peg. Very sturdy. He loves it!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;My daughter loves it!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Its a great tool to teach her all sorts of things.. hopefully we don't loose any pieces so that my son can use it when he gets older too!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Superb as always from Melissa and Doug&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As with all of the Melissa and Doug toys we have purchased we have found this one to be superb quality and highly enjoyable. This one was a gift for our niece and she literally has not stopped playing with it!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #1072 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 379&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 13.00" h x   5.00" w x   4.00" l,    1.55 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;15 colorful wooden pieces&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Helps with matching and counting skills&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Mix and match all pieces&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 2 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-2561528322308815228?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/2561528322308815228'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/2561528322308815228'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-and-doug-stack-and-sort-board.html' title='Melissa and Doug Stack and Sort Board Review'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SP1zXCU8tYI/AAAAAAAAAF8/dkVld_CP3oQ/s72-c/Melissa+and+Doug+Stack+and+Sort+Board.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-7309780193829177030</id><published>2008-10-20T23:09:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-20T23:13:58.313-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Shape Sorting Cube'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><title type='text'>Melissa &amp; Doug Shape Sorting Cube Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00005RF5G"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SP1yx-BrMdI/AAAAAAAAAF0/2JEXkZaAd98/s320/hape+Sorting+Cube.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259486142627787218" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00005RF5G"&gt;Melissa &amp;amp; Doug Shape Sorting Cube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Middling Quality, Middling usefulness&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star20_tpng.png" alt="2" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I am not impressed by the quality of Melissa and Doug products, especially compared to brands like Plan. M&amp;amp;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&amp;amp;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&amp;amp;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).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;melissa &amp;amp; doug are great, but this toy is lacking...&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star30_tpng.png" alt="3" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We have tons of Melissa &amp;amp; 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.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;maybe not the best for sorting shapes&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star30_tpng.png" alt="3" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #551 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 575&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Number of items: 1&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 6.30" h x   5.60" w x   5.50" l,    1.90 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-7309780193829177030?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7309780193829177030'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7309780193829177030'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-doug-shape-sorting-cube-review.html' title='Melissa &amp; Doug Shape Sorting Cube Review'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SP1yx-BrMdI/AAAAAAAAAF0/2JEXkZaAd98/s72-c/hape+Sorting+Cube.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-1789926551015943094</id><published>2008-10-19T21:17:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-19T21:21:00.293-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Easel Companion Set'/><title type='text'>Melissa &amp; Doug Deluxe Easel Companion Set</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000JVJ8KS"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SPwGc7qGE3I/AAAAAAAAAFU/LFOdUp-sbAc/s320/Easel+Companion+Set.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259085558982251378" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000JVJ8KS"&gt;Melissa &amp;amp; Doug Deluxe Easel Companion Set&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt;  &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Nice set &lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star30_tpng.png" alt="3" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I bought this companion set along with the easel for my granddaughter. When I opened it I discovered that one of the paint bottles had broken during shipment and half the blue paint was outside of the bottle - what a mess. Also, when I opened the chalk it broke easily - before I ever gave it to my granddaughter to use. The paint pots are very sturdy and should work very well. It comes with only one white board marker, so I'll have to purchase more colors separately. I also had to purchase a paint smock and drop cloth separately. I'm sure my granddaughter will enjoy it when I give it to her for Christmas.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great kit&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This companion kit for the easel is great! I bought it, along with the easel, for my 3-yo grandson. The only question I have is why was there only one erasable felt pen for the white board? I expected at least 3 or 4 in different colors???? That's my only complaint. Otherwise, it's a very good set.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Fun educational toy...&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My father bought the easel for my son's 2nd birthday...he did not realize the companion set had to be bought separately which was a disappointment...I bought it for him and he has used it a lot since we got it...I recommend parental supervision using it as it can cause a huge mess for 2 year old..older kids would be fine...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;Let the creativity flow with this set that's packed with supplies for all your art projects. There's 25 pieces in all, including: four bottles of poster paint, four spill-proof paint cups, roll of easel paper, 10 jumbo triangular chalk sticks, felt eraser, dry-erase marker and four paint brushes. Great value and the perfect companion to the Deluxe Standing Easel, sold separately.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #69 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 4145&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 19.00" h x   10.70" w x   5.10" l,    6.50 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-1789926551015943094?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/1789926551015943094'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/1789926551015943094'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-doug-deluxe-easel-companion-set.html' title='Melissa &amp; Doug Deluxe Easel Companion Set'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SPwGc7qGE3I/AAAAAAAAAFU/LFOdUp-sbAc/s72-c/Easel+Companion+Set.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-3656153349355707763</id><published>2008-10-19T21:13:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-19T21:16:16.998-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Deluxe Standing Easel'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Deluxe Standing Easel</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B0002AUWKG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SPwFp46rBII/AAAAAAAAAFM/ofdOepGRgDg/s320/Melissa+and+Doug+Deluxe+Standing+Easel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259084682073146498" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B0002AUWKG"&gt;Melissa and Doug Deluxe Standing Easel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Best easel for the money&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My husband and I are big fans of pretty much everything Melissa and Doug for our son. This toy is to be a Christmas gift, but I actually saw it in use at a friend's home. She has had it for several children now and it looks just as good as it did. I feel confident that our son will enjoy it for years to come as well as his new sibling to share!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Good product&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I bought the Melissa and Doug Deluxe standing easel for my preschool classroom. I have been very pleased with it so far. It seems to be durable and has taken a lot of bumping and moving around well. What I like most about it is that both the dry erase board and the chalkboard wipe off completely clean. There is never marker or chalk residue left over. Putting the easel together was also very easy. The only thing I don't like about this easel is that folding it flat is sort of a long process since I have to undo screws in order to get it to fold closed. Then once it is closed the two trays don't make it very compact. Besides that though, I have been very pleased with this product.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;works great, but is somewhat cheaply made&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pros - height adjustable, two kids can use it at once, easy to assemble, relatively inexpensive&lt;br /&gt;Cons - wood is cheap and unfinished (I've gotten splinters and had to sand parts to avoid getting more), dry-erase board came damaged and still have yet to receive the replacement that Melissa&amp;amp;Doug customer service said was on it's way.&lt;br /&gt;Overall - this is great if you can get it at a cheap price and need to use both sides at once. We keep it in the garage and use it on the driveway for painting only (never have used the dry-erase or chalkboard features). If I were getting it for inside of my house I would go for a higher end product.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Editorial Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;div id="editorialReviews"&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Amazon.com Product Description&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;style type="text/css"&gt;  .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; }  .headline { font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; }  ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: -15px; }  &lt;/style&gt; Inspire your young Picasso with the Melissa and Doug Deluxe Standing Easel. This easel will fuel your child's imaginative side and gives them the freedom to create with an extra-large chalkboard, dry-erase board, and easy-load paper roller. Your budding artist will be inspired by free-form expression and spend hours drawing, painting, sketching, and doodling. It is also an excellent educational item and children love playing school with the chalkboard side. This work station is ideal for kids ages four through 10 and has an adjustable height to accommodate the little ones as they grow.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;  &lt;b&gt;A Great Alternative to Professional Easels&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Just like a professional easel, this work station is generously sized so that children can complete projects both big and small. Its durable wood construction ensures that it won't tip and it folds up easily for convenient storage. The easel also has a sturdy paint tray with cup holders for easy use and clean-up, and another tool tray that holds erasers, chalks, and clips. Four large, colorful clips are included with this easel. Paper rolls can be loaded effortlessly into the holder and a paper cutting edge at the top delivers clean cuts and leaves your artist's work whole. Parents may have to assist removing and loading the paper, as it can be difficult for kids to do on their own. (The paper rolls and paint cups are not included.) A standing easel is essential for any young artist. This large easel has a chalkboard, dry erase board, and paper roller to let the children express themselves with different mediums. It also has an adjustable height that grows with the creator and delivers years of use. The brightly colored tool containers are capacious enough to hold lots of different items and are simple for tiny fingers to utilize. This toy will unleash the little artist inside every child and could spark a lifelong interest in fine art. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;  &lt;b&gt;What's in the Box&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Easel, paint tray, chalk tray, 4 colorful clips, and paper roller.  &lt;table width="321" align="center" cellpadding="10"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr valign="top"&gt; &lt;td&gt; &lt;img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/toys/detail-page/B0002AUWKG-1.jpg" align="top" border="0" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="caption"&gt;This large easel has a chalkboard and dry erase board, letting children express themselves with different mediums.&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;  &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;From the Manufacturer&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Extra-large chalkboard and dry-erase board are perfect for projects large and small. Adjustable heights; sturdy paint tray with cup holders; an extra large chalk tray; 4 colorful clips; an easy-loading paper roller and an incredible value! Folds up easily for convenient storage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #10 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 1282&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Number of items: 1&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 29.00" h x   25.00" w x   5.50" l,    20.90 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-3656153349355707763?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/3656153349355707763'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/3656153349355707763'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-and-doug-deluxe-standing-easel.html' title='Melissa and Doug Deluxe Standing Easel'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SPwFp46rBII/AAAAAAAAAFM/ofdOepGRgDg/s72-c/Melissa+and+Doug+Deluxe+Standing+Easel.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-2404674459008763138</id><published>2008-10-19T21:01:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-19T21:03:35.062-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Articles'/><title type='text'>Great Christmas Gift Tips For Kids Ages 7-12</title><content type='html'>&lt;div id="body"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Can anyone tell me are these big kids or small teenagers?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you are in contact with this age group on regular basis, you most likely would agree that it depends on the day and situation. Well, really the hour.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So the dilemma for Christmas gift giving becomes finding a Christmas gift for this age range that does not offend their 'grown-upness' but still plays to their childlike tendencies. After all, a nine year old is still a kid.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To help you sort through some of thinking behind finding the right gift this group, I have put together a few tips for you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;1. Buy Gifts that Give the Kids Permission to Play&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are some very fun toys out there that are targeted towards more advanced role-playing. Two examples would be -&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1. A helmet with voice activated noises and lights, yes very cool.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2. Deluxe model transformers: these have additional features that younger kids would not know how to play or would break. Playing swords with a helmet that has lights everywhere would be great fun for all ages. Anything that flies or moves would be great interactive gifts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;2. Creative Gifts&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So much fun to shop for! You can find just about anything you can dream up for this age group in the creative thought line.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Block Building Set&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are &lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;block-building sets&lt;/a&gt; with motors so your creations actually move. You can build Lego or other Lego type toys into transforming robots. My nephew loves his 'creature' like this and will tell you about his dad and him building it. K'nex and Magnetix (if you do not have small children or pets in the house) are tons of fun.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Science Experiments &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I found lots of science type experiments that the kids would have a great time doing. Whether it is stargazing, exploding volcanoes, or watching a larvae to butterfly you can find an activity that is specific to the interest of your child.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;3. Interactive Family Games&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This age group tends to be very self-critical and desperately needs the reassurance of adults in his/her life. Interactive games are a great way to strengthen these relationships.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Board Games&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A fun board game I found was Gobblet. Although I have not played this game personally it looks like a fast moving fun game. I highly suggest at least one gift that is not an electronic enable a different type of family interaction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Game Systems&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And course there are game systems very targeted at this age group, so depending on the system your child has you may want to consider a new game. My family as a Nintendo wii so I am looking at the Mario driving game.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;4. Electronics&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Each family will have to make their own decision about the age appropriateness for their children. Very popular choices in this age group: cell phones, digital cameras, Nintendo ds and game systems: Sony ps 3 and Nintendo Wii.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;No mater what you decide for a gift it is important for the child to feel special and loved. Choosing a gift that compliments their personality will let the child know that you notice them. Possibly consider a short note to the child to put in with your gift telling the child how much you love them and one or two special attributes you have noticed. Even if during gift opening that note seems unappreciated you can be assured that your note will be saved long past Christmas morning. Because aside from all the gift hype at Christmas, deep down each child just wants to know that they are loved and special.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td valign="top"&gt;&lt;div id="sig" class="sig"&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rodney_Grubbs&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;div style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 10px; padding: 5px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; display: inline; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-2404674459008763138?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/2404674459008763138'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/2404674459008763138'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/great-christmas-gift-tips-for-kids-ages.html' title='Great Christmas Gift Tips For Kids Ages 7-12'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-782977125527940605</id><published>2008-10-18T20:37:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-18T20:40:14.024-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Wooden Cutting Fruit Crate'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Cutting Food Box'/><title type='text'>Melissa &amp; Doug Deluxe Wooden Cutting Fruit Crate Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000NV9G88"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SPqrlqXWkmI/AAAAAAAAAEI/tD8tFclicvc/s320/Wooden+Cutting+Fruit+Crate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258704178424222306" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000NV9G88"&gt;Melissa &amp;amp; Doug Deluxe Wooden Cutting Fruit Crate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Love it! Highly entertaining and educational at the same time.&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My son (age 2) loves to "cut" and loves fruit, so this product was a natural choice. He has had it for more than a month and still pulls it out to play daily. I also like that it's more durable than lots of play food so our dog can't chew it up. I plan to get more Melissa and Doug food for him in the future!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Fun &amp;amp; Educational&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I use this product for my own children and for my daycare. It is one of their favorite toys. They love to cut the food and stick it back together. This toy is not only a fun toy to play with, but teaches mathematic concepts (fractions). My only complaint is that the velcro is not quite as "sticky" as it could be.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;great learning toy&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Love this toy. I bought it for my 2 year old for his bday. He goes to a montessori school and they have the same toys there. we are all about practical learning and fun. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;Wooden set features a wooden knife and seven pieces of "sliceable" fruit that can be cut into a total of 17 pieces. Food makes a fun "CRUNCH" sound when sliced. With so many pieces, it?s also a great way to introduce the concepts of part, whole and fractions. 18 pieces in all. Measurements: 9" x 7" x 2.7".&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #1381 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 4021&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2008-01-03&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 11.80" h x   10.90" w x   2.10" l,    2.40 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-782977125527940605?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/782977125527940605'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/782977125527940605'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-doug-deluxe-wooden-cutting.html' title='Melissa &amp; Doug Deluxe Wooden Cutting Fruit Crate Review'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SPqrlqXWkmI/AAAAAAAAAEI/tD8tFclicvc/s72-c/Wooden+Cutting+Fruit+Crate.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-7055287186758603990</id><published>2008-10-18T20:31:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-18T20:35:28.446-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Cutting Food Box'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Cutting Food Box Review</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000GKD09C/102-9676262-7809764"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SPqqiFI_3OI/AAAAAAAAAEA/enx-nJDF6Co/s320/Melissa+and+Doug+Cutting+Food+Box.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258703017380666594" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000GKD09C/102-9676262-7809764"&gt;Melissa and Doug Cutting Food Box&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;" class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Fun toy for 3-year-old&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This toy is quite nice. My son got it for his third birthday and has been playing with it a lot. It's neat that it actually makes a noise that sounds like cutting a vegetable because you have to slice through the velcro. I will say that it's a little hard for him to cut the tomato because it's kind of small and hard to hold while cutting it. And he hasn't quite figured out how to put them all back together. It's kind of a puzzle, too! I have a friend who has had them for a while, and she says her paint is chipping off and starting to look pretty bad. And it seems like the velcro could wear out pretty easily. It wouldn't be that bad to glue more velcro circles on it, but I think it would be hard to paint it and match the paint exactly. He's only had it for a few days, but it's a hit so far! He also really likes the pizza kit and the sandwich-making set.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Love this toy!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I bought this for my son when he was about 18 months old and he abolutely loves it! It holds his attention 2 to 3 times longer than most toys. He loves the crunching noise made by cutting through the velcro. In addition, despite the vast number of blocks, books, toys etc. that I've purchased to help him learn colors.....this toy has proven to be the best tool we've found. The colors are vibrant and the pieces are very sturdy. We've loved every Melissa and Doug item we've purchased. I just ordered the sushi set and can't wait to get it.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Fun Food&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This toy was brought to my house from my sons speech therapist. He took to it right away. The food makes realistic cutting sounds as the food velcro is separated. Since then we have bought the fruit as well. He has learned the names of the food verbally and in sign language. We have now bought this toy for all of his friends because when they come over they all want to play with it. Fantastic toy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #59 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 487&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 15.60" h x   11.60" w x   .40" l,    3.00 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Lets kids cook on  their own&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Realistic cutting sounds&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;29 pieces&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-7055287186758603990?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7055287186758603990'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7055287186758603990'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-and-doug-cutting-food-box.html' title='Melissa and Doug Cutting Food Box Review'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SPqqiFI_3OI/AAAAAAAAAEA/enx-nJDF6Co/s72-c/Melissa+and+Doug+Cutting+Food+Box.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-4171252733002443272</id><published>2008-10-13T19:36:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-13T19:40:56.181-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Farm Sound Blocks'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Farm Sound Blocks</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00009WBWK"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SPQF8i2aVHI/AAAAAAAAAD4/9lLPz0Ak0qA/s320/Melissa+%26+Doug+Farm+Sound+Blocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256833202753524850" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00009WBWK"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Melissa and Doug Farm Sound Blocks&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Wonderful concept&lt;/span&gt;&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I love this toy no little pieces too lose - fun for infant to toddler. Makes great sounds. My youngest has enjoyed it at 1 month (the sounds) and my oldest now 3.5 still loves it. An great easy introduction to puzzles for toddlers and a great introduction to animals for infants. Win win! Not to mention its cute - I can display it instead of hide in with our plethora of plastic toys.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Learning from this toy in so many ways&lt;/span&gt;&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I bought this toy for my niece when she was about 16 months old. She loved it. The pictures, the sounds. Three months later, she's grown with the blocks. Before, she lacked the dexterity to orient them in three dimensions so make the animals match up. Now, she can handle three dimensional movement, no problem, and her challenge is to get the front and back to match up in the right directions. She knows what animals they are , knows how to make the sound of all of them (woof woof!), and when a pig or a cow shows up in another book, that she can go over, get the blocks and arrange them to make the sound. She. Loves. Them. Melissa and doug - two thumbs way up.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;How can you not love this toy??&lt;/span&gt;&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Honestly. Are people ignorant and just negative at every given opportunity? What's with such horrid reviews of this product? One, Melissa &amp;amp; Doug has the BEST customer service. If your sound blocks don't give the desired noise, call M&amp;amp;D. They'll send you new ones free of charge. Seriously. (They very happily replaced my train puzzle bc it didn't make the requisite "whoo whoo" noise.) Two, I love a puzzle that has only two pieces. What parent wouldn't?? And, finally, this toy really does challenge younger children. We had it forever, and my son always loved to help me put the pieces together. At 20 months, he assembled his first match on his own - much to his and my surprise and delight. He now loves to make all the matches, many times over. This puzzle is definitely more of a challenge than the ones w/the corresponding picture or shape under each piece (a lot of M&amp;amp;D puzzles). &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #15875 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Color: N/A&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 1196&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 7.00" h x   4.30" w x   4.00" l,    1.35 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div id="sig" class="sig"&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;More Interesting Toy : &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20"&gt;Melissa and Doug Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-4171252733002443272?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/4171252733002443272'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/4171252733002443272'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-and-doug-farm-sound-blocks.html' title='Melissa and Doug Farm Sound Blocks'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SPQF8i2aVHI/AAAAAAAAAD4/9lLPz0Ak0qA/s72-c/Melissa+%26+Doug+Farm+Sound+Blocks.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-4722715304149729221</id><published>2008-10-12T20:53:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-12T21:00:01.367-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Toys Articles'/><title type='text'>Benefits Of A USA Wooden Toy Maker</title><content type='html'>&lt;div id="body"&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are many advantages of buying wooden toys made in the USA. Some of course are buying American products and helping to keep an American occupied. Another reason is that many times you can have direct contact with the wooden toy maker. That is a big plus that can not be measured with imported toys!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Creativity, durability, price, types of finishes used, organic toys are just some of the types of things to look for. Each parent may have different questions. Wooden toy makers can sell their their products at stores, craft shows, trade shows or perhaps on an online business. One thing to do is to ask if the toys are made locally or if they are made in the USA. If you are wanting a specific wooden toy made it is especially important that you find a toy maker that is willing to work with you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many wooden toy makers enjoy talking with their customers and enjoy hearing what they are looking for. Perhaps it is a wooden toy that they played with at a grandparent's house when they were young or maybe they would like to create something themselves but do not have the tools or knowledge to make the project. There are many wooden toy makers that will listen to their customers and make a custom designed toy for them. If that customer would like that the toy that was built not be reproduced most wooden toy makers will honor that decision. Is that a commitment to America or what?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I am not writing this article just because the recalls have come about but because the USA wooden toy maker is a committed American, who cares for kids and enjoys making kids and parents happy with creative wooden toys that are safe for children and can be durable enough to pass on to the grandchildren. Perhaps the toy was even was the the brainstorm of the parent themselves. That is American teamwork, parents and wooden toy makers working together building wooden toys....... one toy at a time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td valign="top"&gt;&lt;div id="sig" class="sig"&gt;&lt;p&gt;http://myuniquewoodentoys.com/&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Author: Teresa Martin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Teresa_Martin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;div id="sig" class="sig"&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Interesting Toy : &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20"&gt;Melissa and Doug Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-4722715304149729221?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/4722715304149729221'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/4722715304149729221'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/reasons-to-buy-your-child-wooden-toy.html' title='Benefits Of A USA Wooden Toy Maker'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-4401024581502665000</id><published>2008-10-08T01:44:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-08T01:45:22.085-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Toys Articles'/><title type='text'>Cheap Educational Toys</title><content type='html'>The market today is flooded with a number of educational toys both branded and locally manufactured. Educational toys are very popular among parents, as they provide a good medium to educate their children. No matter how rich or poor, parents want to purchase educational toys for their children. However, the high price tags restrain many people from buying them. The offer of cheap educational toys by retailers and shopkeepers has been a solution to this dilemma.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many companies on the Internet offer cheap rates on educational toys. Their web sites carry details of the products such as the toy description, learning objectives, pictures and prices. Customers typically register on these sites, place an order and pay online. There are also companies that provide toy rental services at affordable rates. Toys can be rented on a monthly basis.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There is a wide range of inexpensive, quality educational toys for children who are as young as three months. Wooden toys are a favorite with parents as they are cheap, safe, durable and high quality. Cheap educational toys also include storybooks, learning activity kit, construction toys, puzzles, craft kits and baby toys. Books, games or animated movies are also categorized as educational toys and are available at cheap rates. The most popular categories of toys among little children are organic stuffed animals, dolls, block-games, cars, and wooden toys. They are carefully designed and crafted to help shape young minds.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Social service organizations that concentrate on children?s welfare believe that it is essential to regulate the prices of toys and make them affordable for everyone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Educational Toys provides detailed information on Educational Toys, Children's Educational Toys, Educational Games, Educational Baby Toys and more. Educational Toys is affiliated with Reading Glasses.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Tobey&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Interesting Toy : &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20"&gt;Melissa and Doug Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-4401024581502665000?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/4401024581502665000'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/4401024581502665000'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/cheap-educational-toys.html' title='Cheap Educational Toys'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-9134540694549824916</id><published>2008-10-05T21:07:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-05T21:17:56.717-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='200 Piece Wood Blocks Set'/><title type='text'>Melissa &amp; Doug 200 Piece Wood Blocks Set</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000068CKZ"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SOmPqZFegEI/AAAAAAAAADg/qj1vdUzP1jo/s320/Melissa+Doug+200-pc.+Wood+Block+Set.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253888398755528770" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000068CKZ"&gt;Melissa &amp;amp; Doug 200-pc. Wood Block Set&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Lights, Camera, Interaction!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;My daughter LOVES these blocks!!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This set is HUGE!, and was exactly what I was looking for and varely inexpensive. My daughter is 4 years old and loves to build anything and everything. This is a great toy for various ages, and I even get a kick out of building with her. I definitely recommend this set of blocks to anyone..&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Creativity, fine motor skills, classic toy...&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These are just what I wanted! This was the biggest set I could find with colorful blocks, and they seem to be well made. These remind me of the ones I played with as a child, so I know I'll enjoy playing these with my son. I personally like the size of the blocks--they're not for babies, but perfect for my three year old, and will be a good toy to grow with him.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great Wood Blocks&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I bought these for my son for Christmas. I like the toy, however, he seems to be so interested in trains at the moment that he has not even stopped to look at the blocks. However, I feel confident that he will if I am patient and play with him with the blocks. He is only 2. I am very happy with the quality of the blocks. I sure wish that the blocks had some kind of bin to put them in. The box is not adequate.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;I do also have to say, its A LOT of blocks so make sure you have something strudy to store them in.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #7677 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 482&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 8.50 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Ages 3+, Lead-free, non-toxic paints&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Helps develop dexterity, thinking skills, color recognition.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The cylinder shaped block is app. 2.5" x 1"Diameter&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Manufactured by Melissa and Doug Toys&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Box measures: 20" x 12" x 4"&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;MoreToys &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Wood Blocks Set&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-9134540694549824916?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/9134540694549824916'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/9134540694549824916'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/melissa-doug-200-piece-wood-blocks-set.html' title='Melissa &amp; Doug 200 Piece Wood Blocks Set'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SOmPqZFegEI/AAAAAAAAADg/qj1vdUzP1jo/s72-c/Melissa+Doug+200-pc.+Wood+Block+Set.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-1747012520376460316</id><published>2008-10-03T21:51:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-03T21:54:26.795-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Pattern Blocks and Boards'/><title type='text'>Pattern Blocks and Boards Melissa and Doug</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00006JZCG"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SOb2TIKm-EI/AAAAAAAAADY/Mx0RHBc4mc0/s320/Pattern+Blocks+and+Boards.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253156823844190274" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;Melissa and Doug&lt;/a&gt; Pattern Blocks and Boards&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;geometric puzzle&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My son is 3 years old and just bought the item which is well made. One improvement toy designer can make is instead of using just wood which slides down the boards, could use magnets and magnetic boards that hold the tile work on it. I would also place the puzzle in more functional box, there is no lid, container could be better. I'd buy it again&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;My 3-year-old loves it!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you have a strong-willed child like mine who won't let you have a routine for him, you know by now that you need lots of activities to keep him entertained, so you can keep from going insane!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I was looking for calm, sit-down activities for my son to do before bed. He LOVES this. Sorting out and finding the colors and shapes he needs to make his picture is therapeutic and calming for him. At bedtime he also like the Silly Faces Stick-Ons Game, his Story Reader, and his mama simply reading books to him. I just never know what he'll accept but the point is to get him in bed in a cooperative, well-adjusted manner and quiet activities like these help.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;wonderful toy&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My son was three when we got this for him. He loved placing the blocks over the pattern boards. Sometimes he would bump the pieces, but didn't seem to mind putting them back. It was neat to see his little fingers working to carefully and the intent expression on his face. Before he was four he began to create the designs next to the boards as well as on them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The only thing I would recommend for Melissa &amp;amp; Doug is for them to create better storage for their products. We also have the food cutting set, which all the pieces are sitting in an open "food" crate. It's cute but not practical. I want to be able to stack things and not have everything fall out if it tips over. And also for THIS game, I really have to be careful because the boards and the pieces are all just sitting there open-faced ready to be knocked over. It should at least have some kind of top to put on it, Tupperware-style. I have two other babies and I worry that if I dropped it the small pieces for this game might land in places that only little babies could possibly find!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now he is four and a half. He still loves them. He enjoys making his own designs and pictures as well as copying theirs. He knows all the shapes by name and as we walk through town he points out the shapes that make up buildings and trees. This has been a great toy for our family and I highly recommend it for every child.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #1151 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 29&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Number of items: 1&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 13.10" h x   8.90" w x   1.90" l,    2.80 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-1747012520376460316?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/1747012520376460316'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/1747012520376460316'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/10/pattern-blocks-and-boards-melissa-and.html' title='Pattern Blocks and Boards Melissa and Doug'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SOb2TIKm-EI/AAAAAAAAADY/Mx0RHBc4mc0/s72-c/Pattern+Blocks+and+Boards.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-7475136320521854500</id><published>2008-09-26T19:14:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-26T19:21:47.833-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><title type='text'>Deluxe Wooden Magnetic Pattern Blocks Set Melissa &amp; Doug</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000IE4B44/103-8733790-3703039"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SN2XeUeBPjI/AAAAAAAAADA/z81ysvMI5nU/s320/Wooden+Magnetic+Pattern+Blocks+Set.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250519287730355762" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Melissa &amp;amp; Doug Deluxe Wooden Magnetic Pattern Blocks Set&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:100%;" &gt;&lt;span class="by"&gt;From Melissa and Doug&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great learning toy but shapes don't fit together&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star30_tpng.png" alt="3" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I love Melissa &amp;amp; Doug toys because they are educational, innovative and lead-free. However, though this toy is great because of the educational aspect and the magnetics, my son and I were disappointed that the shapes don't align and fit together properly because they have rounded tips. This makes it hard to make the patterns it comes with. If your child would be frustrated because they want it to fit perfectly, then you might consider their other pattern block sets in the wooden box. They have a Beginner one and another one which has more pieces. These have straight lines because they are not magnetic. Here are the links to these two products.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Melissa and Doug Pattern Blocks and Boards   &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Melissa and Doug Beginner Pattern Blocks&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great toy for teaching logic and shapes&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My two year old loves the Melissa and Doug toys, but this is one of his favorites. He learned his shapes and colors a few months ago, and this allows him to apply his new knowledge. The magnets are strong enough that they don't slide around too much and the carrying case is a bonus - making it easy to keep all the pieces together. At his age, toys don't hold his attention for a long time, but this one keeps him busy for longer than most. Another great toy from Melissa and Doug!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great for homeschoolers' younger siblings!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We got this for our 3-year-old son so that he would have "seat work" to do at the table while our older homeschool children do their math. He just LOVES that he can sit and do his math along with the big kids! It keeps him entertained for a good 45 minutes to an hour! I would love to find more inserts since I can see him eventually asking for different pictures. The blank board is great for free design and creativity. I'm extremely happy with our purchase!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;An appealing combination of magnets and wood, this pattern block set will keep kids engaged and entertained. Includes 120 colorful geometric magnets to replicate the 12 included geometric pictures. Measurements 14.5" x 12" x 1.5".&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #442 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 3590&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2007-03-13&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 14.75" h x   12.00" w x   1.62" l,    2.80 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;More &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Wooden Magnetic Pattern Blocks Set&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-7475136320521854500?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7475136320521854500'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7475136320521854500'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/deluxe-wooden-magnetic-pattern-blocks.html' title='Deluxe Wooden Magnetic Pattern Blocks Set Melissa &amp; Doug'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SN2XeUeBPjI/AAAAAAAAADA/z81ysvMI5nU/s72-c/Wooden+Magnetic+Pattern+Blocks+Set.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-1275945362865554996</id><published>2008-09-24T21:04:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-24T21:13:32.618-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Architectural Unit Block Set</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000GFZMYS/103-0134048-7968629"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SNsOWR6eCYI/AAAAAAAAACw/4T52ex_yJhQ/s320/Melissa+and+Doug+Architectural+Unit+Block+Set.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249805566558996866" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000GFZMYS/103-0134048-7968629"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000GFZMYS/103-0134048-7968629" alt="" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Melissa and Doug Architectural Unit Block Set&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Blocks: Architectural and unit block sets&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These blocks and the unit blocks are an excellent product, well made. They were a present, but similar ones that our children had were loved and cherished. Buy both sets.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Great toy-Poor shipping!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The toy is great, my 5 year old grandson who loves construction, building things and all types of construction vehicles loves the blocks, but he didn't get them until 2 weeks after we needed them! Please think twice before using DHL shipping.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;A great choice if you're looking for high-quality blocks&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These are beautifully made blocks, well finished without rough edges or other problems. And blocks are one of the best toys out there for small (and not-so-small) children to build creativity, spatial reasoning, and the beginnings of mathematical thinking. The price on these is extremely fair for the quality, and much better than many I've found. A five-star product from a five-star toy producer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;3 years &amp;amp; up. Build a tower, a town or just about anything with these large solid wood standard unit blocks! These smooth-sanded sturdy wooden blocks are naturally finished with a classic look for hours of classic fun. Handsome wooden storage crate makes clean up and storage easy for this 42 piee set!!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #9271 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 4201&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 4.50" h x   15.00" w x   12.00" l,    11.60 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Great Value&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Solid wood blocks&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;All  stackable&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Finding More : &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;Melissa and Doug Block &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-1275945362865554996?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/1275945362865554996'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/1275945362865554996'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/melissa-and-doug-architectural-unit.html' title='Melissa and Doug Architectural Unit Block Set'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SNsOWR6eCYI/AAAAAAAAACw/4T52ex_yJhQ/s72-c/Melissa+and+Doug+Architectural+Unit+Block+Set.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-3388175321485938856</id><published>2008-09-24T20:36:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-24T20:38:07.868-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Toys Articles'/><title type='text'>Finding the Right Toy Box For Your Kid</title><content type='html'>&lt;div id="body"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Managing your child's large number of toys can be an annoying business. There are occasions when you may feel that there is no empty place left in your home as the toys are scattered all over. The best way to organise your home is to purchase a good toy box that will keep all the toys at one place.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Toy boxes are mainly made of wood or plastic and both these materials have its own advantages and disadvantages. But if you are looking for a toy box that lasts long, then the one made of wood is the best. A toy box made of wood can also be refurnished to store more toys or any other things that the child may want to store when he or she grows up. But this property will not be there in a toy box made of plastic. When compared to wooden toy box, plastic toy box is of less weight.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is possible to personalise the toy box of the child with his or her name or photo. This will make it more interesting for the child to use the toy box. The toy chest or the box comes in different colours and shapes as well. Using a toy box is one sure method to teach the child the initial lessons of cleanliness and order. Toy boxes are made in such a way that the child can handle it easily and safely. There are a lot of online resources, from where you can find a plenty of toy boxes of different makes and shapes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div id="sig" class="sig"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Get a toy box http://www.furnitoys.com/ for managing your child's toys from the online store of Furnitoys.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aravind_Ramesh&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Amazon's Toy Store :&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt; Buy Melissa and Doug Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-3388175321485938856?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/3388175321485938856'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/3388175321485938856'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/finding-right-toy-box-for-your-kid.html' title='Finding the Right Toy Box For Your Kid'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-6971935991059152903</id><published>2008-09-17T01:36:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-18T23:45:52.739-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Toys Articles'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><title type='text'>Benefits of Wooden Toys</title><content type='html'>&lt;div id="body"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wooden toys also help to keep a child’s attention span. Compared to an electronic toy that makes noises and moves, a child will play more with the wooden toy than with a battery operated one. My children grew up with wooden toys, many of which they made themselves using their imagination. Today what they remember about there favorite toys are the wooden toys that their dad made or the ones that they made themselves.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Today’s children are stuck to watching tv and having moving, noise making toys starting from birth. So much distraction is one reason while some children have short attention spans and desire constant entertainment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wooden toys will help unlock their imaginative minds and allow their personality to develop. Perhaps it is making cookies with their wooden toy kitchen set or playing rodeo with a wooden toy stick horse. A wooden toy doll house kit will allow parents to interact as they build that house together and let the little interior decorator’s creativity show!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A wooden toy barn and wooden toy fence can create lots of memories as dad and sons play together and get all the farming done. You will see how you behave in situations as your child will imitate what he sees you do throughout your day.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Yes, there are lots of toys that advertisements make you think you can’t live without, but they usually end up buried in the bottom of the toy box and needing batteries. Wooden toys will probably be played with daily and you won’t have to buy a huge supply of batteries. The money you save on batteries can buy a wooden toy that your child and perhaps even your grandchild will treasure.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td valign="top"&gt;&lt;div id="sig" class="sig"&gt;&lt;p&gt;http://myuniquewoodentoys.com/&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Author: Teresa Martin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Teresa_Martin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;Wooden Toys on Amazon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-6971935991059152903?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/6971935991059152903'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/6971935991059152903'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/benefits-of-wooden-toys.html' title='Benefits of Wooden Toys'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-16404045040201413</id><published>2008-09-17T01:34:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-18T23:39:43.138-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Toys Articles'/><title type='text'>How to Choose a Child Learning Toy</title><content type='html'>&lt;div id="body"&gt;&lt;p&gt;It always happens: just when you think your child has found a child learning toy that she really enjoys, she seems to grow bored of it suddenly and toss it aside. A lot of parents might think that this is because the child is spoiled or that the novelty of the child learning toy has worn off, but this is not usually the case.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Novelty might have something to do with it, but the common underlying reason for a child losing interest in a child learning toy is that they have learnt everything that the toy has to teach them. You will need to find a new source of stimulation, but don't throw that old toy out yet. If it taught a concept or a skill, that can be revisited later and reinforced, but only after a little while.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When you go to the toy store to look for a new child learning toy, your first instinct is to go with one that will likely keep your child occupied for some time. While this should be a concern, your primary one should be choosing a child learning toy that teaches a skill or a concept that is new to your child. This should be in key with your child's development (so don't buy math games for a four year old, hoping to give your child a 'head start')&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The toys you buy your child will need to be constantly updated to ensure that they are learning and developing at the proper rate.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div id="sig" class="sig"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jane Reynolds is an authority educator in the areas of Education. She is also a mother and a writer who wrote few learning games articles for children. In the website of http://www.the-child-learning-game.com you will find a new refreshing way of looking towards education and fun process.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For more information to help parents find time-saving tips and parenting strategies to help children learn at home, succeed in school, and grow up healthy, visit http://the-child-learning-game.com/ and find out more recommendations for child learning games activities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Child Learning Game is an incredibly versatile and globally unique glimpse on the educational learning. It allows you to understand the learning process and get tips for fun education.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jane_Reynolds&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="art_title"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;Child Learning Toy on Amazon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-16404045040201413?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/16404045040201413'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/16404045040201413'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-choose-child-learning-toy.html' title='How to Choose a Child Learning Toy'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-7580302952812375560</id><published>2008-09-17T01:28:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-17T01:49:32.953-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Toys Articles'/><title type='text'>Reasons To Buy Your Child A Wooden Toy Chest</title><content type='html'>&lt;div id="body"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Soon after a child is born it seems like the house gets smaller. Those little bundles start having so many "things". It seems hard to believe how such a small person can have so many belongings that take up room. As the child gets older there becomes another problem... toys!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Children receive toys for birthdays, Christmas, rewards... the list goes on. Soon the room is filled with toys. A wooden toy box or wooden toy chest will help with the "toy clutter". There are many styles of toy boxes on the market. There are plastic toy boxes and then there are wooden toy boxes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you are looking for a toy box or toy chest that has endurance and is quality made, a wooden toy box or wooden toy chest is your best option.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wooden toy boxes are made with a child in mind. Safety is a number one priority. The ones that I feel are the best on the market are made from solid wood and the hinges will never allow the top to fall no matter the position it is in. To close the wooden toy box you must PULL it down. Also, they are not air tight so if a child would crawl inside they are not in danger. The best wooden toy boxes are made to take all the abuse that a child can give. They are safe, sturdy and water resistant.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you want to make the wooden toy box or wooden toy chest personal, you can personalize it by having your child's name on it with wooden letters. This will also help a child learn to spell their name by seeing it daily. Also by having a wooden toy box or wooden toy chest, responsibility can be taught to a very young child about learning to take care of their toys by placing them away before naptime or bedtime.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Children do not stay small for long and a wooden toy box can also grow with your child. A wooden toy box or wooden toy chest can be refinished to any decor and can go from storing toys to storing whatever your teen wants to store. Later on during the "empty nest" part of life a wooden toy box can be used for storage. Of course, a wooden toy box or wooden toy chest will be around when the grandchildren come home to play. A plastic wooden toy box will not be able to have that type of endurance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div id="sig" class="sig"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Find lots of wooden toy boxes and wooden toy chests and other wooden toys by visiting http://www.myuniquewoodentoys.com  today!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Author: Teresa Martin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Teresa_Martin&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h1 class="title"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;Melissa and Doug Toys on Amazon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-7580302952812375560?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7580302952812375560'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7580302952812375560'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/reasons-to-buy-your-child-wooden-toy.html' title='Reasons To Buy Your Child A Wooden Toy Chest'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-7785571371147442429</id><published>2008-09-14T19:46:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-14T19:55:35.283-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Beginner Pattern Blocks'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Pattern Blocks and Boards</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00006JZCG/104-3964338-5897504"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SM3M_V67KFI/AAAAAAAAABs/R9M_0Fbq2gk/s320/Pattern+Blocks+and+Boards.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246074529544611922" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;Melissa and Doug Pattern Blocks&lt;/a&gt; and Boards&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;geometric puzzle&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My son is 3 years old and just bought the item which is well made. One improvement toy designer can make is instead of using just wood which slides down the boards, could use magnets and magnetic boards that hold the tile work on it. I would also place the puzzle in more functional box, there is no lid, container could be better. I'd buy it again&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now he is four and a half. He still loves them. He enjoys making his own designs and pictures as well as copying theirs. He knows all the shapes by name and as we walk through town he points out the shapes that make up buildings and trees. This has been a great toy for our family and I highly recommend it for every child.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;My 3-year-old loves it!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you have a strong-willed child like mine who won't let you have a routine for him, you know by now that you need lots of activities to keep him entertained, so you can keep from going insane!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I was looking for calm, sit-down activities for my son to do before bed. He LOVES this. Sorting out and finding the colors and shapes he needs to make his picture is therapeutic and calming for him. At bedtime he also like the Silly Faces Stick-Ons Game, his Story Reader, and his mama simply reading books to him. I just never know what he'll accept but the point is to get him in bed in a cooperative, well-adjusted manner and quiet activities like these help.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;wonderful toy&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My son was three when we got this for him. He loved placing the&lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/melissa-and-doug-beginner-pattern.html"&gt; blocks over the pattern boards&lt;/a&gt;. Sometimes he would bump the pieces, but didn't seem to mind putting them back. It was neat to see his little fingers working to carefully and the intent expression on his face. Before he was four he began to create the designs next to the boards as well as on them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The only thing I would recommend for Melissa &amp;amp; Doug is for them to create better storage for their products. We also have the food cutting set, which all the pieces are sitting in an open "food" crate. It's cute but not practical. I want to be able to stack things and not have everything fall out if it tips over. And also for THIS game, I really have to be careful because the boards and the pieces are all just sitting there open-faced ready to be knocked over. It should at least have some kind of top to put on it, Tupperware-style. I have two other babies and I worry that if I dropped it the small pieces for this game might land in places that only little babies could possibly find!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;This attribute set develops shape recognition and spatial relations. Includes 10 designs on wooden cards with over 100 pattern blocks in 6 different shapes and colors which replicate the patterns. Stores neatly in a durable wooden case that measures 13 x 9 x 2 inches.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" &gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;From the Manufacturer&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Keeps children engaged for hours in rewarding play! Features 10 simply designed colorful patterns; and over 100 pattern blocks in 6 different shapes and colors to replicate the pattern shown. Contents store neatly in durable wooden case. Develops shape recognition and spatial relations!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Includes 10 colorful pattern boards&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Patterns and blocks are stored in a wooden case&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Great to teach shapes&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-7785571371147442429?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7785571371147442429'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7785571371147442429'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/melissa-and-doug-pattern-blocks-and.html' title='Melissa and Doug Pattern Blocks and Boards'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SM3M_V67KFI/AAAAAAAAABs/R9M_0Fbq2gk/s72-c/Pattern+Blocks+and+Boards.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-8492084014411861181</id><published>2008-09-12T21:02:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-12T21:09:11.709-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Basic Cardboard Blocks'/><title type='text'>M &amp; D 40 pc Basic Cardboard Blocks</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000A12YBW/102-8127757-9687334"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SMs7vXD2m_I/AAAAAAAAABk/FirD2cVVg7o/s320/40+pc+Basic+Cardboard+Blocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245351875833142258" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;Melissa and Doug 40 pc &lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;Basic Cardboard Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Kids LOVE these Blocks!&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I have a group of kids age 14mths to 11yrs they all love these blocks. From seeing how high they can stack them to counting how many they ca line up to who can make the biggest castle they have had tons of fun!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;fun&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i saw these at a 4th of july carnival and my daughters loved them. these are fantastic and i love to watch what they build with these!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;cardboard blocks&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My 2 year old loves to play with these blocks!  They have held up quite well too.  I would buy them again.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" &gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;Other Boy's Toy&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a style="font-weight: normal;" dir="ltr" href="http://tonka-toys-reviews.blogspot.com/"&gt; Tonka Dump Truck Toys &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;h2&gt;&lt;span dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;The Big Bad Wolf has nothing on these sturdy cardboard blocks. They're easy to assemble, and they're lightweight so even the youngest builders can construct their dream home. Bright colors mean endless combinations. Blocks come in several different sizes. Includes 40 blocks.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #528 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Size: Jumbo&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 2784&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 19.10" h x   12.60" w x   7.60" l,    10.00 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Sturdy cardboard&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;40 pieces&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Endless building combinations&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 2 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-8492084014411861181?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/8492084014411861181'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/8492084014411861181'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/m-d-40-pc-basic-cardboard-blocks.html' title='M &amp; D 40 pc Basic Cardboard Blocks'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SMs7vXD2m_I/AAAAAAAAABk/FirD2cVVg7o/s72-c/40+pc+Basic+Cardboard+Blocks.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-3764185025802050812</id><published>2008-09-10T22:17:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-10T22:22:17.919-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Standard Unit Blocks'/><title type='text'>60-Piece Standard Unit Blocks</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00008W72D/104-2481813-1895912"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SMiqfR-Ra0I/AAAAAAAAABM/DCtblTnSFVU/s320/60-Piece+Standard+Unit+Blocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244629220450200386" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Melissa and Doug 60-Piece &lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;Standard Unit Blocks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Good product Overall&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star30_tpng.png" alt="3" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Well packaged. fast shipment. It would have been nice if it had been made of Maple (more durable than hardwoods used overseas where the product was made) No false advertizing here just a wish of higher quality&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;Blocks, fun for all ages.&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My son and granddaughter have fun playing with these block together. They are wonderful. Every child should have unpainted wooden blocks. They are great for the child and great for the environment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;$50 for Blocks? Really?&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star20_tpng.png" alt="2" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes, the blocks are nice. &lt;br /&gt;But $50? Give me a break. Overpriced for what they are.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;h2&gt;Product Description&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;Build a tower, a town or just about anything with these large solid-wood standard unit blocks. The 60 big, smooth-sanded sturdy blocks are naturally finished with a classic look for hours of classic fun. The handsome wooden storage crate makes clean up and storage easy. Measures 15"L x 12.25"W x 5.25"D.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-3764185025802050812?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/3764185025802050812'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/3764185025802050812'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/60-piece-standard-unit-blocks.html' title='60-Piece Standard Unit Blocks'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SMiqfR-Ra0I/AAAAAAAAABM/DCtblTnSFVU/s72-c/60-Piece+Standard+Unit+Blocks.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-845032785980519988</id><published>2008-09-08T19:21:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-08T19:46:01.034-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='100 Piece Wood Blocks Set'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Blocks'/><title type='text'>Cheap Melissa and Doug 100 Piece Wood Blocks Set</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000068CKY/102-6266098-3644129"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SMXeJBoMqqI/AAAAAAAAABE/KrvDeOouQeQ/s320/Melissa+and+Doug+100+Piece+Wood+Blocks+Set.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243841587780037282" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/h2&gt;  &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Great but expect the blocks to be small&lt;/span&gt;&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The box was much smaller than I expected for so many blocks. this is because the blocks are pretty small. I had to keep the smallest ones away from my toddler for a while. Great to play with and even survived the bathtub!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Wooden blocks&lt;/span&gt;&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star40_tpng.png" alt="4" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My 20 month old likes them but gets frustrated when her towers topple over.  Another few months she'll like them a lot more.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="reviewtitle"&gt;&lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000068CKY/102-6266098-3644129"&gt;Best block building&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;brain building&lt;/a&gt;&lt;img name="pngImage" class="custReviewStars" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/network/star50_tpng.png" alt="5" width="56" height="11" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Or daughter loved this toy at 6 months old when we gave it to her and still loves it 3 months later. No doubt she'll play with it for a long time. So many opportunities to learn shapes, colors, coordination and creativity. A great buy&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;&lt;div id="productDescription"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Product Description&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Kids can use their creativity and imagination to build all sorts of things with this 100-piece set. The structures are only as tall and wide as the child's imagination! With endless possibilities, it's sure to provide hours of engaged play.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Product Details&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; * Amazon Sales Rank: #291 in Toys &amp;amp; Games&lt;br /&gt; * Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;br /&gt; * Model: 481&lt;br /&gt; * Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;br /&gt; * Dimensions: 13.70" h x 9.00" w x 3.60" l, 4.45 pounds&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Features&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; * Colored wood blocks&lt;br /&gt; * You can stack them and count them&lt;br /&gt; * Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;  &lt;script type="text/javascript"&gt; function registerNamespace(ns) {     var parts = ns.split(".");     var root = window;      for(var i = 0; i &lt; root =" root[parts[i]];" getelementsbytagandclass =" function(tag," parent_element =" document;" tags =" parent_element.getElementsByTagName(tag);" class_tags =" new" class_regex =" new" i =" 0;" findancestor =" function(child," test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" obj ="=" test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" nodename ="=" test_func =" test;" child =" child.parentNode;" getselectedradio =" function(form," form ="=" form =" document.forms[form];" i =" 0;" usecapture =" false;" addhandler =" function(object," event_handler =" function(event){" event_handler =" handler;" event =" window.event;" cancelbubble =" true;" event =" window.event;" returnvalue =" false;" link =" document.getElementById('imageViewerLink');" wimages ="=" wimages =" window.open(link.href," width="625,height=" location =" link.href;"&gt;   &lt;div id="productDetails"&gt;    &lt;hr /&gt;    &lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #291 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 481&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 13.70" h x   9.00" w x   3.60" l,    4.45 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Colored wood blocks&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;You can stack them and count them&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;   &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;  &lt;script type="text/javascript"&gt; function registerNamespace(ns) {     var parts = ns.split(".");     var root = window;      for(var i = 0; i &lt; root =" root[parts[i]];" getelementsbytagandclass =" function(tag," parent_element =" document;" tags =" parent_element.getElementsByTagName(tag);" class_tags =" new" class_regex =" new" i =" 0;" findancestor =" function(child," test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" obj ="=" test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" nodename ="=" test_func =" test;" child =" child.parentNode;" getselectedradio =" function(form," form ="=" form =" document.forms[form];" i =" 0;" usecapture =" false;" addhandler =" function(object," event_handler =" function(event){" event_handler =" handler;" event =" window.event;" cancelbubble =" true;" event =" window.event;" returnvalue =" false;" link =" document.getElementById('imageViewerLink');" wimages ="=" wimages =" window.open(link.href," width="625,height=" location =" link.href;"&gt;   &lt;div id="productDetails"&gt;    &lt;hr /&gt;    &lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #291 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 481&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 13.70" h x   9.00" w x   3.60" l,    4.45 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Colored wood blocks&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;You can stack them and count them&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;   &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;  &lt;script type="text/javascript"&gt; function registerNamespace(ns) {     var parts = ns.split(".");     var root = window;      for(var i = 0; i &lt; root =" root[parts[i]];" getelementsbytagandclass =" function(tag," parent_element =" document;" tags =" parent_element.getElementsByTagName(tag);" class_tags =" new" class_regex =" new" i =" 0;" findancestor =" function(child," test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" obj ="=" test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" nodename ="=" test_func =" test;" child =" child.parentNode;" getselectedradio =" function(form," form ="=" form =" document.forms[form];" i =" 0;" usecapture =" false;" addhandler =" function(object," event_handler =" function(event){" event_handler =" handler;" event =" window.event;" cancelbubble =" true;" event =" window.event;" returnvalue =" false;" link =" document.getElementById('imageViewerLink');" wimages ="=" wimages =" window.open(link.href," width="625,height=" location =" link.href;"&gt;   &lt;div id="productDetails"&gt;    &lt;hr /&gt;    &lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #291 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 481&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 13.70" h x   9.00" w x   3.60" l,    4.45 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Colored wood blocks&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;You can stack them and count them&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;   &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;  &lt;script type="text/javascript"&gt; function registerNamespace(ns) {     var parts = ns.split(".");     var root = window;      for(var i = 0; i &lt; root =" root[parts[i]];" getelementsbytagandclass =" function(tag," parent_element =" document;" tags =" parent_element.getElementsByTagName(tag);" class_tags =" new" class_regex =" new" i =" 0;" findancestor =" function(child," test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" obj ="=" test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" nodename ="=" test_func =" test;" child =" child.parentNode;" getselectedradio =" function(form," form ="=" form =" document.forms[form];" i =" 0;" usecapture =" false;" addhandler =" function(object," event_handler =" function(event){" event_handler =" handler;" event =" window.event;" cancelbubble =" true;" event =" window.event;" returnvalue =" false;" link =" document.getElementById('imageViewerLink');" wimages ="=" wimages =" window.open(link.href," width="625,height=" location =" link.href;"&gt;   &lt;div id="productDetails"&gt;    &lt;hr /&gt;    &lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #291 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 481&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 13.70" h x   9.00" w x   3.60" l,    4.45 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Colored wood blocks&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;You can stack them and count them&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;   &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;  &lt;script type="text/javascript"&gt; function registerNamespace(ns) {     var parts = ns.split(".");     var root = window;      for(var i = 0; i &lt; root =" root[parts[i]];" getelementsbytagandclass =" function(tag," parent_element =" document;" tags =" parent_element.getElementsByTagName(tag);" class_tags =" new" class_regex =" new" i =" 0;" findancestor =" function(child," test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" obj ="=" test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" nodename ="=" test_func =" test;" child =" child.parentNode;" getselectedradio =" function(form," form ="=" form =" document.forms[form];" i =" 0;" usecapture =" false;" addhandler =" function(object," event_handler =" function(event){" event_handler =" handler;" event =" window.event;" cancelbubble =" true;" event =" window.event;" returnvalue =" false;" link =" document.getElementById('imageViewerLink');" wimages ="=" wimages =" window.open(link.href," width="625,height=" location =" link.href;"&gt;   &lt;div id="productDetails"&gt;    &lt;hr /&gt;    &lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #291 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 481&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 13.70" h x   9.00" w x   3.60" l,    4.45 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Colored wood blocks&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;You can stack them and count them&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;  &lt;script type="text/javascript"&gt; function registerNamespace(ns) {     var parts = ns.split(".");     var root = window;      for(var i = 0; i &lt; root =" root[parts[i]];" getelementsbytagandclass =" function(tag," parent_element =" document;" tags =" parent_element.getElementsByTagName(tag);" class_tags =" new" class_regex =" new" i =" 0;" findancestor =" function(child," test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" obj ="=" test ="=" test_func =" function(obj){" nodename ="=" test_func =" test;" child =" child.parentNode;" getselectedradio =" function(form," form ="=" form =" document.forms[form];" i =" 0;" usecapture =" false;" addhandler =" function(object," event_handler =" function(event){" event_handler =" handler;" event =" window.event;" cancelbubble =" true;" event =" window.event;" returnvalue =" false;" link =" document.getElementById('imageViewerLink');" wimages ="=" wimages =" window.open(link.href," width="625,height=" location =" link.href;"&gt;   &lt;div id="productDetails"&gt;    &lt;hr /&gt;    &lt;h2&gt;Product Details&lt;/h2&gt;    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Amazon Sales Rank: #291 in Toys &amp;amp; Games &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Model: 481&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Released on: 2006-06-12&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dimensions: 13.70" h x   9.00" w x   3.60" l,    4.45 pounds   &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;h3&gt;Features&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Colored wood blocks&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;You can stack them and count them&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Recommended Age Range 3 Years and up&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-845032785980519988?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/845032785980519988'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/845032785980519988'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/cheap-melissa-and-doug-100-piece-wood.html' title='Cheap Melissa and Doug 100 Piece Wood Blocks Set'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SMXeJBoMqqI/AAAAAAAAABE/KrvDeOouQeQ/s72-c/Melissa+and+Doug+100+Piece+Wood+Blocks+Set.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-7636432207177808948</id><published>2008-09-07T22:08:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-07T22:15:31.309-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Deluxe 10-Piece Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B000GIL2DU/104-2069828-4435956"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SMS0RWdWFSI/AAAAAAAAAAs/kj7inPzrrp0/s320/10-Piece+Alphabet+Nesting+and+Stacking+Blocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243514076345537826" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Product Description&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This set of ten sturdy &lt;a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/"&gt;cardboard blocks&lt;/a&gt; will keep your little one engaged for hours. Each colorful, bold block has beautifully illustrated letters and images on every side. Stack them high to build a soaring tower, or link them together on the ground. Nesting block measures 5.8"H x 5.8"W x 5.8"D.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Product Details&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;   * Amazon Sales Rank: #300 in Toys &amp;amp; Games&lt;br /&gt;   * Brand: Melissa &amp;amp; Doug&lt;br /&gt;   * Model: 2782&lt;br /&gt;   * Dimensions: 5.80" h x 5.80" w x 5.80" l, 1.70 pounds&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Features&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;   * Sturdy, cardboard building blocks are lightweight yet strong!&lt;br /&gt;   * Made of premium, heavy-grade cardboard and features a wipe-clean surface&lt;br /&gt;   * Ten vibrant blocks and carrying case included&lt;br /&gt;   * Easy assembly&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Customer Reviews&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Not as durable as thy should be...3&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They are cute, but would be nicer if they were made of wood (not paper and cardboard that bends and deteriorates...)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Good in theory2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I bought this for my two year old daughter for Christmas. I just knew she would love it. I was wrong. She played with it for about 5 minutes, and hasn't touched it again since December. My four old tried to play with it, but the blocks are not made out of the most durable material.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Not the typical M&amp;amp;D quality1&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We received these blocks as a gift about two weeks ago and we've already had to throw some blocks away. First of all, if your child chews on things, this is not the toy for you. My son has easily gnawed off bits of the blocks. Also, if the blocks are stepped on... they're not stong enough to withstand the weight entirely, but they are solid enough to hurt your childs feet. The outer covering also started peeling away on the top of the blocks. Bummer...&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-7636432207177808948?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7636432207177808948'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7636432207177808948'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/melissa-and-doug-deluxe-10-piece.html' title='Melissa and Doug Deluxe 10-Piece Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SMS0RWdWFSI/AAAAAAAAAAs/kj7inPzrrp0/s72-c/10-Piece+Alphabet+Nesting+and+Stacking+Blocks.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-7084186892212764813</id><published>2008-09-04T01:40:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-12T21:11:48.670-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Beginner Pattern Blocks'/><title type='text'>Melissa and Doug Beginner Pattern Blocks Reviews</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SL-gOKOzSUI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/8BCCs6fN3FU/s1600-h/Melissa_and_Doug_Beginner_Pattern_Blocks.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SL-gOKOzSUI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/8BCCs6fN3FU/s320/Melissa_and_Doug_Beginner_Pattern_Blocks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242084656407595330" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"  &gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;Product Description&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="bucket" id="productDescription"&gt;  &lt;div class="content"&gt;           &lt;span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"  &gt;&lt;b&gt;From the Manufacturer&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Features 10 brightly painted wooden patterns of familiar childhood objects and 30 colorful shape pieces to replicate the fun pictures. Great for early development of colors; shapes and matching skills. A tremendous value and a great learning set!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Product Description&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This set features 10 brightly-painted wooden patterns and 30 colorful shape pieces to replicate the fun pictures. They're perfect for early development of colors, shapes and matching skills. These puzzles are a tremendous value and a great learning set! Contains one each: fish, dog, butterfly, flowers, bird, and fire engine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b  style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"&gt;Some Reviews&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2 year old daughter loves this toy!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:arial;"&gt;, August 14, 2008&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; font-family: arial;"&gt;&lt;nobr&gt;&lt;/nobr&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;"I do not have a single bad thing to say about this toy - my 2 year old daughter loves it! She was given this toy for her 2nd birthday.. and immediately took to it. All the puzzles are front &amp;amp; back and there are enough pieces to do all the puzzles (no matter if its front or back). She mastered all the puzzles within a week of opening it and still plays with them every single day.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The puzzle boards are very durable - and the pieces are perfect for little hands. We have been working on colors / shapes with the pieces, and they are a perfect learning tool.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://astore.amazon.com/melissa.and.doug.blocks-20/detail/B00005O63Q/102-3211950-9582527"&gt;Highly recommend this puzzle&lt;/a&gt; - your little one will definitely love this toy! "&lt;/span&gt;&lt;nobr&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/nobr&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"&gt;&lt;meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"&gt;&lt;meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"&gt;&lt;meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"&gt;&lt;link style="font-family: arial;" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmanas%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"&gt;&lt;!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;&lt;xml&gt;  &lt;w:worddocument&gt;   &lt;w:view&gt;Normal&lt;/w:View&gt;   &lt;w:zoom&gt;0&lt;/w:Zoom&gt;   &lt;w:punctuationkerning/&gt;   &lt;w:validateagainstschemas/&gt;   &lt;w:saveifxmlinvalid&gt;false&lt;/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid&gt;   &lt;w:ignoremixedcontent&gt;false&lt;/w:IgnoreMixedContent&gt;   &lt;w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext&gt;false&lt;/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText&gt;   &lt;w:compatibility&gt;    &lt;w:breakwrappedtables/&gt;    &lt;w:snaptogridincell/&gt;    &lt;w:wraptextwithpunct/&gt;    &lt;w:useasianbreakrules/&gt;    &lt;w:dontgrowautofit/&gt;   &lt;/w:Compatibility&gt;   &lt;w:browserlevel&gt;MicrosoftInternetExplorer4&lt;/w:BrowserLevel&gt;  &lt;/w:WordDocument&gt; &lt;/xml&gt;&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;&lt;xml&gt;  &lt;w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"&gt;  &lt;/w:LatentStyles&gt; &lt;/xml&gt;&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;style&gt; &lt;!--  /* Style Definitions */  p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal 	{mso-style-parent:""; 	margin:0in; 	margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:12.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 	{size:8.5in 11.0in; 	margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; 	mso-header-margin:.5in; 	mso-footer-margin:.5in; 	mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 	{page:Section1;} --&gt; &lt;/style&gt;&lt;!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;style&gt;  /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-parent:""; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:10.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-ansi-language:#0400; 	mso-fareast-language:#0400; 	mso-bidi-language:#0400;} &lt;/style&gt; &lt;![endif]--&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;a name="CustomerPopover|id|A1UNI64M36ZLFC"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;Lisa M. Anderson&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;a name="CustomerPopover|id|A1UNI64M36ZLFC"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;div  style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"  &gt;&lt;b&gt;One of our favorites!&lt;/b&gt;,January 27, 2006&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Our two children (12 months and 23 months) just love this set. The boards and pieces are very sturdy. We like that the boards are two sided. Good variety and amount of shapes. This is a classic toy that will last for years- we see it as one that we will keep even after our children have grown out of it- great to keep around for visiting kids."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a id="lnx1" name="CustomerPopover|id|A1DNWA98IV5PMW" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1DNWA98IV5PMW/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"&gt;&lt;meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"&gt;&lt;meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"&gt;&lt;meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"&gt;&lt;link style="font-family: arial;" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cmanas%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"&gt;&lt;!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;&lt;xml&gt;  &lt;w:worddocument&gt;   &lt;w:view&gt;Normal&lt;/w:View&gt;   &lt;w:zoom&gt;0&lt;/w:Zoom&gt;   &lt;w:punctuationkerning/&gt;   &lt;w:validateagainstschemas/&gt;   &lt;w:saveifxmlinvalid&gt;false&lt;/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid&gt;   &lt;w:ignoremixedcontent&gt;false&lt;/w:IgnoreMixedContent&gt;   &lt;w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext&gt;false&lt;/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText&gt;   &lt;w:compatibility&gt;    &lt;w:breakwrappedtables/&gt;    &lt;w:snaptogridincell/&gt;    &lt;w:wraptextwithpunct/&gt;    &lt;w:useasianbreakrules/&gt;    &lt;w:dontgrowautofit/&gt;   &lt;/w:Compatibility&gt;   &lt;w:browserlevel&gt;MicrosoftInternetExplorer4&lt;/w:BrowserLevel&gt;  &lt;/w:WordDocument&gt; &lt;/xml&gt;&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;&lt;xml&gt;  &lt;w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"&gt;  &lt;/w:LatentStyles&gt; &lt;/xml&gt;&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;style&gt; &lt;!--  /* Style Definitions */  p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal 	{mso-style-parent:""; 	margin:0in; 	margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:12.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 	{size:8.5in 11.0in; 	margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; 	mso-header-margin:.5in; 	mso-footer-margin:.5in; 	mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 	{page:Section1;} --&gt; &lt;/style&gt;&lt;!--[if gte mso 10]&gt; &lt;style&gt;  /* Style Definitions */  table.MsoNormalTable 	{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; 	mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 	mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 	mso-style-noshow:yes; 	mso-style-parent:""; 	mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 	mso-para-margin:0in; 	mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	font-size:10.0pt; 	font-family:"Times New Roman"; 	mso-ansi-language:#0400; 	mso-fareast-language:#0400; 	mso-bidi-language:#0400;} &lt;/style&gt; &lt;![endif]--&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:arial;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;a name="CustomerPopover|id|A1DNWA98IV5PMW"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;Madison and Nathan's Mom&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-7084186892212764813?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7084186892212764813'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/7084186892212764813'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/melissa-and-doug-beginner-pattern.html' title='Melissa and Doug Beginner Pattern Blocks Reviews'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GPNOL6aejQY/SL-gOKOzSUI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/8BCCs6fN3FU/s72-c/Melissa_and_Doug_Beginner_Pattern_Blocks.jpg' height='72' width='72'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458852412219711812.post-3062235512905388615</id><published>2008-09-04T01:19:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-12T21:11:18.314-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Melissa and Doug Toys'/><title type='text'>Welcome to Melissa and Doug Toys Reviews Blog</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We Reviews : You Smart Buy : Your kid have Fun&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Our mission is review side by side of Melissa and Doug Toys for every Kids have fun ...&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8458852412219711812-3062235512905388615?l=melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/3062235512905388615'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8458852412219711812/posts/default/3062235512905388615'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://melissa-and-doug-toys.blogspot.com/2008/09/welcom-to-melissa-and-doug-toys-reviews.html' title='Welcome to Melissa and Doug Toys Reviews Blog'/><author><name>Nina</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/00716871420078978687</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author></entry></feed>
