clothdiapermommy's Reviews

Review:

I seriously don't know who enjoys this better--me or my daughter. My mom got her this set for Christmas and I love it! The food is cut, but velcroed together. It comes with a cutting board and a knife and when you cut the pieces apart they make a wonderful ripping noise as the velcro detaches. My daughter rarely uses the knife to cut them apart, though. At a year old, she's just not at that stage yet. However, she loves putting the food in her mouth, practicing saying the names of the different fruits, veggies, and the bread, and serving food to my husband and I. Soon, she'll realize how wonderful it is to cut them apart too!

Review:

I bought these paint brushes when I was painting a mural on the wall of my daughter's nursery before she was born. They were GREAT because the package came with so many different brushes that I could use for so many different things. The tiny brush was used for detail, and the larger brushes for texture and filling in larger things. Also, the handles of the brushes are triangles so they're easy to hold.

Review:

I bought this for my daughter for Christmas and she loves it! It fits well in her refrigerator with all the rest of her play food (most of it Melissa and Doug as well). She uses the milk and orange juice to pour us drinks all the time and loves to pretend to eat the yogurt and ice cream. I feel safe when she puts them in her mouth because the paint is no-toxic but if and when she decides to bite the toys the paint scratches off.

Review:

I use stamps to keep track of participation in my Spanish class and I love having one stamp pad with lots of different colors so I can have a different color for each day of the week. Since it's washable, I never worry about whether or not it will come out of my clothes or my hands, and since it's non-toxic I'm not concerned when my kids stamp themselves all over. The one downside to all the colors being in one stamp pad is that if you don't remember to wash the stamps, or if you have kids using the stamps, the colors get mixed and muddied.

Review:

I had these when I was younger and my sisters and I LOVED them! We also had an adorable little house that went with them and I remember hours of wonderful play that ensued. The mice are really tiny and have adorable little clothes that come with them too.

Review:

I bought this roll of paper to make back drops for a church Christmas play. I literally wrapped two, huge panels in it and then painted them and there was still so much paper left! It was great! It's definitely something I'd like to get now for my artistic daughter who loves nothing more than to color for hours!

Review:

My mother got my daughter this tea set for her first birthday and she LOVES it! She plays with it frequently and pretends to pour herself and her Daddy and me "coffees." I find it helps with her fine motor skills and with her language to play pretend with this adorable little set. Besides, I love the colors, and the plastic is very durable! I did, however, put the little spoons away until she's old enough not to run around the house with them in her mouth (she's currently 20 months).

Review:

We recently saw these displayed at a local fair to help make some farmyard play sets more lifelike and my daughter LOVED them. She kept asking for the 'bunnies' and was very upset to hear that we couldn't take them with us. They are not only lifelike, but made of a durable material. However, they're small and I wouldn't recommend them to children who still put things in their mouths.

Review:

We love our Uncle Goose blocks and have two different sets. We find both sets--both numbers and letters--to be very educational with not only lower case and capital letters, but also bright and clear pictures as well! My 20 month old had enjoyed playing with them since she was 6 months old. At first she just held them and chewed on them, but now she loves to knock them down and sometimes even build with them! I love them. They really are a classic set of blocks that every kid should have!

Review:

These little bowling pins and bowling ball don't really serve the purpose of bowling for the little one who would be interested in playing with it. Rather, they offer a great buffet of sights, sounds, and textures for an exploring little mind. My daughter loves to identify the animals, and then shake each animal "pin" around to discover the different sounds it makes (each animal makes one of at least 4 different sounds, be it rattling, jingling, or dinging) . In addition, each animal is numbered (1-6) so it's wonderful for identifying numbers as well as animals. I'm not sure that my 20 month old yet understands the concept of throwing the ball and knocking the pins down, but the adults have fun with that! :-D

Review:

I love that this puzzle has BIG pieces for two reasons: 1) This makes it so easy for my daughter and her friend to grab the knobs and maneuver the animals. 2) The graphics are big enough for kids to really see the details of the animals so that they are sure to recognize them for what they are. When we play with this puzzle I also like to hold up the animals and ask the kids to identify them, and also ask what sounds each of the animals makes. It's great not only for individual play, sorting, and problem solving, but good for learning moments with parents and sitters as well.

Review:

We had one of these when I was younger and I remember playing with it for hours--literally. I don't know why it never grew old to slide the beads along the different, metal wires, but it didn't. I loved to slide them one by one, or together, or try to see if all the beads from all the wires could move simultaneously. I also liked to turn it upside down and see what the change in gravity would do to the beads. My daughter does not have one of these yet because I'm sort of afraid she'd stick her little head in it and get stuck, but one day, when she's older, I think it would be a great problem solving and sorting toy to have around.

Review:

Since these blocks are so big, they're wonderful for making more life sized erections such as castles, houses and forts. The bright colors are great for sorting and since they're made of cardboard you know that your child isn't going to hurt themselves with a large, heavy block. Honestly, I remember using these when I was a child, and also seeing them in different preschools and kindergarten classes when I student taught. They're great for independent and imaginative play and if my house were larger, I'd say they'd be great for play at home too.

Review:

My daughter received this tea seat from her grandmother for her birthday and she absolutely adores it! She loves pretending to drink from the little cups and then offering me and her Daddy the imaginary liquid inside. She uses the little sugar bowl to store her treats removing and replacing the top as she eats each little cookie or goldfish. As her imagination has increased, she has started pouring tea into the cups which she calls "coffees" because they look like the cups Mommy and Daddy use to drink their coffee from in the morning. Because my daughter still puts things in her mouth, I haven't let her play with the spoons yet (outside of the time when she's in her high chair) because I'm afraid she'll run with them in her mouth and get them lodged down her throat. She's only 1 1/2.

Review:

My friend's son has this puzzle and what I love most about it is that the puzzle pieces that can be removed and replaced (the animals) are nice and thick which makes them easy for little hands to move! It also makes it so that each animal can stand alone and can be used for more imaginative play when you're child has finished with using the puzzle. It's also nice that in each empty space in the puzzle board, there is a picture of the animal that belongs there so your child is not only matching the pieces by shape, but also by a visual.

Review:

My friend's son has this little guy. I was playing with him with it one day and he loved to press the buttons to change the colors of the stars projected onto the ceiling. Of course, we were playing with it in a lighted room, so it really was only changing the color of the turtle's shell. Then, we went through and talked about the names of the different sea animals pictured on his shell--the different "fishies" and whales. He seemed to really enjoy the animal. I'd imagine that in addition to being a great plaything, it would also be quite fun at night time for children afraid of the dark, and as someone who appreciates astronomy, I love that it projects stars onto the ceilings and walls.

Review:

This is a toy my friend's son owns that my daughter (and I) plays with when we visit him. The train cars not only come apart, but there are lots of different wooden shapes that only stack well on certain cars. I find that when taken apart and mixed with the other toys in the toy bin, it's difficult to find all the pieces and very difficult for a toddler to understand that they need to go together. However, if you'd isolate the little train from the rest of the toys and if you'd work together with your child on how to problem solve and put the pieces together, I think the toy could be used for what it was intended. However, by themselves, the shape pieces are still pretty entertaining. It's a great way to talk about and teach different shapes while giving your child a concrete manipulative to handle.

Review:

My daughter plays with this little doggy not only at her little friend's house, but also at her daycare and she just loves him. Anytime she goes either place she'll find him and proudly show him to me while saying, "Doggy, Mommy, Doggy!" I think she feels he's her special friend. I find him reminiscent of the pull toys I used to play with when I was a child. He bobs and wiggles when you pull him, but my daughter just prefers to hold him. She hasn't figured out what the string is for yet.

Review:

My friend's son has this tractor. It's adorable. A little green tractor with a trailer with footprints for 4 different animals. The best part is that all the footprints in the trailer match the feet of only ONE of the four animals so your child has to learn to match them up correctly in order to get the animals to fit. Once they do that successfully, the animals make noises. I don't know who enjoys the tractor more, me or the children!

Review:

My daughter never really liked the car--though sometimes the soothing motion would put her to sleep. When it didn't, though, and she insisted on screaming during an entire trip, this little duck and frog kept her somewhat occupied. She liked looking at them and watching them dance with the movement of the car, she liked batting at them with her little hands, and she liked the soft "ding" sound they make every time they move. What I liked is that they velcro on and off the carseat handle making them very easy to move from one place (the car seat) to another (her playmat or crib).

Review:

My friend's son has this toy. It's brightly colored and child safe, environmentally friendly (as all Plan toys are), and the kids love to play with it. My only complaint with it is that it doesn't really sound like a xylophone when hit. Each key has a different sound, but it's sort of dull and soft, and also, the keys don't seem to be quite in tune with the musical scale.

Review:

I have fond memories of reading this book when I was a child--sniffing the flowers, touching Daddy's beard, and of course, patting the bunny. So, of course, I bought one for my daughter. She also got one at a baby shower. Turned out to be a good thing she had two because she loved the first one to death--literally. Now, at 19 months, it is her absolute favorite book. "Mommy, Bunny book? Pease? Read da Bunny book?" is one of the things she asks me daily. When we do read the book she takes great delight going through each page and joining Paul and Judy in the things they like to do like putting their finger through Mummy's ring, and looking in the mirror. I think this book should be a staple for every child library. It's a classic for good reason!

Review:

This is another great touch and feel puzzle from Melissa and Doug. I love the lion in particular for his soft, furry mane! My friend's son has this puzzle and my daughter loves to play with it every time they have a play date! It offers a great way to review the names of the animals--in this case, more exotic animals--and the different textures of each animal are really fun for little, exploring hands to grasp.

Review:

My daughter received this wagon as a birthday present from her grandpa and I don't know who loves it more--she or I! It's great! Nice and big with cup holders, seats that flip up, and even seat belts!!! We ride all over the neighborhood in this thing. She'll sit her dollies in the seat across from her and put her sippy cup in one of the cup holders. Since it has two seats, there's room for a friend or a sibling too! I love that there are seatbelts because toddlers are sometime unpredictable and eager to break free from any restraints and the seat belt assures me that my daughter isn't going to jump out of the wagon and go toddling down the street on a whim! The one problem I had is that the seat belts are difficult to adjust and the clip on one of them broke when I tried to adjust it to her little cousin. Just be careful not to pull too hard when adjusting them and you should be fine.

Review:

My daughter was given this puzzle for her birthday and loved it so much that she promptly chewed the color off the bird. I like this puzzle because it has great textures--different ones--on each animal and it's a great way to teach your children the names and sounds of different animals. Also, it's a good way for them to practice hand to eye coordination as they try to replace each animal in the puzzle. However, I wouldn't recommend it for children who still put things in their mouths because the pictures can easily be chewed off the puzzle. However, if your child does chew the pictures off, rest assured that it is child safe and non toxic. Melissa and Doug toys are always the safest that they can be!

Review:

My friend's son has this puzzle and when my daughter and he have a play date at his house, they love to play with it as they identify the sounds that each animal in the barn makes. What's best is that there are knobs on each animal (and the farmer) so that they don't struggle to get the pieces off. It's quite simple to simply grasp the knob to see what's underneath. In addition to helping them understand the different farm animals and the sounds they make, it's also a great problem solving tool because they have to figure out how to get each piece back into the puzzle. And I love that it's made with wood and child safe paint. I always know I can trust the safety of Melissa and Doug toys!

Review:

When we brought our amazing daughter home from the hospital we were frustrated to discover she had colic and often had trouble getting to sleep without being rocked and cooed to. A friend gave us the Sleep Sheep and we attached it to her pack and play every night at bedtime. The gentle sounds of rain falling, whales calling, waves splashing, and the heartbeat were infinitely soothing to her. They say that the womb is as loud as a vacuum cleaner so there's no wonder why! Not only did the sheep help her stay asleep, but it gave my husband and I a few extra hours a night as well. I plan on using it for every subsequent baby. My one complaint is the heartbeat sound. I think it sounds awful and to me, doesn't mimic the rhythm of a heartbeat. I don't think it's what our babies hear when they're inside of us. But how would I know?

Review:

This bendy caterpillar was one of the first toys my daughter owned--since it was a baby shower gift. When she was still small, she loved to grab it and shake it around with her unsteady little fists. At first it was difficult for her to grab because it's pretty wide around in comparison to tiny hands, but once she reached about 6 months of age, it was easier. The bright colors and the rubbery texture of some of the pieces make it a perfect toy for an infant just learning about her world. Also, it makes a delightful clickity clackity noise when shaken which my daughter loved.

Review:

My friend's baby has this teething toy and I had to examine it closely to see for myself what the fuss was all about. It's very soft and bendable and extremely chewy. Also, the wet rubber against little gums makes a lovely squeaky noise. In addition, the pliability of the giraffe makes it very easy for babies with no fine motors skills (yet) to grasp it. My one complaint is that it is ridiculously expensive. I can't imagine why such a small toy would cost so much. Is it the hype perhaps? If it weren't so expensive, I'd recommend it to anyone, but since it is, I suggest they look elsewhere--especially if they're on a budget.