I love the Melissa & Doug See and Spell. Here’s Why

I was looking for a fun Christmas gift for Destiny Baby that also helped to promote literacy. There are so many toys out there, from blocks to electronic gadgets, claiming to help your baby to read. But you can’t just take the toy makers claims for granted, there is a whole field of research on what works in promoting preschool literacy. How pleasantly surprised was I, then, to find the Mellisa and Doug See & Spell wood toy. Melisa and Doug has a good reputation as far as toys for the very young go, but this simple game is a real treat. It combines puzzles, colors, pictures, words and letters to create an entertaining vocabulary builder for pre-readers! Although the recommended age is 4 years plus, I’ve read reviews from parents as young as two whose little ones who have enjoyed this toy. The letters are like individual puzzle pieces so you have to play together with a child who is very young, rather than let them play with it independently. Other great things about this letter toy and game: It’s not electronic, requires no batteries or other upkeep and starts to entertain right out of the box! What features in particular make the Melissa & Doug See & Spellso cool?

• The letters are colorful for visual stimulation
• 3 and 4 letter words are matched to 16 playful pictures to help build sight reading vocabulary.
• By combining pictures with letter puzzle blanks, children build their spelling skills as they have to fit the right letter into each wooden board.
• Double-sided wooden boards with deep letter cutouts for words make the pieces fit snugly and builds fine motor skills!
• 50 letters are included so you can build words.
• Use the letters as stencils to create coloring or paint projects.

What comes in the box

• 64 colorful wooden letters
• 8 two-sided cutout boards featuring words and 16 colorful pictures
• Wooden tray with compartments to store the boards and letters

What others are saying about the Melissa & Doug See & Spell:

This educational toy has received rave reviews from most consumers on the web with an average of 4.5 out of 5 from most reviewers on Amazon and the Melissa & Doug website itself.

Here’s some of the feedback:

• “My 3 1/2 old son has had very little interest in learning his letters, but this toy has been so much fun for him!”
• “This is a great toy! My 2 year old loves it and has learned to spell many words with it.”
• “Now that my 3 year old granddaughter has learned the alphabet, we are starting to work on simple words. She definitely enjoys identifying the letters as she spells the words.”
• “My 2 year old son is on the Autism Spectrum and tends to think in a very visual manner. He absolutely adores this toy! When I saw the recommended age, I was a bit hesitant, but I’m so glad that I went ahead and got it!”
• “I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this company’s products. They are durable, colorful, well designed, and boutique quality.”
• “My 3 year old LOVES this toy! It comes with sturdy, vividly colored boards with a picture of the object, and shallow depressions of the letters used to spell the word. We lay the letters out in a mixed up circle, and he searches for one letter at a time.”
• “My 2 year old grandson plays with it for hours. It gives him some experience with lower case letters. It helps with small muscle coordination.”

Where Can You Buy the Mellisa & Doug See & Spell?

You can buy the Melissa and Doug See and Spell from Amazon. At the moment they include free two day shipping (with a free Amazon Prime trial) and from what I can tell when comparing prices with other online merchants, Amazon currently has the best deal especially when you include the free shipping option.

Where Can You Read More Reviews on the Melissa and Doug See & Spell?

The best place for reviews from people who actually use the product they are reviewing is on Amazon. Click here to read more..