The Best Melissa & Doug Toys

There’s just something very special about Melissa & Doug toys. They are simple, back to basics toys that simultaneously enhance the creativity of your child while offering hours of fun. They promote hand eye coordination, fine motor skills, matching skills, color learning and sequencing skills. Kids love them because they are brightly colored, with fun graphics and themes. This company knows kids and knows them well. There are no better toys on the market for the “pretend” play your kids are naturally inclined to practice.

Melissa & Doug wooden toys have been around since 1988. They now have over 600 different products for kids to love. In addition to their classic wooden toys, they now have plush toys, magnetic toys, art supplies, stamp sets, stickers and games.

I first ran across Melissa & Doug toys when my kids were in Montessori School.  The school had the Melissa and Doug Wooden Sandwich-Making Set and my daughter was just enthralled with this toy.  She would stack together the wooden vegetables, which have Velcro inserts in order to stick the sandwich makings together.  With the wooden knife, she would “cut” the veggies apart all the while enjoying the realistic crunch made by the Velcro.  I ended up buying this set after the Preschool teacher told me how much she adored it.  It later became a favorite of my two youngest children as well.

Along the way, we’ve had at least a dozen Melissa & Doug toys and have never been disappointed.  They are sturdy, safe and quite durable.  In fact, even through all the wear and tear from my kids, they were still in good enough shape for me to pass onto my friends’ kids without shame!

Having had such amazing experiences with these toys, I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase any toy made by Melissa and Doug.  There are over 600 toys, so the ones I’m recommending I’ve either purchased myself or they’ve been highly rated and/or among the bestselling Melissa & Doug toys.

Melissa & Doug Wooden Sandwich-Making Set

As I already mentioned, this toy is a hit with kids! Included in the set are 16 colorful sandwich fixings all made of quality wood. The pieces include: bread, a bun, cheese, pickles, tomatoes, sandwich meat, lettuce and an apple. Of course, they include a wooden "knife" to slice through the sandwich all bound together by Velcro. The kit comes in a nice wooden crate for easy storage. This is one of those toys kids are just naturally drawn to. And to think, no batteries or cords, just plain imaginative play!

For children 36 months to 6 years.

We've had this easel for years now and it's still used regularly in our house. One side is a dry erase board and the other is a chalkboard. In between the two sides is a dowel that holds a paper roll. The paper can be pulled up onto either side of the easel for paper painting, drawing or coloring. There are also clips at the top of the easel to hold any paper size your child chooses.

The easel has two storage trays for holding art supplies. One has four compartments that are perfect for holding cups of paint. The other longer tray is just right for holding pens, chalk and other art supplies. They are removable for easy washing.

Please note: the butcher paper and art supplies are not included and are sold separately.

For children 36 months to 12 years.

Every house with children needs a good, solid set of blocks. This Melissa and Doug block set is just perfect for creative minds, small hands and budding engineers. With a total of 60 pieces, there are enough to build an intricate city. The blocks come in various shapes: cylinders, semi-circles, rectangles, squares and wedges, basically every shape he or she will need to build a masterpiece. They are sturdy pieces that will stand the test of time. The set comes with a handy wooden storage crate, too.

For children 36 months and up.

If you have a little magician in your house, I highly recommend this magic set for children 8 to 10.  These are easy to learn tricks with just a bit of practice.  The kit features a number of classics:  multiplying coins, disappearing objects, magic boxes, prediction tricks and many more.  You will definitely be enjoying your fair share of magicians performances with this awesome kit. 

This set is an absolute blast for any little girl who enjoys dressing up dolls. The dolls are magnetic and attach to stands. It comes with a total of 60 pieces, including lots of outfits and accessories for the dolls. My girls loved putting them on our refrigerator as well! This kit is way better than the average paper doll fun since the dolls and clothes won't tear.

For children 36 months to 6 years.