MELISSA & DOUG Wooden Stringing Beads, 1 EA

Although my 12 year old would play with this, we've agreed it's more of a gift for a 5-9 age range. I bought two of these for two different kids. One was just 5, the other turned 6. They both had the same wow expression when they saw the package. I believe it would be great fun for bracelets and necklaces. In one magazine I've read, a child make a bookmark with this type of toy with the child's name and some extra string for the "in between space" in the book. I also have one of these from a gift someone gave my 12 year old back in the day. The quality is nice. I will buy more of these.

The beads are just the right size for little hands, the box is great for storing the beads and string, and there is friction between the wood beads and the round-shoelace-type string so the beads stay on the string. This is a great toy. The box is less than an inch high so it is friendly to those of us with small homes. I bought this one for my nephew. When I told my kids, they protested because they mistakenly thought that I had given theirs away. Only problem: It is slightly tricky to get everything back in the box so that it closes. It is not too bad though. Overall - I highly recommend this toy. I plan to keep it for my grandkids when my kids are done with it.

Very nice and entertaining. My two 4 year old granddaughters made necklaces and were joined by their 7 year old brother. Plenty of shapes and letters for all without any fighting. I highly recommend because the 4 year olds made up words, spelled out their names, so the kit is educational also. Only bad thing is there is not a lid to the tray but I sent it home with their mother - her problem, not mine.

I bought this item a week ago for my daughter. She found it very entertaining and has already made a few necklaces which she keeps wearing all day. Basically it means the set does the job. It is pretty self explanatory since the item photo shows all the ingredients as well as the divided storage board. The items are pretty small and they have a hole inside where you lead the strings. Stings are pretty long but they feel rather flimsy and thin compared to the beads. They look like shoelaces. All you need to do is put the beads in whatever combination and number you wish on the string and that is it. You can generate endless combinations and that is what the kids like best. Why I docked one star is the difficulty to store the stuff. I totally agree with other reviewers about the fact that it is nothing like a secure storage box without a front cover. That makes it very difficult to store or use. My suggestion is to put all the beads in a bag or a few bags and forget about this half made storage board. Other than the storage problem that is an entertaining toy that can be a good gift for a little girl that is old enough not to swallow the beads... (Besides as of february 2015 it is cheaper to buy this item from amazon compared to melissa-doug website which is other way round for most other melissa doug toys.)

I purchased these for my Kindergarten-aged niece. It was very age appropriate and 2 years later she still has the set and is always changing up her bracelets! This is a great set and it keeps everything nice and organized. The pieces are well made and it includes a great assortment of letters and shapes. Everything is made out of WOOD, not some cheap-o plastic. I highly recommend this set, and you simply can not beat the price. Melissa & Doug products are some of the best out there....very well made!

I got this set for my 5-year-old because he wanted to make his friends some bracelets and necklaces for Christmas. We love this set and you get a lot of beads for a very affordable price! The strings are also of excellent quality. We love Melissa & Doug products! Only one miniscule complaint is that I wish this came with a storage or at least a top lid for the tray it came with. Other than that, this is a great buy and highly recommend!

This is a cute set. Very small I thought the beads would be bigger but they are around the size of my pinky finger. There are several learning games listed on the back that you can do with your child....learning Abc colors shapes and spelling. It can also be made into adorable necklaces with the child's name etc. I initially bought this for my 4 year old to make wooden bead jewerly but was pleasently surprised to see how versitile and educational this set is. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys teaching with their child using fun crafts.

I expected a larger size, however it is a very nice set and the kids love it. I like that it came with plenty strings and clips for the ends to snap together because other brands I've purchased did not have enough. I also like how the beads, especially letter beads, are not tiny like other sets.