Melissa and Doug Puzzles, Puzzles, Puzzles!

I am a HUGE Melissa & Doug fan. Their wooden toys are my favorites and they outlast my terrors sweet angles. Not only are the toys durable, but they offer such a great way to learn that I can never turn one down when I find it on sale. I have to admit though, that I hadn't been hooked on Melissa & Doug until after I had the twins. One of the girls from my owl twin moms group told me about the products and was raving about them so much that I had to check them out.

After being in business for 20 years and coming a long ways from their first wooden toy (The Fuzzy Farm Puzzle), Melissa & Doug now offers wooden puzzles, doll houses, room decor, art supplies, and everything in between!

My favorite puzzles are the Alphabet puzzles. We were sent the Alphabet Sound Puzzle, which I am using with the boys homeschooling work each day. It helps to add a little fun into the learning process. Each letter is set to say the letter and something that starts with that letter when you place the matching puzzle piece into the board. Another nifty fact with the Alphabet Sound Puzzle is that each piece is the same color as the picture in the puzzle board. Just another way to help your little one catch on to which one goes where. And since the puzzle pieces are chunky, it makes it easy for preschoolers to be able to handle the pieces easily.

I also love love love the floor puzzles that you can get from Melissa & Doug. There is a floor puzzle theme for all the kiddos tastes. Savanna is definitely a girly girl so I opted to go with the Fairy Tale Castle Floor Puzzle for them to review. This puzzle gets put together DAILY. The pieces are big so I don't have to worry about them being lost all over the house. It is easy and quick, which allows Savanna plenty of time to complete the puzzle before she is distracted, and it is just so darn pretty to look at. I keep thinking I may get one of those puzzle mats and glue the pieces down and frame it. It contains 48 pieces and measures a whooping 2'x3' when you have it put together.

And while we are on the topic of puzzles and incorporating them into homeschooling...If you are trying to help your little one learn to read, then be sure to check out the See and Spell wooden toy in the Melissa & Doug classic toys. This has been an AMAZING tool for Savanna as well as Braden and the twins. With Savanna's disabilty (specifically her working memory doesn't work right, so she has to be very visual with her learning style) this has made it much easier to work with her learning to read proficiently. It also is making it easier for the boys to learn as well. They can see exactly what they are spelling as they spell it. See the letters they are placing in each spot. I am loving this toy.

Each of these toys would make an excellent Christmas gift for your little ones. And they also would make a wonderful addition to any home classroom (or a gift for your preschoolers/kindergartners classroom!). Check out all the great quality eco-friendly toys available at Melissa & Doug.