Summer's a time for fun, but just because the weather is warmer doesn't mean the learning must stop. In this blog post, we’ve spotlighted a selection of our Skills at Play toys and shared a fun, engaging play tip for each one that will help keep the learning fun going all summer long.
Designed to help parents and caregivers easily identify which skills our learning and developmental toys are designed promote, Skills at Play includes callouts, both on packaging and product pages, that identify which skills many of our toys help promote.
Read on to learn more about Skills at Play, then find the perfect toy to help your little one develop the skills and reach the developmental milestones you want to target at MelissaAndDoug.com.
SKILLS AT PLAY TOYS: PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Work & Play Desktop Activity Board
Infants and toddlers will love playing with this wooden version of a laptop and desk just like grown-ups do. Open the screen to reveal a peekaboo mirror to tap into babies’ fascination with faces. Rubberized keyboard buttons are fun to press!
SKILLS AT PLAY: Fine motor, sensory, shapes.
SUMMER LEARNING FUN: Take that pretend play laptop and workstation outside and let your little one “log on remotely” while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine of the great outdoors.
Count on the Melissa & Doug Lacing Beads set to make a bold statement! The dramatic beads feature a variety of shapes, bold colors, and two extra-long laces, making stringing beads extra special. The shapes are designed for little hands to grasp, and the laces are thin enough to allow the beads to slide easily.
SKILLS AT PLAY: Fine motor, numbers, sorting.
SUMMER LEARNING FUN : Use the Lacing Beads’ included number and dot beads for outdoor activities: Find five acorns…do 10 jumping jacks…run three laps around the front yard; OR, create amazing costume jewelry and accessorize your looks for an outdoor fashion show.
This Melissa & Doug toolkit is a great way to help build imaginations! The Take-Along Tool Kit is made from high-quality wood painted in bright, bold colors, and includes 24 pieces sized just right for little hands. The play toolbox comes with wooden nails, screws, nuts, and bolts, plus a toy hammer, wrench, and screwdriver. The sturdy wooden handle provides an easy way for preschoolers to carry the kit and "fix" things around the house.
SKILLS AT PLAY: Fine motor, colors.
SUMMER LEARNING FUN: Come up with a pretend play “to-do list” scenario where your little one has to repair certain items outside around the house using the Take Along Took Kit: fix a wobbly step, build a bird house, hang up summer decor, and whatever else your imagination can conjure.
SKILLS AT PLAY TOYS: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
This favorite collection of 100 wooden blocks comes in four colors and nine shapes. Little builders 3 and older will find it easy to grasp the approximately 1-inch to 2.25-inch smooth blocks. Kids will delight in stacking, building, and knocking them down in countless colorful combinations.
SKILLS AT PLAY: Fine motor, shapes, colors.
SUMMER LEARNING FUN: After some indoor play with the blocks, leave them inside and take the building fun outdoors using natural materials like sticks, stones, leaves, and more. Go on a nature walk and construct a cairn from stones; set up a fairy door in your yard and decorate it; or make a lean-to fort out of brush from around your house.
Get ready for lots of matching and mosaic fun! The Pattern Blocks and Boards classic wooden toy lets kids explore shapes and colors hands-on as they fill wooden backgrounds with colorful wooden pieces. The set features 120 bright and bold wooden geometric shapes that match designs printed on the double-sided wooden boards. The tiles come in six different shapes, and are made of durable, high-quality wood, sized just right for little hands.
SKILLS AT PLAY: Fine motor, problem solving, matching
SUMMER LEARNING FUN: Find things in nature—flowers, shells, stones, leaves, insects—and have your little one use them as inspiration to recreate the item using the pattern blocks.
It's always time for learning and fun with our fun, colorful Shape Sorting Clock! A large face, exposed natural wood, and pops of vibrant color on match-able chunky pieces make for a fresh modern look…but the classic play value and top-quality construction remains the same. Kids love the color-coded minute and hour hands that spin around with a simple push.
SKILLS AT PLAY: Fine motor, matching, numbers.
SUMMER LEARNING FUN: Use the number blocks from our Shape Sorting Clock to kick off fun physical challenges or scavenger hunt items: “Do five up-downs, run three laps, then finish with 10 jumping jacks”; or, “Find three green leaves, six sticks of different sizes, and 12 flower petals.”
SKILLS AT PLAY TOYS: SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Ocean Tummy Time Triangle Play Gym
Make baby’s tummy time extra special with this engaging, double-sided folding cloth triangle toy! Three fold-out panels with adorable ocean-themed graphics and friendly characters lie flat or fold and connect into an upright pyramid. One side features high-contrast black and white graphics, great for important visual stimulation during baby’s first months. The other side includes colorful sea creatures with developmentally appropriate features, like a crab with a peek-a-boo mirror and squeaker, sensory tabs and ribbons on the jellyfish, and an attached tuck-away fish that stores in a pocket!
SKILLS AT PLAY: Fine motor, sensory, colors.
SUMMER LEARNING FUN: When it comes to infant and baby toys, consistency is the key. Once your little one reaches the appropriate age and stage, give them the recommended tummy time on our Ocean Tummy Time Triangle every day to help them develop the key milestones they’ll need before reaching school age.
This preschool-friendly bowling set has soft plastic components that are easy to lift, easy to maneuver, and so much fun to knock down! Six unique character pins feature bright colors, raised textures, and sweet facial expressions to encourage little bowlers. Set them up indoors and out—young children will have a blast finding new ways to knock them down!
SKILLS AT PLAY: Fine motor, cause-and-effect, colors.
SUMMER LEARNING FUN IDEA: With bright colors, textures, and adorable facial expressions, these toddler toys encourage gross and fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, C-grip development, and empathy. Your little bowler can absolutely roll a few frames alfresco–you can even use the outdoor elements to add challenges to the usual play pattern! “Run three times around the tree, then bowl the characters over!”…”Run from here to the driveway, then take a turn!”
Kids will have a great time keeping the beat with these soft and colorful cloth-covered bongo drums! Flip a switch to play in drum mode (pat the drum and it plays a drum beat) or music mode (plays a song and kids can tap to add their own drum beats). Or, switch it off for quieter drumming. Bongos feature bright colors, friendly animals, and knotted fringe to add texture and promote grasping.
SKILLS AT PLAY: Movement, sensory, communication.
SUMMER LEARNING FUN IDEA: Join your child for a drum circle session outside and pound on the skins. Make beautiful music—and lasting memories—together while bonding through play!
Follow the links for more toy- & play-themed content from Melissa & Doug:
Shop All Melissa & Doug Learning Toys
Visit Melissa & Doug Gift Finder
