The holidays are always a time of reflection and gratitude, and it’s no different for those of us here at Melissa & Doug.
With the New Year fast approaching, we wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all the parents and caregivers and their families and children who’ve been with us the past 35 years. We have been providing imaginative, open-ended, and kid-powered fun for over three decades, and it’s been a real privilege and honor to do so. We love being part of your memories, and hope your kids enjoy our timeless toys as much as we care about making them.
Without further ado, let’s look back on some of Melissa & Doug’s top highlights of 2023!
Our Favorite Melissa & Doug Moments from 2023
1. Melissa & Doug Turns 35: 3 Decades of Open-Ended Play
This year marks our 35th year making timeless, screen-free toys, so we wanted to take an opportunity to look back and celebrate some highlights from the past three-plus decades of sparking kids’ imaginations. Check out the timeline here to take a walk down Memory Lane and look at the most unforgettable moments in our 35 years of inspiring open-ended play.
2. Introducing our 35th Anniversary Rainbow Giraffe Plush
To celebrate our 35th anniversary, we’ve reimagined our signature giant plush giraffe, giving it a vibrant rainbow-hued makeover! Featuring ombre red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple giraffe markings, the exclusive rainbow-patterned giraffe is a whimsical and delightful sight to behold.
3. Partnering with CAMP for an Unforgettable Pizza & Ice Cream Event
The CAMP pop-up experience, playfully titled “Let’s Play Pizza Party!” was one of several events this year marking Melissa & Doug’s 35th anniversary. It featured multiple product demo days as well as a hands-on culinary anniversary celebration at CAMP’s Columbus Circle location. Hosted by CAMP counselors, the one-of-a-kind event gave kids the opportunity to dress up as chefs, and create their own fabulous pizza dishes and other concoctions with Melissa & Doug’s pretend play toys—not to mention the comedy stylings of puppet Chef Al Dente!
4. First Retail Store opens in White Plains, New York
Melissa & Doug, recognized by parents as the #1 preschool brand for wooden and sustainable toys, announced the grand opening of its first-ever retail store. The 1,600-square-foot store opened its doors on October 6, 2023, in The Westchester, a premium shopping mall in White Plains, New York, just outside New York City, and near Melissa & Doug headquarters in Wilton, Connecticut.
5. Offering Play Perks to Our Customers
Did you know that Melissa & Doug rolled out a Rewards Program called Play Perks? Parents and caregivers can earn points toward new toy purchases when you have fun shopping, sharing, and interacting with us.
6. Rolling out Digital Gift Cards
Give the gift of imaginative, open-ended play from Melissa & Doug with a digital e-gift card! Available in denominations from $25 to $300, and delivered via email right away to your lucky gift recipient, who will be able to instantly shop a wide selection of timeless toys. Can be used for online purchases at MelissaAndDoug.com or a Melissa & Doug retail store. (NOTE: E-gift card cannot be used at any other retailer.)
7. Teaming up for National Park Foundation Toys
In collaboration with the National Park Foundation, we launched a new collection of fun, nature-inspired toys for kid-powered play at home! Melissa & Doug is proud to support the National Park Foundation with a million-dollar commitment over three years to protect and preserve the national parks for present and future generations.
8. New Award-Winning and Top-Rated New Baby Toys
Two of Melissa & Doug’s baby toys enjoyed especially high praise in 2023: Our Wooden Work & Play Desktop Activity Board took home a Good Housekeeping Best Toys of 2023 Award, while our Ice Cream Take Along Toy was highly rated and well reviewed by parents and caregivers alike.
9. Customer-Favorite and Award-Winning Pretend Play Toys
Speaking of well-reviewed and award-winning toys, several items in our Pretend Play category were a hit with customers this year: our Deluxe Grill & Pizza Oven Play Set; the Cool Scoops Ice Creamery; Jet Pilot Interactive Dashboard; Barber Shop Play Set; and our PAW Patrol Mighty Skye Role Play Pack, which was honored with a Good Housekeeping Award for Best Toys of 2023.
10. Creating Innovated New Puzzles
Besides introducing six brand-new innovative puzzles to our selection—from gear puzzles to track floor puzzles to pretend play puzzles and more—we’re also relaunching our top-selling puzzles with new looks, using natural wood design with updated, modern graphics and fonts. Visit our dedicated Puzzles page, where you’ll find the right puzzle to fit your child’s interests and abilities, and follow the links below to learn all about our new selection of innovative puzzles:
Wooden Underwater Gear Puzzle – 18 Pieces
Animal Chase I-Spy Wooden Gear Puzzle
Wooden Magnetic Ice Cream Puzzle & Play Set - 16 Pieces
Round the Shore Tracks Floor Puzzle – 48 Pieces
Race Around the World Tracks Floor Puzzle – 48 Pieces
Outer Space Glow-in-the-Dark Floor Puzzle – 48 Pieces
Want more great toy content from Melissa & Doug? Check out the links below!
Shop ALL Melissa & Doug Pretend Play
Shop ALL Melissa & Doug Baby Toys
Shop ALL Melissa & Doug Learning Toys
Shop ALL Melissa & Doug Puzzles
Visit Melissa & Doug Gift Finder Landing Page
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