Summer means it's time for fun, but just because the weather warms up doesn't mean the learning comes to an end. 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: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Blockables Wooden Construction Toy Collection
With Blockables™, kids can build out their own adventures, again and again. The play is pretend, but the skills are real! Explore our new connectable, stackable, playable wooden block sets designed to help build key developmental skills through play. Collect them all!
Blockables™ Woodland Friends Play Set
Blockables™ Farm Friends Play Set
SKILLS AT PLAY: Fine motor, problem solving, imagination, storytelling, creativity, self-confidence
SUMMER LEARNING FUN: After indoor play with the Blockables, bring them inside and take the building fun outdoors by combining them with 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 yard.
Ms. Rachel Learning Toy Collection
Your little's favorite teacher has teamed up with Melissa & Doug® to make toys to help develop important skills—products made with love to support learning for littles, designed by Ms. Rachel™ and developmental experts to support all children through their ages and stages. There’s a host of engaging, hands-on learning toys to choose from in our Ms. Rachel collection:
Ms. Rachel™ Wooden Phonics Alphabet Sound Puzzle - 24 Pieces
Ms. Rachel™ Wooden Peek-a-Boo Jumbo Peg Puzzle – 4 Pieces
Ms. Rachel™ Wooden Learning Blocks
Ms. Rachel™ Wooden Song Puzzle – 6 Pieces
SKILLS AT PLAY: Fine motor, problem-solving, memory, language development
SUMMER LEARNING FUN: The learning fun doesn’t stop just because you’re little one isn’t in school yet. Set aside time every day for you and your little one to engage and practice what they’re learning through play with the Ms. Rachel toy collection. Not only is it dedicated time for you to bond with your growing child, it helps them develop the key skills they’ll need once they reach preschool age: gross and fine motor skills, visual, auditory, and speech processing, color, number, and letter recognition, problem solving, and more. And did we mention how much fun it is to engage and bond with your baby through play?! We promise, you’ll never have a more willing pupil than your own little learner when you’re the teacher.
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: 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: 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!
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Follow the links for more toy- & play-themed content from Melissa & Doug:
Shop All Melissa & Doug Learning Toys
Visit Melissa & Doug Gift Finder
Explore Melissa & Doug Living Playfully Blog
Shop Melissa & Doug Toys by Age
Explore Melissa & Doug Skills at Play
Shop Melissa & Doug Pretend Play Toys
Shop Melissa & Doug Arts & Crafts Toys
