BUILDING CONFIDENCE
FOR ALL
We believe in play that gives ALL kids the confidence to be themselves. Let’s celebrate their stories.
We love hearing from parents, teachers, and therapists about how their children play with our toys. Especially heartwarming are the stories of how our toys help children build confidence. Be sure to share your stories by tagging us on Instagram @MelissaAndDougToys.
The Confidence to Face a Fear
“My son hated going to the dentist. As an early childhood educator, I knew I had to do something to help his fear of the dentist go away. We started playing with the Melissa & Doug Super Smile Dentist Play Set at home and pretending like we were at the dentist using the tools and the toys that came in the kit. Last month was his appointment. The dental hygienist was able to clean his teeth without any problem at all! His confidence was through the roof! Seeing how happy he was WITHOUT any tears made me realize how helpful the toys were to help him be more confident at the dentist.” – Priscilla R., mother
The Confidence to Achieve New Skills
“Our boys were born premature at 25 weeks and spent months in the NICU. They are our miracles. Manu was diagnosed with partial blindness. Leo was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, autism, and focal epilepsy. We discovered Melissa & Doug toys in the NICU.
“Honestly, their confidence has been built with every single toy with the help of their therapists and us. They have learned how to use utensils, walk, talk, run mainly due to the help of your toys. Leo has an obsession with the wooden spoon from your ice cream set. Our occupational therapist tells us that it’s amazing his attachment to that spoon. Every milestone Melissa & Doug has been a part of. I know you guys are just a toy brand to many people but to us, you truly have been the stepping stone for our kiddos. Learning and exploring couldn’t be possible without y’all.
“I talk a lot about our boys, but our daughter has taught herself about pretend play with your toys. She is currently obsessed with playing diner and begs us for a diner table on the daily. She loves playing ‘restaurant’ and taking our orders.” —Irma H., mother
“Honestly, their confidence has been built with every single toy with the help of their therapists and us. They have learned how to use utensils, walk, talk, run mainly due to the help of your toys. Leo has an obsession with the wooden spoon from your ice cream set. Our occupational therapist tells us that it’s amazing his attachment to that spoon. Every milestone Melissa & Doug has been a part of. I know you guys are just a toy brand to many people but to us, you truly have been the stepping stone for our kiddos. Learning and exploring couldn’t be possible without y’all.
“I talk a lot about our boys, but our daughter has taught herself about pretend play with your toys. She is currently obsessed with playing diner and begs us for a diner table on the daily. She loves playing ‘restaurant’ and taking our orders.” —Irma H., mother
The Confidence that Comes from Trying Something New
“I’m a pediatric physical therapist and I have truly loved Melissa & Doug toys since I started practicing 7 years ago. My daughter is a mover and talker. No interest in coloring or puzzles. With lots of encouragement, she mastered the peg puzzles, so I grabbed this chunky puzzle. We opened it after nap time today. She got it on the first try! My mama heart is so happy! These [Melissa & Doug toys] help to build her confidence by building her vocabulary, imagination, interaction, and exploration skills. She is able to generalize what she learns playing with Melissa & Doug toys to interact and play with her peers.” – Kiersten S., mother
The Confidence to Play by Their Rules
"I have two daughters, Aniya (4) and Rayna (2).When I became a parent one of my priorities for my children was to foster playful learning. I want my girls to feel confident, and love learning so I sought out brands that aligned with my own values and Melissa & Doug is the first toy brand that I connected with and bought for my kids. The first Melissa & Doug toy that I bought for my firstborn was the beloved Flip Fish baby toy. Aniya loved this fish; I loved the many different features that it had and all that it promoted from sensory to fine motor. My second born loved this fish so much, and now it’s sitting in my office as a décor piece because it gives me so many positive memories of my children’s baby stages.
I always say that I love playing with my girls because it allows me the opportunity to see the world through their eyes. The play sets build their confidence because they can create and play to their own rules. They feel empowered and able to show their individuality. They feel confident when they speak and have conversations because they feel connected to the play sets. When my daughter is playing in the doctor center she is embodying what a doctor means to her. When she is playing in the grocery store she is acting as a clerk and playing off what she envisions in that role. She feels confident because she is empowered to play her way. —Ashley C., mother
I always say that I love playing with my girls because it allows me the opportunity to see the world through their eyes. The play sets build their confidence because they can create and play to their own rules. They feel empowered and able to show their individuality. They feel confident when they speak and have conversations because they feel connected to the play sets. When my daughter is playing in the doctor center she is embodying what a doctor means to her. When she is playing in the grocery store she is acting as a clerk and playing off what she envisions in that role. She feels confident because she is empowered to play her way. —Ashley C., mother
The Confidence to Find His Voice
“My 2-year-old son, Benjamin, is the most inquisitive learner that I have met. He likes to understand how things work and what makes them ‘go.’ Even though Benjamin's motor skills have always exceeded my expectations, when he was younger, I was a bit nervous about his speech development.
Due to COVID and daycare teachers wearing masks, as well as not being around many people, he missed out for a while on learning to speak from others modeling speech. A speech therapist recommended using the Melissa & Doug puzzles and the Fold & Go Barn to describe animals and make noises. Every night before bed, I would have Benjamin place the wooden puzzle pieces onto the puzzle and have him say ‘cow’ or ‘car’ while making the sounds ‘moo’ or ‘vroom.’ I would say the word slowly and show him how I was moving my mouth to make the sounds. I rewarded him with a big clap and ‘yay’ when he repeated the words. Now, he says the words and animal sounds while giving himself a big round of applause and lots of yays.” — Holly G.E., mother and Brand Marketing Director, Melissa & Doug
Due to COVID and daycare teachers wearing masks, as well as not being around many people, he missed out for a while on learning to speak from others modeling speech. A speech therapist recommended using the Melissa & Doug puzzles and the Fold & Go Barn to describe animals and make noises. Every night before bed, I would have Benjamin place the wooden puzzle pieces onto the puzzle and have him say ‘cow’ or ‘car’ while making the sounds ‘moo’ or ‘vroom.’ I would say the word slowly and show him how I was moving my mouth to make the sounds. I rewarded him with a big clap and ‘yay’ when he repeated the words. Now, he says the words and animal sounds while giving himself a big round of applause and lots of yays.” — Holly G.E., mother and Brand Marketing Director, Melissa & Doug
The Confidence to be More Independent
Marigold “Goldie” Jean is a 5-year-old who happens to have Down syndrome, which as her mom likes to say, “makes her extra beautiful, extra special, and extra sparkly.” Goldie loves the Melissa & Doug birthday cake, pizza set, broom and mop. But her favorites are the
vanity and the
baby care center.
“These toys have really helped Goldie’s imagination blossom. The smile on her face when playing with these toys melts my heart! She feels so independent and confident! [These toys] have allowed Goldie to imitate real-life scenarios that make her feel confident. She loves playing mommy and taking care of her baby doll by giving her a bath on one side of the changing station and feeding her dinner on the other side! The sky is the limit with her imagination play when she has such great toys to play with.” —Jennifer B., mother
“These toys have really helped Goldie’s imagination blossom. The smile on her face when playing with these toys melts my heart! She feels so independent and confident! [These toys] have allowed Goldie to imitate real-life scenarios that make her feel confident. She loves playing mommy and taking care of her baby doll by giving her a bath on one side of the changing station and feeding her dinner on the other side! The sky is the limit with her imagination play when she has such great toys to play with.” —Jennifer B., mother
The Confidence to Go on Adventures with a Constant Companion
“My special needs son, Scotty, has been best friends with a life size ‘giant’ stuffed yellow lab from Melissa & Doug since my wife first bought one for him back in 2010. Since then, this yellow lab that we named ‘Spillway’ has taken on a ‘life’ and personality of his own, and is Scotty’s constant companion through all kinds of adventures (camping, skiing, nature hikes, beach days, and more).” – Scott W., father
Plush stuffed animals can become an object of love, comfort, and confidence-building security for kids. Learn more about Scotty’s story here.
Plush stuffed animals can become an object of love, comfort, and confidence-building security for kids. Learn more about Scotty’s story here.
A Dog and His Boy
Learn more about Scotty and Spillway’s inspiring story
