Melissa and Doug toys

Are Melissa and Doug Toys Montessori aligned? My favourites and alternatives

Aug 11, 2020 - Recommendations , Toys - By Carine Robin

In today's blog post, I want to explore the toy's brand "Melissa and Doug". It's often recommended by Montessori parents and teachers as an affordable option for Montessori aligned toys.

When my daughter was born 12 years ago, there were not many options regarding wooden toys so Melissa and Doug was what was available in the local toy's shop. At the time, we didn't have eco-friendly online toyshops and Amazon was only selling books!

Melissa and Doug was established more than 30 years ago but they got a bad press about the safety of their toys in 2009 . Many of their toys were recalled. For sure, other brands, even ethical and eco-friendly companies, have product recalls from time to time. Still, many parents are cautious about Melissa and Doug. We had that discussion recently in my FB group , and many have commented that the paint was chipping, and that the wood was broken as soon as it was out of the packaging.

I personally notice that their newest design is more cartoonish than before.

Yet, they are an affordable brand and on their website , they claim that they are safe. You can even find their conformity certificate for each of their product.

While I will not be able to settle the debate about their safety, I wanted to write a blog post with what were/are my favourite Melissa and Doug products and an affordable "safe" alternative. I choose an alternative that has a better track record regarding sustainability and safety and/or that is made in Europe.

House of Keys

I like the Melissa and Doug version because it is a lock and keys activity. From 3 years old, a child would be introduced to a simple locks and keys activity in the classroom (with regular locks and keys, you don't need a toy).

Melissa & Doug Wooden Doorbell House | Busy Board | Wooden Toy | Dolls house for boys | Travel Busy Board | Fine Motor Skills Toys for 3 year olds | Kids Toys Age 3+ | Gift for Boy or Girl

But if it's the house that you like, the Small foot version is more eco-friendly .

Legler 2019465 Small Foot 4432 House, Made of Wood, with Locks, latches, levers, Hinges, & Safety Chain, for Ages 3+ Years Motor Toys

( and who remembers the Chicco lock and Keys from their own childhood ?)

Fishing game

Many brands have a fishing game. The Melissa and Doug is very cartoon-like.

Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Fishing Game and Puzzle With Wooden Ocean Animal Magnets

The other brand is Janod . Simpler in my opinion. The only skill is fishing and the box is just so cute!

Magnets

I used to have two sets of the same magnets from Melissa and Doug. We were playing matching games with them. The magnets have been very resistant as we played with them for 10 years.

Melissa & Doug Wooden Animal Magnets | Magnets for Kids | Fridge Magnets for Kids | Early Development & Activity Toys | Learning Toys | Toys for 2+ Year Old Girls or Boys

The alternative is a set from Janod which is considered a good quality, ethical and eco-friendly brand.

Janod - 24 Farm Magnets - Farm Animals - Wooden Toy - Magnetic Educational Game, to Handle, Experience and Have Fun - From 2 Years Old, J08157

Cutting fruits

In general, I would encourage you to let your child cut real fruits and vegetables. But it might not be possible to repeat that activity as much as your child would like to.

So a cutting fruits or veg toy can be a good option.

Melissa & Doug Wooden Cutting Fruit, Pretend Play, Play Food, Age 3+, Multicolor, 30 x 28 x 5 cm

Many brands have one such set! The one featured here is the Hape Brand.

Pattern blocks

The Melissa and Doug set has the advantage to have the boards to inspire your child.

Melissa & Doug Pattern Blocks and Boards Developmental Toy Motor Skills 3+ Gift for Boy or Girl

The alternative is a big bucket of pattern blocks by Learning Resources. You can find many printable patterns mats online.

Learning Resources 1cm Wooden Pattern Blocks (Set of 250)

World Floor map

The Melissa and Doug jigsaw has 33 pieces. There are animals on each continent.

Melissa & Doug World Map Floor Puzzle Puzzles Developmental Toy 3+ Gift for Boy or Girl

The alternative is the brand Petit Collage and the jigsaw has 24 pieces.

Spelling game

The Melissa and Doug is quite popular. I have one and I present one board at a time with the corresponding letters instead of the whole set.

Melissa & Doug See & Spell | Spelling Game | Wooden Alphabet Letters and Words | Word Flash Cards | Learning Toy | Motor Skills | Problem Solving | Spelling for 4-6 year olds | Gift for Boy or Girl

The Orchard alternative is very similar just made of cardboard instead. (so much cheaper!)

Orchard Toys Match and Spell Game for Sight Words, Reading & Literacy Skills, Educational Board Games for Kids, Spelling Word Games with Flash Cards, Phonics, Alphabet & Learning Toys for Ages 4+

Stamp

I like that the stamps are about a topic and that the pictures are realistic.

Melissa & Doug Vehicle Stamp Set | Arts & Crafts | Stamp Sets & Stencils | 4+ | Gift for Boy or Girl

A very similar set from a more eco-friendly brand.

Learning clock

The Melissa and Doug clock is really well done with the digital and analog time cards.

Melissa & Doug 14284 Turn and Tell Clock Developmental Toy Motor Skills 3+ Gift for Boy or Girl, Brown, 27.305 cm*60.325 cm*27.94 cm

The alternative is from the Absorbent Minds website.

Latch board

It's a very popular toy.

Melissa & Doug version is very busy but can be hacked easily to make it more neutral (a lick of paint).

Melissa & Doug Wooden Latches Board | Busy Board Wooden Toy | Developmental Toy | Motor Skills | Problem Solving | 3+ | Gift for Boy or Girl

Alternative: 6 single latches boards from the Absorbent Mind website.

Cleaning kit

The Melissa and Doug might seem a better option because it's made of wood,

Melissa & Doug Melissa & Doug, Let’s Play House! Dust! Sweep! Mop! Pretend Play Set

but the Theo Klein one is in fact made in Germany! And it's a small version of the adult's cleaning set with a mop bucket, and the trolley as well!

Theo Klein 6562 - Leifheit Cleaning Trolley, Toy

Peg Jigsaws

I like jigsaws with realistic pictures and with a big then a small peg. It helps your child to refine his tripod grip so it's a preparation for writing!

Most Melissa and Doug jigsaws have a sound effect . I have 3 of them and I have never added the batteries. The ones I have are from 10 years ago and are very realistic. The newest version have cartoon-like pictures which I don't like as much.

Melissa & Doug Vehicles Sound Puzzle, Kids Wooden Puzzles for 2 year olds, Baby Puzzles, Wooden Peg Puzzles, Toddler Sound Puzzle, Shape Puzzle, Jigsaws for Children Age 2 3 5

The Hape puzzle is realistic and on this one, you can even see that the vehicles are in their corresponding element (land, air or sky). Hape is an eco-friendly, very affordable brand.

Hape E1406 Emergency Services Wooden Peg Puzzle - Educational Toy

4 puzzles set

Melissa and Doug has different sets of wooden puzzles in a box : farm, transport, dinosaurs, ...

Melissa & Doug Farm Animals Puzzles in a Box | Puzzles | Wooden Toy | 3+ | Gift for Boy or Girl

Orchard toys is a UK brand that still produces their puzzles and board games in the UK! We had the old version of the Farm 4 in a box and it's still very similar. I like that it's progressif from 4 to 12 pieces.

Orchard Toys Farm Four in a Box Jigsaw Puzzle

Alphabet Jigsaw

Alphabet jigsaws, IMO, are often a hit and miss.

But I like this one because they are lowercase letters, you cannot match by shape so it's more for children who already have a phonetic awareness (so they don't guess where the pieces go by trying on in a shaped hole). At first, you can take off the letters tiles and use them as an alternative to the sandpaper letters (as they are 3D). Ideally, I would have preferred all the letters in blue and red to match other Montessori materials but that will do!

I hope this list is helpful for you! No matter what brand you buy or where you buy toys, the main point is to be mindful. Remember that ultimately, it's always up to your child to enjoy the activity!

Do you have a favourite brand? Are you ok with the Melissa and Doug brand? Let me know in a comment!

This blog post contains affiliate links at no extra cost for you. Thanks for supporting my work.

The alternatives can be found on Yes Bebe website, a small UK based Ethical toy shop, on the Absorbent Mind website (Montessori materials specialist) or on Amazon.

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About the Author: Carine Robin is a qualified and experienced Montessori teacher and founder of The Montessori Family. With over 15 years of experience, Carine offers a blend of professional insight and personal understanding as a mother of two and qualified child psychologist. Inspired by the success of her Montessori subscription box, she created The Montessori Family to provide a comprehensive resource for parents and teachers globally. This platform aims to support child growth and well-being through curated educational activities. Additionally, Carine maintains the UK's most popular Montessori blog and administers the largest Montessori UK Facebook group, making her a central figure in the Montessori community.

Carine Robin
Comments (1)

Mariana

Aug. 11, 2020, 3:44 p.m.

The problem with these puzzles is that the pictures (printed on paper and glued to the wood) come off. This happened to my puzzles shortly after purchase, in fact after one week. The puzzles were not chewed or exposed to dampness. I was so disappointed.