Gosh, it’s hard for me to write this review. I like the company that manufactures this toy, as we own many of their toys, but the Farm Cube Wooden Puzzle didn’t stand up to the quality we’re used to, plus, my kids didn’t like this puzzle.

The Farm Cube Wooden Puzzle is a cube puzzle with 6-different scenes, and Melissa & Doug is the manufacturer. Each side of the blocks displays a portion of the scenes, and it’s a challenge to create each picture. There are 16 cubes altogether, and the cubes measure 1½” square, so there is no concerns for choking. The images appear on glossy paper, and the paper is either glued to the blocks, or the paper is a peel and stick that’s been stuck to the blocks. The scenes consist of a cow, some chickens, a lamb, a pig, a horse, and some ducks. The cubes rest in a wood tray, so it’s easy to keep them together. The puzzle is recommended for children 3 and up, and is guaranteed non-toxic.


Our Experience:
I had a cube puzzle when I was little, so when I saw Melissa & Doug came out with a farm version several years ago, I bought it with nostalgic thoughts. As mentioned, it’s disappointing to write a negative review of a Melissa & Doug product as they have a reputation for quality goods, and we’ve enjoyed their toys over the years; however, this puzzle needs modifications. Firstly, the paper peels off the blocks with very little effort. We had the Farm Cube Wooden Puzzle for a week when I found my son peeling the paper off the blocks. William was within the recommended age, so it wasn’t a case of age appropriateness.

In addition, the puzzle is too difficult for 3-year old children. Let me explain, the pig and the horse are the easiest to master, because the background colors are dissimilar from the other scenes. The pig picture is primarily made up of pink, light brown, and yellow colors. None of the other pictures use those colors, so when sorting, it’s easy to decipher the pig scene. The horse picture is made up of different shades of brown, and although the pig uses light brown, the hues are different. The backgrounds in the cows, chickens, the lamb, and the ducks are all greens and blues, so a preschooler has a difficult time decoding the scenes, as the blocks are only 1½” square, and there are 16 blocks to sort.

Now, to test my theory that the puzzle is too difficult, I asked my nephews to work the puzzle soon after my son received it. The oldest was 10, and naturally whizzed right through it, but then I asked the 6-year old to try it, and he struggled. My son is now 6, and he still has a difficult time working this puzzle. I think if some of the pictures were nighttime scenes, it would help, but then I remember the paper problem of not sticking to the blocks, and I think ultimately the toy needs complete redesigning.

On a positive note, the cubes rest in a wooden tray, and on the back of the tray is a picture of each scene to help the kids. Also, I was very impressed when I called Melissa & Doug and requested a few replacement cubes, for the peeling problem. They offered to replace the entire puzzle for free, which was a big surprise to me. Under the circumstances, I declined their offer. I thought I’d donate the puzzle to the school if they had replacement blocks, but I didn’t expect the company to replace the entire thing at no charge, so the puzzle’s going in the Goodwill pile.

A special thanks to Suzanne for taking the time to add this puzzle to the database for me.


Melissa & Doug
P.O. Box 590, Westport, CT 06881
1800-284-3948
www.melissaanddoug.com/



Additional Melissa & Doug reviews:
Band in a Box
Stacking Train
Dinosaur Stamp Set
Alphabet Art Puzzle
Unit Blocks in a Tray
Transportation Puzzle
Fire Truck Peg Puzzle
Lace & Trace Vehicles
Pattern Blocks & Boards
Jumbo Knob Puzzle: Shapes



Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): $9.99
Type of Toy: Puzzle
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years