Okay, I know my title ages me a bit, but I loved KC & The Sunshine Band in the 70’s, and when I think of shaking maracas, I think of the “booty” song.

Band in a Box is a set of musical instruments for preschool aged children and is made by Melissa & Doug. There are 11 items in the set, 1 storage box, and 6 instruments: a tambourine, a set of cymbals, a wooden clacker, a triangle with striker, a tone block with mallet, and a pair of maracas. Except for the membrane that covers the tambourine, the instruments are made from wood or metal, and are well made. The storage box is made of wood and measures 15” x 11” x 3˝” high. The box comes with a clear lid that glides open and shut. The Band in a Box is recommended for children 3-years and up and is guaranteed non-toxic and child safe. The triangle striker can be dangerous if poked in an eye, slammed down on a glass surface, or thrown in someone’s direction, so a warning to parents.


Our Experience:
My son received this set for his 3rd birthday from yours truly, so I’m not sure if I was out of my mind, or just swayed by a fellow Epinions writer, MaryTara. Either way, I’m glad I read her review of this toy, as it’s been a well loved for 3-years. It’s funny how kids gravitate to one item, and the cymbals always seem to lure visiting children. The cymbals are nice and small, and they easily fit in little hands, but we found the wood handles twisted, and turned a little more then my son likes. I guess the loose feeling gave him a weird sensation when banging them together, so he doesn’t play with them much. Plus, he received a larger set for his 4th birthday, and when it comes to cymbals, the First Act set is his first choice.

It’s funny to me that the most enjoyable instrument for my son is the wooden clacker, which is the loudest instrument in the box. William was recently diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, also known as (SID - Sensory Integration Dysfunction) and his most prominent symptom is the auditory dysfunction. In other words, he’s hypersensitive to loud sounds, yet he bangs that instrument for minutes at a time. He also enjoys the maracas, but instead of shaking them like intended, he bangs them together. The banging makes a loud crashing sound, as well as a shaky bean sound. The problem with this is that he’s banged them like that for so long, the seams on one of the maracas have split, and I’ve had to glue it together. The glue holds it well, but I’m afraid it will meet its demise sooner than later.

I’m fond of the tambourine myself, so when William decides to put on a concert he shakes it a few times, and then hands it to me. He basically ignores the instrument, but his best friend loves the tambourine. She comes over, and the two make music together. If I could get them to work together on something it would be more enjoyable to the ear, but I think they’re far from that. The tone block and mallet is second in line to the clacker for William. He bangs the two together, and then bangs the mallet and the clacker together, and so on.

Our only concern with this set was the metal striker that accompanies the triangle. My husband snagged it soon after it came into our house because he could see it was an accident waiting to happen. Thus, the triangle rarely gets any play except when a clever child uses the tone mallet, or another object to bang on it. I wish they had eliminated the triangle, or replaced it with a xylophone, or recorder or something. We just didn’t feel comfortable having a 3-year old walking around the house with a 6” piece of steel.

In addition, the storage box didn’t really work for us either. William pinched his finger when closing the lid, which didn’t hurt him; it only scared him. Also, the instruments have to be placed in a certain position in the box for the lid to close, so we left the lid off of the box. This caused additional problems, as one couldn’t stack anything on top of the box, and the instruments would fall out. We eventually relegated the box to my husband storage shed to sort nuts and bolts, and placed his instruments in a bin, which worked much better for us.

Overall, the Band in a Box has been an enjoyable toy. The instruments are very durable, especially for the price, and although we’ve had some issues with the maracas, I can’t hold Melissa & Doug responsible for my son’s rough play. I also think the triangle striker is dangerous, so I wish they’d replace it with a harmonica, or xylophone. Despite the issues, I recommend this set as it’s still going strong after three years of play.

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



Additional Melissa & Doug Reviews:
Stacking Train
Dinosaur Stamp Set
Alphabet Art Puzzle
Unit Block in a Tray
Fire Truck Peg Puzzle
Lace & Trace Vehicles
Transportation Puzzle
Pattern Blocks & Boards
Farm Cube Wood Puzzle
Jumbo Knob Puzzle: Shapes




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): $19.99
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years