In general I applaud the Melissa & Doug company for its dedication to simple, classic, durable wooden toys that are genuinely educational in that they invite imaginative play rather than recite facts to a passive child at the push of a button. The birthday cake toy is no exception. Since my daughter received this toy for her third birthday, we have baked and decorated dozens of cakes in her play kitchen, and thrown birthday parties for each family member, as well as all the dolls and all the stuffed animals. However, I can't help feeling that this toy could have been a bit better. Basically it consists of a red wooden serving platter, and a cake comprised of six sections that velcro together to form a circle. Each piece is quite large -- almost as big as a real slice of cake. The set includes a cake server that can be used to cut the slices apart, which provides that satisfying velcro-ripping sound. The cake is painted white with blue icing swirls, and has velcro spots in concentric circles on top for the decorations. The decorations are painted on wooden discs that velcro to the top of the cake. The set comes with seven candles that can be velcroed to the top as well. There are only three different decorations -- strawberries, jellybeans, and gumdrops. I would have included icing flowers, so that the cake could be decorated like a "real" cake that a child might have for his or her birthday. Also, I would have made the candle flames detachable so that the candles could be "lit" and "blown out" by the child. Also, it is very difficult to cut out and serve the first piece of cake, as it tends to refasten itself to the pieces adjacent to it before it can be lifted out and served.Still, this is a neat toy and a good addition to a child's imaginary kitchen. Two months after our daughter's birthday, she still plays with this toy quite regularly. It's constructed so durably that I'm sure my grandchildren will be playing with it, too! Melissa & Doug Birthday Party Birthday Cake
When you find food type items for your child they are either plastic or tiny paper packages that are damaged with mimimal play, not so with Melissa & Dog wooden toys! And it's only through play do our children learn about things they will do when they grow up.
The birthday cake is a huge hit in our home with our 28 month old daughter and I assume will only continue as she grows! Whats nice is that your child can create their very own cake creations. The Happy birthay round piece comes off so you can celebrate any reason to bake a cake and they even thought of adding lite birthday candles as well. There are jelly bean, strawberries and gum drops to decorate their cake creation. The cake is divided into pie shaped wedges and would also be perfect for discussing fractions later on down the road. Everything is held together with a nice sturdy velrco. A red plate and also cake cutter are also included and everything fits nicely into the wooden box and has a platic top that easily slides on and off for older children. This is a toy that will last though out the years and is definately worth every penny!
What you get is a large wooden cake, wooden candles, decorations, a cake server and a wooden storage box with a clear sliding top. The cake is already been cut into slices that cold together through the wonder of velcro. The top of the cake also has lots of spots of velcro. The wooden candles can be stuck on this way. There are also cake decorations in the form of jelly beans, strawberries and a central birthday decoration. These are painted wooden disks backed with velcro.
My daughter loves this toy (having first played with the pizza version at a friends house). I can not count how many times she has changed decorations and served me a piece of cake. All of the velcro works well and does not peel off. The candles can sometimes lean a little but I have heard no complaints. Although the pieces have been kicked around my hardwood floors countless times none of the paint has chipped. The only drawback is trying to use the cake cutter to remove the first piece. Velcro loves to grab and it is not always easy to get two spots on opposite sides to release at the same time if using the server. My daughter was not put off by this.
All in all this is a well-made and durable toy. It is sure to be fun for any child who likes to help out in the kitchen. Remember that due to small pieces this is not appropriate for children with a tendency to put things in their mouths.
Of course kids are all different, this toy may not hold the interest of a child with little interest in pretend play cooking. However, I think the vast majority of children will LOVE it. I have a 2 yr old & a 4 yr old & both play with it constantly. Younger ones may not comprehend so much that they are decorating a birthday cake, but the facination of adding and subtracting the decorations (velcro candles, candies, strawberries) is great. I think the construction is good; nothing broken yet. Only down side to it is collecting up all those circles (candies/strawberries) & candles! I'd recommend this gift for boy and girl (I've got both).
I purchased this toy for my 3 year old daughter for Christmas. Seven months later it still gets almost daily use. It is very high-quality and perfect for the little ones who love to play birthday party at this age. Highly recommend!!
My daughter has been creating birthday cakes all around the house...when I saw this I just had to get it for her...she loves playing with it and it is durable...I like the idea of the toppings and candles however I agree with the 1st reviewer...should be frosting and blowable candles...but for the money, it is a great toy
Both of my children, 3 and 1, play with this toy quite a bit. It is very durable and cute. I love the simplicity of this product. There are a lot of pieces that could get lost and I always play with it with them because it is not recommended for under 3, but 1 year old insists he can play too. The pieces for the cake topping are small and round and could be a choking hazard. We like to practice singing happy birthday and blowing out candles. Makes fun for imaginary play with kitchen items. Would recommend a container with a lid for storage as the box that it comes with is open on top and "spills" easily. Overall great product and will buy more of these for my children. - Learning Toy - Melissa And Doug - Birthday - Happy Birthday'
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