Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Bug-Catching Puzzle Game (10 pcs)

My boys LOVE this! Ages 2 and 4 and they both love it for different reasons. The 2 year old loves the magnetic option, so different and fun than other puzzles. My 4 year old loves the magnetic option but also learning the bugs and putting the shapes back.

I love this puzzle. It is colorful, well made and the magnet works just fine. One mom mentioned the frustration her young child experienced when trying to put the puzzle pieces correctly back in the puzzle board. I made a modification to solve that problem. I put the puzzle pieces face down on my copier/printer and printed out the pieces on card stock. I trimmed them down and used a thin piece of packing tape to cover ONLY THE FRONT of the card stock pieces to make them waterproof. I applied stick glue on the back of the card stock pieces and fit them back into the puzzle. This did not affect the fit of the original puzzle pieces, they fit back in perfectly.Debbie Farley

I love these puzzles and own this as well as the ocean-themed puzzle. I purchased this when my son was about a year and thought he might be too young. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to see that within about 5 minutes he had it all figured out and was becoming a master bug catcher. All the neighborhood kids of various ages wanted a turn. It is well made and I like the fact that the magnet in the bug pole is completely enclosed so there isn't really a danger of it coming out and posing a health risk. The magnets in the puzzle pieces are well secured as well. The only slight drawback, and reason why maybe my son is a little young is he puts the pieces in his mouth and the colored covering does disintegrate a bit. I love these puzzles and highly recommend them. They are not only fun, but they help promote dexterity and hand eye coordination...it is so cute to watch the little ones work so hard to balance their arms so they can carefully catch the bugs!

Toys like these are great developmental tools for kids. I am completely impressed with Melissa & Doug products because of the educational and motor skills they provide to children to keep (or bring) them at or to the correct developmental stage in which they belong. I've gone to children's hospitals for much of my childhood and these were the quality toys always used there. (Remember, your child's brain is VERY active during the first 3-4 years of life so toys are not just for fun... they keep the brain and motor skills honed and stimulated and helps the child to develop at average or above average rate. It's very important.)The types of toys were also used for children's motor skills therapy and would work just as well for elderly stroke patients in recovery. I bought this for a friend's child but it's so cute and compelling that I find myself trying it out every chance I get. (Makes for good meditation time! LOL) I was a little worried that the colors were too dull or the greens too green but I am very happy with the colors now that I have it. Children love it so I'm getting a few extra M&D magnet boards and puzzles for family kids to use at my house.

As a disclaimer, let me just say I also have the Melissa & Doug Magnetic Fishing Game. That's a great game. The "fishing rod" magnet works fine with that one. The Bug Catching Game "Net" magnet is a lot weaker and my toddler gets frustrated trying to catch the bugs only to have it fall off or slide off the magnet. We've just been using the fishing rod from the other game to catch the bugs, but she particularly likes the net on the magnet so she tries and tries and gets frustrated. I can't even replace the magnet because it's encased within a red plastic case to prevent toddlers from swallowing the magnet.The colors are great and vibrant but when the basic premise of the game (magnet) is poor, I can't really give it the rave reviews I would have like the fishing game. I expected more from Melissa & Doug's quality control.***UPDATED REVIEW***I responded to the Melissa & Doug rep in my comments and she sent me a replacement fishing rod. This one works perfectly. Since the defective fishing rod magnet was my only issue, I am now changing this from 3 stars to 5 stars. Plus, if there's ever any hesitation about calling their customer service line, DO IT. They're really nice and try to help resolve the issue.Great company. Great product. Good job Melissa & Doug.

I love melissa & doug toys and the simplicity and skill building aspect of this toy - it helps little ones work on their fine motor skills while 'catching bugs', and it's so cute! I love it, but I also should note that after a couple weeks of use, my daughter (nearly 1 year old) does put things in her mouth and you can see on the bumblebee in my photo that it now looks worn around the edges. So, it's not a chew proof toy. I bought it with a really adorable ABC bug book for a curated gift set for my daughter that was under 20$! Here's a link for the book: https://amzn.to/2QCuWdG