My daughter, almost 4, is tracing bowls, glasses, etc. to create circles. What makes this so hard that you all say 7-8 years? I wanted to get her this
71369
It is awesome that your daughter can trace bowls and such and get perfect circles. The thing about the Spirograph is that you have a pen point inserted into a tiny hole in a small disc and then you must guide that disc around and around inside a larger circle....all while keeping the teeth on the outer edge of the disc in constant contact with the teeth on the inner edge of the circle. It takes patience and control. I know some adults that have difficulty doing this and the last thing you want to do is give your child a toy that ends up causing frustration instead of joy. You can always buy a Spirograph and start out with you making the designs and letting her choose the discs and colors. Once you figure out which ones only require a few repeats around the pattern to complete it, you might let her try....possibly with you holding onto the pen with her. I did this with my sisters, I was probably 13 or 14 and they were around 4 or 5. I would also create a complex design and let them color inside the loops or what ever they wanted. They got to participate in the creative process. It is a wonderful toy and can give many hours of enjoyment....or, in my brothers case when we were kids, many hours of frustration and anger (and throwing of my discs!)
71370
I got my grandsons and granddaughter this. Thy are 4,4&6. They get too frustrated with it because their hands can nothold the pieces tight and work the pens. The putty provided does not hold the pieces secure. I would not buy this for a 4 year old. My older granddaughter, 14, enjoys hers.
71371
You could get it for her, but I think she would get bored with it pretty quick. It's completely different than just tracing shapes. I bought it for my 10 year old granddaughter and she loves it, but it's more like geometry with it's different sizes and shapes and you have to know where to start and stop with your pen so you don't mess up the design that your drawing. I definitely wouldn't give it to a child any younger than 7 years old.
71372
I bought that deluxe set for my 11 year old grandson and bought the simpler versions for my 4, 5, and 6 year old grandsons. I am sure that part of it is more complicated than others and it is a toy she can grow into gradually. I really have not checked how the kids are doing with these...they were Christmas gifts.
1294873
My children who are now all a bit older, went through the same phase. They learned they needed to be X years old to have a DS. I believe the bar was set at age 5 or when they were responsible enough. Granted, the youngest tend to get things younger and younger, but still...it's nice for the oldest to be special. We went the Leapster route and my son was content for about a year....possibly a bit longer. The games were not as challenging as those for DS and he was very proud of HIS own special game system. They do make some games for the younger ones now, but why not be successful with a Leapster first and move up to a DS? You'll be glad you did! My children who are now all a bit older, went through the same phase. They learned they needed to be X years old to have a DS. I believe the bar was set at age 5 or when they were responsible enough. Granted, the youngest tend to get things younger and younger, but still...it's nice for the oldest to be special. We went the Leapster route and my son was content for about a year....possibly a bit longer. The games were not as challenging as those for DS and he was very proud of HIS own special game system. They do make some games for the younger ones now, but why not be successful with a... » Read More My children who are now all a bit older, went through the same phase. They learned they needed to be X years old to have a DS. I believe the bar was set at age 5 or when they were responsible enough. Granted, the youngest tend to get things younger and younger, but still...it's nice for the oldest to be special. We went the Leapster route and my son was content for about a year....possibly a bit longer. The games were not as challenging as those for DS and he was very proud of HIS own special game system. They do make some games for the younger ones now, but why not be successful with a Leapster first and move up to a DS? You'll be glad you did! « Show Less
707662
wow, 10-- kids are so computer savvy... my 16-year old is doing pretty advanced 3D animation, so I think that it's possible for a 10year old to learn this if he has patience and the attention span. Someone may have to help him here and there, but you know best if he's a kid that can learn things on his own. I do find that you can Google almost any question and someone somewhere has an answer, so that's helpful. Also, we love Lynda.com, which has tutorials for almost any software for unlimited learning at $35. a month. I don't remember if they have this software but you can go on their site and see. At the very least, if he finds it too hard, he can put it away for a year or two and try it again later-- but if he does well at this at age 10 he's doing great and has a future in this area if he wants it. I do have a background in design and know Adobe suite, so I find this fairly simple to learn but it is time consuming. Hope this is helpful. I will say that it is well worth the price.
1874827
My granddaughter is 8. She can put them together following the booklet enclosed without any adult supervision. The time it takes depends on how many pieces in the set. Probably kids differ in their speed. She loves the challenge. I currently have 3 new sets ready for her next visit.
1148472
I would guess that for typically developing children, ages 3-6 would be the target range. They're not the smaller size generally found in plastic alpha beads. They're large enough for little fingers to manipulate and for them to enjoy beading without adult assistance. I hope that helps.
305743
I think an easier level. My husband and I have only gotten to number 5 on this. It sits on my dresser and we are going to let my 38 year old son try. It is very challenging, I had no idea it would be this hard. I'd try an easier level for your child. And you can't take up from where you dropped off , you have to start over again. A lot of dexterity, patience, and holding your breath. But it is nice to look at.
2100196
We found that the best reward was a one-on-one time. She loved alternating with the two of us due to work schedules, school events, etc. I agree that material items are not necessary and we tend to forget that just some extra attention is great. You could try (if its a girl) maybe spa time with toe painting or even going to a local ceramic store and making a project together. Also, Lowe's and Home Depot have great free workshops for kids on one Saturday a month. Hope these help!
344808
My kids love ours. It is kinda of difficult for anyone under ten, so parent may need to assist. It's not cheap plastic. I was happy with the purchase. You can buy string from a craft store, too, just fyi :)
1551565
Which ever one he wants the most! Some kids have a harder time and get frustrated putting them together. Start with a set that cost around 20 bucks before you by him something more expensive and more complicated. Let him develope his talent instead of throwing something overwhelming at him. Have fun!
412803
I think it would be pretty frustrating for most 5 year olds. They could assist, of course, particularly if they have a long attention span and pretty good fine motor skills. A five year old might get a bigger thrill out of one of those giant floor puzzles, if you could find one with a picture he/she really liked.
878351
I'd probably wait a until the child was closer to 2. I purchased it for my grandson who had just turned 2 and he figured it out fairly easily but as we have since discovered, unlike his older brother, he apparently got the "puzzle gene". He loves puzzles and can do them just about as well as his 4 1/2 yr. old brother. They are both bright little boys but just look at the world differently. Even if the 12 month old has the "puzzle gene", it will most likely be months before he/she is ready for the beginner pattern one. There are some other Melissa and Doug puzzles that would be better starters - I'd look in to the Jumbo Knob ones for now. I'd probably wait a until the child was closer to 2. I purchased it for my grandson who had just turned 2 and he figured it out fairly easily but as we have since discovered, unlike his older brother, he apparently got the "puzzle gene". He loves puzzles and can do them just about as well as his 4 1/2 yr. old brother. They are both bright little boys but just look at the world differently. Even if the 12 month old has the "puzzle gene", it will most likely be months before he/she is ready for the beginner pattern one. There are some other Melissa and Doug puzzles that... » Read More I'd probably wait a until the child was closer to 2. I purchased it for my grandson who had just turned 2 and he figured it out fairly easily but as we have since discovered, unlike his older brother, he apparently got the "puzzle gene". He loves puzzles and can do them just about as well as his 4 1/2 yr. old brother. They are both bright little boys but just look at the world differently. Even if the 12 month old has the "puzzle gene", it will most likely be months before he/she is ready for the beginner pattern one. There are some other Melissa and Doug puzzles that would be better starters - I'd look in to the Jumbo Knob ones for now. « Show Less
47239
We actually used this at a church event with several age ranges of kids from 4 years old to 4th grade. The youngest that could do this without a lot of assistance was about 6. The 4 & 5 year old children needed more assistance. This is a generalization, of course, but that's about the youngest that played with it and had any interest. The box lists choking hazards for children under 3 so we didn't have those children at do it. My 8 year old daughter actually got very good at this and wound up helping the younger ones. All of the kids older than 6 could figure it out pretty quick and enjoyed playing with it. We actually used this at a church event with several age ranges of kids from 4 years old to 4th grade. The youngest that could do this without a lot of assistance was about 6. The 4 & 5 year old children needed more assistance. This is a generalization, of course, but that's about the youngest that played with it and had any interest. The box lists choking hazards for children under 3 so we didn't have those children at do it. My 8 year old daughter actually got very good at this and wound up helping the younger ones. All of the kids older than 6 could figure it out pretty quick and enjoyed... » Read More We actually used this at a church event with several age ranges of kids from 4 years old to 4th grade. The youngest that could do this without a lot of assistance was about 6. The 4 & 5 year old children needed more assistance. This is a generalization, of course, but that's about the youngest that played with it and had any interest. The box lists choking hazards for children under 3 so we didn't have those children at do it. My 8 year old daughter actually got very good at this and wound up helping the younger ones. All of the kids older than 6 could figure it out pretty quick and enjoyed playing with it. « Show Less
579136
I got rid of the packaging so I'm not sure if it has a recommendation or not, but my 4 year old had a blast doing this with her dad. He mostly did everything of course. I would recommend adult supervision and help up to 12 or so. My 11 year old daughter followed my Husband's directions & was able to do everything herself. I don't believe the bowl gets hot enough for anyone to actually burn themselves on accident or anything. Seemed pretty safe, but I would just recommend adult supervision for children in case they need help pouring, etc. But I would say any age would enjoy participating and/or just watching the process. I got rid of the packaging so I'm not sure if it has a recommendation or not, but my 4 year old had a blast doing this with her dad. He mostly did everything of course. I would recommend adult supervision and help up to 12 or so. My 11 year old daughter followed my Husband's directions & was able to do everything herself. I don't believe the bowl gets hot enough for anyone to actually burn themselves on accident or anything. Seemed pretty safe, but I would just recommend adult supervision for children in case they need help pouring, etc. But I would say any age would enjoy participating... » Read More I got rid of the packaging so I'm not sure if it has a recommendation or not, but my 4 year old had a blast doing this with her dad. He mostly did everything of course. I would recommend adult supervision and help up to 12 or so. My 11 year old daughter followed my Husband's directions & was able to do everything herself. I don't believe the bowl gets hot enough for anyone to actually burn themselves on accident or anything. Seemed pretty safe, but I would just recommend adult supervision for children in case they need help pouring, etc. But I would say any age would enjoy participating and/or just watching the process. « Show Less
356334
Lol. Sorry to laugh but you don't remember these when we were younger? I'm 30 I had one. The two white knobs you see on both sides makes lines/designs when your turn them. It's not fancy but it's fun for small kids
161284
18 months and up, I'd say. So long as the kid is able to hold a rayon and direct it to paper (even if not yet able to really drew) they can start with this. They might need some help with the eraser rod at first. Age group probably tops out around 5 or so. Not that you can't use it after that but it does not allow details or fine lines or colors so it will get boring.
956800
My daughter is 9, but I think 7 year olds could handle it. Any younger and they may get frustrated with the patterns. The basic bracelet is very easy to make...
2887
Honestly, it is not very easy for younger children. My youngest is 7 and seems to be the right age for her, whereas my son was able to build with it effectively a little earlier. A week ago my 6 year old nephew was over and had a lot of trouble building it. I hope this helps! There are other great marble mazes for the younger age like the one by Discovery Toys (that is what we upgraded from and everybody LOVED it)