play cookies, April 23, 2010

Melissa and Doug products are a little costly but they last and last. These toys lasted and still last thur all my kids. My older girls still play with this stuff. I highly recommend any of this play food by them to anyone with kids who enjoy playing pretend. These toys will be here for my grandkids...probably out last me. :)

      Not recalled here, but probably should've been!, April 17, 2010

The background: I bought this cookie set at a toy sale - it was new in it's packaging. Just by chance I came home and read the reviews before I opened it. I saw the information on the toy being recalled in Canada because of excess chemicals in the paint. I was concerned, so I contacted the head of the toy sale. She in turn, called Melissa and Doug, and of course they said the toys were from different runs (produced in China) and that there was nothing to worry about. I was skeptical, but accepted the answer. After all, I've always trusted Melissa and Doug toys??? Well, when I finally did open the toy (a week later) the smell of the paint was so overwhelming that it made me nauseous. I took everything but the open mitt and the tube that you store the cookies in (the only items that are NOT wood and NOT painted) and put the wooden pieces in a bag and set them outside. Three days later and they still smell horribly. I know what Melissa and Doug are claiming... that the paint is safe "according to US regulations"... but if a toy makes you nauseous with it's off-gassing of overseas non-regulated application of CHEAP paint??? It is simply not right to give a toy like this to your children. Especially a toy that is a "play food" item and there is a chance they will put it in their mouths. I don't car how "cute" or "clever" it might be! That is the last toy I'll buy from Melissa and Doug.

       Melissa and Doug respond to Recall, March 28, 2010

After reading comments about the recall in Canada, I did a little searching and found this site where Doug responds to the recall. After reading his detailed reply, I feel very comfortable keeping the toys I have from Melissa and Doug and buying more. I recommend people go to this site and read the report.[...]

      Tea Parties and Grandma, March 4, 2010

My granddaughter is 3 years old and was delighted by the Melissa and Doug Cookie set. I found it to be just as described and decorated so that a little one would enjoy and have fun with it for hours while playing house or having tea with grandma or her favorite friends. She's able to pretend that she "cuts" the cookie dough with the wooden knife and place it on a cookie sheet for baking. They are then decorated. The only reason that I didn't give it the five stars on durability is that some of the Velcro that holds the cookies and frosting together don't appear to be very strong and aren't holding very well. I believe I will need to somehow replace the Velcro in the future. Even with this minor problem, I do think it was a good investment and would purchase it again due to the imagination factor that I have enjoyed watching so far. For that, it is priceless.