If you are looking for a puzzle toy for an older child (2 ½ years
and up) that incorporates skills like matching and sequential ordering this is
a wonderful toy to check out. The body of the sheep consists of five separate
wooden rings that are held together by a strong elastic cord covered with
colourful wooden beads. The head and tail of the sheep are attached to either
end of the cord. The beads correspond in colour to small painted rings on each
section of the body of the sheep (green yellow, blue, red, and orange). The
wooden rings that make up the body can be taken off the cord so the child is
able to rebuild the sheep. Children are able to rebuild the sheep in several
different ways. First, they can match the colours on the inside of the rings to
the beads on the elastic cord. Second, they can match the colours of the rings
with one another (e.g., red to red, blue to blue, etc.). Finally they can
rebuild the sheep according to the size of the rings moving from small to large
and back to small. Strengths: This is
a simple but versatile toy. It can help children learn basic concepts like
colours, matching, and sorting based on the size of an object. I have found
that children at many different levels of development enjoy the toy. Some like
to chew on a ring, some like to match, some like to count the beads, and some
actually use the toy for the intended purpose! Whatever they do with it, they
seem to enjoy it. Weaknesses: The elastic cord that runs through the middle of
the body of the sheep is strong and needs to be pulled with a very firm grasp
to attach the end of the sheep to the rest of the body. The last piece just
slides over the elastic cord, but the cord can be difficult to pull out. I
snapped my fingers with it once and it really hurt. I can’t imagine how it
would feel on little fingers.
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