Learning Resources Mini Muffin Phonics Activity Set

I'll start by saying the game pieces are really high quality. The colors are really bright and fun. I like the easy to follow instructions provided with the kit as well as the many ideas for different ways to play the game. I also love how open ended these pieces are, allowing children to make their own rules and play together or individually.I purchased this as a sorting activity for our 2.5 year old hoping it could translate into a game her and her 9 year old sister could play with together. So far, both girls love this. As a sorting game, the 2.5 year old likes to play independently and is also learning to take turns with the colored die while the 9 year old likes to have a race to see who can pick up the muffin pieces fastest (we use small kitchen tongs so players can race). 9 year old has also used it occasionally to practice math.Both girls have used the set to have a tea party with mini muffins and a small tea set.So far, we are very happy with this purchase. Any time I can get use out of a toy or game for both of our children, I consider it a win!

The game comes with an instruction booklet. There are suggested games detailed in the booklet. However, there are many more ways in which it can be used.I purchased this for my 3 year old daughter. She loves it - it has become her new favorite toy. She thoroughly enjoys learning through play - so any toy which stimulates her brain is a fantastic choice at this stage. I didn't have to show her how to use the Squeezy Tweezers - she immediately figured it out on her own (she's at the phase - I can do it myself). I opened the package and gave her some time to play freely while I closely observed her before I introduced her to the different suggested learning games/ activities.I've seen improvement in her motor control skills, ability to quickly sort colours, identify numbers and she's only used it about 4 times thus far. I've used this to teach her patterns, counting, identifying numbers and colours, sorting colours.It's my first time purchasing a Learning Resources product and I must say, it is fantastic. I am currently recommending to others and I'm searching through other products by Learning Resources to purchase as Christmas presents.

The dice and cards make this game versatile. I can see my daughter playing with it for years to come.She is 2 years old and likes using the "forcep/scoops" to pick up the muffins. She doesn't quite get the let go to close the forceps, since with most forceps you have to squeeze to hold/pick up things. I would not leave any child with oral fixations unsupervised with this toy, the muffins are a choking hazard.We are using this for color matching right now. I love that the cards have colors with numbers on the back for when she gets older. You can also roll the dice to decide what colors to retrieve, and how many. We probably play with this for about 5-10 minutes every other day right now depending on her attention span.

Absolutely adorable game! Nice strong plastic material - not a cheap feel. Comes with a few games / learning activities you can do. It’s also really easy to make your own or just use as a free play activity. We do them all. Would hold up great in a classroom or with multiple little hands or over multiple years. The little purple tongs are adorable and easy enough for my 3.5 year old to use. If too hard little ones can just use their hands of course. EXTREMELY happy with this purchase!!!!

I love to use this for my math centers. Helps students with colors, fine motor skills, counting and sorting. Could even be used for patterning. The kids love it!

This is such a great set!!I love the "pan cards" to allow this set to be used in many different ways! My daughter loves her "tweezers" for picking up her muffins and it is helping her fine motor(she was already way ahead with this, she developed pincher grasp at 4mos-but practice doesn't hurt), overall it is a great set, all that you need to teach kids sorting and patterning. There are SO many ways to use this set.Patterning and sorting are great skills and lead to better math skills in your child's future! Fine motor development leads to better hand-eye coordination, handwriting, and spacial recognition later in life. These are skills to build on and your child won't even realize it, they will be too busy having fun!! :-)The muffins are a great size for toddlers(approx the size of a nickel but round/3d), the foam dice are HUGE(approx 2" square), the muffin pan is high quality, the grabbers are well made and work well-and not only here, my daughter was picking up counting beans(just dried beans from the kitchen) with them as well. The cards are slippery(plastic coated paper for easy cleaning), seem sturdy enough to handle a rough toddler treatment for quite awhile, and fit perfectly in the pan.The reason I am removing one star is for the lack of instructions...what do we do with the die(other than let the 1yr old chew on them). I am sure we will come up with something, however a few suggestions would have be nice. What you see on the screen is exactly what you get.