Little ones between 2 and 5 years of age are fascinated with opening and closing things. What’s closed must be opened and what’s open must be closed. Discovering what’s inside is always a surprise, stimulating a child’s curiosity and, in turn, their love of learning.

Melissa & Doug have two products with six latches each:

• The Latches Barn and
• The Latches Board

All six real brass latches are completely different, testing a child’s problem solving ability and fine motor co-ordination as they slide, twist, turn, hook and unhook the latches. Each door has brass hinges and both products are wooden and beautifully painted.

The Latches Board

This toy can be played on a table top, the floor or on a child’s lap when travelling.

• Each door is numbered.
• As a door is opened it reveals a colourful picture of some animals matching the number on the door such as one purple pony and six orange fish.
• Great for learning about colour and counting of objects while strengthen fine motor skills and eye-hand co-ordination necessary for handwriting.
• As children learn what is behind each door you can start testing their memory skills by saying, “And what’s behind this door?”

The Latches Barn

• This is a beautifully crafted wooden barn
• It comes with four flocked farm animals – horse, pig, cow and goat, for fantasy and creative play
• As a child opens up the different brass latches the doors to the barn open enabling them to get hold of the animals.
• The barn is colourfully painted both inside and out
• There is a brass handle on the top of the barn so children can carry it wherever they go
• Useful for developing fine motor and problem solving

The Melissa & Doug Latches Barn and Latches Board were reviewed by Nikki Bush for Toy Talk. Both have been selected for Nikki’s highly recommended short list of games and toys for 2017

Age category:               3 – 5 years

Price:                             Barn approx. R660.00                                  

                                        Board approx R415.00

Brand:                          Melissa & Doug

Distributor:                  A Toy for You

Retail outlets:              Independent toy stores, Polly Potter’s, Toy Kingdom, Take a Lot, A Toy for You