These are great, come a sturdy wooden box and it a great big kid little kid sharing "show me" toy.

I got these for my niece, she's nearly 6 and loved them. She is learning to read now and it was great to see her sounding out names and putting the letters together to spell them on the necklaces. It's evident that she'll be playing with these for a while as she discovers that you could actually load up the strings instead of having only a couple of beads in the middle. That said: you might want to get some extra beading string right off the bat; we were out in a very short time with lots of beads left in the box. The beads are sturdy, cute and easy to put on the strings. The box has a nice lid and keeps everything organized and easy to put away.

Great starter beading for young ones. Much more durable then the plastic ones and the strings with the covered ends make it easier on Mommy!

The beads are just the right size for little hands, the box is great for storing the beads and string, and there is friction between the wood beads and the round-shoelace-type string so the beads stay on the string. This is a great toy. The box is less than an inch high so it is friendly to those of us with small homes.

I bought this one for my nephew. When I told my kids, they protested because they mistakenly thought that I had given theirs away.

Only problem: It is slightly tricky to get everything back in the box so that it closes. It is not too bad though.

Overall - I highly recommend this toy. I plan to keep it for my grandkids when my kids are done with it.

I purchased this to go along with Melissa And Doug Decorate Your Own Jewelry Box....and, it is wonderful. Allows creativity and pride in making something that is their very own! So cute, a lot of variety and durable. Melissa and Doug products are so long lasting and promote individuality and creativity.