This toy will grow with your child! They can use it to learn about textures; then use it for tracing and patterns, and then grow into using the shapes for a story board!  This toy started with my preschool son, and when he moved into elementary school, it went to his classroom as a tool for the teacher to use.

sdteacher

Parker, SD

I found Place and Trace one of my favorites. There are so many ways it can be used, from teaching primary colors with the pieces to cutting out Play Dough or cookie dough for specially shaped pieces. Children can put the pieces in their frames as a puzzle or draw pieces out of a bag one at a time to fill a frame. The way the pieces are grouped into categories helps children develop concepts.My boys had a lot of fun with these back when they were little and I sold them. This is one of the items they set aside for their children to play with someday.

sarahinez

Atlanta, GA

The concept of the toy is good. You can use the pieces to either trace the positive or negative images of each piece. The individual pieces can be used in playdough and sandboxes as well. You can also use them as cookie cutters! The plates are good for drawing and writing. I like how the plates stack for storage and the pieces fit nice and tight in the plates. I do feel these are geared more towards boys. My daughter wasn't too interested in the dinasours, and planes as my son. She loves using them for drawing but found it hard to get anything other than a very small pencil inside the patterns. I would suggest these be used with fat markers or crayons. My kids got bored with it rather fast. I suppose if you used it with some kind of story or something, the entertainment might last longer. I could have used some other ideas on how to use the pieces since that would have helped me as a parent.

SMALLS09

Greenville, WI

Place and Trace encourages subtle learning in many areas. Two-year-olds can practice sorting the colors into different piles. The colors include the four main colors that affect color-blind people, so if your child has pronounced difficulty with red and green, or blue and purple, this toy will let you know in a playful, stress-free situation. Three-year-olds can practice their eye-hand coordination by fitting the pieces in their boards. Four-year-olds can find different shapes (circles, rectangles, etc.) in each piece and the boards. Five-year-olds can count the pieces up to 15 and be introduced to addition, subtraction, and even multiplication with the four pieces in each of the three boards. Six-year-olds can improve their dexterity by tracing around the figure, coloring it, and under adult supervision, cutting out the figure. Seven-year-olds can learn about habitats by realizing that the dinos go in the forest, not the house, and the vehicles go in the truck, not the forest. Of course, any and all ages will enjoy setting the figures up and having a dino fight or a pet store. Boys seem to enjoy this toy more, but it's a good toy to stretch girls' imaginations.

jcoandwsf

Birmingham, AL

Place & Trace is one of the best toys I ever bought for my sons. Toddlers can use it as a one-piece puzzle, preschoolers can use the pieces for pretend play and then trace around the shapes to develop the fine muscles in their hands and the hand-eye coordination needed for writing. They make good playdough and cookie cutters. You can use them to build vocabulary and color knowledge. For homes with more than one child, Place and Trace has several advantages. It's  safe around babies because the pieces are too big to choke on. It will last through several childhoods. Pieces have survived freezing outside and being stepped on. Discovery Toys replacement policy means that, should a piece be lost, a new set--just for that frame--can be purchased at a reasonable cost.  

sarahinez

Atlanta, GA

Discovery toys in general make some great products.  They are fun and educational at the same time.  They make a great tower that you put marbles in and they roll down and that cann occupy my nephew for hours, he just loves it.  They also have some great puzzles and learning tools.  Books that make him think and use his mind.  If you ar ebuying for a baby the best thing that they ake is a little bumble bee.  You pull it and it stretches, let it go and it makes it vibrate and pull itself back together.  it is very soothing for a little child and the bee  is  just  soo  cute.  Sometimes my nephew who is two will still pick it up and play with it.  It is by far one of there best products.  If you are going to buy a toy you might as well pay the little extra to get one that is educational beuase you are helponig them to grow up with more knowledge and you are expanding there minds and that is most imporaant.

Saritoburito

Uncasville, CT

I bought the Discovery Toys Place and Trace for my son but have mostly used it in my preschool class.  The children love it.  They especially like the one with the dinosaurs.  It makes it very easy for the children to trace an object and it comes out looking like the object.  The children are so proud of their work.  I have used these for years and they have been very durable.  I have to teach the children how to hold it still while they trace the object but once they learn they are amazed at what they have drawn.  I really liked  the objects, dinosaurs and animals detaching from unit.  I have used these during my curriculum when we explore dinosaurs.  This is a product I highly recommend to others.

CMW

Colorado Springs, CO

Discovery Toys place and trace are great for all ages.  I have had my students (grades 6th & 7th) use these to tell stories.  They love to write more when they don't always have to write. It gives them a lot of flexibility.  They look at it like writing comic books.

wecare1

New Lebanon, OH