The bright and bold Melissa & Doug Primary Lacing Beads set is a must-have for budding imaginations! It includes thirty hand-painted, durable wooden beads in six vibrant colours, and two extra-long laces for plenty of hands-on play. The set of beads features five distinct shapes all designed for little hands to grasp, and the laces are thin enough to allow the beads to slide easily. Stringing the beads provides opportunities for pretend play and learning. The activity helps to promote shape recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine-motor skills, cognitive and visual perception skills, and creative expression. The set allows adults and children to explore multiple playing activities together. Parents or grown-up kids can ask the child to sort the beads by colour or shape, identify them for the child, and repeat the activity until the child can identify all the colours and shapes independently. The lacing bead set makes a great gift for pre-schoolers and kids ages three and older.