We recently had the chance to review some Djeco Toys from Crafts4Kids. It was not easy to decide what to try as they have so many great looking products but I chose the Djeco Enchanted Fishing for my younger two boys (aged 22 months, and 3 years)
It is a very simple activity, which can be done by one child on their own or as a turn taking activity. The box contains two fishing rods with magnetic hooks, and 12 beautiful wooden fish all with different designs and patterns on them. The box itself doubles up as the fishing pond, and is illustrated on the inside. I love the style of the illustrations!
The activity kept both the boys attention for quite some time. They were better playing separately, although there are 2 fishing rods, because these two do squabble! It worked really well as a one to one activity for me to do with each of the boys.
I love that this is simple enough for my youngest to do and that it is developing his hand eye coordination and fine motor skills. The activity can be adapted to focus on whatever you prefer, so if you want to support your child’s numeracy skills then you can focus on counting the fish as you catch them. If you want to focus on colour or patterns, you could sort the fish by asking the child to pick only the spotty ones, then only the flowery ones and so on.
The designs on the fish are really attractive and appealing. All 12 are different so there are plenty of patterns for the child to explore. The fish are all a good size, so no choking hazard as they would be too big for any baby or toddler to swallow. The magnetic piece is well attached and not at risk of coming loose at all. The magnet being right in the middle of the fish and fairly large makes it easier for those at the younger end of the age range to manage. After only a little practise, my youngest boy easily got the hang of it as you will see in our video. He then had to practise taking them back off the fishing rod again. This can be done by shaking the rod but with the younger ones it may be simpler for them to just pull it off with their hands.
The boys really enjoyed this activity and I can definitely see the early learning benefits in it for them, so that is a definite positive for me. It’s a brilliant activity to have for young children, and with it being so beautifully made this would make a lovely gift too.
Have a look at the short video below to see Mr R in action catching his fish and enjoying himself 😀