Thirty wooden beads in six vibrant colors and five distinct shapes combine with two extra-long laces to kick off many creative activities. Stringing the easily grasped beads promotes hand-eye coordination as well as fine motor, cognitive, and visual perception skills. This Melissa and Doug beads and laces set allows adults and children to explore multiple playing activities. Parents can ask their child to sort the beads by color, identify each color of bead for the child, and repeat the activity until the child can identify all of the colors independently. Parents can also encourage kids to develop counting skills by asking their child to count the number of beads in each color along with them, repeating the activity until the child has mastered counting one group of beads. The Primary Lacing Beads set makes an exceptional gift for kids from 3 to 5 years. Add the Melissa and Doug Lace and Trace activity set to round out the hands-on play experience and give kids another engaging option for screen-free fun. For more than 30 years, Melissa and Doug has created beautifully designed imagination- and creativity-sparking products that NBC News calls “the gold standard in early childhood play.” We design every toy to the highest quality standards, and to nurture minds and hearts. If your child is not inspired, give us a call and we’ll make it right. Our phone number is on every product! Gender: unisex.