... I've searched on many websites and it seems that the only person that makes them nowadays is a company called Quercetti. They have many different sets that you can buy but the best deal seems to be the big pack of beads and the separate boards. We came across these the other day whilst ... Read review
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Advantages: Broadens a child's imagination Disadvantages: Be careful they don't get lost
...if you want the real Quercetti ones then I have 2 websites for you to look at.
For the big buckets of pegs, either the round or the different shaped ones and the set of boards then go to www.educationaltoys.co.uk and put in a search for Quercetti. The buckets of pegs are priced at £7.99 each and the pack of ten boards is £6.99.
For the other sets I mentioned above, go to Amazon, who has them all. The easiest way to find ... ...The Junior Basic Set sells for £10.99 with the Junior Set selling at a pricey £16.99. The Daisy Set with the 240 larger pegs is priced at £7.99 while the Daisy Set with the 900 smaller pegs is only £6.99. Remember though that these are half the size of the larger pegs and could be more easily lost than the larger ones.
I'm not sure when I bought this simple toy for my girls but I do know it was many years ago. I've searched on many websites and it seems that the only person that makes them nowadays is a company called Quercetti. They have many different sets that you can buy but the best deal seems to be the big pack of beads and the separate boards. We came across these the other day whilst sorting out some boxes in the loft and thought they would be an ideal treat for my son, as he loves making pictures and it gives his imagination something different to work with, rather than crayons or paints.
***What Are They?***
Basically they are quite simply a board with lots of holes in and a whole bunch of coloured pegs to put in it. The colours seem to be pretty universal - red, yellow, blue and green. The boards that you get in a pack are 20cm x 28cm which is almost double the size than the one that we have at home which is only 15cm by 10cm.
***Different Sets***
As mentioned at the start you can buy a big 1kg pack of round pegs or a 1kg pack of mixed shaped pegs and a pack of 10 boards separately which is a good idea if you have a couple of children or when your child's friends come round to play. There are also some other sets available too though, which come complete with board and pegs.
The first one is a Junior Basic set and this consists of 16 already patterned boards for your child to fit the larger pegs into. Designs include a fish and a boat. These say that they are suitable for children aged 1 year and over although I would say that supervision should be given, as I would be concerned about the choking hazard.
The deluxe version of this set comes with a tabletop easel, which fits onto the carry case and keeps all the pegs safe. It also says it is suitable for ages 1 year and upwards.
If you have a child aged 4 or upwards then the daisy set looks great with the same colours along with orange and purple too. The board is daisy shaped and the pegs are slightly smaller to give the child a chance to develop their dexterity. This set comes with 240 pegs.
There is also another daisy set available. This one is also suitable for children aged 4 and upward. This set also has the daisy shaped board and six colours as in the previous daisy set, but this time it has 900 pegs included and they are half the size of the previous one giving you more room on the board to give your pictures more intricate details.
I think you can still get some of the cheaper unbranded sets from smaller toy shops or from the novelty seaside shops in the summer if you don't fancy paying the higher prices online for them.
***My Thoughts***
I remember having pegs like this when I was very small - and that's a long time ago now. I loved making pictures of faces and animals with the brightly coloured pegs and the beauty of them was that if it went wrong, you just tipped the board upside down and pushed all the pegs out, before starting again.
I'm not sure where my set went to - probably sold at some car boot sale or donated to a church sale - but it was because of all the fun that I had with them, that when I saw a set for sale when my girls were little, I rushed to buy them. I think they were only about £3 at that time for the board and 48 pegs that are kept between 2 trays, each with 4 sections, and I know they weren't a branded name as the type that make them nowadays but they were great fun and gave my daughters hours of fun.
My son is four and loves to do anything that is creative, whether it's drawing or painting a picture, building with his blocks or creating something with playdoh, so it's nice to have something that doesn't take up lots of room, isn't messy and is quick to tidy up afterwards.
My son has only had these pegs for a week, but already he loves them and has taken great delight in making lot of funny faces with them. He also loves making symmetrical patterns with them and even just covering the board completely in a coloured sequence seems to be keeping him amused.
I think it's quite amusing that a few of his bigger and more expensive Christmas presents have been quite literally forgotten about, while he sits for hours on end with this simple and cheap artistic toy. The pegs are easy for him to get hold of with his small fingers and the board is very sturdy so even if he leans on it there aren't any cracking sounds. It seems to be made of a strong but flexible plastic, which gives a little when pressure is put on it. The only thing that would make this toy a problem is that the pegs are quite small and could be easily lost under sofas, etc so it might be a good idea to check how many there are at tidy up time. We've made this into a fun counting game with him so even that isn't a chore.
***Price and Availability***
As I said before you can get the cheaper sets from various small toyshops but if you want the real Quercetti ones then I have 2 websites for you to look at.
For the big buckets of pegs, either the round or the different shaped ones and the set of boards then go to www.educationaltoys.co.uk and put in a search for Quercetti. The buckets of pegs are priced at £7.99 each and the pack of ten boards is £6.99.
For the other sets I mentioned above, go to Amazon, who has them all. The easiest way to find this particular range is by searching for the Fantacolour range. The Junior Basic Set sells for £10.99 with the Junior Set selling at a pricey £16.99. The Daisy Set with the 240 larger pegs is priced at £7.99 while the Daisy Set with the 900 smaller pegs is only £6.99. Remember though that these are half the size of the larger pegs and could be more easily lost than the larger ones.
