You can count on the Melissa & Doug Lacing Beads set to make a bold statement! The dramatic beads feature a variety of shapes, bold colors, and two extra-long laces, making stringing beads extra special. The shapes are designed for little hands to grasp, and the laces are thin enough to allow the beads to slide easily. Twenty-seven hand-painted wooden beads feature the numbers one to ten as numerals, and as countable dots to add counting fun to this lacing activity. It lets kids practice counting, shape recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine-motor 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 color, identify each color for the child, and repeat the activity until the child can identify all the colors independently. Parents can also encourage beginning counting skills by asking the child to count the number of beads of each color with them and repeat the activity until the child has mastered counting one group of beads. The set is an exceptional gift for kids ages three and older for hands-on, screen-free play.