Review: Felt Tales

As Isaac turns one this week, I'm getting the opportunity to relive what it's like to have a young toddler in our house. Nothing is safe from Isaac's curiosity. Plus, I've also learned that boys just like to throw things. Not just balls, but anything they can get their hands on. Then, there's the constant climbing on everything and the dumping out of every toy in the house. I totally get that it's all developmentally appropriate and important, but it makes me appreciate my 3-year old and her quiet toys more and more every day.

One of the most recent toy additions to our house is from the great people that brought you the awesome place mats I reviewed a couple of weeks ago, Babalu Inc. Babalu's Felt Tales bring back lots of memories of my own childhood. I hadn't thought about playing with paper dolls in years until Nadia and I broke out her new All Dressed Up and On the Runway Felt Tales boards and dolls a couple of weeks ago. Memories of carefully punching out the dolls and clothes from little books came flooding back, as did remembering how easily those flimsy little dolls could be destroyed by obnoxious little brothers! With the Felt Tales by Babalu, Inc. not only am I a happy momma because Nadia is playing quietly in her room, but Nadia is content knowing that even if her brother does get his little paws on one of her dolls, when she very lovingly rips it out of his hands, it will still be in one piece!

Click on Read More to learn read my review of Felt Tales, and learn why I really do think they are one of the best toys we have in our home.


If you have had any experience in an elementary school classroom, or maybe even if you haven't, you know that felt sticks to other pieces of felt. Like magic! Babalu, Inc. took this extraordinary property and turned it into a unique toy designed to spark creativity and imaginative play. Each Felt Tale comes with a felt storyboard and over 20 felt pieces for your child to manipulate on the board. Nadia has been playing with the All Dressed Up and On the Runway tales and she loves dressing and undressing the dolls. Like I said, her play reminds me of playing with paper dolls as a little girl. However, Felt Tales takes this play one step further with the addition of the story boards to go along with the play. Felt Tales are not just for girls either. There are lots and lots of great titles to choose from including Pirates at Shipwreck Cove and Happy Tails! which is this super cute little veterinary hospital, and these are just a few. There are more than 15 titles; so, whether you have a pretty little princess or a paleontologist in the making, you're sure to find a title that will interest every kid in your house!

Now for the official review. As always, based on a 4-star scale.

Functionality **** - These Felt Tales are fantastic! Like I said, with the magical properties of felt at her disposal, your child will be able to spend hours dressing and undressing and manipulating the little characters on the felt boards. Once Nadia puts a dress on a doll, it stays on until she decides to take it off again which is important for the poor child who was lucky enough to be blessed with her mother's trait of being easily frustrated when things don't work correctly. When she's finished playing, it just takes her a few seconds to put all the pieces back on the board for easy storage. All the boards come with a little vinyl storage bag, and after all the pieces are collected, we just slide the board into the bag and store it very neatly in the closet. We have two boards and they take up virtually no space which is awesome! They are also super lightweight which will make them a great travel toy this summer for our airplane trip to Grandma's house. The board is stiff making it perfect for your child to rest on his lap in the car, too. If you have more than one title, also know that the pieces are interchangeable. The pieces will stick to every board and to any character.

Durability **** - I've found the pieces to be sturdy enough to stand up to the play of even a young preschooler. Nadia tries to be gentle, but she's only 3. This is a toy that we break out either when Isaac is asleep, or for use way out of his reach. This doesn't mean that he has never had his hands on a piece before. He has this uncanny ability to find things that he's not supposed to have. I did have to fish a purple shirt out of his mouth the other day, but it dried and is as good as new! The vinyl carrying bag only increases the beating that this toy can take. Your child will be able to lug it around everywhere with no real worries about dirt or lost pieces.

Style **** - Like I said, there are over 15 titles to choose from. There's a Felt Tale for every interest. I love it that there are themes that definitely cater to boys and girls specifically, but that there are also several that both girls and boys could enjoy equally. A title like Happy Tails! or A Day at the Aquarium will appeal to either gender which extends the life of the toy from sibling to sibling. The colors are vibrant and each piece is very artfully designed. The clothing for the dolls looks trendy and cute, but also age appropriate. There are no fish net tights, short mini-skirts or bare midriffs for these paper dolls which means I feel totally comfortable letting my young daughter play to her hearts content!

Price **** - You can buy Felt Tales at Roundtable Toys.com for only $15! This is a great price for such a well-made toy. Trust me, cooking dinner while your child quietly plays with her Felt Tales is priceless! $15 for a travel toy can't be beat, either. To maximize the travel function even further, for $7.99, you can buy a blank felt board with a dry-erase board on the reverse. If you want to see the titles in person, you can use this store locator to find a store that carries Felt Tales near you!

Overall Rating **** - That's right, these are legitimately a 4-star toy! I honestly can't find a flaw, not even in the price. They are high quality, fueled by imagination and not batteries, have no flashing lights or annoying music and come in tons of great themes for boys and girls alike. Their slim size means that you could easily pack them in a diaper bag for a wait at the doctor's office or slip one in the back packet of your car seat for a quick go-to to help keep your preschooler awake for the ride home from school. Seriously, at only $15 there's no reason to not have more than one title, and I don't think you'll be disappointed!