I love these tongs and especially that they are one of the few options for tongs not made in China. They are somewhat resistant so scaffolding may be necessary to gain that finger strength.
Our 3 year olds find the size good but they are too stiff and have difficulty grasping with them. Even many of the 4 year olds use two hands to pick something up.
These tongs are very, very small. The length is listed in the description, but the actual width of each tong is very small. Being so small, I thought they would be great for my son, but they are very easy to pull out of shape and this makes them hard for him to use. They become either way too stretched apart or squeezed too closed to pick anything up. They would be better if made of sturdier metal.
Reply:
Dear Erica, We are so sorry that your child did not enjoy the Sugar Tong. It is one of our most popular tongs due to its size and the medium tension provided by the stainless steel material. In most Montessori classrooms you will find a variety of spooning/tonging exercises. The utensils are varied so that children can practice and refine their fine-motor movements and strengthen their pincer grips. We offer tongs in a variety of shapes, sizes, tensions, and materials. In the classroom each tong is usually matched to an appropriately sized transferring material so that the child can be successful. If you select appropriately sized material so your child can be successful, there should be no need to stretch the tongs apart. Please know that your satisfaction is always guaranteed. You may return any item, for any reason, for a full refund or an exchange for another item. Please contact Customer Service at 877-975-3003 or info@montessoriservices.com for assistance. Thank you for your feedback. Kristine (Krissy) Beoka Merchandising Manager
My son uses it for play, but is not as flexible as I had hoped. He doesn't seem to mind too much, although he would not be able to use them easily to pick up tiny objects like beads or beans.
