A-Z Uppercase Magnatab (Timberdoodle Review)

My grandson James just turned 5 and will be starting Kindergarten at home this fall. So he seemed the perfect candidate to help me try out the brand new Uppercase Magnatab Timberdoodle recently sent me to review.

I took it out of the box, showed him how to hold the stylus, and demonstrated how you can use it to trace the letters, lifting the little magnets as you go.

It should all be pretty straightforward, but he quickly insisted on touching each magnet individually, lifting them one-by-one to the surface. Not the best recipe for developing a flowing hand, but at least he was following the directional arrows while forming the letters, however slow his progress.

I left him working at it while I went to check on dinner in the kitchen. by the time I returned, he’d given up his tedious method and was forming the letters properly, with long, smooth strokes (although his pencil grip still needed a little work).

He finished the second half of the alphabet in short order and was ready to try again.

But his 3-year-old sister had been watching and waiting so patiently, I talked James into letting her take a turn first.

She had a more natural grip, but skipped lots of letters and didn’t stay with the activity as long as her brother. Which suited him just fine, as it meant he got it back even sooner than expected.

James enjoyed the Uppercase Magnatab so much, I let him take it home with him for extra practice, although he promised to bring it back once he’s mastered the target skills. The board is durably built, and I suspect it will serve many more grandchildren in the future as they each hit their preschool years.

Do you have kids (or grandkids) who’d enjoy this fun way to practice their penmanship? You can purchase your own Uppercase Magnatab through Timberdoodle as a stand-alone product. But it is also included in their 2002 preschool curriculum kit.

While you’re on the Timberdoodle website, I’d encourage you to look around. We love everything we’ve ever ordered from this small family-owned company!

Be sure to sign up for their Doodle Dollar program to save on future purchases. And to read more of my Timberdoodle Reviews, follow this link.

PLEASE NOTE: As a member of the Timberdoodle blog team, I routinely receive free or deeply discounted products in exchange for writing honest reviews. Opinions expressed in these posts are 100% my own. I’ve been a happy and enthusiastic Timberdoodle customer for decades — long before I ever started blogging for their company.