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142 of 146 found the following review helpful:
there is a trick to getting it to "reload" that is too hardNov 23, 2002
By christinemm - The Thinking Mother
In order to put jack back in the box it must be in between songs. If you try to relatch it once the music has begun it doesn't work. That is clearly stated in the instructions but is very difficult for a one or a two year old to understand. I feel that the kids who enjoy this the most are babies through age two. The sad thing is that the "reloading" of Jack is nearly impossible for these aged children. Even when they "get" how to push Jack down, hold him there, close the lid and snap the tiny latch, they have difficulty stopping the music at the exact point in which "reloading" is possible. All kids I've seen use it love to continue to wind the crank and make the music continue. Perhaps they could redesign it so that the music won't play until Jack is back in the box. Then the kids would understand when to put Jack back in the box. I bought this when my first born was one year old and he loved the toy but became frustrated with putting Jack back in the box.
The challenge with "reloading" extended to my second child and for every child-visitor. Frustration abounds! The only way to successfully use this with the very young to avoid tantrums is for the adult to sit with the child and help them as they need it. When they were very young and most-upset about this, I put it on a high shelf until the next time. When my first turned three he finally "got it" and was able to play with it by himself. The beauty of this is that it has a classic look. Other jack in the boxes I've seen have TV characters on them or other non-traditional characters. Also I like the "Pop goes the weasel" tune. I have seen others with different songs and even with electronic sounding music---YUCK! We've owned this for over 4 years and it has not broken yet. The paint is in very good shape, it is not peeling from some defect (as others have reported). Most times now it is not stuck on a high shelf, so it is played with often.
42 of 43 found the following review helpful:
 Great toy, great for teaching patience and manual dexterityOct 20, 2005
By c2
This is truly a great toy. No wonder it won the Dr. Toy award! We bought this for our little one when he was two and he just loved it from the start. One thing we spend time on is aural teaching which this toy certainly plays a part. In order to get the "ornery" clown back into the box, the song has to play completely and then you hear a little click, that's when the clown will stay in the box. Teach your child to listen for that click and you will be teaching him patience and how to closely pay attention. Great, great toy. Ours is used all the time and doesn't even look as if it's ever been out of the box. Highly recommend!
42 of 45 found the following review helpful:
The Jester Is Made CheapOct 10, 2000
The metal box is nice, but I found that the Jester is made out of a very thin felt like material..... for the money, I was expecting higher quality.
28 of 29 found the following review helpful:
Great "old style" toy.Sep 13, 2000
By Brendon Briggs
Thought the toys I had as a child were lost forever, however this one comes very close! Solid tin box with very happy looking clown and the obligatory "pop goes the weasel"! My daughter loves it.
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Back in the BoxNov 22, 2001
Jester in the Box appeared to be a quality product, but within two months (and minimal use) the latch was broken and the paint was chipping quite a bit. For the [...] price tag, I expected a lot more.
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