Bought this game for my granddaughter when she was three.  She already knew her colors and shapes, so that educational value wasn't of benefit to us.  Still, she LOVES to play with them!  One of her favorite games is to match them, "Concentration" style.  She gets the whole set out to play that way, which of course makes the game interminable! If I limit her to only two of each, it's quick and fun.  We've also used them to create patterns, and she has lined them up on the floor and made "roads" for her duplo car.  She stacks them into towers.  She piles them into her little wagon and pulls them around the house. She's used them to make facial features on the floor.  The only way she doesn't get excited about playing with them is the primary idea of a dominoes game.  Since she's only four now... I'm sure we'll do that eventually!  Really, worth every penny, very durable and esthetically pleasing as well.