Reviews (4)

Nice picture making for an easier puzzle
My 2 year old daughter has this puzzle and thinks its wonderful.

Unlike many puzzles, with just one character on it, the picture is brilliant having lots of different trains, etc on it. It is easy to fit togehter, with parts of a different character or scene on every piece. She can easily put Thomas, the sheds, Harold, etc together thus eventually making the whole puzzle.

This is by far her favourite puzzle. For one, it's Thomas! And for 2, it's well-made and 'easy' to work out how to put together.

Most Beloved Toy
My son who just turned 4 years old in December received this for Christmas. I'm amazed at the beauty and durability of the pieces. He put it together about three times (with help) the first time we opened it! I never seen him so excited about a toy and to my greater surprise--a puzzle! Each time he placed a new piece in (sometimes with my assistance and sometimes not), he'd ask me to turn around and then ask me to look. When I looked I praised him for his accomplishment and he squealed with excitement. He literally jumped up and down almost after each piece was placed! He told me this was his favorite gift for Christmas and believe me he had quite a few more that were more expensive. I'll be buying more Thomas puzzles from this company in the near future as I'm very impressed.

Easy enough for young kids to solve by themselves
My son and I have been doing puzzles together since he was two, but most of the puzzles that claim to be for kids are too complicated or have pieces that are a little too small for him to work with; so he usually "helps" me by talking with me as I do the puzzle and occasionally placing a piece. He likes this big Thomas puzzle because, at age 4, he can do it all by himself. The pieces are big, which not only makes it easier to grasp and manipulate, but easier to comprehend the shape and the picture pattern as well. Of course, he likes that it is Thomas, and he even likes the "cool" box it comes in.

So this puzzle has a lot of replay value, because whenever we start a puzzle session, he will eventually move to this one to show mommy and me that he can do it all by himself, and that makes him feel good.

Big, bright puzzle
My son has enjoyed this puzzle since he was 3! It features a bright picture of his favorite engines. The pieces are large and easy to handle- perfect for a younger child who loves puzzles. It has been great for spacial learning. My son would put this together, again and again. He is almost 5 now and still plays with this. The pieces have lasted for almost 2 years and still look new! (They are a heavy cardboard.) ... Read more

Editorial Review

This electronic writing desk teaches kids the alphabet, letter sounds, letter formation,spelling, and word creation in a fun, interactive format. Kids can choose from sixgames: letters, a letters quiz, phonics, a phonics quiz, spelling, and "create-a-word."In the letters game, children push a letter to hear its name and see how it is formedon the LCD screen; players can also write their own letters on the "magic" writing screen.In the spelling game, children learn to spell simple words. In the phonics game, childrenfirst hear a letter and then are given a short word as an example. Along the way, thealways-helpful LeapFrog "coach" offers lots of cheerful hints so children won't getstuck in any of the exercises. Additional features include an automatic shut-off, anoversize pullout handle, a variety of comical sounds for incorrect answers, and atwo-position volume control. --Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (75)

a FUN FILLED phonics and alphabet toy
We bought this toy 3 Christmas's ago, for Joseph our 2 1/2 year old (He is now 5 1/2). He had personally asked for the Phonics Writing Desk and he has played with it for hours on end. I think it was an assest in his ability to read before going to Kindergarten. He now has renewed interested in it since his 3 year old brother Benjamin is constantly playing with it. Ben especailly loves it that he can write his name BEN with it and then it actually says his name. He has learned to write about 30 three letter words in the past two weeks. Some of his favorites include; Mom, Dad, jet, jam, eye, ear, hid, and bed. Ben has learned how to write a lot of his letters from watching the toy. The place to write on has been ruined for quite a while - but he tries it on paper after watching the machine show how to form each letter.

From a mother of 5 boys

great toy
My 2 year-old LOVES this toy! He's too young to write the letters, but he is learning to spell and knows the alphabet VERY well and I think this toy is part of the reason. I find it pretty loud and the repetitive phrases are annoying, but I think that it's because he plays with it so much. I would not have expected him to love this toy so much at this age, but he has really enjoyed all of his Leap Frog toys, so I'm sold on them!

only LF toy I ever returned!!!!!!
I love leap frog toys, my 3 y/o has many. I usually find them very educational. However, this toy didn't live upto my expectations. I wanted a toy to help him learn to write letters. My child learns very quickly with encouragement and correcting. At 3 he's reading at a 2nd grade level and writting somewhat legible (no thanks to this toy). This toys tells the name and phonic of each letter. The LF train, Little Leap and Leap pad do the same thing in the same way. I bought it for the writting lesson. It shows how to write them in 'computer style' not real handwritting. The reason I was so disapointed in it was that they can write anything in the spot and the toy tells them it's right. My son scribbled in the area and was told he did great. It wasn't teaching him anything. Sitting down and writting with the child, making sand letters and letting him trace with his finger and plain old letting him expierment with a pen and paper worked better than this thing. I took it back shortly after buying it.

Learning to write!
If you want to teach your kid how to write the letters and don't know where or how to start, this toy is your answer. It not only holds their interest, it makes learning fun too. It teaches both uppercase and lower case letters. Most toys teach kids how to reconize letters but this one is step ahead and also teaches them their phonics so it's definately a must have!

Boring
I think that this is a educational toy for children but is not pleasurable to look at so it would be apealing to the child considering so many toys look like this (boring). ... Read more

EDITORIAL REVIEW

It's not a Razor, but it's racy enough for a beginner. A hot pink stand-out in any public park, this manual scooter looks and rides swell, then folds up to fit into an 8-inch wide space. Unfolded and ready to go, its 31 inches high from the bottom of its clear, hard rubber wheels to the top of its easy-grip, collapsible, purple handlebars. The footboard is 20-inch long, too small for teenaged feet. All parents have to do is keep a good look out for beginner spills, or adjust the height and angle of the steering column for a different ride. Kids can take it from there. In case your kid likes to burn rubber, however, take time to teach her how to use the friction footbrake, located at the rear of the aluminum board. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great buy
I bought this for my 5 year-old daughter and couldn't be happier. She absolutely loves it. I was a little nervous about her being able to balance on two wheels but she got the hand of it very quickly. It also is easy to fold up and stores very well. I highly suggest this!!

Just a huge huge huge warning...
My daughter broke her arm, and needed surgery, while trying to ride this scooter.

I'm not blaming the scooter or the company...
I am just sending some advice so other parents don't have to spend 3 days in the hospital and 6 weeks of their summer with a child in a cast!

YES... it was an accident but my daughter was literally standing still and just trying to balance and she fell over on her elbow.

THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU BUY THIS FOR PRESCHOOL AGED CHILDREN!!!!

Now I know why they make scooters with 2 wheels in the back.
Young kids just can't balance on these !!!

Save these types of scooters for ages 6 and up!!!!!!!!!!

Best thing yet
I am so pleased with this scooter. You can't beat the price, and 1,2,3 to assemble. My 6yr old has so much fun on it. Even my 2 yr tries to ride. My daughter is getting the hang of it of using her foot to push. The fact that is folds is such a plus. It takes up little to no room, very easy to store. I highly recommend this to all barbie lovers. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great Ride-On Toy Tractor!!!
My husband and I purchased this tractor for our 2 year old son. He loves it, it keeps him busy for hours driving it all around our house. It was very easy for him to learn how to drive it when he first got it. Now its all he wants to do is go outside to ride his tractor!

angry 3 year old
We purchase the john deer power pull for our 3 yr old son 2 months ago, and he has only been able to ride it maybe 1 month, we have already exchanged the product once and it is not running again! how disappointing for our son who loved this at first and now says "I am angry my tractor doesn't work AGAIN" when calling the company for parts it usually is an automatic 20 to 30 min. wait to talk and they wouldn't resolve an exchange so we went back to were we bought the product I do not recommend this product because all the problems (fenders, wiring harness shifter, 2 pins, weight on front, wheel, and same is happening to 2nd one) and this is all riding on an acre of level ground.

One tough little tractor
We bought this for our 30 month old daugher about a month ago at Walmart. This tractor is smaller than some of the other ride on toys and my daughter fits it really well.

Assembly was straightforward. The decals are nicely done and it's worth taking the time to get them right.

I purchased a spare battery with the tractor thinking that the batteries running down would be a problem. It turns out the spare battery is much larger than the one that comes in the tractor (12Ah vs 8Ah) and I suspect is sized for the JD Gator ride on. Fortunately, the battery compartment is designed to accomodate either battery. The battery life with the large battery is great. She rides the tractor every day all over our farm, picking up sticks from the yard, following the dog, helping her mom move gravel, picking up stones in the garden, hauling strawberries up to the house, towing picnic lunches back to the hilltop, joyriding, etc. and the battery has never run down. We do put it on the charger every night. We have never used the smaller battery so I don't know how that would do. I saw in one review that it was difficult to access the battery for charging. There is a screw to hold down the battery cover but it also has plastic catches on it. I just leave the screw out and no problems.

Traction was an issue initially. We live on 25 acres of rolling hills and much of it is meadow which is much rougher than yard. The tractor initially got stuck too easy. I added traction by pop riveting "cleats" I cut from an old mudflap onto the rear tires. It is now unstoppable. If you do something like this be aware that the increased traction adds to the risk of injury and makes it even more important that the child is properly supervised.

The trailer became difficult to unhook as the catch on the plastic pin had become deformed. I made up a proper drawpin out of an old cap screw which took care of that. We also added a bicycle safety flag so the tractor is easier to see.

Low gear is perfect for tractor work. High gear is very fast. We walk around the back every night and our daughter drives the tractor. We probably walk for a mile or two. There are a couple of big hills, some rough ground and muddy puddles to cross. The only times it now gets stuck is when she tries to head off through the hay, which is several feet tall (hence the safety flag). She likes to use high gear but it's too fast for us to easily keep up with her. The trailer is used all the time. She is always finding things to put in the trailer be it toys, wild flowers, stones from the trail, even a turtle once.

Our daughter used to ride with me all the time on the big tractors. Now she always wants to take the little tractor. I'm very impressed how well it is made and how well it has worked out. Great toy!

The fun doesnt last
I have triplet boys who just turned 3 and they EACH got one of these tractors for their bday. I also purchased 3 extra batteries. the day they got them the trailer pins broke. in less than a week 2 of them wouldnt work-the company sent me new switches and then another stopped working so I had to call for another switch-then one of the wheels on 1 stopped working so they are sending me a gear box. when calling the company hold times are long but they are willing to send me new parts-these toys are not even 3 weeks old yet and why should I need to fix them so much-try explaining this to a 3 year old who just wants to ride his tractor! I would really like to send all three back and get something that will work all the time instead of 1/2 the time but am not sure just how to go about it at this stage of the game. Unless you dont mind waiting for new parts and fixing the tractor almost all the time-keeping shopping for something else! It's too bad because they are fun for the kids and very cute too!

Much fun while it last
GOT THE TRACTOR FOR MY 21 MONTH OLD, HE LOVES IT. NOT A DAY GOES BY THAT HE IS NOT ON IT. TOOK AN HOUR TO PUT TOGETHER. AFTER ONE MONTH THE REVERSE DOES NOT WORK, THE TRAILER PIN IS WORN SO THE TRAILER FALLS OFF AND THE TRAILER LATCH IN THE BACK DOESN'T STAY CLOSED. BOTHERS ME BECAUSE OF COST BUT DOESN'T BOTHER THE LITTLE ONE. TRACTION IS GOOD ON GRASS AND THE BATTERY LAST ALL DAY, THAT'S GETTING ON AND OFF. RECOMMENDED BECAUSE IT'S SO DARN CUTE TO SEE HIM ALONG SIDE HIS DAD WHILE DADDY CUTS THE GRASS WITH HIS JOHN DEERE. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

wow!
I love this toy!! My son is only 8 weeks old and is not showing much interest in playing with the worm, but if I put the worm near his feet he loves to kick and kick adn kick!! It makes different noises each time he kicks! He loves listening to the music, but you have to have it near his head.

An Everyday Fabulous Toy
This inchworm is exactly what my 5 mo little boy needed. It rattles, materials are colorful and bright, material makes crinkly noises... he loves it. He grabs for it and holds on tight, running his hands across the material to investigate its texture. The colors are bright and stimulating and its easy to carry around in the car and stroller. Love Lamaze products!

Of course like every 5 mo baby he enjoys gumming the worm and drooling on him, so the machine washability is a real plus!
A MUST HAVE FOR INFANTS! Makes a terrific gift!

my grandson loves this
I purchased this for my grandson Liam who was then just about 3 months old. I wasn't thrilled with it. It has the crinkles etc. but they're very quiet and the music never worked. In fairness to Lamaze though, this is the 1st toy I've purchased that I didn't think was great. Having said all this I also have to say that this has been Liam's best friend from day one. At 7 months old he still adores it and it has to go everywhere with him including when he goes to bed. It is rather large and very colorful and I suppose thats what attracts him. I guess I bought it for him so the most important thing is that he's pleased with it.He is so I would purchase it again, he's the expert on the baby toys.

where's the music??
My husband bought this for our newborn and after much dubiousness I have to admit, it's one of the best things he's ever bought for our daughter. It's her favourite toy of all, from day one until even now at 5 mths. But and this is a huge BUT. The music died after only ONE wash and the instructions says it is OKAY to machine wash the thing! I want my money back!
However, even with the lack of music, she loves to play with it, hugging it and stuff.After 2 more washes though, it's starting to sprout fluff and that's no good as she chews on it 24-7.

Fun, inexpensive toy for your baby
I bought this inchworm for my daughter when she was 4 months old. At first she stared at it and lightly touched the different textures but she has really warmed up to it in the past month.

The body is made up of different colored and textured fabric and in each one is a rattle, squeak toy or crinkly material. Along the body are knotted pieces of fabric for legs that make picking up the inchworm easy for a baby.

On the head of the inchworm if you press between its eye's it will play "rock a bye baby". The only complaint about that feature that I have is that it isnt very loud and you do have to press a little hard to activate it.

The back side of the inchworm can be used for measuring your little one's growth. It goes up to 24 inches and also has centimeter's.

I think this is a good toy that will keep your baby interested for many months to come. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

great floatie
I bought this floatie earlier this summer for my 8 month old daughter. It was the only one I could find that was suggested for her age and had a built in shade. I don't have to worry about her head getting burned. She has had a lot of fun floating in the pool using the buggy. I was very happy to find that it is very sturdy, and it does help keep her out of the sun. I definitely recommend this floatie.

DONT GO TO THE BEACH WITHOUT THIS FLOAT
MY SON HAD A BLAST IN THE CAR AT THE BEACH. HE IS 11 MONTHS AND LOVE RIDING OVER THE WAVES. HE LOVES IT IN THE POOL AS WELL. HEY MOMS THE TOP OF THIS CAR HAS A ROOF FOR SUN PROTECTION. GREAT PRODUCT. LOVE IT!!!

Best Shaded baby boat
I tried every baby boat with a shade out there for our 10 month old as we live in sunny AZ. This was the best one I tried, and it's very cute. Although it could be easier to get him in and out, it isn't bad if you just tilt the canopy over to the side. I would suggest velcro on the BACK supports to alleviate this. (My friend has a bulldozer boat that has velcro in the FRONT and the baby plays with the velcro a lot.) The "spring float" allows him to sit too low in the water and he keeps putting his face in the water unless you hold him upright continuously. I think the spring float would be more appropriate for about 18 months rather than 9 months as it says (and my boy is not small!). The "adjustable shade float" is okay as a boat, but the shade is horrible. It doesn't really sit over the baby's head for shade and it is so floppy that doesn't stay nice and rounded like the picture shows, even if you overinflate it. We even took the "sun smart buggy" on vacation with us, and several people at the resort wanted to know where we got it.

Sun Smart Buggy
I think it is wrong that this item can only be sent to the US. Is there any way it can be posted to Perth Western Australia in Australia

Baby you can drive my car!
My son loves this toy. We bought it for him the summer he was almost 1 year old. Now he's close to 2 years old and still loves it. I like the shade. It makes taking him in and out a bit challenging, but it does block the sun well. Don't leave it in the hot sun too long though, ours got too hot and got a hole in it... but he loves it so much we're going to get another one. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Little People are great!
I bought this for my twins' first birthday. At first they really didn't know what to do with it. Now they love it and I find them fighting over it. They're really into opening and closing the doors and putting the animals (and any other toys within reach) in and dumping them out. They went through a phase of throwing their toys. I find this to be very durable and they have no problems opening it up on their own. My only complaint is that the door/ramp keeps falling off and they can't put it back on themselves. Otherwise this would have received five stars. We have Little People trucks that they also love, especially the garbage truck because of the noises. We plan on buying the farm for Christmas. I'm in my 30's and still love Little People. They've come a long way from the wooden toys that I had when I grew up!

MOTHER OF ONE BUSY LITTLE BOY
MY SON'S GODPARENTS BOUGHT THIS FOR MY SON WHEN HE WAS 6 MONTHS OLD. HE STARTED SHOWING A REAL INTEREST IN IT WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 10 MONTHS OLD. NOW THAT HE IS A YEAR OLD HE LOVES THE ANIMALS AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE AND TAKES THEM EVERYWHERE WITH HIM! HE STUDIES THE ANIMALS SO INTENTLY AND TRIES TO REPEAT AFTER ME WHEN I TELL HIM WHAT TYPE OF ANIMAL IT IS. THIS TOY IS HIS FAVORITE AND KEEPS HIM BUSY FOR HOURS! HE NEVER GETS BORED OF IT AND I FIND IT VERY EDUCATIONAL NOW THAT MY SON IS LEARNING TO TALK.

Very hard plastic
Love the toy - our 14 month old and 4-year-old girls fight over it constantly. Our only complaint is that the plastic is a little too hard - seeing that the animals are generally flying through the air at our heads. Maybe a protective bike helmet would be a good companion gift.

Skip fancy electronics!
My son turned one and we wanted to get him a special toy from his grampa. We started with the Leap Start Musical table and found that even though he loved it, the sensor went out after two days! I took it back and got the Little Touch Leap Pad which he was also interested in but when he couldn't press the sensors (not even I could do it very easily) he became disinterested.

Finally I read some more reviews and got him this much cheaper Noah's Ark set. He LOVED it!! He couldn't even wait for me to take it out of the package he was so excited!! Right now he loves to move the pieces around and put them in and out. He even notices if one of the animals is missing and gets it from across the room!

I am beginning to realize that all the lights and whistles of these new 'educational' toys may not be the best at stimulating young minds. Toys like 'Little People' seem to stimulate creativity and don't have any bounds to where their minds can take them on their learning adventure.

Who would have thought that sticking to the simple toys would bring so much excitement to a little todler!

I highly recommend this and any Little People toys!

My Grandson's favorite toy!
I babysit my 22 month old grandson 2 days a week so I try to have interesting toys for him to play with. This is a toy he plays with for hours and he keeps going back to throughout the day. He arranges the animals in different places each time he plays with this toy. Sometimes he brings the animals up the ramp, sometimes through the trap door on top, and he also likes placing the animals on the pegs on top as well. He gets so focused as he opens and closes the ark and arranges all his little people, you can just see his imagination running wild. The toy is well made and very user friendly for the child. His second favorite toy is the Fisher Price Little People Farm with Sounds. This is a great gift for your toddler. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Young children will get the hang of hanging with this cute swing from Little Tikes. Its blue plastic body sports sturdy yellow shoulder straps and a red T-bar to keep babies and toddlers safe; the T-bar can be removed for older kids. Parents should make sure not to hang the swing above concrete or another hard surface, and they should check that the support structure is secure. (The instructions don't specify how to attach the swing to the support.) The swing holds a maximum weight of 50 pounds. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Not Entirely Crazy About This One
We've had this swing for three years and it finally broke. I've been anticipating the break from day one. One of the locks on the bar finally snapped off. They're the hardest things to get open once your child is in the swing. Both of my kids loved it though. My major complaint is the straps that attach to the swingset. They were too long and no matter how many times we adjusted them, the swing always went crooked. Looking for a DIFFERENT swing now for my almost two year old son.

Great swing!
There were 4 swings at the store to choose from so it was a hard choice! I liked the buckles on this swing though. They are hard to undo but that makes me happy beacuse there is no way the baby can undo them. The t-strap is very secure and keeps our baby in tightly! He loves swinging in it!!I would recommend this to anyone!

A Great Swing
My daughter loves this swing! She's 18mos and prefers this to a different toddler swing we had bought for her. This buckles securely and there is no worry of them falling out. Our 2.5 mo old daughter will be using this swing as well. This is very durable; we have it on the swingset and it, of course, stays outside year round. No complaints.

Excellent Swing Compared to other swings
I picked this swing out for my 20 month old daughter. I loved the fact you didn't have any thing to fall down and pinch fingers like the swings with the t- bar that slides up on the ropes. Anna likes the fact that she can climb in the swing herself. I like that feature as well, it saves my back and arms from lifting. She even likes to buckle herself in. The buckles were tight at first but have loosen up some with use. Anna is much more comfortable in this swing than the giant bucket swing down at our park. She feels like a big girl getting in and out without Mom or Dad having to pick her up. She also likes to give her bear a ride buckled in of course.

My son's giggle swing
My son is 7 months old and we tried this at a Farm that sees many kids and they had this swing. That is a good sign, and it was holding up just great there.
It was his first swing ride and his just laughed and smiled with joy. I really love how you don't have to lift them WAY above your head to get them out. The t-bar just flips down out of the way. The straps are a little hard to press in to undo, but no big deal. I love how it leans back so he's very secure and safe in it. We are getting one for our house now. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The airport is a fascinating place to young children and it''s not hard to understand why: all those enormous airplanes, people coming and going, suitcases, and luggage carousels. It''s all pretty amazing. So kids are likely to love this fun airport set from Fisher-Price''s Little People collection. It sports an orange plane, helicopter, taxicab, windsock, control tower, radar dish, restaurant area, binocular stand, and more fun airport features. It''s compatible with all other Little People sets (and, frankly, it puts the ever-expanding Little People city on the map as a major metropolis). This would make a terrific present for any kid who has an actual airline trip ahead of them. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (9)

My Son Loves This Toy
My son has several little people toys, but this is his favorite and ours! I bought it used and it still works great! The helicopter is his favorite because it lights up and the rotor blades move! I also like it because it only has two big pieces to the airport itself which makes it easier to carry around.

Another wonderful "Little People" item!
My children have been playing with Little People for years. My youngest son got the airport for his birthday. He loves all the sounds the vehicles make when they are rolled or turned! The people are chunky for his little fingers. All the sounds are wonderful. The only complaint is that the runway is not connected to the rest of the track. Overall I would recommend this to anyone with a toddler. My older children love playing with him as well!

Great Toy!
We bought this toy for my son's 2nd birthday. He loves it! He uses the "road" for all his vehicles and trains. It is a great pretend-play toy. Very durable. Great quality.

A little help
I bought this toy for my 2 boys (both under 5 yrs) & they like it. I on the otherhand can not take the airport & car parking apart like I can with the city set. I am a disappointed in this. I even called Fisher Price & they didn't know how to take it apart. I recently went to Toys'R'Us & saw the same toy but with the Discovery video. I didn't get the video with the one I bought which is sad because both of my kids are into planes now.

Some Confusion??
From reading the prior reviews, I think there is some confusion surrounding exactly what this toy is and isn't. First off, it IS a Toys R us exclusive. It does NOT, however, have flashing runway lights or make sounds activated by the vehicles. I think the cause of confusion is that this new TRU version looks EXACTLY like the old Discovery Airport, but is not battery operated. I was not at all disappointed when I received this, though. From what I've read about Discovery Airport, parents constantly complained that the sounds never worked properly. (Perhaps the reason it was discontinued???) And Discovery Airport was very expensive; it was priced as high as [$$$] in the Fisher Price store! This new airport is certainly a less costly alternative. My only issue with the toy is that if it includes pilots for the planes, why not a driver for the taxi? ... Read more

Editorial Review

As kids move their Matchbox cars along this circular snowy mountain road, the cars hit the hazards along the way. This playset lets your child control the rescue mission. Easy-to-work knobs operate the motorized lift, which rescues cars that have crashed or sunken into the pool of thin ice in the center of Ice Mountain. An included rescue vehicle assists cars that have been buried under the avalanche on the lower level of the roadway. Kids can use this set on its own or combine it with other Hero City vehicles and play centers to create a bigger city. This set requires three C batteries (not included) to operate. --Cristina Vaamonde ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Must be COMPLETELY & SECURELY assembled to work
I bought this for my 3 year old for Christmas. I spent an hour putting it together with all the stickers. It didn't work. I changed the batteries to be sure. I braved the lines the day after Christmas to exchange it. The first thing I did was put batteries in the control part to see if it worked. I did NOT. I was EXTREMELY frustrated. I came online to see if others were having problems. I found I was not alone. One review said to make sure that all the connections were secure. So I put the new one together checking all the connections. Still it did not work. I then got on my knees beside the toy and put my body weight on it at each joint. I finally got it to work. My son absolutely loves playing with it. My advice is even when you have "snapped and clicked" it together and it still doesn't work, put your weight into it and make sure it's really together. I found that there was one connection that I had heard click together, but the toy didn't work until I pressed down on it REALLY HARD.

Our 4 year old loves this
Ice Mountain has been our son's favorite toy since the moment he opened it 4 months ago. He plays with it by himself, with his 2-year-old sister, with his friends, and even proudly shows it off to any visitor who happens by. We like the noises that it makes, unlike other battery operated toys, these sounds have not yet gotten under our skin.

Not Boy Proof
My 4 year old received Ice Mountain as a Christmas gift. By the next day it was already running sluggishly on a new set of batteries. The gears that run the "ice ring" slipped and made a terrible grinding noise. The problems persisted even after a change of batteries. It totally stopped working, noises and all, about a month after Christmas. Although he continues to play with it and enjoy it, as a parent I was extremely dissapointed with the durability and longivity of the toy especailly for the price.

Bummer for a 3 year old
Hero City Ice mountain was the only toy my 3 year old wanted, We got it for him,put it together with no help from the instructions because they were very hard to understand.The darn thing would not work, wish I new about the secret reset button!
I sent it back to Walmart.com. got credit because I thought I could buy another. Not. It is impossible to find one in stock or have to pay a fortune .Mattel was of no help. ...

Neat
As the other reviewers have pointed out, the instructions are very poor. The poor written instructions don't help with the not to scale diagrams. However, we got it together and it worked! Then a few hours later it wouldn't work. I took it apart with no luck. We wanted to return/replace it finding out like the other reviewers that it can't be replaced. My wife called Mattel and they revealed the secret reset button underneath the crane which solved our problem. Why isn't this in the instructions? Anyway our 3 year old likes it but not as much as his Dad. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Mighty indeed! This Tonka backhoe is aptly named. Riding high above the ground (11 inches) on large, rugged tires (4.5 inches indiameter), it's constructed of heavy-duty steel and durable plastic. Realistically styled after a full-size backhoe, it has a long steel arm for digging deep or scooping up rocks and dirt. The backhoe can swivel a full 360 degrees on the truck bed, making it easy to load dirt into other trucks or get to those hard-to-reach rock piles. There's a sure-grip handle on the side of the arm for lifting and lowering, and another handle at the base of the arm lets the "driver" extend or retract the work bucket for scooping and dumping. The backhoe sits on strong steel axles that have been tested with a 50-pound load. With a lifetime guarantee to back it up, the Mighty Backhoe is built to withstand all the rough play your kids can dish out. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The way Tonka ought to be!
I got this backhoe for my 3 year old last year and it has put up with more abuse than any toy should have to face -yet it still works well & looks fine. My son has had an enormous amount of fun playing with it, riding on it, attacking his sister with it, etc. and it keeps coming back for more. Don't bother with motorized plastic, this is the real thig!

My 3 year old grandson loves favorite trucks
I bought the backhoe, dump truck and the back loader and recently purchase the crane for him. He takes them everywhere he goes. His father takes him to see the real ones at work and he know what each one is called.

They are very durable. Great trucks.

Great toy
My boys (2 and 3) love this!!!
(It's metal, so not great for really little children.)

Your kid is going to LOVE this!!
I bought this backhoe, the front loader, and the dump truck for my 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old boys. The quaility is great and we love the steroid size of these classic construction vehicles! My children really dig these huge toys. They get lots of imaginative and creative play with these construction toys as well as practice with hand-eye dexterity and manipulation. There is so much fun to have in piles of sand, rocks, gravel, or plain old dirt!

Fun and leaning in one toy.
This is a toy that works great in combination with the Tonka Mighty Dump Truck.

My nephew normally is glued to computer games, but this toy actually got him to play outside for a change.

It is durable and works best when the child has access to dirt/sand. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

What a disappointment!!
For 2 years I was against getting a sandbox. But then I saw this one and agreed to let my son have it for his 4th birthday. I just knew what a hit it would be since my two boys (4 & 2) just love playing construction site in the dirt. I should have stuck with my first instinct. The lid doesn't fit well, so needless to say there is often rain water in it- which is a breeding ground for mold, algae, and mosquitos. The digger is also awkward to use. I spend more time removing the water and wet sand than the amount of time my kids actually get to play with it. This toy has real potential but with the poor design it is a waste of money.

AWEFUL AWEFUL AWEFUL!!!
I hate to repeat all the other reviews. The concept is great with the scoop and dumper BUT it doesn't just leak, it FILLS with water!!! The mold is absolutely disgusting, not to mention a health hazard to kids. I called little tikes several times and spoke with several different customer service reps and supervisors. Originally, they would only give me replacement toys (EXCLUDING OTHER SANDBOXES) worth the purchase price of the sandbox. The replacement toys not only COULDN'T be sandboxes, but they also couldn't be larger "truck ship" toys. After much complaining, they finally agreed to replace the sanbox with their dinosaur sandbox as well as other toys of my choice totalling the original purchase price. Little Tikes' response/explanation, "The construction sandbox is only designed to keep out animals and debris, not water". HOW RIDICULOUS! If I wanted wet sand, I would take my son to the beach!

We love it.
My 2 1/2 year old son and I love it. It's a lot of fun. The excavator scoop is a little hard to use but, beyond that... this is a sensational product. Easy assembly too. I highly recommend it.

Would be fun, but rain leaks in
Poor design allows rain to leak in around the edges so although my 2 year old son and 5 year old daughter love it, they've only been able to play with it twice in a month. It takes 5 - 6 fifty pound bags of sand - and that doesn't dry out quickly. You have to put it someplace where it will always be out of the rain - and since its BIG, and too heavy to move much - that's not easy. Fun, but not flexible and not useable most of the time.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!!
My business partner and I purchased this sandbox for our small pre-school. Alright..we admit it, we were dazzled by that cool crane...however, it is incredibly difficult to use. The kids spend more time sitting on it than digging with it. The cover does not do anything to keep water out, although it has provided us with a lovely science project as the kids have been able to see the sand turn a variety of colors from the algae and mold growing in it!(Hence the high rating for educational value!:)
A phone call to Little Tykes proved a waste of time and energy! Thank God for the reasonable people at Toys r Us in Bellingham, Ma. who helped us out!
Again....DO NOT BUY THIS.....a far better value and product is the Step 2 sandbox. It looks like natural stone, has 4 seats and keeps the water OUT!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

When it's time to go outside for a bit of fresh air and exercise, the Push Around Buggy from Step2 is ready to roll. Just slip baby in the generous molded seat, hook up the seat belt, grab the handle, and go! While you actually steer, baby can pretend to drive (and can even start the fun with a nifty ignition key). When there's an obstacle in the way or a friend passing by, baby can honk the horn. The buggy rolls smoothly and surely on four oversize poly wheels. A small trunk in the front can hold a few travel items. Both durable and fun, this sweet red and blue Push Around Buggy is a winner. The extra-long handle is removable and can be stored underneath the buggy. --N. Mered ... Read more

Reviews (161)

The best gift we ever recieved
We recieved this car as a gift in 2000 for my daughters 1st birthday. This car is still one of her favorite things in the world. We use it to take walks around the neighborhood, and now my 11 month old fights with my 4 year old daughter to see who gets to ride in it. It is very durable and has withstood the beating from my three kids!!!!! I would highly recommend this toy for anyone with children.

Step2 a step ahead
I purchased the push around buggy for my grandson's first birthday. He loves it and we take it every where we go. It was easy to assemble and worth every penny. Complete satisfaction...

cute but doesn't turn
this is a great push buggy if it only turned....you can go straight forward and straight backwards, if you want to turn a corner you have to lift it. We exchanged ours for the Little Tikes version and we (mommy and daddy- the pushers, and baby) all love it.

Better than a Stroller!!!!!
We bought this car for our little grandson at 10 months old as he loves to be outside and we walk him to the park each day and see the ducks at the lake. He loves this car and gets all excited and says vroom, vroom when we open the garage as he knows he is getting into his car! He makes his own car sounds all the way to the park and just loves it! We also take it to the Mall and he is so happy riding in it that it makes shopping so much nicer! Even Mommy & Daddy borrow it to go shopping in now as he is so happy in it. We also bring it inside to play with and he loves opening the trunk and putting little things in and taking them out and he pushes it around. This has been the best toy we have purchsed for him and he will be 1 yr old next week and this is still a big hit with him and fun to push him around in! We recommend this toy to everyone. It is fun, safe and very durable!

GREAT!
My son got this when he was 10 months old. He loved it then and 12 months later he still loves it. He likes to turn the wheel and beep the horn. I have a bad back and this push along is great. The handle is at a great height. The hood is a great place to put a snack or cup for longer walks. It is very durable. He have used it almost everyday and have had no problems. I know that it comes in pink for girls! ... Read more

Reviews (44)

GREAT INSIDE OR OUTSIDE TOY
I bought this toy for my 3 year old and she loves it. We have been using it for over 2 months now and so far have not had to make any repairs. When we use this outside we do set it up on a piece of carpet to help protect the bottom. We also fill it up with all our "ball pit balls" when we bring it inside. My little girl has a blast bouncing and jumping in it with all those balls. The only thing I would tell parents to watch out for is that the sides are not as tall as they look in the picture. It is very easy for toddlers to fall/roll out of this. I have also had the problem of her wanting to sit on the edge - like she can with her inflatable swimming pool. Only since this is not weighted down it is easy to tip over. I would only use this on carpet or in the yard and only with parental supervision - but her and her friends to have a great time in this and it was well worth the money.

not as bouncy as it appears
We thought this would be a great alternative to getting an outdoor trampoline, since it would be safer. And we thought our kids would love it since they often want to jump on the bed. But this product is not as bouncy as it appears. My kids mainly arranged their stuffed animals in it and laid in it with them. After a few weeks it began to deflate. We patched it at the seam, but it still gradually loses air. It's been a disappointment and has been discarded.

Kids loved it!!!
My kids received this as a gift when they were 4 & 2. They absolutly loved it. We set it up in the living room for a while and they jumped in it for a week. WE had 4 kids at a time bouncing around in it. When the weather was warmer we used it outside. We kept it upside down when not using it, so it wouldn't collect water. after 1yr the bottom chamber had a leak, kids still jumped in it, we also put it in the pool and used it at as a big float. All the kids loved it but after 2.5 years it was completely worn out. will probably get a new one.

Fun but didn't last
My 2 year old loved this toy for the two months that it lasted. After limited indoor only use it started coming apart at the seams. Two 1/2 inch holes appeared in the floor seam and no amount or type of patching has improved the situation.

Great while it lasted, WATER problems if outside
We bought this for our 2 sons, ages 2 and 4, and it was a huge hit with all of us at first! It's pretty durable and keeps the kids safe, supervised, of course! But it's not easy to inflate or deflate, so we left it outside for a while, and after it rained a couple of times the bottom filled with water, and there is absolutely NO way to get it out! We thought there should be a plug for this reason, and with the water in there the unit expanded, pushing the floor up far enough that we couldn't let the kids use it safely. We used it until we had to get rid of it by cutting it up. I guess if you're going to use it indoors, or take it down EVERY time you use it outdoors, it's a great investment, the price is great for what you get! But if you leave it outside don't plan on using it for very long. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Grandmother's perfect present
My granddaughter, 22 months, loves to crawl into small spaces such as cupboards, under chairs etc. Sometimes she is hard to find. With this perfect option she loves the crawling in the tunnel and making her own house in the tent. My daughter is expecting multiples (don't know yet how many) and she needs to have her daughter occupied in a safe place. Another great thing is how portable as when they come visiting they can bring her house with her. I read the one commentary about the 100 balls, gads! We'll try that if this doesn't work as she gets older.

One and a half years and still going strong
Santa brought this tent and tunnel for my son in 2003, and it was an immediate hit. He is now 3 years old, and still enjoys playing with it.

Last week, he took it to a fun day at school, where three classes of active kids gave it a try out. It stood up admirably, and went back into its storage bag proud and intact. It took a huge amount of abuse and shrugged it off. I was deeply impressed, because I never expected it to last this long. Several teachers and parents asked me where I got it from, so I guess they were also impressed.

It stores easily in the handy bag, and the tunnel when strapped up takes up little space. It's light, portable, affordable and fun.

One of the best toys I have ever purchased on Santa's behalf.

fun tent
I bought this tent for my son when he was about 1 1/2 years old. He is now almost 3 and still has a blast in it. We bought a 100 balls to go in it and he loves to throw them down the tunnel. It takes minutes to set up and the rods are pretty strong. My son can even put the rods together without hurting them or himself. It has a bigger opening so a parent can get in it too (although it is a tight fit.) I have a 5 month old that loves to watch his brother pop in and out of it. I would imagine the real test of strength will come when both boys are playing in it, but I have no doubt that it will hold up. I would definitely recommend this to other parents. We are happy with it.

Alot of fun for a bargain price!
This little tent is great for young kids. My son loves to crawl thru the tunnel then stand in the tent and look ouy the screen at the top of the tent. It semms to be made well (for inside the house). I don't think you can find a better tent with a tunnel for the price than this one!

i enjoy this toy
my son feels like he has his own little house, its really cool for a play room and also outdoors. delivery was also very quick, i got it in a week! ... Read more