Reviews (5)

Disappointing - falls apart to easily
I bought this based on a great review in the Oppenheimer Toy book I bought. I am very disappointed! My daughter is 11 months old and with just a bit of a nudge, she's able to knock it over and it comes apart and she loses interest. She's not even interested in playing with the balls that came with it - not to mention there's nowhere to store the balls so they just end up at the bottom of our toybox anyway. Wouldn't recommend...

Have a Ball with this Tower!
We received the Symphony Tower as a gift for our ten month old daughter, and boy, is it great! It's cool to look at. It has a great feel! It has great noises on the "silly sounds" setting, and the notes and music on the other settings are pretty good too. Our daughter loves to drop the ball down the funnel and then to try and stop it on the way down. She also loves to roll the ball back and forth with us, just sitting on the ground. The tower's volume is truly adjustable--between loud and louder, but it's really fun, and it can help the active young toddler pass a lot of time in independent, if not quiet, play. The only drawback is that the top piece of the tower comes off relatively easily, and we're usually trying to find it. But not to worry, the toy works pretty well without it. Dad likes to play the tower too.

wondeful
My nephew loves this toy. I gave it to him for Christmas (he was 6 months old) and he still plays with it now that he is 1 year. And the balls are so cute!

My son loves it
This was given to my son when he was 6 months old. Right away he learned how to put the balls in the top to make them come out the bottom. I feel this toy is educational because a child needs to learn how gravity works. You put something in the top and it comes out the bottom. I would recommend this toy for a child under 1 yr. The only down side to this toy is the volume does not go down real low. My son plays with this toy everyday.

Falls apart too easily
I bought this for my 2 year old for Christmas. He liked it until he realized that with very little effort on his part, the tower came tumbling down. After that, that's all he did. It only played 2 songs which really irritated us. I don't see any educational value in watching a ball bounce down stairs. All in all, we were very disappointed. ... Read more

Editorial Review

What child who doesn't love Thomas the Tank's friendly face? The Thomas Medium set is a great introduction--or addition--to Thomas the Tank's world. The set comes complete with a train station, a traffic light, a little greenery and even a drawbridge. This "unique motorized road and rail system" is compatible with all other Thomas the Tank engine sets so you can easily add additional tracks or collect all of Thomas the Tank's friends. --Andrea Linsky ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Thomas Train a Really Useful and FUN Engine
This Thomas the Train set is a huge hit with the 3 kids in our house: my girls, ages 2 and 4, and my husband! The interlocking track is easy enough for my youngest daughter to attach (and detach, which she prefers to do). The trains run on the track, on the floor, and even the carpet (slowly). The drawbridge works like a charm. My oldest loves the lever to stop one train (usually to cause a wreck with another oncoming train). The set comes with Thomas and cars Annie and Clarabel. Toys R Us had a sale, so we also bought a Percy, Gordon, and James. It's a good thing we did! Christmas Day my husband had trouble releasing the catch to install the batteries in Thomas and Percy. The instructions (graphics only, no words) were no help at all. Fortunately the batteries in Gordon and James are easily installed into their coal cars. We took the Thomas and Percy back to the store for help. We like this set so much we plan to buy additional track.

Hundreds of Hours of Fun
My 7-year old son still continues to play with this set and all the other related Thomas sets we have. We started collecting these pieces when he was 3 years old. He's been able to put this track together in so many different ways with little or no help from the start. He has a huge toybox full of this train set now. After 4 years, 2 of our 3 bridges broke after being stepped on. We have glued one back together and now it works just fine. None of the bridges have their sides anymore, but the trains work just fine and stay on the tracks very well. Only one piece of track has ever broken, which says a lot for it's durability. You have to be a little careful with the trains with the tenders, i.e. attached second car, like Gordon, Henry, etc. (Not included in this set). The batteries are placed in the tender and 2 wires connect the train front to the tender. If these wires get pulled roughly, the train will no longer work. As I said though, we've had this set for over 4 years and only lost a handful of trains. My son no longer watches Thomas videos or cares to spend a "Day out with Thomas", but he continues to play with this train set and ask for the newest pieces for Christmas and birthdays. We don't mind buying them either. It's a worthwhile gift to buy as it is durable and gets a lot of use.

The Thomas World Medium Set
This was my son's very first Thomas set from Tomica--or any other manufacturer. It was a gift from his aunt at Christmas. After watching him play with this set, I knew we had to purchase more like it. My wife thought we should invest in the wooden series of Thomas toys. But I said, "No way". The toys from Tomica look more like the engines from the Thomas television series, they are every bit as durable as the wooden ones (if not more so), and they are cheaper in the long run. The wooden trains look like only a 2-4 year old would ever play with them. But, Tomica toys are mature enough to please children beyond those ages and still hold up to the abuse of little engineers. We have since added numerous engines, track, and accessories to the set--most of which are available thru this Toys-R-Us website. Even my other son started out his railway with this set. It's a fine toy for any young Thomas fan.

Great Toy Train!!
My boys (ages 3 and 5) have been playing with the wooden Thomas set since the oldest was 18 months old. We received this set as a gift, and they have loved it just as much/if not more! One major plus is that the wooden series of Thomas trains rides smoothly on the blue Tomica track in this set!
This set has been EXTREMELy durable and works just as well with batteries as it does without. We were afraid the wheels wouldn't turn if batteries weren't being used, but this is not the case. The track is easily assembled by small hands and Thomas stays on the track. Thomas also stays on the track very well! We are currently looking for the Gordon that is pictured as an accessory on the box for this set. We are having difficulty finding him, but we won't give up! GREAT TOY!

great gift idea
This set was purchased for my 2 year old son. He and his 3 1/2 year old brother both love Thomas. Both boys play equally well with the set, although the older one is already reconfiguring the track layout (guess I need the expansion set). The train runs equally well with or without the battery turned on and I like that it only requires one battery (batteries get expensive when you need an average of four per toy). The train and track seem to be holding up well, the boys are having lots of fun with it, and it is very pre-schooler friendly. It's a cute toy, great price, and a great gift idea for any train-loving boy or girl! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Push Along Thomas is a hybrid: he looks like a train but moveslike a car. Based on the character from the book and television seriesThomas the Tank Engine, this plastic locomotive measures 9inches long. Toddlers can practice walking by pushing the extendedhandle to move Thomas along. Fortunately, the long handle isdetachable, so prewalkers can roll him across the floor by gripping thehandle attached to the roof. Turn on the power switch, give the train agentle push, and hear a short, upbeat song. It requires threebutton-cell batteries to hear the music, but Push Along Thomas can be enjoyedwith or without electricity. --Lauren Bernard ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Lasts for a long time!
My son received this toy for his birthday a year ago when he turned one. He was already walking very well (we didn't use it as a "walker") and he loved it. He is about to turn two and he has played with the Push Along Thomas everyday since he got it (both indoors and outside). It is very durable and still looks brand new! The red handle does come off easily but my son quickly learned how to put it back on by himself. Also, we have only had to change the batteries once. This toy is one of the best we have had so far.

Handle comes off too easily
Cute toy that plays a very cute little train tune. Unfortunately the handle does come off quite easily. Not sure if I would recommend it. My 11 month old does play with it though!

Not the best toy.
Don't get me wrong, we really like Thomas the Tank. However, this is not a great toy. The handle comes off way to easy and it arrived with batteries like it said but they don't work and they are specialty batteries (like watch batteries) so we still don't have batteries. For the price get something else.

Great value for young Thomas fans!
My son got this toy for a Christmas present when he was 18 months old. At first, as a late walker, he was content to just push it around the house. He is a little over three now, and he likes to pretend it is a lawn mower, vacuum cleaner, etc. The handle is easy to detach and he also pretends to use it in various ways. The toy plays a short, happy, and fairly quiet "Thomas" melody when pushed, but it's not necessary for fun - our batteries gave out a while ago and we haven't replaced them, but our son is still interested in this toy. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Calico Critters - aka Sylvanian Families (remember them?)
These rabbits are SO CUTE! All Calico Critters families have an average height of about 3.5 inches (adults are larger than children & baby sets) . They are covered in a soft downy flocking, are pose-able, and highly detailed. Each family member comes with a removable outfit, with detail & care sewn in. Bright colors, Velcro fastens, ribbon ties, and tiny buttons & lace all add to the charm of their clothing. Children will have hours of fun with all the houses, furniture, and accessories that can be bought. Sets teach kids hand eye coordination (so many miniatures to interact and use) social interaction, Family structure, and creativity. Older individuals can appreciate these detailed miniatures as well. Calico Critters are actually from an older toy line many might recall from the 80's, called "Sylvanian Families". Epoch (maker of both), has started sales again, under a new name in the states. Same old lovable families, with new names. However, the sylvanians of the 80's have been retired in this line (SF is still sold in JP and UK), and replaced with entirely new animals.

Their only downside is the fuzz/flocking. With gentle - normal play, they'll hold up for years and years. However anyone with a child going through a "rough and tumble" destructive phase, may find out that the fur can rub off if heavily scrubbed &scratched. Consider these an indoor toy, and not really intended for rough, outdoor play, or extended bathtub play.

Calico Critters
Calico critters are really really cute! They are soft and fuzzy and come in many little animals-chipmunks, squirrels, cats, dogs, and lots more. I don't own a house, but I just think that having the critters is enough. I have a whole box of them that I collect.
These are great toys. I encourage you to buy them-for gifts, for you, for whatever! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

DO NOT BUY THIS TOY
Takes far too long to set up; bees are too small (smaller than a grape) and clearly a choking hazard. My 3 year old likes rolling the bees on our hardwood floors and we inevitably miss one or 2 when cleaning up, so someone ends up slipping on it. She doesn't have the patience to wait for it to be fully set up. The tree comes apart too easily. This was a gift that is now going to be given away.

So Adorable, But...
Yes, this game is incredibly cute. I agree wholeheartedly that it takes way too much time to set up. By the time we get the leaves in the tree (which is no small feat - you must put insert the leaves pretty much in a specific order to get them all to fit) our 4 yr old son is bored and ready to play something else. In the few times I've been able to drag him back to the game, it takes just a few pulls on a few leaves to make the bees drop. If he happens to bump the tree - ALL the bees can fall in to the open area and fall through at once. It makes for a very irritating experience, especially for mommy! Yes, its really, really cute - but I can't say I am thrilled with the purchase. Our siamese cat has had more fun batting the bees around the tile floor...(Under our supervision, of course! Those bees are pretty small and could get lodged in his little throat!) There are definitely better games out there...

Honey Bee Tree is Fun!
We bought this game for my daughter's 3rd birthday, but my 6-year-old daughter likes it better! We think this game is really fun and the bees are really cute. It's basically just like Ker-Plunk but the bees and the tree and leaves make it a little more interesting than sticks and marbles(Kerplunk). The reason I gave it a 4 for educational is because really the only thing to learn is to take turns and how to count your bees, but that's probably enough for a 3-year-old. For durability I could see where the leaves could bend easily - just be careful with them. Also, it takes a little while to get all the leaves in the tree when setting up. But the fun is worth it in the end!

Perhaps for little kids (under 3?)
My 4 year old got this game from his aunt. We have tried many times to play it, since it looks cute. But each time, we pack it back up in under five minutes. It actually takes longer for us to pack it up (or to set it up) than to play it. The long-stemmed leaves, which are supposed to be inserted through the holes in the top of the "tree" have to be inserted one by one by an adult. And the bees, which are supposed to be held up by the stems, keep falling through and onto the collection cup before the game even begins. We are not very satisfied with it.

A child's version of "Kerplunk"!
LOADS OF FUN!!! For all ages. Adults and kids of all ages enjoyed this game. My 3 year old niece LAUGHED her head off when she got her first bee, and screamed with delight when ever a bee fell into someone's tray.

She learned to share and take turns. Eye-hand coordination skills were improved.

A great toy! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

My kids Love it!
I bought this toy for my one year old last year and both he and my three year old son LOVED IT! They still play with it and have a great time. The truck makes great noises - there IS an on/off button. The cars fit perfectly inside or on top of the truck. They're easy for little hands to manipulate! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great toy!
I bought this eggs for my daughter when she was 7 months old. It was on sale so I did not even take note of the age range. Personally I thought the toy was cute although my husband did not think so. Of course, my daughter could not do the sorting yet. She love to suck the eggs, bang them or throw them from the box. It is very durable. It's her favorite toy and she has lots of fun with it.

cute but not that exciting
my 2 year old likes the eggs themselves and likes to carry them around and finds them appealing but its hard for him to see the shapes on the bottom and fit them in because the shape is teeny tiny. I think it would be a cute seasonal item, the pieces are easy to lose though. They dont stay in the tray very well.

Not very fun until 3
My son recieved this as an easter present when he was almost 2. The toy did not stay together very well if it was even bumped on the floor. He had a hard time getting the pegs into the little holes to put them in the right places. It was very frustrating for him and after a couple times, we put it up and just recently brought it back out for him to play with. He is now 3, and is able to match things up and get it to co-operate with him a little better. Personally, i would not go out and buy this toy.

batteries will kill ya
The sounds are cute, the way the eggs fit into the carton (basically a shape puzzle) is educational for baby, the faces on the tops of the eggs are priceless (also educational because baby has to match the face on the top of the shell with the face on the chick)...BUT the toy requires three 1.5V button cell batteries! The total cost of the batteries equals half the cost of the entire toy! Since the batteries that came with the toy died after less than a month, we already spent too much on this toy...But the toy is a ton of fun; we just don't turn it on too often.

Not very entertaining
I bought this toy several months ago for my 15 month old daughter. So far she hasn't been very interested in it. Usually she just scatters the eggs around and pokes her fingers into the holes to hear the sounds. It really looked like a lot of fun to me but as yet my daughter is not convinced. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A special set for a little girl
My 4 year old daughter loves everything we have bought in the Calico Critters sets. This is no exception. She adores the little furniture, with the great details and has spent alot of time playing with these. I do not recommend them for children that will lose small pieces- we pack it back into a box with a tight fitting lid after playing. All of the 3 & 4 year old girls in her playgroup are jealous of this set of toys.

Still worth buying, AFTER you get the other Critter sets!
This is a nice little set, though not too interesting by itself. Recommended only when purchased with critters & house. This set has been in Sylvanian Families (aka Calico Critters in usa), since the begining. The books are really cute, and removable from the book shelf. THere are also pictures & picture frames, chairs, couch, and a lamp. As mentioned before, you would want to have calico critter families & a house before picking this up as it has little play interest when bought as a stand alone. Quality and durability is great & items can be used with most small dolls ^_^ ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An easy, fun and fast way to learn about horses! A+++
I highly recommend this game to anyone who has a true interest in learning more about horses.

It was fun and stupid!
I got this game for my birthday.As soon as i opened it i had 2 play it.So we sat atthe table playin this game.It was fun but the answers were way to easy we ended up with everybody gettin every answer right so we just had 2 stop.I wish i could of played it longer but it got so boring i had to start playin herd your horses.A game a got last year for my birthday!So if u could make the game questions a little harder i would enjoy iy a lot lot more!
Thx

Awsome game
I havn't had that much of a chance to play this game but it is great. It is a trivia game for all horse lovers. you can play with up to four people. you have to answer enough questions of diffferent catagories such as care and riding to win.

don't waste your money...
The Breyer HORSE SENSE game is not worth a dollar. The questions are not challenging at all!!! Even little kids will find it silly! For example (from the cards): WHAT IS AN EQUINE VETERNARIAN? a. a duck doctor b. a water scientest c. a vet who specializes in horses\WHAT IS A HORSE'S DIET COMPOSED OF? a. cotton candy and soda, b. chips and candy, c. grains and bulk foods? A HORSE USES ITS TAIL TO? a. brush its teeth b. swish off flies c. look pretty.
As you can see, HORSE SENSE is really not worth ANYTHING! Don't waste your money, get HERD YOUR HORSES.

Breyer 'Horse Sense' Game
I enjoy playing with this game very much, some of the answers to the questions are FUNNY!!! Navigate around a colorful game board with a miniature cardboard Breyer model, and answer questions along the way from four different categories. For every category you correctly answer a question for, you get one of the four pieces of a first place ribbon. The first player that collects the whole ribbon and gets back to the barn first is the winner!! I reccomend this game to any horse lover. ... Read more