Reviews (12)

fun but should take out lock and wear shoes
My 2 year old was so excited to get on this big toy and the thrill is still lasting. There is a review in here that gives very simple instructions to make this toy playable. The arm locks and is difficult even for adults to unlock however It is so simple to fix this it is well worth the effort. If I did not read that review and did not know how to unlock arm I would not like the toy much and it would frusterate kids. So take my advice find that review on how to disable thr red lock mechanism and it is a great toy. The process takes all of four minutes. Enjoy

Great Indoor toy but...
My son absolutely loved it when he got it as a gift. He hopped right on it. It comes with sounds and the two stage bucket is also a cool feature and it comes with a little hard hat.

To operate the bucket the child has to twist the handle bars. I found this a little bit of a task as an adult and he didn't seem to have the strengh at 2 years old to get the bucket to release. We took it outside and as soon as he got sand int he moving parts it is no impossible to move the arm. He also wants to wear the hard hat but the adjustable strp will not stay fastened.

As for driving it. He seemed to take right to it. The child must pick it up a bit to steer and he figured that part out. The top swivles and the track that it rides on goes straight. Soemtimes when he rides it in the house he gets the track caught on the coffeee table or other furniture.

It's a fun toy but I wouldn't go out and buy another if I had to.

Reality Check
Let's face it. You don't have the kind of money to send Junior to college, so why not prep him for his future career with this durable, educational toy from Friendly Toys? After a quick crash course in excavating, your son will be digging up the flower bed in no time. The included helmet is handy to protect Junior from falling debris as he gains valuable experience for the real world.

2 yr. old grandson
This was a Birthday gift for my grandson that just turned 2..It was an instant hit for him.. he justed loved, and would not even get off to open the other gifts...It was easy for him to operate and move around..I know that he will enjoy it this summer in the sandbox...great toy ..

2 YEAR OLD
mY SON WHO JUST TURNED 2 GOT THIS FOR HIS BIRTHDAY AND HE ABSOLUTLY LOVES IT. hE IS VERY ROUGH AND IT HOLDS UP TO HIM. GREAT GIFT FOR ANY BOY. MY 4 AND 1/2 ALSO LOVES IT. THEY FIGHT OVER IT. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This gentle, whimsical toy provides gentle stimulation and interactive play for a baby or toddler. There are three balls, each with a different colored fish inside, that the child can place inside the fishbowl, prompting soft music and happy, bubbly sound effects. The music and sounds also play when the balls are moved around inside the bowl. The unit has a rounded bottom so it can be gently rocked, and there are two volume settings; a feature parents are sure to appreciate. Requires 3 AA batteries (included). --David Stoesz ... Read more

Reviews (115)

Makes Me Want to Dance :)
This toy was great when dd was learning how to control her hands. The whole that you drop the balls into was large enough that she didn't have troubles "missing". The balls where just the right size for little hands to hold on to.

It is extremely durable - dd dropped the entire fish bowl several times and the balls have been dropped, kicked, stepped on and who knows what else - they all still work just like the day we opened the box. Even though dd is now 20 months old she ocassionally still pulls this toy out to hear the fun music and see what other treasures she can insert into the bowl. Also, we like the volume feature.

She didn't seem to pay much attention to the "floating/spinning" items inside the translucent balls. Also we would bring this along to grandma & grandpa's house frequently - and since they have a dog, we found it difficult to easily get all the dog hair out of the fishbowl. And finally we wish that it played a few more toons. The one song it does play is definitely upbeat and doesn't seem to get annoying as quickly as a lot of the toys out there.

A great toy to have!

One of our baby's favorite toys
Ever since our son was 2 months old, he likes looking and listening to the fishbowl. Now at 6 months, whenever he is near it, his eyes are glued to its direction. He loves grabbing for it and watching the lights and movement. You have to move the bowl three times in order for the music to start. The first two times, it makes a bubbling sound and the lights turn on. My husband and son now have a routine: Our son moves it and watches the fishes move and the lights flutter. On the third time when the music starts, my husband dances around the nursery with our son in his arms - It's really cute and always makes our son smile! I can't imagine him being bored anytime soon with this toy. He has yet to discover the flutterballs inside. Highly recommended!

Disappointed
My son loved this toy, until it stopped making noise and lights, and it wasn't the batteries. Very disappointed, since it seemed to be a huge hit with him from birth until it stopped working.

not to great after 12mo
This toy kept my son entertained for a while when he was 9-12 months. After that he was more interested in stacking or pushing buttons. He does still play with the balls, throwing them at everything he can!

Great Toy, Lots of Fun, Still Gets Lots of Use After 2 Years
I got this toy for my twins when they were around 6 months old. The sounds are soothing, the water, fish, and glitter are appealing, and this sucker is built solidly! The flutter balls are also a big hit to take in the tub. Even though my almost-3-year-olds are well past the Put In, Take Out stage of playtime interests, they still like to play with this toy now and then.

It still looks like new after 2 1/2 years of being rolled around, dropped, and sat upon. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

What a great playground!!!
I have a two year old and a three year old, both boys. They got this for Christmas and have played on it everyday since then. All the rounded corners and smooth plastic means no splinters. I would tell anyone with little ones that love to climb, this is the one to have! They love to crawl in the tunnel and slide on the slides!! I have to say, make sure you get BOTH boxes!!

awesome
Both my children, ages 17 months and 4 years old, LOVE this. The smaller slide is perfect for my little one and the bigger one is fabulous for my older son. All I can say is AWESOME. The only thing I wasn't pleased about is the cost of shipping and that Little Tikes now only distributes this to online stores so you'll always have to pay the shipping. Luckily, I was able to find this used at a day care that was closing down, otherwise the price is definitely worth it.

Small for the money, but fun
The instructions are very hard to read, with mostly dark colored pictures to go by. It takes two people to put it together and one must have strong muscles to lock the walls in place. Also, it seems much smaller sitting in the yard than it does on the picture, especially with the price of it. It is very colorful though and it has a great wavy slide.

Lots of fun for lots of kids!
This playground is just terrific! I have a two year old, almost five year old, and 6 year old and this is great fun for all of them (and the neighbors' kids, too!). I ordered mine through BJ's and so didn't have to pay shipping, which was great. (...). We have a Suburban and put the boxes on top, but shipping right to our front door would have been great, too. Assembly time says 60 min. but maybe that's true once you've done it several times! It took me about 1 3/4 hours to put together with some occasional assistance from a neighbor. The pieces just slide together and lock in place, though this takes a little muscle at times. I started with the pieces laying down and then stood the whole thing up once the first 4 sides were together, and turned it over another couple times as needed. I don't think it's particularly difficult to put together, just the pieces are large and cumbersome. Also, it's helpful to really study the pictures that come with the directions, and also to know that the numbered pieces go from 4 to 1 during assembly. The only major assembly problem I had was with the very last piece, the support to the large slide. The holes were drilled incorrectly on one side so the company is sending me another one. They were terrific when I called, I didn't even ask for another slide, I was going to ask if I could just drill another set of holes. I envision lots of playtime on this playground and I really wish I had gotten it a couple years ago! If your kids love to climb like mine do, I highly recommend this one!

2 Year Olds BEST FRIEND!!
Just purchase, received and put together this playground for our soon to be 2 yr. old (May 9th) and he is all over it. He even climbs on top of the tunnel! The only problem(s) we had were after reading the reviews, we couldn't find it in stores anywhere! (...)An 18 wheeler brought it which was pretty bad because he coulnd't turn around on our Road and he dropped the 2 HUGE boxes off at the end of our driveway! So, if you get it from these people, make sure they don't bring it by the Yellow Freight Trucking Co.! But other than that and trying to build it (at least 2 people and 2 hrs. you will need) - my kids and neighbor kids love it! My other son is 8 and he is able to fit through the tunnel which looked pretty small to me! The max. weight for this is: 100 lbs. each child and can hold 8 kids! This is well worth the money and we can see many years of fun with this as they don't play with anything else they have in or out of the house! I thought the price was pretty steep but the peace of mind is well worth it! Relax while they ENJOY!! ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Too bad Neurosmith is out of business
The Musini is a great toy, but buyers should be aware that Neurosmith has closed it's business. The Magic Wand accessory that came with my Musini doesn't seem to work. I tried their website for support, but it seems to be permanently down, so I called the company phone number in Long Beach, CA for support, and you get a message that they've closed.

Bought it twice -- never worked
Great concept that never delivered on it's promise. We purchased it twice and it never worked...a lot of time wasted. The idea sounds good but they need to work on the result!

My child loves this toy!
I bought this for my 2 1/2 year old and she absolutely
loves it! She didn't understand what to do at first so
I had to show her some of my dancing skills : ) She
got it right away and she can't stop dancing! Great
toy for any age!

Finally got it to work!
I bought this toy for my 4.5 year old son for Christmas because he loves music and motion--seemed ideal. I was extremely disappointed in how low it is--my son is hard of hearing and could not hear it at all unless he held it up to his head. He quit playing with it. Then this weekend, we cleaned out toys and ran across it. I was going to put it in the giveaway bag, but thought I would look into the product first. Once I discovered the volume switch inside the battery compartment (actually through these reviews, which I checked first to find out of other people liked it!), we were set! We have been having fun with it ever since. What a relief to know I didn't waste my money and my kids have a toy they love! And I never thought I'd want a toy to be louder!

This is more fun than it seems at first
Thank goodness for the other reviewers here who told me about the "hidden" volume adjustment in the battery compartment and how to set sensitivity.. start high and work lower....

Once the volume is up and the sensitivity is right this becomes a very fun toy. I suspect Mom will get some extra exercise too.

And we were within two minutes of sending this thing back when I decided to read the reviews. After all, at the lower volume there was no kick to the thing. It seemed like such a waste, how COULD the toy win platinum . Now we agree. We love this toy. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Hazardous
Caution: My 2 1/2 year old son LOVES this horse. He rides it everyday, many times a day. It is only 2 months old and already the spring covers are destroyed and yesterday the S hook that connects the spring to the horse BROKE in half causing my son to fall. Fortunately, the wall 'caught' him or else he may have been impaled by the pole support of the horse and seriously injured. My son was left only with a bruise on his nose and hurt feelings because his horse was broken. We contacted Radio Flyer. They offered to ship us more S hooks, but somehow I think they lost the bigger picture of the safety hazard of this toy. I think and hope it will be recalled before an innocent child is seriously hurt or killed. Please consider this before purchasing. Thank you.

POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS INJURY!
The first problem waswith the spring safety covers.The springs wore through the plastic covers after about 2 weeks and now the pipes and springs are exposed.The company sent me replacement covers, but I can't see that they will last any longer this time around.I'm actually surprised that no one else has mentioned this problem yet. Addendum:FIRST OUR SPRING COVERS WORE OUT IN TWO WEEKS. THEN A SPRING BROKE. THE BROKEN PIECE OF METAL WAS HURLED ACROSS THE ROOM AND HIT ME IN THE LEG. THE COMPANY REPLACED THE SPRING. NOW JUST AFTER ONE WEEK OF RIDING AGAIN, ANOTHER SPRING BROKE. MY DAUGHTER FELL OFF BOTH TIMES. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A QUALITY ITEM! RADIO FLYER HAS SOME MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS TOY, AND I'LL BE CALLING THEM AGAIN TOMORROW. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PIECE OF JUNK! DON'T BUY!

Look no Further!
I bought my 2 1/2 daughter this horse and she loves it. I have to admit that she WAS scared the first time she saw it because it looks so real! She can get on and off it with no problem. The horse does sit a little high but it has side steps that make it easy to get on and off. My husband put the horse together by himself and it took him 3 hours because it has a lot of little screws.He did need my help to put the head together so i guess you can say that one person can put it together. We love the saddle! It's nice and soft. We know that it is going to last us a long time since it is a "Radio Flyer". They have a good reputation of Quality and Durablity. Mom loves the safety covers for the springs, Dad loves that fact that he didn't pay for it (just kidding) he likes the fact that it will last a long time and our daughter just loves it, period.
4/13/05 It's been 3 months now since we bought the horse. We have NO problem with the springs nor the covers as mentionedwith other people. My daughter rides it Everyday and believe me, she goes Crazy on it. Hopefully, those other kids are ok but our horse is doing just fine so far, so good.

mom of an energetic 20mo. old boy
My son got this horse as a gift for christmas and we are so pleased with it.It is very safe for a 20 mo. old who climbs on every thing the second a back is turned.The springs are covered so he can't be pinched and the seat is cushioned, it even has the step up base to make it easier to safely slide down off.

The best by far!
This horse is sooo nice.The yarn mane is very cute.The foot rests, besides being better than those of other similar horses because of the 3 levels, are better because they are so much more substantial.The others are of a much thinner plastic, and since that's where your child's foot would be its good that its sturdy and not easily cracked.But my favorite feature is the soft seat.It is really thick.Little one's can bounce to their heart's content without a sore bottom.If you purchase the horse at a Toys R Us store, they will assemble it for you for ten bucks.I highly recommend this horse! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Love it!
This was a gift from my inlaws for my 1 1/2 year old son at Christmas. We had bought a similar sized plastic trike made by another company for Christmas. My son rode both and ended up riding the Radio Flyer almost exclusively. The other trike sat there for a few months. Occassionaly, my son would get on the plastic one, ride for a few seconds, and then get on the Radio Flyer. I finally put the plastic trike in the closet. Once, when he was too rough on the trike, the little red retaining hub popped off and he couldn't ride it. I couldn't find the hub so I retrieved the plastic trike from the closet for him to use and began looking for the missing piece. After a week, I found the piece and reattached it with a good whack with a mallet. When I showed the repaired bike to my son he went over to the plastic one (he is now 2), grabbed the handle bars, said "Here," and got on the Radio Flyer. He loves to ride it around the house and on the back porch and side walk. The wheels roll more easily over a variety of surfaces, the seat is fairly comfortable, and it is very light weight. We love this product! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Fisher-Price has produced a dream dollhouse with all of thecharm of a decorative Victorian townhouse plus the realistic modernfeatures of electronic lights and sounds. The pastel pink faux-stoneexterior unfolds to reveal a spacious six-room interior. In thefloral-tiled kitchen, the refrigerator and the oven light up, and thetelephone rings. In the bedroom, the fireplace glows and makes acrackling sound. When the terrace doors are opened, kids hear birdssinging in the garden. The house comes with an array of furniture andaccessories, plus Mom, Dad, and little girl figures, two beds withbedding, chairs, window boxes, potted plants, and a hope chest, just toname a few. The dollhouse measures 20 by 13 by 28 inches when closed andrequires three D batteries. --Jane Snyder ... Read more

Reviews (120)

The perfect dollhouse, if it would just work!!!
I bought this dollhouse for my daughter on her third christmas. I thought it was a really good dollhouse for the price, and was very excited about giving it to her. When we put it together, it was great. It was a big hit and everybody played with it. She played with it everyday for a month until it started to have problems. The wiring somehow got messed up so that if you hit the fireplace for instance, the phone would ring, and soforth. That was just the first problem. After that, the batteries would run down within a day because the switch wires were also messed up. You can't get the lights to turn off now. I don't feel like replacing the batteries everyday, or taking them out after every use, so I'm just getting rid of it. I didn't keep the box to return it, or otherwise I would be returning it for a refund. Kinda a waste in my book.

great dollhouse,but i'd look for a more sturdy one
this is a great dollhouse in the fisher price collection though it is not exactly what I would choose because it is kind of rickity. That is not what you want to be happening, you kids playing nicely together and then it just falls on top of them. I gave it 4 stars on it's durability, because thats what happened to my three year old. it will be returned tomorrow.

best townhouse ever made.......no, best dollhouse!!
This toy is certainly up top on my favorites list!Yeah, other people say it's not that sturdy, but I disagree! one of the best ever made Fisher Price! Keep up the great work! I love it.

GREAT dollhouse
My daughter received this for her 3rd birthday and is still enjoying it almost every day and now she is 4 1/2. Her 2 1/2 year old sister loves it as well. It's always popular when her friends come over. It's great because it comes with some built in furniture, but has room to add more. Fun for the grandparents to add pieces to the collection. Big enough for both my girls to play side-by-side. The special affects are fun, but ours go crazy when the batteries go low so I just stopped replacing them and the girls haven't even noticed. I researched many, many dollhouses and this one fit all our wants and needs. Some dollhouses have rooms so small that once the furniture is in, little hands can't get the dolls in. All in all, a great purchase for both our daughters to enjoy for many more years.

Special Edition Townhouse Years of fun
My daughter got this about 2 years agao and love it dearly. It has held up well except for our dog eating her people. But we got a new family so thats ok. Now my 2 year old love to play with it. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Hurry Up and Look Busy! The Emperor's Coming!
With the arrival of Revenge of the Sith, LEGO has cleverly highlighted the depth of one of the most successful evil Master-Apprentice relationships since Ephiram Lapham and Johnny Tremain with the release of this set.*
The Emperor (or Darth Sidious) and his excitable young friend Anakin Skywalker (or Darth Vader) are given this venerable Lambda-class shuttle to tool around space, popping by unannounced wherever to let their subordinates know how displeased they are with their efforts, and then possibly electrocuting them or choking them to death. Their Sith business model certainly brings new meaning to an `end-of-year review'; when you see this shuttle coming, you'd better have your Stormtroopers get in formation, start them playing the Imperial March, and make sure your Imperial Accountant has cooked the books the so the Emperor doesn'tknow you've wasted his money on Twi'lek dancers and fine Ewok coats.

I confess I got this set mostly for its minifigures. Not only do you get both Sith Lords, but two Royal Guards, four (count `em!) FOUR stormtroopers, and two Imperial Officers. The Royal Guards are what you'd expect, with black spears, large helmets, and red cloth capes. For those familiar with the LEGO Stormtrooper, these guys are slightly different; their pants now have more detail, though in a move that continues to baffle me, the poor little clones have no faces under their masks. I feel bad - I mean, they may be servants of evil, but no faces? It's just odd.
A further change comes to the Imperial Officers: their caps, which used to be generic LEGO caps now closely resemble the caps seen in the films. Inexplicably, the Officers are pinkish in skin hue...I've never seen that before in a LEGO minifigure. Up until these guys, wasn't everyone yellow, a la Simpsons? Oh well, this isn't a forum for issues of LEGO ethnicity.
One final note about the minifigures - Darth Vader now looks slightly shocked as opposed to angry, and has more scars on his face. He is also without his trusty red lightsaber. The Emperor is now all gray in the face and hands, having been previously yellow; how he feels about this is open to debate.

The shuttle itself is impressively constructed, if a little boring. Since it's not a starfighter and not a warship, it sort of slides into a gray zone for Star Wars craft - when it's not shuttling Sith to and fro (or possibly sneaking a team of lovable rebels onto Endor), it doesn't really do much. That being said, the shuttle is surprisingly large (due to its enormous dorsal fin) and functional - the wings fold and lock in multiple positions, and the shuttle is well-balanced when in the `landing' position. The cockpit is spacious, and there's kind of an `oven-tray' in the rear that allows you to store Sith dignitaries or Dark Chocolate M&Ms inside the shuttle with ease.
In addition to the shuttle, you get a crane/repair workstation, a hover-utility vehicle, and a whole mess of tools and boxes to store them in.
So, for a reasonable price ($50USD), you get a nice variety of Star Wars stuff, TEN minifigures, and of course, the shuttle. A good deal for the Star Wars/LEGO enthusiast.

* I apologize for this Master-Apprentice comparison, one, for being lame, and two, for not being true. Johnny Tremain is not evil, but I can't say the same for Ephiram Lapham.

An Awesome Toy
This set is great!!Whether you're a collector,a starWars fan,or just looking for a really fun Lego set...THIS IS THE SET!!!!I got this set a few days ago,and had a blast putting it together.It's a lot of fun to play with'and comes with great mini-figs.The ship stays together well'although the guns on the wings fall off sometimes.The Imperial Shuttle was alot bigger than I thought it would be,and it's really cool how people or cargo can go in the back.The little cargo crane,station,and transport vehicle are a big plus.This set is awesome!!!

Very Great Toy
My 9 year old son says "I think this item is a very fun toy.You can do lots of fun things with it."I liked it because he was able to get it together himself, and I didn't have to help him.He's very happy with it.

A really good set
I got this set a days ago. It took me about an hour to build but it was really cool. It has so many mini-figs. The only problem are the blasters on the front keep falling off. The shuttle is really big. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Raise the roof with Dora the Explorer! This huge dollhouse not only talks--it's bilingual! Unfold the sturdy plastic house to reveal several rooms, plus a second story upstairs. Press the picture frame to hear Dora talk about her family, or open the fridge to hear about how hungry she is. Six different accessories can be manipulated to produce more than 20 phrases or songs in both English and Spanish. The house is only partially furnished with built-in kitchen appliances and table, boom box and picture in living room, phone on one wall, mirror in bathroom, and miscellaneous illustrations of shelves in the bedrooms. Dora, her Mama, her Papi, and their couch are included. Also, this Toys "R" Us exclusive version comes with three bonus figures--Diego, Boots, and Swiper. Additional accessories and furniture must be purchased separately. Still, from the ringing doorbell to the oven that lights up and talks, la casa de Dora es espléndida. When open, the house is three feet wide by one and a half feet tall. --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Our daughter LOVES her new house!!!
Our 18 month old daughter, Madilyn, absolutley adores her new house (BIG THANKS to Lolo and Lola who sent the $$$). My husband, his friend, and I put the house together in 30 minutes. We put it out in the backyard. It doesn't take up that much room at all (So if you have a small yard, this is perfect). She loves ringing the doorbell and going in and out (and in and out again). She likes to open and close the shutters to play peek-a-boo. She also loves the cordless phone that came with it...it looks like our real phone. She says, "Hel-lo" and hands it to me. The floor is very sturdy (I crawled in and sat in there with her). We live in an area that has A LOT of pollen. Yesterday we noticed that there was a layer of it on the floor. We just took the water hose and hosed it down. The drainage holes work great! She couldn't wait until it dried, so needless to say she came out with wet shorts. She fits perfect on the molded-in seats. If you have a larger toddler, it may pose a problem. There may not be enough space between your child and the table. She also loves to stick things through the mailbox. All-in-all this is an AWESOME buy. It keeps our daughter entertained for hours. We also bought the Step2 Water and Sand Table and the Step2 Big Folding Slide. Between all that, her two ride-on toys, and her sandbox, the backyard looks like a fun park! P.S. Be sure to have someone push against the table while you screw it in...the screw might not go in at all.

After Christmas Present
I purchased this playhouse for my little girl,she is 21 months old and she loves it,I actually have it in my house.I think it can be indoor/outdoor, due to it's size it's perfect for a little one who is just starting out and gives them room to grow.It has very neutral colors and is just cute,it took me no time at all to put it together and watching my little girl playing in it makes it all worth while.Step2 did good with this product. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Guess what! Dora the Explorer has jumped on the royal bandwagon! This intrepid explorer is now a fairy tale princess with magical hair that grows when the jewel in her crown is pressed with a wand. Dora talks and sings, too, in both English and Spanish: "Vamanos! Let's go to fairytale land! Will you brush my hair?" The 14-inch-tall plastic doll is not designed to be cuddled so much as played with and groomed. She is attired in a satiny yellow gown trimmed in pink and purple, and has a brush, barrettes, and magic wand. The magical tresses emerging from the hair-growing tube are quite realistic, although grownups, at least, might be a little unnerved at the sleek brown hair oozing in and out of Dora's head. Still, children are experts at suspending disbelief and accepting weirdness in the world, so they probably won't mind a bit. Four AA batteries required (included). --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Editorial Review

A palace among playhouses, this elegant monster just might fitthe entire family in a pinch! With exterior dimensions of 58 by 68 by67 inches, it's tempting for parents to sell the real house. Theinside is equipped with a foldout table, sink/stove with cupboard,cordless wall phone, and clock with movable hands. It even featuressnazzy features like a white-framed bay window and a skylight. The endwalls have shuttered windows, and there's a full-length (46-inch) frontdoor. The roof is teal simulated tile and the walls are a pale tan.There's even a plastic welcome mat. Because of its size, the playhouseis suitable for large playrooms or yards only. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Kids love it
I bought this play house last year for my 2 year old, and he is 3 now and his brother is 1 and they play in it every day. I keep mine in the house. It was not hard to put together at all and is easy to take apart to move around. It does take the help of two people though.The door on the house is a tight fit so the only bad thing about that is fingers get pinched. But overall this was my sons best christmas present and they still enjoy it and so do my niece's and nephews.Great for any age!!!!!!

Great Job, Step2!!!
After an extensive research of outdoor toys, I have decided that this house would be a nice addition to our backyard. (...) Needless to say, I was thrilled to come across one at a garage sale.

I would like to share with those considering buying it, that this playhouse has been one of the best toys we have purchased for our kids (5 and 1 y. o.) Some of the things to consider:
1. It is extremely durable. The house I have purchased is several years old and none of the colors had faded except for the Step2 red square logo. There are no cracks, broken parts, or major scratches. The only thing I had to do with it is to wash it and reattach some of the stickers that had started to peel.
2. It is HUGE. I am 5'7 and can easily fit in the house. I do have to sit down inside, but there is still plenty room left for my kids, their "babies" and strollers, as well as a play shopping cart.
3. It is sturdy. Our 7-month, 70 lbs German Sheppard pup has been testing the house by stepping on the table and jumping in and out of the windows. The house stands up great to all this abuse.
4. It is fun. Our kids have spent HOURS at a time playing in it. It encourages their imaginations and development of language skills.
5. It encourages outside play. Did I mention that our kids now play outside even when it rains? The playhouse makes a perfect shelter for those days when it just "drizzles" outside.
6. You will be able to return at least some of the $$ when your kids outgrow it. As I mentioned earlier, the house is extremely durable and much sought after at garage sales.
7. It is easy to move. It took me about 15 minutes to disassemble the house and another 15 to put it back together.

Overall, it is a great toy and our kids enjoy playing in it daily.

9 years and still giving enjoyment
We bought the playhouse for our daughters, then 5 and 3. The house was big enough for both of them plus a few friends. In comparing expensive wooden houses, little tykes and step 2. The decision was easy. This house is larger than others, was very little maintenance and blended great in our yard. The house traveled with us to another state and held up great through the move. The girls enjoyed the house for many, many years. Every spring we power washed the house and it looked as good as the day we bought it. Unfortunalty my kids now 13 & 11 outgrew the house. But, through these past 9-10 years,the play house has not aged at all. In fact, we gave it to a neighbor last year and her preshoolers are now enjoying this very house that it still on the market today. Good job step 2

Big and Roomy
We bought the Welcome Home Playhouse when my daughters were 2 and 1 years old and as soon as their baby brother is able to, will be sharing it with him as well. There is plenty of room for all 3 plus their friends to play inside this house - it's huge. There is a built in sink and cupboard, shelves, a table that can be folded down, a clock with hands that turn and a phone that makes lots of different sounds.
The window shutters and doors are easily opened and closed by the youngest of toddlers and my eldest daughter (now 3.5 years) has taken to climbing in and out of the windows! My other daugther likes to stand in the sink and sit on the table. All of this and it still looks brand new.

My husband and I have to bend down to get through the door but we are able to stand up inside. It is a big playhouse - I wouldn't recommend it for inside unless you have a HUGE playroom ... it takes up quite a bit of room.

As it is permanently outside ours has faded a little with our harsh Australian sun but that will happen with anything you leave outside. It shows no sign of deterioration despite being left in all kinds of weather (we don't have snow where we live)and sits easily on concrete, grass or paving.

The assembly instructions are detailed and recommend that there be two people to work together. We found it quite easy and it was up in about 20 minutes the first time. I say the first time because since we have bought it we've moved house 3 times (1 time to a new city). Pulling it down and re-assembling it has never been a problem and we are much quicker at it now. It's really easy to keep clean - being outside, it will get dirty and get the odd spider or two but we find a sweep down inside and out each week and a warm soapy wash and rinse every other week keeps it in good condition.

As with any playhouse big or small the kids have an amazing time playing everything - tea parties, hide and seek games, you name it- they play it. They are only limited by their imagination.

The reason we bought this plastic house over a wooden one was for its portability (we move house often with my husbands job), it's durablity, how easy it is to keep clean and the fact that many children can fit inside at once.

This was a HUGE purchase for us (especially in Australian $$)- but I've not regretted it. We've already got our moneys worth many times over in it's ease of moving it from one home to the next and, more importantly, the amount of enjoyment and fun my children and their friends have already had with it.

Worth the extra money
We have seven children and have owned this house for seven years. It has held up through snow, sleet, windstorms, moving it single hand throughout the yard, moving to another state, etc.. The only damage our house has incurred was when it snowed 12" in the mountains. The skylight cracked under the pressure and fell in. Otherwise, our children have used and abused this house and it has held up. We expect it to last until our baby is too old for it! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The incredibly popular LEGO Bionicle series approaches the long-standing tradition of building toys in a different way than anyone who is only familiar with older LEGO sets might expect. Bionicle imagines an epic battle being fought in a far off planet where everybody, somewhatcuriously, is built out of LEGO blocks. In this limited edition Bionicle set, we meet Ultimate Dume (the homonym is no accident) who seeks to wreak havoc on the unfortunate residents of Tua Nuva. There are 555 pieces in all and the finished product is indeed an impressive and nimble looking towering creatures. Of course, since its LEGO, the bricks can be used for an infinite variety of other purposes to build yet other creatures limited only by the builders imagination. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (5)

FUN IS THE WORD I AM LOOKING FOR
it works super good i bought my 11 year old 2 so they fight.the money is well worth it.i would throw somthing on th ground and it would pick it up. IF I WERE YOU I WOULD BUY 2

GREAT
This is a great remote control toy. My kid has loved it ever since he got it. It is definitly worth the money. It is not like other remote control dogs that fall over every time and cost a lot more. If you want something that isn't too expensive and works well get this you wont regret it.

ROBOSAPIEN TECH'S BEST
ROBO IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF NEW AGE ROBITS AT ITS BEST.AS A COLLECTOR OF FINE ROBOTS FOR HOME USE AND NOT AS TOYS,I HAD GREAT INTREST IN THE ROBOSAPIEN. I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY RECOMMEND IT AS TOY FOR ROUGH KIDS BUT AS A LEARNING PLATFORM FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS. WITH A LITTLE PATIENCE YOU CAN PICK THINGS UP AND HIS MOTIOINS ARE VERY FLUID. THIS IS ROBOTICS AT ITS BEST. YOU MIGHT EXPECT TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM HONDA OR SONY WITH THEIR TOP DOLLAR BOTS BUT TO GET SUCH QUALITY AT A BARGAIN PRICE IS GREAT. YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF THINKING THE LITTLE GUY IS ALIVE!!!! IT'S LIKE WATCHING THE CHARACTERS FORM SMALL SOLDIERS COME TO LIFE IN FRONT OF YOU. IF YOU LOVE ROBOTS AND ROBOTICS DON'T PASS THIS UP!!!!!!!

Super Fun
Our experience is different than the earlier reviewers...my very bright 12 yr old boy has a blast with this thing. He actually read the instructions and makes it do lots of fun things. It keeps him very entertained, and he's always coming up with new tricks to entertain everyone. It's kinda lovable too in a funny sort of way. :)

Not worth the money.
The robot has some entertainment value when it first comes out of the box, but that goes away fairly quick. The motion is not very fluid, it kinda shuffles to walk, you don't have direct control over opening or closing the hands, it basically only has one pre-programmed pick-up motion. It says that it's programmable, which it is, but it doesn't remember the programming after it shuts off. This simply is not the NASA designed, fluid motion, humaniod robot that I thought I was getting. I would wait till retailers realize this isn't a hundred dollar toy, and get it on clearance for under fifty bucks. ... Read more

Editorial Review

You can really bug out with this 487-piece LEGO set especially aimed at the creative entomologist. The set could be used to make anything from dinosaurs to deep space stations, but the thick (83-page) manual is aimed squarely at the Legologist who wants to design crawling critters. Spiders, scorpions, snails, and worms--if it buzzes or slithers you can make it. Frogs, lizards, a crab, and a bird round out the suggested menagerie, and of course there’s no rule against inventing new species of imaginary arthropods. Hop on over to this set and get bitten by the LEGO bug! --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Bugs & Other Wild Creatures Fun
I recently purchased this for my four year old son and we have a great time building the creatures in the booklet. So far, we've built the spider, lizard, and crab. He loves it! The many intricate details do challenge him but we work together and have great fun. I did purchase a container to store and separate the colors and various bricks so we can find the pieces efficiently. I am amazed by all the various pieces and how much lego bricks have evolved over the years. This set definitely provides hours of fun and creativity. We would purchase other Make & Create sets in the near future.

Well worth the money
When my son was four he was such a fan for bugs and animals that I decided to buy the Lego Wild Collection for his fifth birthday. I knew he would be a year younger than the recommended age of 6+, but I figured I could help him. When he received the toy he was thrilled and immediately engaged me to build the Crab. It was very hard because there were about 500 pieces, most of them very small pieces, but after an hour of "needle-in-the-hay-stack" hunt I succeeded in locating all the necessary bits. My boy was able to put most of the pieces in by consulting the book's step by step instructions, but about 10% of the time he couldn't understand it and I would have to show him how. Although he isn't a patient boy he was engrossed with the project and never lost focus, and in the end he was proud of the Crab and admired it for hours.

After I complained to my husband, a plumber, about the difficulty in locating the tiny pieces, he suggested that I go to the hardware store and buy a utility box that contained different compartments for the various parts. I found one such box with a lid and 12 compartments and sorted all the chunks out by size and color. Everything was a breeze to find after that - I wonder why Lego doesn't provide such a box.

Since then my son and I have dedicated about 12 hours building various creatures such as snakes, snails, spiders, scorpions, birds, fish, jelly fish, mosquitoes, daddy-long-legs, and we are not even half way done with all the possible 63 creatures yet. It was fun even for me because back when I was a kid Legos weren't half this fancy. The Lego website shows many extra pictures of various things one can build with the Wild Collection. We did have one missing piece - the Ant's belly - but Lego is sending it for free after I ordered it from their website. Today my son succeeded in building the Ant by substituting the missing piece with a different piece. He worked on it for 4 hours, mostly by himself because I couldn't find the time to do it with him, and he succeeded, to my total amazement, since the Ant is one of the hard ones to build. (There are 3 levels: easy, medium and hard.) It is amazing to see how fast he is learning to put the pieces together.

I would like to yell "Bravo!" to the Lego designers for coming up with such a wonderful toy. It isn't cheap, but in comparison to the amount of time a child spends with the toy, I think it is more than worth it. One can, of course, get a small, cheap Lego thing that can build only one thing, but after the child builds the same thing a couple of times he gets sick of it. This way, because there are so many pieces, there is a huge variety of things one can build, so you pay four times the money but you build a hundred times more critters too because you can reuse the parts. I just think it makes much more sense this way, and I highly recommend this toy to anyone.

Tip: There is a grey piece shaped like a handle. It is for taking the built legos apart. It doesn't say that in the instruction booklet, but that's what I figured it must be after I spent a few days prying stuff with the butter knife!

The part of the review is added 2 months later:
My son is done with the wild life lego set. I would say that he's spent more than 200 hours on it. On some days he worked on it day and night, and he can build every single critter in their without any help from me. Familiarity definitely breeds understanding in this case. Now he is moving on to the other Lego designer sets.

Beastly Fun Building!
My seven year old loves LEGO's, and is thinking of them in a whole new direction with this kit. Before he would only make cars, buildings and etc. (I'm not complaining!). He loved building the creatures in the book, and has started using them to invent his own animals. The creatures in the book are at different difficulty levels, but you can build even the biggest ones and still have enough left over to build more. My son has at least three of the biggest put together now, at the same time.

If you love LEGO, this is a must!
What a great set! You can build so many different creatures plus the great thing is that are enough pieces to build several creatures at the same time without dismantling other ones. I highly recommend this toy. My son has been playing with these constantly.

FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thiss toy is so much fun you can build different kinds of animals. A magazine comes in it and shows you how to make different animals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

It's still hard to get a triple word score, the tiles are still made of wood, there's only one "X" in the whole box, and family feuds are increasing exponentially. But after 50 years, Scrabble has had a face-lift: a swivel base allows the board to turn so players don't have to work upside down, a plastic grid helps keep tiles in line, and a handy bag stores the letters when they're not in use. The premise hasn't changed at all--two to four players battle it out to make high-scoring words from seven little letters--so choose a dictionary before play begins to avoid ugly confrontations. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Play Scrabble? Buy This.
Remarkable. Scrabble is cool. Hep. Rad. Outta sight. But Scrabble in this deluxe form is sublime, intoxicating. The pieces stay put, thanks to little walls around each space. You can spin the board so as to not need to examine it upside down. The pieces never slide around. The plastic coating lets you wipe it off, unlike the cardboard version which stains. Nothing is compromised from the original, flat cardboard version, but everything is improved.

OK. Not everything. It still can't help you dump the Q, Z and J at the end of the game without a U. And it is unlikely to assist you in stopping your grandmother's amazing ability to squeeze you out of that triple word score you hoped to grab with a seven-letter word. Take that up with Gram. Just remember who made you the cookies.

Seriously, I recommend this to any family or commited Scrabble player. Families need it for that 'full-body contact' style of play that sometimes happens with children or cats involved. Commited Scrabble players need it for pretty much the same reason!

I fully recommend this game.

Anthony Trendl

A terrific game for the digital age!
Scrabble - deluxe, electronic, regular and travel editions, has been a tradition in our family for three generations. Even as technology becomes ubiquitous in our personal and professional lives, a game of good old fashioned Scrabble anytime two or more family members or friends are gathered is still among the most entertaining activities! It's an occasion for camaraderie, competition and conversation that is likely to remain popular in the 21st century and I highly recommend it for people of all ages.

Don't understand why they made this
I don't understand why this was released as a "deluxe" edition. This board is horrible. It is made of cheap plastic, nothing like you would think for $30. I was very, very, very disappointed in this. If you are looking for a good scrabble board, look somewhere else, because this is not the one. I have an old one that is great, but it is dirty and old, so i wanted somthing new. I am sorry I bought this. I guess it could be good as an occasional toy, but not for serious scrabble lovers.

A great game diminished by cheap construction
Our family enjoys playing scrabble so much so that we decided to buy the 'Deluxe' version to solve some of the common problems we have playing the game on a regular board.
Needless to say I was thoroughly disappointed at the cheap, flimsy, plastic board I received in the box. I have seen other 'Deluxe' brands which my friends and relatives had bought years ago and was shocked at what is now being sold, at over double the price of the regular version. The old one I had looks as if it will outlast the 'Deluxe'.
I reduced the fun rating by 2 stars simply because I hate looking at this board. Save your money and don't buy this one.

About the "Deluxe Edition"
I already reviewed normal scrabble, so this review is just about the Deluxe Edition. I got this as a gift and I appreciated how much easier it was to play because the board spins and the letters are secure.
A must when you are playing on the kitchen table in a crowed house. Worth the extra money in my opinion. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Most favorite toy in the whole house!
My son received this as a Christmas present just before he turned one year old - it has been a hit ever since! Every day the animals find their way all over the house and every night we put them back in their places & listen to the sounds they each make! He has learned to identify each of the animals, their sounds, and that everything has its own place. This is the best toy!

Not what I expected from Fisher Price...
My son received this farm as a gift. It is cute, but he doesn't seem as interested in it as I thought he would be. Also, shortly after he received it, a small piece broke off the bottom of the windmill - just the right size to be a serious choking hazard. I really didn't expect this from a Fisher Price toy. I took the windmill away, and he still plays with the rest of it.

2AM MOO MOO
THIS IS A GREAT TOY AND MY 22 MONTH OLD LOVES IT BUT, THE MOOING FROM THE COW AT 2AM IS NOT ANY FUN FOR MOM AND DAD! IT IS SUPER SENSITIVE AND MAKES NOISES EVEN WHILE IN THE CLOSET WITH NOBODY PLAYING WITH IT.......

Great Toy
Our daughter loves the little people toys! Especially the Farm! We started buying little people for her on her first birthday and she still plays with them now that she is over 3. This is a great gender neutral toy for children to enjoy! I even bought this for our nephew who lives 2 states away. We were not certain what kinds of toys he would play with and what kinds of toys he already had. It ended up being a good gamble. He really enjoyed this toy and now he has many more pieces his parent bought for him since they found out he enjoyed this so well.

Great for language development
I am a speech pathologist working with birth to 5 yrs old. This toy is a favorite with all of my clients and has served years of duty, being transported from car to home to car to classroom almost every day. I bought it several years ago though and the sounds worked only for a few months, even when i changed the batteries... not sure exactly what happened, but I thought Fisher Price would have been slightly more durable mechanically. I am not heart broken tho because the songs were a little too much for me- they kept goign off during transport. Other than that, I love it and the kids love waking the farmer up and having the farmer kick the dirty animals out of his bed: "Get out of my bed you muddy pig!" ... Read more