Lots of Fun For Many Years
Written: Jan 06 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: easily entertains toddlers, practices use of fine-motor skills, has entertaining sounds, contains many different activities
Cons: small boulders could be easily lost, battery in dump truck can't be replaced
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| jakesmom09's Full Review: Happy Crane Construction |
My husband and I bought this toy as a Christmas gift soon after our son had turned two years old. I must admit that I was skeptical about it at first since it has two small balls as a main feature of the toy. I was afraid these items would become lost and the toy would become useless. However, after over one year of use, all parts are still there!
This toy is parent friendly because it requires no batteries and comes put together. No assembly is required.
This toy has held my son's attention over the course of this past year and is sure to hold his attention for at least 20-30 minutes each time I bring it out. The son for whom we purchased this toy is now three years old and loves the toy every bit as much as he did when he was two years old. We now also have a twelve month old son. He loves this toy as well. This toy is recommended for ages past twelve months old.
There are many activities on this toy and it grows with the child because as the child grows older, he/she is able to do more of the activities.
The two balls, "boulders," that come with the toy can be dropped in any one of three holes at the top of the toy. If you place the ball in the middle slot and give it a push, it will go through. There are also two more slots, one on either side of the top of the toy. If you place the ball in the slot on the right side, there is a clear plastic wheel filled with colored beads to turn so that the ball will drop through. Both my sons love this wheel since it makes lots of noise when you turn it due to the beads falling everywhere and is very bright and colorful. It's also easy enough to turn that both my twelve month old and three year old can turn it. The other place to put the ball is a space very near a ball hole. When a button is pushed it causes the ball to fall through the hole, into a grey swinging catcher and down into a square holder.
This toy comes with a red and yellow dump truck. You can push a button n the truck which causes it to make a sound. The instructions say that this battery for the truck sound can't be replaced when it is worn down. Ours still has not worn down after over one year of use. The boulders fit very well into the back of the dump truck and can easily be dumped out. When the dump truck is sitting in the "garage" part of the toy, the gas pump can be pressed which makes a ding and causes the dump truck to come rolling out of the "garage."
My three year old son is able to perform all of the activities this toy is intended for. My twelve month old is able to put the boulders where they go and make them come down the chutes. He is not quite clear on one of the chutes which requires the button to be pressed in order to work it the right way but he gets the ball down the chute in his own way. He isn't yet able to work the gas pump but is working on it. I think that is one of the things that keeps the toy interesting for him because there are still new things for him to figure out about it.
This toy has proven to be very durable and entertaining. It was well worth the money we spent on it. I think that it will be appealing to both my boys for at least two to three more years to come. I would recommend this toy for children ages one year old to five years old.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jakesmom09
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Member: Michelle Pyrlik
Location: Hiawassee, Georgia
Reviews written: 54
Trusted by: 26 members
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