Let me start off by saying that I think this is an awesome toy! Ty loves it and it has held his attention for 2 whole years. That’s pretty impressive for a preschooler. I think that it still ranks as one of his favorite toys to date, it’s typically one of the first things he plays with in the morning. I say all this to let you know that you will not be disappointed buying this for your child. The add ons (such as the airport) allow for continued expansion and let’s your child’s imagination run wild. We have spent countless hours designing and redesigning the track layout and it seems as if it will never get old to Ty. I highly recommend the GeoTrax series, it’s the perfect Christmas gift. Let me end by stating that I’m starting to notice ALOT of our kids toys come from Fisher Price, I never noticed that until I started doing these toy reviews, but if they continue to make items such as this, I’ll be happy to continue giving them my money.
This toy is a good addition that will help supplement your child’s learning in a fun manner. Kids already enjoy playing video games, so combining educational content should be a win-win for everyone. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. I’ve found that sometimes, Ty is more interested in completing the tasks of a given game than actually paying attention to the lessons that are being pushed. But at the same time, he has picked up quite a few things from playing these games, so it’s not all bad. The games themselves are typically full of content ranging from letter recognition, counting, and even math. The type of content found in these games have been helpful in jump starting Ty’s education, so that when it’s time for him to attend school, he’ll already have a head start. I must mention that the graphics are absolutely horrible, so if your child is around PS3s, Xbox360s, or Wii’s, the appeal of a V.Smile may wear off very quickly.
Ty really likes this double sided easel. He gets more use out of the marker side than the chalk side, but still uses both pretty regularly. We use it to leave him notes and pictures for when he wakes up in the morning and he loves it. This toy really allows him to express his creativity and requires minimal supervision. I did not give it 5 stars because the writing apparatus was sold seperately, and for the price I felt at least a few markers or a piece of chalk could of came bundled along with the product. Also, it comes with tiny magnetic alphabet letters, becareful if you have small children around as these pieces can easily be swollowed.
As you can see, Ty likes this toy & his only gripe is the fact that screws from his other tool sets won’t fit in this workbench. I really like this tool bench because it has mulitple activities for your child to enjoy. The power tools make real sounds and move as their real life counterparts. With the provided plastic “wood” pieces your kid can use the workbench to cut wood, drill holes, and piece together a toolbox. This gives them the feeling of actually achieving something and they’ll love to show it off.
