~~~THE LITTLE TIKES CAST 'N COUNT FISHING SET~~"I WANNA PLAY FISHEES, MOMMA!"
Written: Oct 28 '02 (Updated Nov 19 '02)
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Pros: Provides hours of counting and color learning "fishing" fun, especially in water.
Cons: Pictured version not readily available in most stores; try eBay or garage sales.
The Bottom Line: Be on the lookout for the original edition of this Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set second hand for a great educational role playing toy for your special preschooler.
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| melissasrn's Full Review: Cast 'N Count Fishing Set |
While cleaning out our basement over the weekend (which was a long overdue project, by the way!), I found a huge box of preschool toys that have been packed away for many years now as my older children (ages 10 and 12) have long outgrown them. In the pile was this complete set of the Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set (as pictured above exactly) that still looked as good as new. Over seven years ago, my now 10 year old son, Kameron, received this role playing toy for his third birthday from a family member and he played with it quite frequently during his preschool days. The time had now come to pass this fun fishing set down to his younger brother, Tristan, who turned 2 back in June. What a hit this "new" toy has become already! I should have "fished" this set out of the basement months ago :-) Read on to find out more.
~~~The Toy~~~
Recommended for preschoolers ages 2 to 5 years, this Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set contains a large tackle box full of colorful fish along with a child's size fishing pole, complete with casting crank, bobber, and large hook. Constructed with the highly durable plastics that Little Tikes is famous for, this toy will easily last through many years of play and then some. The curved fishing pole itself is approximately 16 inches in length and is bright blue in color with the Little Tikes logo found on the side. Twist the yellow hand crank located on the right (for right handed users only), crank clockwise to lower the bobber and hook via a strong light pink rope and crank it counter clockwise to raise them back up again. The removable large green hook has three curved prongs on it that allows the fish to be "caught", and it attaches easily into the bottom section of the round red and white bobber. Inside the clear green tackle box with the orange lid are 10 colorful fish that are numbered 1 through 10 and are approximately 4 inches in length each. The tackle box itself measures 7 inches wide, 9 inches long, and 9 inches high when the lid is in place. All young fishermen (and fisherwomen, too, of course!) have to do to place the large orange lid featuring drawings of fish and a functional carrying handle onto the open green box is to snap it easily into place. The fishing pole included with this Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set may also rest longways through holes found on either end of the lid to keep the set together as one unit, decreasing the chance of losing any of the pieces during storage.
~~~Price & Availability~~~
As far as I can tell, the old version of this Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set as pictured above is no longer in production at this time. It has currently been replaced by a newer battery operated edition with redesigned colors and fish shapes (see the end of this review for more information). To pick up this original quiet model which requires more use of the imagination, however, be on the lookout at garage sales, consignments shops, and online auction sites (such as eBay) for a set of your own. The newer version retails for anywhere from $12.00 to $14.00 at many toy stores that sell Little Tikes products, so I'd assume you'd pay much less for an older, used set. Since the trend in toys now seems to be that they have to DO something (make music, light up, talk, etc.) to get the attention of today's youngsters, it's no surprise at all that this Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set has been updated to keep up with the times. I'm not sure this is a GOOD thing, but it sure brings in the cash for toy manufacturers.
~~~Role Play and Educational Value~~~
Preschoolers will have hours of fun while playing with this Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set. Children learn number recognition and how to count from 1 to 10 by inspecting the curved fish each printed with a separate number during play. And since each fish is a different color (from several shades of pink and green to orange, purple, red, and yellow), children learn to recognize their colors as well. It takes some steady hand-eye coordination for young sportspersons to turn the crank on the fishing pole and actually "catch" a fish by hooking their curved tails through the triangular opening with the green hook. They can do so right directly from the opened tackle box if they want to, or the fish may be thrown into the bathtub or small wading pool for more realistic fishing play in water. Tristan absolutely loves his "new" toy, and I had difficulty actually getting him out of the bathtub last night because he was too busy playing with the fishees. I have no doubt that this Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set will provide lots of role playing fun for my youngest son during his preschool years, just as it did for his older brother.
~~~Overall Recommendation~~~
Since this old version of the Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set is most likely no longer available in most toy stores currently, find one second hand and pay much less than the original retail price in the process. Or choose the new battery operated model just in time for the upcoming holiday season as the theme behind both are the same, only the new set features more up-to-date electronic sounds. Either way, children will have loads of fishing fun by "catching" these colorful fish by the tail and reeling them in. And they just might learn a color or two (as well as how to count) in the process. Highly durable in construction while being both fun and educational in the process, this original Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set is quite worthy of handing down from one child to the next. Good luck and happy toy shopping!!
***In today's high tech electronic era, it's no surprise now that this Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set is now available in a battery operated edition. According to product advertising at the Little Tikes website: You’ve caught a big one! This electronic fishing set makes realistic noises including: a casting “whirr,” a “splash” as the line hits the water, and a “gulp” and splash of a fish taking the bait. It’s also a counting game with numbered fish (1-5). Everything stores in the large tackle box. Batteries included.
To see a photo of the current model, copy and paste the following link into your computer's web browser:
http://www.littletikes.com/toyfinder/default.asp? URL=/toyfinder/productsfull.asp?sku=0921
For more information on other high quality, durable toys for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond, check out the following website:
www.littletikes.com
Questions or comments?
1-800-321-0183
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): gift
Type of Toy: Educational
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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