Love Dora the Explorer, house is empty, get a bank loan to fill with furniture
Written: Nov 01 '05 (Updated Nov 26 '05)
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Pros: Fun for ages 2-8 girls and 2-4 boys
Cons: have to buy all the pieces separately
The Bottom Line: Kids love it, even if your pocket book doesn't. Great as a gift for two or more kids. Ages 2-8 (girls) 2-4 (boys)
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| carennedy's Full Review: Dora the Explorer: Dora's Talking House |
Rewritten:
Why does everything need to talk? The good thing about this is that there is an on/off switch and the batteries last; a year so far. The spanish is a great feature and my daughter is picking up some phrases, this makes her very proud of herself, good self esteem builder.
Santa brought this to our house last year, it was the only thing on my 2 year old daughter's list. It has been played with constantly using a variety of toys, everything from Barbie to my Little Pony. The 8 year old girls in my dayhome love it when this toy is out, next thing I know all the accessories are around it and a whole complex story is unfolding. Now before every father out there cringes - it is OK for a boy to play with dolls.... Every 3 year old boy that has come to visit loves playing with the house. Mind you they don't make up complex stories, but they push the buttons and make up simple stories with boots, Diego and swiper.
The figurines are the perfect size for little hands and are very durable. The ones that are made to go with the house can sit down on the furniture as their legs bend. The kids do use the regular figurines, the ones that don't move any parts, and they work just fine. When Santa bought the house there were no extra figurines and I had to hunt down the accessories, now there are room additions, a pool, a van, and a greenhouse. Can you guess what's on the list for Santa this year?
The room sets are great because they come with some extra decor items and each main piece is able to change into a second view. ie. the table has a dinner and then can be converted with a cake in the middle and empty plates; Dora's bed can be converted into a bunk bed; and the entertainment unit turns into a computer desk; They have come out with a bathroom set and mami & papi's room since we purchased ours.
It is much bigger than Fisher Price's little people house and only about $20.00 more in some stores. It is very colorful and an exact replica of the picture in the books. The roof lifts up to create a second floor for the bedrooms. Both the front and back open up to reveal a living room, a bathroom and a kitchen. All rooms are roomy and have a floor that folds up when it closes.
The door bell sounds like a real doorbell, very frustrating when you go to answer the door. Four objects on the house talk, the doorbell, the fridge, the radio and the fold down kitchen table. Each object says both English and Spanish phrases.
Problems:
1.The roof stays up by two buttons one on each side, you have to push them at the same time and then lower the roof with your third hand. The kids almost always break the side walls because the push one button and try to force it down.
2.There is no latch to keep it closed and no handle to carry it around. Very awkward. This is a house you set up and leave up.
3.Doesn't come with much of anything. Ever tried living in an empty house, not much fun. Well, neither is playing with an empty house. You need to buy all the accessories, which are $20 CDN, for it and that can add up, real fast. One option is to create a wishlist for your child on this site and email it to your relatives. This is a great idea for relatives who live far away because they know exactly what your child wants, orders it and has it sent directly to you. Easy as 1,2,3.....
4.Characters - When we bought the house a year ago there were no character sets and very few room sets. Now you can add abula, diego, boots, tico, swiper and the rest of the cast. Each one comes with more extra decor. We used the older figurine sets and they work just fine for less money. Only thing is to get the bulk of the characters we've ended up with 4-5 Dora's.
This is a hard review to write up because my daughter loves it and plays with it a lot. But cost, value and quality says that I shouldn't recommend it. So bottom line, if you can afford it for your Dora loving child, get it, there are very few options out there. But if it is stretching your budget then buy the figurine sets and a cheaper house that comes with furniture. It will give you the same result, minus the talking appliances.
Update on figurines. I bought a new swiper for her, the kind made to go with the house, not a figurine set of 3 characters. It cost just over $5.00 CDN. We had it all of one day and swiper's tail broke off in the toy box. I did notice that since the new figurines came in the older sets of 3 characters are cheaper.
Dora Figurines, a must have
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
Type of Toy: Playscene
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Epinions.com ID:
carennedy
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Member: Shannon Peel
Location: Calgary AB
Reviews written: 28
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
I am a mother of two young children and a proud western Canadian.
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