Bob The Builder - Look Out Bob Villa!
Written: Sep 06 '02
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Pros: Cool stenciled brick blocks, warning sign, reversible play mat, Bob figure.
Cons: This is the best set out of the mini series! No cons whatsoever!
The Bottom Line: Can you help Bob fix the sidewalk? Make sure you put the warning sign where it can be seen by pedestrians!
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO Bob The Builder Bob At Work 3279 |
My nephew is a certified Bob The Builder fanatic. Sheets, a complete lunch place setting, posters, coloring books, crayons and thanks to me – Lego and Duplo building sets! During a phone conversation many months ago I asked him what he wanted more than anything else in the world for his birthday and his reply was “Bob The Builder”. It wasn’t what he said but how he said it that got to me. I set out on a mission to get him all the sets I could and even though his birthday is long gone I still continue to send them to him.
Of course my family thinks I am insane since most of the sets can be purchased for him in local toy stores rather than having me send them to him. Even so, I remember the thrill of getting mail when I was younger and I dare not deny him that same experience to save a few dollars. Since it is easier to unpack the sets, break down the boxes and repack the sets to save space and eliminate unnecessary weight – I took full advantage of the situation and gave these sets a very thorough test drive. The brood insisted that they were for “babies” even though they did like the vehicles in the larger sets.
Bob The Builder
Clad in his sturdy work uniform, Bob is more than ready to fix the sidewalk, but only after he puts up the warning sign and lets everyone know that there’s danger ahead! Identical to almost all the other Bob figures in other sets in the series, Bob has his stenciled tool belt and cute plastic hardhat ready to go. The contrast between the blue and yellow of his uniform is offset by the checkerboard design on his shirt. His face is nicely done but like the Wendy figure – his hands and arms seem a little out of proportion to the rest of the body.
Unlike Lego sets that have smaller figures, Bob comes with no accessories that can be used within the scene or held in his hands. This is partly due to the “2 and up” suggested age range and that these sets are targeted to kids who are still in the taste test stage of life.
The Warning Sign
What good is a construction site or work area without a brightly colored warning sign? The two pieces that make up the sign are easily connected and the sign has the ability to spin on the base. I sort of screwed up the sign by pushing it into the stand a little too hard and had one heck of a time getting it apart. This can be used anywhere in the play scene and is a nice addition to the set.
Tool Block
The blue tool block features a stenciled drill and crescent wrench on it. Even though there is only one tool block in this set, it is great to put in the scene or have it on the ‘under construction’ side of the play mat. If you have other Bob The Builder sets in the series there are other tool blocks that can be used within the scene – you can even create Bob’s tool shelf if you collect enough of them!
Play Mat
The two sided play mat that comes with this set is pretty cool if I do say so myself. The first side of the mat shows the sidewalk that Bob is working on. There’s a pretty big hole in it and the bricks resting in the street near the gutter are a very nice touch. At first I thought that this was a wall – that you were looking at the top of the wall – then my son gave me the “yeah right” look and turned the card around and said “it’s a sidewalk. Of course, this is just my take on the set; it can easily be adapted as a wall as well.
The reverse side shows the sidewalk [or wall] when it is completed. Having a two sided play mat doubles the replay value of the set and lets kids explore ‘before and after’ events. This also serves as a small reward, when they stack up the bricks and help Bob finish the task, they get to flip over the mat. Well done!
Brick Blocks
In my own opinion, the best part of the set that will more than likely get the most amount of play has to be the stenciled brick blocks. The image attacked to each of the yellow blocks is that of a small brick design. This makes it great for use with other sets even if they have no brick blocks in the set. They can be used to make walls, block off part of a roadway or just about anything your little one can think up. As with all the stenciled pieces in the Duplo and Lego line, care should be taken to avoid having a child chew on them, an occasional chomp won’t damage the brick but repeated attacks will dent the bricks or ruin the stenciled surface. Moreover than ruining the piece, your childs teeth are more important – if they get into the habit of chewing them it could result in an injury if they fall with a block in their mouth. These are sturdy pieces but not indestructible. Check the pieces often to see if there is any sign of chipping or wear, if so, remove the piece from the set.
The five brick blocks in this set should be enough of a start to challenge small children and give them tons of design options. Since this set, and others in this mini series, are inexpensive you can purchase multiple sets to increase the number of things a child can build. Don’t worry about your child growing out of them either, my boys still have tons of Duplo sized bricks that they use for walls, creating mountains or under base plates to prop up a scene.
The Bottom Line
I am sure that my nephew will pick this as the best of the three sets in this mini series. The reversible play mat, colorful and nicely detailed bricks, warning sign on of course Bob all make this set a wonderful collection. The bricks in this set can be mixed and matched with almost every other Duplo element currently on the market. If you are looking for expand your Duplo stock, there are several bulk packs that can be purchased for very reasonable prices.
I’ve found the best price for these at Wal-Mart at $3.99 per set – that’s a dollar less than Toys R Us so if you are planning on buying all three sets make sure you check around for the best price. With the money you save you can almost buy another one of these sets! And remember, all the pieces within the series work very nicely together so the more sets you have, the bigger creations your child can make.
Entertaining, educational and loaded with replay value, I can’t help but give this set two big freaky thumbs up!
The Stats
Set Name: Busy Bob At Work
Family Set: Bob The Builder
Lego Set: 3279
Number of Pieces: 9 [plus play mat]
Age Recommendation: 2 and up
Ease Of Assembly: Easy
Time Of Assembly: 5 minutes
Cost: $ 3.99
As always, thanks for the read!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2002 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $3.99
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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