Bob The Builder's "Scoop On The Road" - Simply Awesome!
Written: Aug 31 '02 (Updated Aug 31 '02)
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Pros: Lots of replay value, easy to build, sturdy, great accessories.
Cons: Needs a little work with the instructions if children are to build this alone.
The Bottom Line: Can we move it? We sure can! The Scoop On The Road set is simply delightful for little construction workers in training.
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO Bob the Builder Scoop on the Road 3272 |
Bob The Builder is a fantastic and educational show, at least from what I've seen it is. Over the past few months I’ve been trying to get my hands on as many Bob The Builder toys as I can for my spoiled brat of a nephew. In order to send him the toys, games, coloring books and plush characters I often times have to repackage them to save space and eliminate excess weight since these are being shipped abroad. This gives me the chance to check out the toys and gauge the quality of them, how they stack up to other toys and if they are really worth the sometimes outlandish price tag. In the case of Scoop On The Road, I have to say that this is well worth the suggested retail price of $8.99.
My boys have long since outgrown the Duplo line of building blocks but that doesn’t mean that they have given them up. They are great pieces to use to build walls, create hills or mountains and to strengthen the bottom of large buildings. Investing in any of the Duplo sets, be it the large bulk packs or series specific sets, is something that will more than likely come back to you ten fold. They are educational, entertaining and extremely sturdy and have an exceptionally high replay value.
I got the chance to check out this set when I picked it up for my nephew and the brood were more than just a little curious to see how the vehicle was built and check out the signs and fence. It was pretty humorous to see them fumbling with the large blocks and having a little trouble building the set seeing as how they have all become “master builders” of the Lego elements.
Scoop
Comprised of ‘construction yellow’ Duplo elements; Scoop is a very impressive, yet easy to build, piece of machinery. One of the first things I noticed about him was the red warning light on top of the cab. This doesn’t flash, move or make noise but it is still a very cool looking detail. This snaps on easily and stays firmly in place so if you have rough little construction tikes – this shouldn’t be a problem.
The front part of the loader is about twice as big as the back bucket. You can easily fit a few Duplo bricks into the front scooper and move them out of the way. It’s roomy enough to pick up small items and transport them and sturdy enough to handle whatever you wish to move around. One of the nicest features of this is that unlike the real life construction machines – there are no “teeth” on the front. While this might make it a little hard to initially get an item into the bucket – it will cut down on the possibility of stepping on the teeth, having them snap off and present a choking hazard or having a child fall onto it.
The back scooper is small but you can still carry around a 2x2 Duplo brick or even the warning sign that comes with this set. This has a little more mobility than the front scoop since it has two movable section arms rather than one. Constructing the front and back loaders is simple but you might want to monitor the building process to make sure that all the connector pins are connected the right way. Even with an improperly placed brick or pin – backtracking in simple since the overall design of Scoop is simple and open.
Scoop’s face is as entertaining as ever and he’s sporting a huge grin since he’s doing what he loves most – moving stuff around! Scoop’s face is contained on one solid piece so you won’t have to worry about eyes or the mouth coming apart from the brick. Even with the front bucket raised or lowered you can still see Scoop’s face.
The Extras
Regardless of what you might think but looking at the piece count for the set, there are a few very cool extras included in this set. The blue fence is totally portable and can be used anywhere you like. It can be used to block off the construction area or when combined with other Bob The Builder sets – used to keep the onlookers a safe distance away from the site. It can be attached to Duplo bricks or used as a stand-alone piece. The green stenciled brick with the rather colorful bird is cute but might be a little confusing to smaller kids since it doesn’t have a specified place in the scene.
The stenciled yellow bricks are a nice touch to the set. They are bricks stenciled as bricks – how cool is that? These bricks are the same style as ones featured in other sets, so if you have any Bob The Builder Duplo sets already – these can easily be adapted for use with those sets. The small ‘man at work’ / danger sign is portable as well and snaps together easily.
Instructions
Overall the instructions are good, but not great. I have a hard time thinking that a child will be able to build this on his or her own with the provided instructions – even if they have had any previous building experience. Looking at them as an adult it’s clear to see what goes where but a 2 or 3 year old is going to have a little trouble figuring it out. I highly suggest that you sit down on the floor and offer assistance but let your child make a few attempts before you step in.
My Two Cents
After checking out this set I think that this would be a great set to use to for kids just getting into the elements of building, even more so if they are Bob The Builder fans. Even though these are Duplo items and much larger than Lego bricks there is still the possibility of a child giving it a taste test and choking on a few of the elements. The one piece I would be most concerned about would be the warning light, even though this is attached to a flat small plate, there is still a chance that a child could start chewing on it and have it become lodged in their mouth or possibly their throat. No one wants to sit here and read about the possibility of a child choking on a toy, but it is something that I feel needs addressed – especially when these toys are of an appealing nature – in this case Bob The Builder.
Generally Duplo sets are a safe and fun way for a child to start exploring the building process but they are notmeant to be tossed on the floor and used as a babysitter. It is better to take a few minutes and look at each of the blocks and elements in a set than to sit in the emergency room for hours on end. Each child is different and even though a vast majority of the Duplo Bob The Builder sets are slated for children 2 and older – you are the one who knows your child and his or her habits best. Never trust a suggested age range on a box; it is there as a guide, not as a rule.
Since these bricks will more than likely end up in a childs mouth you might want to check the bricks often for any sign of wear. The stenciled images are very durable but I’ve seen my fair share of tattered bricks when the brood were teething or wanted to taste test the different bricks. Any brick that is stenciled that is showing any type of peeling should be removed from the set. Please do not try to apply clear nail polish to the stenciled portion of the bricks since this too will start to peel away and could be ingested by a child.
The Bottom Line
I had a lot of fun playing around with this – as did the boys. I was extremely happy that Wal-Mart finally started to restock some of the Lego and Duplo sets and I am sure that my nephew will get a kick out of this. Fans of the television show will more than likely have a ball with this set. It’s moderately priced, offers a tremendous amount of replay value and teaches kids the basics of building while being highly entertaining at the same time.
This would be a great introduction set into the world of Duplo’s since there are more than enough pieces to play with as well as the functional Scoop. If you want to enhance this set there are numerous small sets in the $3.99 ballpark that can be mixed and matched to this set. It’s never too early to introduce your child to blocks, bricks or any type of building toy / tool – as long as they are not used as a babysitter these sets will provide hours of education and entertainment!
The Stats
Set Name: Scoop On The Road
Family Set: Bob The Builder
Lego Set: 3272
Number of Pieces: 21
Age Recommendation: 2 years and older
Ease Of Assembly: Easy
Time Of Assembly: 5 – 10 minutes
Cost: $ 8.99
As always, thanks for the read!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2002 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $8.99
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Other
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