Little People Fire Truck: To the Rescue!
Written: Jun 04 '02 (Updated Jan 15 '03)
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Pros: Little People, Fun, Fire Truck
Cons: Where's the cat to rescue?
The Bottom Line: Help Fire Fighter Cheryl and Sparky the Firedog rescue kittens and put out fires with this fun little fire truck.
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| marytara's Full Review: Little People Fire Truck |
About a month or so ago my husband picked out the Little People Fire Truck for our son's growing collection of Fisher Price Little People. The truck was on sale from $14.99 to $12.99 and I had a coupon for $3 off making it under $10 and a "done deal".
What’s Included
The Little People Fire Truck is one of the Little People Large Vehicles meaning that it is oversized for ideal preschool and toddler play. The entire truck is about 9 inches long and 6 inches high. The ladder adds another 8 inches to the height when it is fully extended.
Included in this vehicle playset are:
FireTruck
Similar in looks to the shiny red metal trucks with extendable ladders the Little People Fire Truck is made of sturdy plastic, making it safe for toddler and preschool play. The truck, itself is red with golden yellow accents and a grey swivel extension ladder on the top - complete with a bucket. The ladder can swivel, turn, go up or down and the bucket fits one Little People figure. Additional Details on the truck include molded in dials, hose, nozzles, and even an axe (don't worry its non-removable). On one side there is a white fold-down stair case which reveals a small secret compartment which houses an instrument panel (its a sticker).
Removable Ladder
For those hard to reach fires, this is a small grey four-rung ladder that fits nicely onto the side of the truck for storage purposes but can removed for play. Its also easily lost, but thats another story.
In the front of the Fire Truck are 2 seats for the following Little People figures:
Fire Fighter Cheryl
Our heroine is Fire Fighter Cheryl. A very shiny plastic Little People figure with blonde hair, a happy face wearing firefighter gear. Her coat is red with a yellow stripe on it and silver buckles. She's wearing a black fireman's helmet that says 'Fisher Price' on it. Cheryl is made of a different grade of plastic than most Little People because she is made to activate the sounds of the truck.
Sparky the FireDog
Of course, Sparky is a Dalmation -white with a black spots. He's wearing a the exact same uniform as Fire Fighter Cheryl is, which includes a jacket and a helmet. Sparky is made of the same material that Little People are made of, almost like hard rubber.
On the plus-side…
Fun Sounds and Lights
What would a fire truck be without lights and sirens? The
Little People Fire Truck is fully equipped with honking horns, flashing lights and sounding sirens. Pressing down on the ladder when in the fully lowered position, two red lights on the truck will flash and cause the horns to honk and sirens to sound for a few seconds.
Fire Fighter Cheryl Talks!
Pressing down gently on Fire Fighter Cheryl while she is seated in her special seat (its the one with the narrow peg in it, as opposed to a standard Little People seat) will activate special sayings as well as sounds and lights.
Its almost as if they are magic.
"I'm Fire Fighter Cheryl, I fight fires."
"I hear an alarm, Let's go!"
"My firetruck is fast"
"Let's Go!"
"I fight fires. My puppy helps."
"My siren is loud"
"I'm Fire Fighter Cheryl, I rescue kittens."
"I rescue kittens. My puppy helps."
"Let's fight fires"
"My horn is loud"
I'm not sure how it works. There are some bumps on the seat and it must have to do with the way that the peg fits into the underside of Cheryl (ouch). Placing other Little People characters in the seat doesn't activate the sounds.
Fire Fighters are Heroes and Heroines
I commend Fisher Price for featuring a female fire fighter. This was definitely a selling point for me. There is also a male firefighter available that comes with the Little People Push 'n Pull Fire Truck.
My son was a bit intimidated by Fire Trucks at different parades and events and this truck has helped ease that fear as he is no longer getting upset when he sees them. This is a good thing, since we live near a Fire Station. Also given the events of 9-11 (and other tragedies) this toy could be used to talk about what happened with young children.
Value for your $
As far as Little People Playsets go this one is definitely a good value for your dollar. It includes a truck, a ladder, and 2 little people figures and is usually found for under $15.
Some Room for Improvement
No Cat!
I wish that Fisher Price had included a cat figure for rescuing. Especially since one of the sayings has to do with rescuing kittens. We usually use Spotty (another dog) which comes with the Little People playbook Spotty Can't Sleep for rescue purposes, but any Little People figure will fit in the bucket.
Sparky's spots
Sparky doesn't appear to be as quality as some of the other Little People figures we have. A couple of his spots have smudged and his jacket got a big scratch on one side. I'm not sure what or how it happened, but most Little People we have dont' show these signs of wear or tear.
Why? Fisher Price
No on/off or volume switch. The Little People Fire Truck is not a "noisy" toy by any means but it would be nice to be able to control the sounds and lights from going off unexpectedly. Also, you can always take out the 3 AA batteries which power the sounds. (You'll need a screwdriver for that).
Bits and Pieces
Like all Little People Playsets the bits and pieces are small and can get easily lost if you are not careful. Little People are the perfect size for toddler and preschool hands so they often “walk off”. In this case, its the ladder. We've lost it like 4 times. I always manage to find it but its made its way into just about every room of the house.
Overall
The Little People Fire Truck is a wonderful offering from Fisher Price for youngsters. In the month that we've had this my son has played with it countless times and it quickly found a home amongs our Little People community. I recommend this toy highly for both little boys and girls under the age of 5, especially toddlers who like vehicles.
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Additional info:
Goes well with these Little People Playsets
Little People Main Street
Little People Discovery City
Little People Home Sweet Home
Little People Police Car
Little People Garbage Truck
Little People School Bus
Little People Family Van
Little People Dump Truck
Little People Cement Mixer
Little People Fire Truck
Little People Push 'n Pull Fire Truck
Little People Large Vehicles Assortment
Sparky to the Rescue : Fisher-Price Little People PlayBook
My Standard Little People Warning!
Fisher-Price states that this toy is for ages 1 1/2 years and up. Fisher Price Little People could pose as a choke hazard for small children so please supervise your child while playing with this set. On a side note, the Little People of today are significantly less of a choke hazard than the simpler version of the past. Being larger and with appendages it would be a difficult feat to get in your mouth. (I tried and it was not a pleasant experience - but that’s not to say a child wouldn't do it.)
Cleaning: Do not immerse this toy in water. Clean it with a damp cloth (soap and water) or a baby wipe.
Savings: If you are interested in getting coupons for Little People products, join the Little People Club by going to the Fisher-Price site.
http://www.fisherprice.com/us/littlepeople
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 9.99
Type of Toy: Playscene
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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marytara
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Location: Jersey Shore
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