There's something *buzzzing about* and it sounds and looks like FUN. What is it? The Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox, of course.

The Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox was released in late February 2002 and has been haunting me with pop-up advertisments on the Little Tikes website since it was released. So I must have looked at this mailbox at least 50 times! You see, we are trying to make our backyard play area just "perfect" for our little guy who is enjoying outdoor play to the fullest this summer season. This mailbox was one of the products that I put on my "definitely a possibility" list consisting largely of Little Tikes and Step 2 products.

So, it came as a pleasant surprise to find out that the Buzzz About Mailbox had recently been sent to several portrait studios including the ones at Target and JC Penney. We happen to frequent the nearby Target Portrait Studio every couple of months to send reasonably priced professional pictures to all the out of town family and friends, namely the first-time grandparents! While waiting for the sitting ahead of us to finish up my son played happily with the Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox and thoroughly enjoyed exploring every aspect of it to the fullest.

When it came time to take pictures we decided to not take our pictures with it and opted for some different poses, but I knew that I would have to look for this cool offering from Little Tikes and if it was reasonably priced my husband thought we should get one. Whenever my husband says, "oh we should get that" - its a good thing. He hasn't been wrong yet on something that our son enjoys thoroughly. Of course, I am the type of person who anytime I walk into someplace like Target or Walmart I can't get out of there without spending less than $20. I searched the toy aisles and was quite surprised to find out that they didn't have the Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox in stock at Target. It would have to be Toys R Us, then - and so it was. I found this mailbox for right around 20 dollars and decided to go for it.

What's the Buzzz?

The Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox is a colorful plastic mailbox that stands just under 2 feet tall made of the same sturdy plastic that Little Tikes is known for. The mailbox itself is royal blue with a sunny yellow door and bright red mail-flag mounted on the side of it. The mailbox is mounted on a construction sign orange colored pole which is seated into a kelly green circular base.

So, you're thinking... So what, its a mailbox. Nope, its more than a mailbox! This mailbox has a few companions which include a boppling butterfly, buzzing bee, click-chomping worm, and spinning ladybug. And.. the best part of all, mail. The Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox comes with 3 letters (red, purple, and yellow) and 3 packages too (in red, yellow and blue).

Mail call!

There is so much that kids aged from 6 months to 3 years (or older) can do with the Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox which can be used for sensory play, motor skill development, imaginary play and more.

We just got a letter! We just got a letter!

My son has lots of fun sorting the plastic letters through the slots in the front and side of the mailbox. Since the back of the mailbox is open, its easy to retrieve or load mail that way too. And its fun for peek-a-boo or silliness too. He gets a really big kick out of me looking into the mailbox from behind it as he opens and shuts the mailbox door. When the letters are not being mailed, or sorted they can be stored in the 3 convenient side slots that are in the green base.

What's better than getting a letter... getting a package!

When sorting gets "old", we move along to stacking. The 3 "packages" provided with the Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox are noneother than square cups which are intended for stacking and nesting. The packages also get mailed and retrieved. Yes, we love the packages! Who doesn't?

So, what's that buzzing? This mailbox is equipped with sound. The most fun sound of all being the little plastic bee which lets out a buzzzzzz when it is spun around or manipulated. The bee is the only sound on Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox which requires batteries (2 AA). The remainder of the sounds are all kid-powered. The sounds include a clicking worm which is on a slider, a "whirring" sound as a round ladybug is spun around, and also a crank-like sound as the red mail flag is rotated around. These sounds can be enjoyed by children of all ages, but especially the 2 and under crowd.

Older children (2+) will most likely enjoy this mailbox for roleplay and imaginary play type scenarios. My son is 18 months and enjoys simple play where I talk through day to day activities, like getting a letter, or sending one. Going outside to get the mail is something we also enjoy, and this little mailbox means we can enjoy mailtime anytime we want. Fans of Blues Clues, will also enjoy this. Its a perfect companion for the Mail Song. Or, if your child has a playhouse or fort, the Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox makes a perfect accessory. It can be used either indoors or outside as its made entirely of plastic and the sound component in the bee is completely sealed (and requires a screwdriver to open it up).

A few words from the Queen Bee aka Mom
There are a few things about the Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox which bear mentioning. Assembly is a challenge, at least it was for me. I'm not traditionally the person to assemble things in my house so it took me about half an hour but I was also doing a couple other tasks at the same time so I was a bit distracted. The only tool needed for assembly is a phillips head screwdriver but there are around 10 or so different screws to put in after snapping the pieces together. The directions are simply a diagram with no written explanation. Somehow I managed to get a few pieces on backwards and had to unscrew it completely and start fresh since I didn't want the door to be mounted backwards (oops!).

Also, for children who are just learning to walk or pull themselves to a stand this mailbox may present a challenge. While made of sturdy plastic, it is still quite lightweight and can tip. I think Little Tikes should have put a bit more weight in the green base to prevent this. My son has been on a kick of trying to carry this mailbox around with him places. Its rather large, but because its light enough its changed locales a few times, already. This also is a good thing, as its so lightweight its traveled from inside to outside without any troubles.

Overall, we love the Little Tikes Buzzz About Mailbox. This toy is a unique offering from Little Tikes that is both educational and fun. I look forward to a summer of mail, packages, learning numbers, colors, and more.

Guess, what?

We just got a letter! Let's see who its from!



For more info:
http://www.littletikes.com

Product Page:
http://www.littletikes.com/toyfinder/productsfull.asp?sku=1599

Photo Shoot Info:
http://www.littletikes.com/toyfinder/buzzphoto.asp

Play the Buzzz About Mailbox Game:
http://www.littletikes.com/funforkids/funforkids.asp?fun=buzzgame

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 20
Type of Toy: Playscene
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months