Every Kid Should Have One Of These
Written: Apr 09 '01
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Pros: Easy to carry. Illuminates white, green or red. Batteries locked safely in place.
Cons: Stiff on / off button. Pesky shut off timer.
The Bottom Line: A great flashlight for kids of any age. Sturdy, strong and not too rough on batteries. Recommended for backyard explorers, insect hunters and budding detectives.
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| Freak369's Full Review: My First Flashlight |
If there is one toy manufacturer other than Lego that I should have invested in a long time ago – it is Playskool. Known for rugged design and a good value for your dollar – they continually produce toys that can keep up with even the most active children.
My First Flashlight caught my eye a few years ago when I started shopping for items that my boys could use when they turned into “back yard warriors”. I wanted something that was durable, easy to use, didn’t eat through batteries every few hours and would be strong enough to light up at least five feet of space in front of them. Let’s face it – some kids flashlights are so weak that you can’t even justify wasting batteries on them.
My First Flashlight is the perfect size for my boys – the handle is spaced far enough away from the body so they can get a good grip on it. And speaking of grips – there are small raised bumps on the outer part of the handle to provide a little extra “gripping power” for little hands. Although it looks rather bulky and heavy – it really isn’t – so don’t let that scare you away from checking it out. One of the nicest things about it – from my standpoint – is that you can set it upright to free your hands. When my boys “go camping” in the back yard they are always finding insects and rocks and with the My First Flashlight they can rest it on a rock or on the ground and give whatever it is that caught their interest a closer look.
One of the worst features on this has to be the fader / timer pad located on the underside of the handle. In order to get the unit to work you have to press this – I suppose this was to save the batteries but in my opinion it is a draw back. My solution; a small piece of Velcro wrapped around it. When the boys know they are going to have it on for any length of time them tighten the Velcro strap and loosen it when they want it to fade off.
My First Flashlight also comes with the ability to shine in red or green. The purple twist dial on the right hand side of the unit turns one way for green and the other for red. Granted this cuts down on the brightness of the light emitted – but kids love this feature. At Christmas time they use either color and shine it on their Christmas trees in their rooms. For me this is safer than a few strands of lights and less costly on the electric bill. My boys have also said that using the red or green lens outside at night cuts down on the amount of moths and other pesky flying creatures that are attracted to light. The lens of the flashlight is made of plastic so there’s no need to worry about it breaking if it’s dropped.
The My First Flashlight uses 2 C batteries – mine came with batteries already supplied but they died rather quickly. The batteries are housed behind a pop out drawer that is protected with a rather long screw. I kept turning and turning the screw wondering exactly how long this little sucker was. The drawer does not come out of the flashlight – well – that was my initial thought anyway. There is a small purple little lever that drops down to hold the drawer in place – this also prevents the battery drawer from opening or being taken completely out. Push the lever up and the drawer should easily come out. Be very careful removing the drawer – the bulb is attached to the end of it. To replace the drawer simply side it back into the flashlight with the batteries facing the back of the unit.
One thing Playskool should think about redesigning on this unit is the on / off switch. The units I have purchased have all been extremely hard to push forward and backward. I would have thought that over a period of time and with a little use it would have loosened up but no way – that switch is just brutal for little hands (especially when covered with camping food like peanut butter and jelly).
The color scheme on My First Flashlight is very nice – a light gray spackle with purple buttons and a teal face plate for the lens. These types of colors are neutral so the flashlight can be purchased for either a boy or girl. I think I have bought five of these so far – one ended up in the pool by accident (no, they are not waterproof) and one was lost at the zoo. I have paid anywhere from $8.99 to $10.99 for these at Target, Wal-Mart and K-Mart – be sure to look for them on sale when they bring out the summer items.
The Playskool My First Flashlight is a quality item and I honestly feel that kids of all ages would have a great time with it. Be it back yard camping, telling ghost stories under the sheets or playing hide and seek – this is just the flashlight to provide years of use.
As always – thanks for stopping by… ^V^ Freak ^V^
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $10.99
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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