mjtriplett's Full Review: Playskool Triple Track Tower
Kid is big into his Wheel Pal vehicles right now, so we let family members know that he would love anything to do with them for Christmas. We were right; his aunt and uncle made it almost to the top of his favorite toy list (can’t beat those Lego Duplos) this Christmas with the Playskool Triple Track Tower.
The Triple Track Tower is a reasonably-sized toy made for racing the Wheel Pals. It comes with 3 tracks (ours are purple, blue and green - different from the above picture) that attach to a 3-tiered tower. The first tier is a gentle and almost flat slope; the second is a bit steeper and curvy slope and the third is a steep drop-off. It’s not difficult to guess which car might make it to the bottom first! The top tier of the tower has a flagged “starting gate” and the bottom of the track has a checkered finisher flag. The set also includes 3 Wheel Pal race cars that correspond in color to the 3 different tracks. A bonus is that on the backside of the tower is a little compartment for each race car to snap in and store. The entire set is easy for both Kid and I to pick up and move around.
2 AA batteries are required to operate the sounds on the Triple Track Tower - the first set is included upon purchase. The all-plastic tower is a cinch to put together and took us 3-4 minutes tops. All you have to do is snap the slides into the corresponding tower, snap the finishing line piece onto the bottom of the slides, and you’re ready to race! There is an on/off switch for the sounds; the track will work with it in either position.
The idea is to place the cars on their corresponding color platform at the top of each track. The checkered flag at the bottom should be pushed down and then a button at the bottom of the tower can be pressed to release all 3 cars at once for a race with sound effects! Each car can also be individually released by lifting up a tab on the back of the tower platform or by simply giving them a gentle push.
Kid has loved this tower from the moment he opened it at Christmas. I think, in part, that his enjoyment stemmed from his ability to operate the entire toy on his own from the get-go. He can place the cars on the tower, he can lower the flag, he can press the button to release all 3 cars at once, and he can lift up the tabs to release them individually. Frustration with the Triple Track Tower is almost nonexistent. However, it sometimes happens when he presses the button hard enough to release the cars but not hard enough to make the racing car sounds. By the time he presses it again for the sounds, the cars are at the bottom of the track. This one is no big deal.
The main frustration with the Triple Track Tower is that it cannot be used with most of the other Wheel Pals. The cars that are included in the track set are narrower than most of the other Wheel Pal Minis. The others either get stuck at the top, halfway down the track, flip over and fall off, or slide down at a snail’s pace because they are too wide or bulky. Kid simply can’t understand why the track is unable to accommodate all of his Wheel Pals; after all, they all look the same to him! I can’t think of a reason for this either; it certainly wasn’t to ensure a purchase of the correct race cars because they already come with the set. Seems to be backwards; if there were other cars that fit, they could be bought and added to the collection. So long as he remembers which cars to use, however, Kid gets full enjoyment out of the track. It also helps him to identify his colors because he can find the cars that fit on the track by matching them to the track colors.
I love that the track isn’t enormous and has a spot to neatly keep the race cars; it helps them not to get lost and also to keep the toys picked up in an orderly fashion. It’s also very sturdy once it is put together. Kid doesn’t try to pull the slides off, but he also doesn’t always play gently with his toys. Thus far, he has not managed to separate any of the slides from the tower; nor has he broken or damaged any of the plastic parts, including the finisher flag which is probably the most “delicate.” For my part, I can pick the Triple Track Tower up all as one piece to transfer it to another room.
The Triple Track Tower doesn’t provide Kid with hours, or even 20 minutes, of continuous play. But it always gets used a few times a day even if only for 2 or 3 quick races. I’ve seen these in Target for $15, which is a great value for a well-made toy.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): gift Type of Toy: Car, Truck or Raceway
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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