Every week when my husband mows the grass, my 3 year old son watches with great enthusiasm. So when I saw this Playskool Yard Crew Big Mike Mower at my local Wal-Mart last month while shopping for his birthday gifts, I knew Tristan would absolutely love this particular battery operated push toy. And I was right!! For we had his birthday party a few weekends ago, and he spent a majority of the whole day outside pushing Big Mike around, despite the hot sun beaming down. If only this thing had real blades attached to the bottom, we'd have had a freshly mowed lawn in no time at all! So of all the new presents Tristan got that day, this electronic push toy is easily one of his favorites as he plays with it on a daily basis both inside the house and outside in the yard. Read on to find out more about this highly recommended choice.


~~~The Lawn Mower~~~

Recommended for children ages 2 and older, this Playskool Yard Crew Big Mike Mower requires a few moments of adult assembly before he's ready to be played with (the green handle must be snapped into place onto the orange mower section). A Phillips screwdriver is needed to replace the three "AA" batteries (that do come included, by the way!), but so far Tristan's new favorite toy constructed from hard plastic materials is going strong on the original set after over two weeks of play. The green "easy grip" handle sporting the orange clicking key crank measures a mere 18 inches in height, which could really be a few inches taller for children older than 2. The orange mower section itself measures 9.5 inches by 13 inches and sports four durable, black tires as well as Big Mike himself wearing a red hard hat and gray headphones. His mouth contains two rows of white teeth and will chomp up and down ("grass-chompin action")when the mower is in motion. In the rear section is a clear plastic chamber that contains pretend green grass pieces that swirl around as preschoolers push this novel toy around. Featuring 12 fun phrases and realistic lawn mower engine sounds, the leader of the Yard Crew, Mike the Mower is a cut above the rest, with his hard-working, can-do attitude, according to product advertising. So even the youngest yard workers in training will find this Playskool Yard Crew Big Mike Mower virtually impossible to resist.


Price & Availability~~~

I purchased Tristan's Playskool Yard Crew Big Mike Mower at my local Wal-Mart for around $17.96, and this unique character lawn mower has been worth every penny spent so far! For just a few dollars more, you can pick this colorful push toy online at amazon.com currently for $19.99. Check out the following link for more details:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005QBWG/ref=ase_dealtime-dat/002-1417502-9538419

As I complained about in a previous review about another Playskool product, my biggest pet peeve applying to this lawn mower is that there's way too much cardboard packaging and it almost takes a crowbar to fully remove the toy for assembly and then play. Yes, I realize companies must do what they can to deter shoplifters, but geez!! There's got to be a better way. But ever since this Playskool Yard Crew Big Mike Mower was finally set free of his prison made of cardboard, he's had free roam of the house and yard as there's no stopping him now.


~~~Our Play Experience~~~

Leave this Playskool Yard Crew Big Mike Mower in the on position, and his engine will automatically start once the wheels are set into motion (Power Up!). This can be quite irritating for the adults, especially when picking up the toy out of the yard/middle of the floor and moving it elsewhere. But for fun lawn mowing action without the accompanying electronic sounds, parents will be happy to learn there is an off position on the power switch as well. Tristan will wear himself out at times "mowing" the yard outside just like his daddy. Only he has to walk slumped over at times as the handle just isn't long enough for taller preschoolers like him. Of course at age 3 he may be outgrowing his new toy fast, but in the meantime I have no doubts he'll wear this sucker out! Here are some of the phrases this Playskool Yard Crew Big Mike Mower will say in his enthusiastic New York City construction worker accent ("No yaaaad is too haaaad"):

Power Up!
Burp! That was me! Hee, Hee!
It's cutting time!
Let's go!
We can cut it! Hee, Hee!
Tall grass? No problem!
Hee, Hee, Ho! This grass is thick!
Let's cut this grass down to size!
No yard is too hard!
Power down! This job is done.


~~~Overall Recommendation~~~

Because Tristan loves his new Playskool Yard Crew Big Mike Mower so much, I now wish I'd purchased it sooner so that is would take longer for him to outgrow this battery operated push toy. In the meantime though, if anyone drives by my house and sees a three year old seriously mowing the yard no matter how hot it is outside, that will be my determined son and his prized new lawn mower. So if your child enjoys pushing things around or is a future yard worker in training like mine, then you most likely won't be sorry you purchased Big Mike as he'll provide hours of entertainment (and exercise!) all summer long. Just remember that the handle is almost too short for taller children, but other than this debatable design flaw, I can easily give this push toy and excellent five star rating since he's moderately priced and is so much fun to play with. So in conclusion, the Playskool Yard Crew Big Mike Mower gets two big thumbs up here!! Power Up! Good luck and happy toy shopping :-)


***For more information on this Playskool Yard Crew Big Mike Mower and other high quality toys for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, check out their website online at:

www.playskool.com

Questions or comments?
1-800-PLAYSKL

Made by Hasbro


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 17.96
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months