~~~LITTLE TIKES WORKSHOP MEASURING TOOLS~~GIVES BOB THE BUILDER A RUN FOR HIS MONEY!
Written: Aug 25 '03 (Updated Sep 17 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Durably constructed for years of play.
Cons: Currently hard to find.
The Bottom Line: Look for these Little Tikes Workshop Measuring Tools at garage sales, consignment shops, and other specialty places to add to your child's kid sized workshop collection.
|
|
|
| melissasrn's Full Review: Workshop Measuring Tools |
Since early June, my husband and I have been building a large deck around our new 30 foot round pool (and we are finally finished! Hurray!). So to help keep our 3 year old son occupied and away from the potentially harmful real tools we were using, I located these Little Tikes Workshop Measuring Tools that once belonged to our older son in a box of old toys we had stored in the basement. They'd been a gift many years ago, but thanks to the high quality Little Tikes durability that goes into just about every toy they make, these colorful play tools looked almost like new. While they can't quite take the place of a real level or measuring tape in our preschooler's eyes, these building accessories sure did come in handy (keeping him entertained, etc.) while we were outside sweating our days away. Read on to find out more about these timeless yet imagination inspiring carpenter tools that are recommended for children ages 2 and up.
~~~The Measuring Tape~~~
The Little Tikes Measuring Tape is red, yellow, and blue in color and is durably made of hard plastic materials and is the perfect size for small hands. Measuring approximately 5 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches wide, this toy is more rounded at the top and square at the bottom. Included is a virtually unbreakable strip of measuring tape that is 12 inches long and is broken down into 1/4 of an inch increments. It can be pulled out easily from the right side when the blue lever is pulled (and the blue side switch is in the "down" position), making a clicking sound in the process. Roll the tape back up inside by turning the crank counter clockwise. To keep the tape locked in place, push the blue side switch into the "up" position. There is also an easy to grip large carrying handle located below the hand crank. So while Mom or Dad are working on carpentry projects, toddlers and preschoolers can work right along side them with this Little Tikes Measuring Tape as they do their own measuring while "helping" out.
~~~The Level~~~
The Little Tikes Level is orange in color and is made of the same durable hard plastic materials as the Measuring Tape is. It measures about 6 inches in length and features a rounded top with a convenient carrying handle perfect for small fingers to grasp. The level actually works as is has a small green ball that will roll back and forth located inside the plastic measuring section when tilted. One one side there are hard to read measurements in inches from 1 to 5 while the other side measures metric units up to 12. Tristan would rather use the Measuring Tape while actually "measuring" things, so he really doesn't pay much attention to these measurements anyway. As we leveled up our pool deck fence, Tristan was right there with his Little Tikes Level making sure we did a good job!
~~~Play Experience~~~
My older son played with these Little Tikes Workshop Measuring Tools quite a bit when he was Tristan's age, so they never made it to the "yard sale" box over the years. Now I'm glad we kept them as these hand-me-down toys have been given the chance to be played with all over again. While we were out building our pool deck over the summer, we did lots of measuring and leveling, so Tristan would "help" us by using these special tools of his own. He even has a small yellow and red Little Tikes Tool Box in which he can carry his handy measuring tape and level. There are currently other newer Little Tikes workshop toys that can be purchased for young carpenters in training, but so far I've not had any luck locating this particular set online. Check out garage sales, consignment shops, and even ebay as I have a feeling these durable toys when found are sold at a very inexpensive price.
~~~Overall Recommendation~~~
As stated above, I'm very happy that we kept these Little Tikes Workshop Measuring Tools all these years as they sure helped us keep 3 year old Tristan busy and out of trouble while we were outside working over the summer. Both pieces have rounded edges, which make them much safer than allowing small children to play with the "real things." This set is a good 7 to 8 years old, but it still looks and really works almost like new. This is the very reason why I don't hesitate to spend a bit more money on Little Tikes toys like these as most seem to last forever and can be handed down from one child to the next and even from one generation to another if desired. So if you are lucky and happen to spot these Little Tikes Measuring Tools while out shopping one day, definitely pick them up if you have your own little helper who needs extra tools to add to his or her collection. Good luck and happy toy shopping :-)
***For more information on other similar high quality, durable toys for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond, check out the following website:
www.littletikes.com
Questions or comments?
1-800-321-0183
The Little Tikes Company
2180 Barlow Road
Hudson, OH 44236 USA
***Listed below are a few other highly recommended Little Tikes toys that may be of interest:
Little Tikes Sand and Water Table
Little Tikes Studio Design Table and Chairs Set
Little Tikes Big Semi Truck
Little Tikes Cast 'N Count Fishing Set
Little Tikes Car Sounds Cozy Coupe
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): GIFT
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.