Manufacturer: Hasbro/Play-Doh
Price: Under $10
Buy this Toy at: Amazon for $13.44
I remember playing with Play-Doh when I was a kid. My mom would get this look of terror when I wanted to play with it like I was going to paint the walls with it, or something. She would put paper down everywhere and then she would get out my Play-Doh jars so I could play. I always liked having the newspapers down because I could press down the Play-Doh and make designs on it from the newspapers. I don’t remember having any toys like the Spaghetti Factory when I was growing up, but I had fun nonetheless.
When I was setting up this review with the nice folks that handle the press for Play-Doh I knew instantly that my nephew, Lil B, would love this. I wasn’t set to see him for a few days though, so Dominick and I decided to take it out and play with it a bit on our own. As Dominick suffers from a muscle disease (it can make some toys incredibly hard or impossible to use) he wanted to give the spaghetti factory a shot and to see if it was possible for him to play use. Come to find out, kids (and adults) with limited mobility in their arms and hands shouldn’t have too many problems with this as long as they have a little bit of strength and the ability to press down.
Beyond the price, which will be discussed in the sections below, I love the versatility of the Spaghetti Factory. This is a toy that can be played with by kids as young as three, but will work for kids much older. This allows younger and older siblings to enjoy the same toy, which is never a bad thing.
Positives & Negatives:
Positives:
Inexpensive
Allows for Independent Play
Easy to Cleanup (assuming you take basic precautions)
Long Lifespan (Kids remain interested in playing with this)
Suitable for Various Age Ranges
Allows for Creative Play
Fun for the Whole Family
Negatives:
None that I can think of, as long as you keep it off the carpet!
Pricing & Availability:
At just under ten dollars you really cannot go wrong with this toy. While it would work as an inexpensive holiday/birthday present, it’s also small enough to be an everyday reward should you be looking for one. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to make a rainy day special and as long as you take basic care of it, you will get your monies worth (and more!) out of it. The Spaghetti Factory is labeled for kids three and up. This toy could easily last (and keep kids at least partially interested) for years!
Requirements & Instructions:
Everything you need to use the Spaghetti Factory is in the box. You could easily pick up some more Play-Doh, but you don’t need the extra when you first begin to use this because it comes with four jars to get you started. The instructions are pretty self-explanatory, but if you need help the process of putting the Spaghetti Factory is labeled on the box. It’s really just a matter of removing everything from the box and setting up the factory, which includes the base with the cylinder and spring.
The plate goes on top of that (you have your choice of two to use) and from there it’s all set. You just put the Play-Doh into the tube and press down the levers to make the spaghetti pop up! There are over 20 added shapes on the base and the bowls to make things like mushrooms, ravioli, and other fun shapes to add to the spaghetti. This makes it unique and delicious…well delicious looking!
Durability:
This isn’t made of metal, but it won’t break unless you put some effort into it. You could easily, accidentally drop this and it would be fine. You might have to put parts of it back together again, but it wouldn’t break completely. If you take basic care of this, you should get your monies worth and then some!
Ease of Use:
Playing with Play-Doh doesn’t take too much effort. It’s about the easiest toy you can find. The only real limit you have is one set by your own imagination. Kids will be able to run free with what they want to do with the Spaghetti Factory. They can make all kinds of Italian looking dishes or other types of foods depending on which molds they are using. It makes for a simple and fun time!
Fun Factor & Overall Appeal:
We had tons of fun playing with this. When Dominick and I tested it out, I accidentally mixed two of the colors together (red and green). When Braxton came over to play with us, he informed me that I would be sent to Play-Doh jail because mixing colors is a No-No! He was nice enough to play with me until my jail sentence began though. We made all different colored spaghetti. I made some mushrooms and he got rid of them (he apparently is not a mushroom fan!), so then I tried meatballs.
Before I knew it, he had a plate full of spaghetti and proceeded to smash it all together. He thought it was hilarious when I told him we could be cellmates, because he will be going to Play-Doh jail with me for mixing the colors. While we will need to pick up some new colors when we get out on parole, the factory is still in good shape and we had so much fun we will definitely be playing with it again, soon!
Bottom Line:
Just about anything with Play-Doh has the potential to be a winner with kids, young and old. Budding chefs and kids in general should enjoy the Play-Doh Spaghetti Factory. It is inexpensive, easy to use, and fun for a wide variety of ages. Maintenance is as easy as keeping it clean and all you should need to purchase in the future is new Play-Doh colors. Kids will love this and chance are, you will have just as much fun playing with them and this great, creative toy!
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Technorati Tags: Play-Doh, Spaghetti Factory, Kids, Toy Review, Hasbro, Putty, Colors, Family, Entertainment, Fun, Jail, Color Mixing
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
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