Manufacturer: LEGO
Price: $19.99
Buy this Toy at: Amazon for $15.99
Lil B loves his Lego toys, so when we were given the chance to give him a LEGO City Dump truck from LEGO’s City line of products, we gladly accepted. We have had a chance to review some LEGO products in the past, the most recent being the LEGO City Police Pontoon Plane. The kids had a great time playing with that, so I assumed that this dump truck would hit the spot, as well.
Unfortunately, things did not go over as well as we had hoped that they would. Lil B loved the dump truck at first, though it is plain to see that he is not as enamored with this LEGO toy as he is his other presents this year. I think one of the main reasons for that is sheer frustration. We had a problem or two keeping the truck together. A flimsy design means that it is almost impossible to use this dump truck for its intended purpose. I can’t say that I blame him for wanting to put this aside. When he couldn’t get it to stay together this LEGO set quickly lost its luster.
Positives & Negatives:
Pros:
Cute Design
Promotes Creativity/Logic Skills
Suits a wide age range
Comes with the main toy and many companion pieces
Suitable for independent or group play
Cons:
Pieces can be hard to put together
Younger kids may become frustrated
Weak design/Falls apart easily
Not meant for rough and tumble play – More suitable for design and show
Pricing & Availability:
LEGO toys are available just about anywhere you go that sells toys. You can find them online or in just about any nearby store that you might have. I recommend shopping around though, as the price can range quite a bit from one store to the next. On average, the LEGO City Dump Truck should be between $15 and $25. It’s certainly a good deal for collectors and people that just want to build these and leave them alone. For kids, this is a harder sell though because the construction is not sturdy enough to allow for serious play.
Requirements & Instructions:
The instructions that are included are pretty straight forward. Both Lil B and CT (who was helping him put it together) were able to understand what they needed to do to get the dump truck built. You don’t need anything outside of what is in the box. The problem was more with the construction and less with the instructions. The pieces did not want to fit together or they were stubborn when it came to getting them locked in place. It can be hard when the small pieces do not want to fit together, so I can understand why the boys got frustrated.
Durability:
Normally I am a huge LEGO fan. As most moms know, they sure are durable. Unfortunately some of us find that out by stepping on them at 3AM because the kids didn’t clean up as well as we wanted them to. I did not find this City Dump Truck to be durable in the ways that count though. For instance, once it is put together the boys had to be incredibly careful or pieces would fall off. When they tried to drop something into the back of the truck and then get it to roll out the back would often snap off and have to be fixed. Most kids have an attention span that is pretty short. If the toy they are playing with doesn’t work, they will leave it behind and pick up another. In this case, it means that unless you’re using this for a display you might not get your money’s worth.
Fun Factor & Overall Appeal:
LEGO normally has some pretty awesome toys, so I don’t fault them for the occasional dud. If the design were better I think this would have been a lot more fun for the kids. Lil B just couldn’t get into it because it didn’t do what he wanted it to do or even what it was supposed to do. CT, on the other hand, tried to get it working a little longer than Lil B, but in the end he gave up, too. It’s hard to say that this was fun, because in the end they didn’t get any real playtime out of it.
This would be a good piece for collectors that own the other City pieces. When it comes to kids though I think you might be better off seeking out another LEGO alternative instead.
Bottom Line:
Lil B and his dad will probably end up placing this on a shelf and leaving it there because whenever he tries to play with it, the pieces end up coming apart. Lil B and LI Kids are big LEGO fans, so we are taking this in stride. I am sure we will be looking at other LEGO pieces, but as for this one we recommend that parents proceed with caution. If your little one is active and likes to get involved with his blocks, this probably won’t work where he is concerned. We recommend checking out the wide range of other LEGO offerings instead.
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Technorati Tags: LEGO, City Dump Truck, Blocks, Building Blocks, Birthday Bash Review, Toy Review, Truck, Durability
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.
