Sunday, December 18, 2016

Cody Burns Saves the Day at Transformer Rescue Bots Griffin Rock Firehouse HQ!

   

If your kids are Transformers Rescue Bots fans, then they are sure to love the Griffin Rock Firehouse Headquarters!

Despite Cody Burns being the youngest of the Burns' clan, he's no baby! Kids can put him to work putting out fires, and racing to the scene of an emergency on his rescue motorcycle. They can gear him up with his rescue backpack, launch him and his vehicle through a secret tunnel, or have him spray water from up top on the 360 degree rotating command tower. Kids can help Cody put out all sorts of fires!  

There are also a few hidden projectile launchers around the playset, a fire pole, as well as, a ladder which can be affixed to various parts of HQ. In addition to the Cody Burns figurine, the backpack gear, the projectiles, the ladder, and his motorcycle, there is also the vehicle launcher that propels him forward at a high rate of speed. There's also a ground bridge and a helipad! 

While Cody's backpack might be a bit hard to get on for little fingers, I love that this toy fosters so much creativity. There are so many scenes to play out with this playset, whether an imagined scenario, or one re-enacted by a television episode. Dinky cars would also work with this playset, which allows one to further their use of this toy without spending a lot of money on specialized accessories. If you or your child does prefer to stick with actual Transformers Rescue Bot figurines, this playset is also compatible with other Transformers Rescue Bots Rescan figures which are sold separately. 

The Transformers Rescue Bots Griffin Rock Firehouse Headquarters is geared for those 3-7 years of age, and is widely available at various department and toy stores. It retails for approximately $39.99USD/$49.99CAN.

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****


Thursday, December 8, 2016

It's Tracker & Zoomer Marshall to the PAW Patrol Holiday Rescue!

   

PAW Patrol is on another roll with their latest toys this holiday season! Zoomer Marshall, The PAW Patrol Monkey Temple Playset and their PAW Patrol Paw Terrain Vehicle are sure to be PAW-riffic gits this Christmas!

PAW Patrol began with Chase, Marshall, Skye, Rocky & Rubble, and eventually branched out to include a few other pups. Their crew has now expanded even further to include Tracker, the jungle loving jeep-driver. Spin Master has ensured that kids can re-create their favorite more recent PAW Patrol scenes, thanks to the PAW Patrol Jungle Rescue expansion.  

First up, is the PAW Patrol Terrain Vehicle. If you're going to venture into the jungle, you'll need a decent set of wheels that can handle the rough topography. Join Ryder, and parrot Mateo as they drive through wasteland to rescue a baby panther. Whether on this particular mission, or others, you can use the crane to lift and move the animal carrier, which is included, to safety. Similar to the PAW Patroller Vehicle, you can also depress the PAW badge to emit real lights and sounds as you return to your command centre. Like most other PAW Patrol toys, the PAW Patrol Terrain Vehicle is geared for those 3+, and comes with the terrain vehicle, a tent, a gas tank, Ryder, Mateo, the baby panther and its carrier.  Whether played with as a simple vehicle, to rescue baby panther as designed, or to play out a scene of your own, it's a cool addition to the pre-existing PAW Patrol line-up. It's sturdy enough for those 3 years and up, and what kid doesn't like playing with a crane? I have an 8yr old and a 3yr old and they both enjoy this vehicle. It requires three LR44 batteries, which are included, and retails for about $39.99USD/$59.99CAN. 

The PAW Patrol Monkey Temple Playset continues with the Jungle Rescue theme. It comes with Tracker, his Jeep, and Mandy the Monkey. Other accessories included with the set are a radar dish, and a search light.  During the rescue mission, you can move the characters up and down the real working elevator, and up and down the vines. You can drive vehicles through the temple, and it has a top secret trap door. It can also be converted from the temple, into a command centre! This is perfect for increasing versatility of the toy, especially as they age and become more creative. You can press the banana to incorporate real jungle sounds into play time, and can also ignite the statue's glowing eyes. Like the PAW Patrol Terrain Vehicle, this playset is also geared for 3+, and also comes with the required LR44 batteries. The PAW Patrol Monkey Temple Playset retails for approximately $49.99USD/$69.99CAN.

Christmas would not be complete without interactive toys. Enter Zoomer Marshal! Similar to the other aforementioned toys, this interactive pup is geared for 3 years and up. Zoomer Marshall will have you believing that he has come to life right out of your television screen. With a simple press of the head, you can get him to say over 150 phrases taken from the television series. You can even tickle him! He will also actually follow you around when you wave your hand in front of him too! This is particularly great for younger kids like my 3 year old, who doesn't always initially understand technological steps in utilizing a toy to its fullest.  Zoomer Marshall comes loaded with dozens of missions and is chalk full of cool maneuvers that'll make your child's heart skip a beat. From talking and following you around, he can spin and move to the Pup Pup Boogie! He even has water cannons to help you come to the ruff ruff rescue. Zoomer Marshall requires 4 AA batteries which are not included, and retails in the U.S. for about $69.99, and in Canada for $89.99. 

All of these items are available at a variety of toy retailers and big box stores. As with other PAW Patrol toys we've reviewed in the past, these are sturdy, interactive and really great at fueling children's creativity. While my 8 year old wouldn't admit it to his friends, he enjoys playing with each one of these toys, just as much as my 3 year old does! But do not tell his friends! :) 

The only thing I would change is to include batteries with Zoomer Marshall. Not having them come with the package automatically, could make for some disappointment on Christmas morning if you don't have correct batteries on hand. 

Spin Master, makers of these and other PAW Patrol toys, offers a wide variety of PAW Patrol products. If these items don't fit your budget, you are sure to find a number of items that do. For those that wish to expand their Jungle Rescue crew, other PAW Patrol Jungle Rescue characters can be purchased separately. 

To read my take on some other PAW Patrol toys, please visit the following links:

Now... this pup's gotta fly! 

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****