The Imaginext Fire Station Review

We absolutely adore Fisher-Price in our house, they are a brand that we personally chose for Leo when he was too young to make those choices. The play mat, the swing and some of his very first toys, were Fisher-Price. As Leo has grown we have added many more to his collection, and very recently when we were asked if Leo would like to try out the Imaginext Fire Station, we leapt at the chance.

Leo is almost 3 and is loving everything emergency service related, when we are out in the car he loves coming across a fire engine, police car or ambulance with their sirens blaring. There have been a few instances where he has almost demanded that I follow them, and gets very irate should another vehicle block the emergency service vehicle from his sight. I had already foreseen just how excited Leo would be at the prospect of having a play fire station to play with, and the arrival of the Imaginext set only confirmed my expectations.

The Imaginext Fire Station comes pretty much assembled and is just a case of..

1 – Restraining the toddler long enough for you to get all the bits and pieces out of the pack.

2 – Popping in the accessories, like the water pump, flag and hook onto the fire station.

3 – Letting your imagination run wild!

Assembly is always an aspect that I consider when purchasing a new toy, it usually falls into one of two categories. Is it something I can assemble myself… Or will I need Luke to do it? Thankfully the Fire Station is so easy, I wouldn’t really say it needed assembling. As soon as it was all out of the box, Leo was free to speed the fire engine around and put out as many fires as he pleased. He marched the little firemen up the fire escapes into the fire station, he swung them from the hook (for reasons only he will know).  He put the water into the water pump and pressed the button launching it across the room. In fact he was so engrossed in his game that he didn’t even say goodbye to me as I went back to work from my lunch break.

Granny advised that he played all afternoon with his fire station, and the truck that had its sirens on more than off (it even came with batteries so it was ready to rock and roll).

When the time came for me to take Leo home, I found him clutching the fire station in his arms. He was worried that I would forget to bring it home with us. Since the arrival of the Imaginext Fire Station Leo has not stopped playing with it. He absolutely loves it. Leo has always loved imaginative games, so this is the perfect toy to really get his creative juices flowing.

It has been so lovely watching Leo dream up games, and acting them out with the firemen, the fire engine and of course the station itself. When putting out a fire you hear Leo making the nose for the water as he spurts it out of the hose, and onto the burning building. He has balanced the fire-fighter’s in the lift on the back of the truck…And when they have fallen out quickly called an ambulance to come and pick them up! It is a toy that he can use his imagination with completely, he can make absolutely anything happen and I think this is precisely why it is such a big hit.

In an age where everything is going digital, and where kids toys have so much technology, it does really make me appreciate the simple toys just like this one, that just allow kids to be kids.

From a parent’s perspective I think this is a great addition to the toy collection, nothing beats sitting down on the sofa and watching Leo play out his games right in front of me. Hearing him play so happily and just making the rules up as he goes along. The quality of the toy it’s self is great, it’s sturdy and made for little hands. I adore all of the detail that has gone into it, and on the right hand side you have a fireman’s pole that the firemen can actually use! My favourite bit of this set has to be that it comes with everything you need to play straight away. There are 3 firemen included, the fire engine with working lights and sounds, the station and the accessories. I have found in the past with some sets that you have to purchase everything individually, so it is a real bonus that everything comes in the one set. There are so many different aspects that keep Leo interested, and of course playing for hours.

The Imaginext Fire Station retails at £50.00, and when I first saw the price tag I have to admit that I thought it was a little steep. Having actually seen the play value that is to be had with this set, the quality and of course having everything included, I now think that you would end up paying more, either buying a cheaper version and it breaking… or buying one that doesn’t include all of the accessories that are included in this set.

Amazon currently have the Imaginext Fire Station for sale at £47.99, at the point of writing this review.

Leo adores it and I love watching his imagination come to life. This is a toy that is going to continue to be very well played with, and as Leo continues to grow I am guessing that games will too.

Disclaimer: We were sent the Imaginext Fire Station for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions are completely honest and my own.

The Bristle Blocks Basic Builder Case Review

As John Crane Ambassadors Leo and I have been tasked with reviewing a new toy each and every month over the British Summer. 

You can read our past reviews below:

- Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube

- The B. Creative You Hue

This month our test subject is the Bristle Blocks 50 Piece Basic Builder Case.

This particular toy dates right back to my childhood, and I have fond memories of playing with them. I am really pleased that I get to introduce Bristle Blocks to Leo, and that they are still going strong.

For those of you not familiar with Bristle Blocks, they are a great introduction to construction toys. They are perfectly sized for toddler hands and are so easy to work with. The blocks have bristles all around the circumference, top and bottom of the block that allow you to interlink them with one another.

All the blocks are lovely and bright in an assortment of different colours, and have gone down a real treat with Leo. Leo is at the perfect age now to really demonstrate just how much play value these toys hold, now his imagination is really coming into it's own each new day brings a new game that can be played with the Bristle Blocks.

At the moment Leo has simply enjoyed stacking the blocks one on top of the other, or helping me build something that he will later pick up off the floor and run away with, just to stop me enjoying myself! 

The Basic Builders Set has a few exciting designs for older kids to try and build, we have kept this for when Leo is that little bit older so he can give it a go too. For now though it is lovely to watch Leo discovering which blocks fit best together, and if he puts a that block there...He can stack that one on top of it..

These blocks make Leo think hard, and you can see the concentration on his little face as he problem solves his construction dilemma.

They recommend that the Bristle Blocks are suitable from the age of 2 years plus, and I have to agree that this is about right. I think that Leo is just going to get more out of this toy as he continues to grow, and as his imagination continues to stretch for the stars. 

Watch this space, I will one day report that he HAS built the airplane... Or I for that matter!

For now though we will both stick to the stacking!

I really like the 50 Piece Basic Builders set as it includes a very handy travel storage box, this means I can pack all of the pieces back into the box for safe keeping to stop them going walkabout when Leo has one of his terrible 2 temper tantrums...The box fits perfectly in Leo's new toy box and I rest assured knowing that all of the 50 pieces are safely tucked away before it gets put away for the day.

This set retails at at £15.99, I think this is a attractive price when you take the play value into consideration, and it is a toy that will last for many years to come. It is also a toy that I can add more to by purchasing more blocks and different sets, so this toy really pushes the boundaries to whatever you want them to be.