About a year or so ago, the boys got their first Wow Toys. I’ve added quite a few to their collection since then and have been really impressed with how much use they get out of them and how well they keep them engaged. So I was really happy to be sent a Wow Toys Ernie Fire Engine for us to try out and review.
Ernie is one of the larger Wow toys vehicles that I have seen. It is very chunky and sturdy as all of them are, and it comes with one fire fighter figure and one safety barrier accessory.
There is plenty for little ones to explore with Ernie Fire Engine. The front and back both open to allow you to put characters or accessories in and out. The fire engine ladder lifts up and down and also has a motor that can be used to rotate the ladder around. There are no batteries required for Ernie or any of the Wow Toys but they do move along by friction power.
The lack of batteries is something which really appeals to me. I sometimes find batteries tend to run out quickly then it is a pain to make sure you have the right spare batteries available and keep replacing them all the time! It also means you don’t have to worry about getting the toys wet, so you can use them in messy play, sensory play or in the bath – and they wipe or wash clean brilliantly too. I never found the boys missed the features of flashing lights or sounds with the Wow Toys. They are happy enough making up their own games or racing the vehicles around and they do always come back to these toys time after time!
The Wow Toys figures are all interchangeable so you can take characters which came with another vehicle or set, and mix them with another. When playing with Ernie, Mr T quickly remembered that he did have another fireman which came with our Fireboat Felix so he ran to get it so that the two fire fighters could ride together in Ernie. There is room for 3 or more figures to ride in this Fire Engine easily, which gives plenty of space for children to expand their role play and make up stories with the figures.
Mr T (nearly 4) and Mr R (2) both love this Ernie Fire Engine. Mr Z also likes it but not as much as the younger two, as he is starting to get towards the end of the age range (he is 5.5). That never stopped him when we went to get his shoes from Brantano and he was really excited to see the new Wow Toys available there or whenever we go to Eddie Katz and will always still play with the Wow Toys section there, but I think around 2-4 is the perfect age to get the most out of Wow Toys.
Ernie the Engine would be a brilliant first fire engine, even from 1.5 years and it would then grow with the child. It’s an ideal size, and with the figure included and lots to open and close and move around, it is one of the best toddler fire engines I have seen.
Wow Toys are offering one Ernie Fire Engine as a prize to one of my readers in December as a part of my Advent Competitions – so keep your eye out and make sure you come and enter!