The boys have been testing out a great new toy recently: The Tonka Fire Station Play Set. This is part of the new Tonka Town range suitable for ages 3-5.
The set is pretty big so it would be ideal for a Christmas or Eid present as it would make an exciting gift for little ones.
As soon as my boys (age 2-5) saw it, they were all very interested. The set includes the main fire station building with 3 floors, a fire car and 2 firemen figures. There is plenty to do and lots of little details in the set. There are doors to open and close, ladders to climb (which can be removed and placed differently if you wish), buttons to press for flashing lights and nee nawwww sounds, a fireman’s pole for the figures to use and a control panel area for them too.
The figures are fully pose-able and their hands are able to grip onto the fire pole, which is very cool. This gave the set a lot more play value for Mr Z my 5 year old who is at the older end of the age range. I was really pleased to see him still very able to enjoy this set as he has been getting too old for some preschool toys but this did capture his imagination and he has been doing some lovely imaginative play. I could see this set doing well in an early years setting too, as there is space for a couple of children to play at a time and make up stories together. I was happy to see two figures included rather than only one, as this avoids sibling squabbles! The figures also fit very easily into the fire car so there was no frustration there with the figures not staying in place.
It was also perfect for Mr T at 3 years old. He loved the flashing lights and sounds, and it is great to help him with developing his imaginary play and developing his language too. His favourite is the fire car and he has often been taking this to play with separately as well as playing with it as a part of the set. The fire car has been taken out and about with us as Mr T and Mr R have both got really attached to it and it is a good size if they want something to take out in the car to keep them amused.
Mr R at just over 2 years is under the recommended age range and at the moment he is more interested in the fire car than the full set but I definitely see him getting a lot of play out of this as he grows too. I think it will have a lot of long lasting appeal, when Mr Z grows out of it, Mr R will be ready to enjoy it. Luckily it does seem to be quite sturdily made so it should be able to withstand a lot of play. I would say this Tonka Town range does seem more toddler proof than some of the other large Tonka vehicles we have. The fire car has a very chunky feel to it, and there are no small pieces which could break off at all.
I’ve been really impressed with the set, and would definitely consider adding to our collection from the rest of the range. You can see the full range at Tonkatown.com, which includes fire, police, rescue, construction and helpers. I do love the look of the jail play set too as I could see Mr Z making some great stories with that! As well as these larger sets, you can buy the vehicles or figures separately which makes it easy to add certain bits to your sets in a mix and match way. There are also some games for children to play on the website.
I would definitely recommend this for children aged 3-5. Especially any who are interested in firemen and fire engines. I won’t say just boys as girls can like it too! My boys do really love it, and its a very exciting toy for them. At an RRP of 39.99 it is pretty good value for a full set like this which will give hours and hours of play.
There is a new Tonka Town magazine coming out October 15th which will come with a free character as well as including stories, activities and more. This sounds great and I will be looking out for it in the shops!
Disclaimer: we were sent this play set in order to review.