Toy review: Matchbox Pop-Up Playset – Construction

October 6, 2008 in Toy Review
Tags: matchbox, review, toy

J (now age 6) started getting the Matchbox pop-up playsets at his birthday/holidays at the end of last year, and now both he and N (age 2 1/2) play with them regularly. We love them, too… they have no batteries, have very few loose parts, and fold up to a very compact size, making them very easy to store when the kids are done with them for the day. (They also travel really well.) At this point we’re up to 4 or 5 of them, and so have a few downstairs, one in the bedroom, one in the upstairs playroom…. you get the idea.

Basically, what each of them provide is a three-dimensional little play scene, complete with ramps, a vehicle, and a few loose or moving parts depending on the scene. What’s more, the playsets can be connected together (with the ramps converting into bridges), allowing for expanded play opportunities (or, more importantly, for two kids to play together with the “same” toy without getting in each other’s way.)

One of their favorites is the construction playset (pictured above). It features a crane and wrecking ball, and includes two removable “roofs” that can be hoisted up or knocked down. (N also discovered that the crane works just as well for lifting up his lego trucks, too.) I’m pretty sure it came with a dump truck as its vehicle, although with all of the matchbox cars and trucks we have I’m no longer sure.

More details: Matchbox: Deluxe Pop-Up Playset – Construction

(Hmmm – it looks like this is one of the more expensive of the playsets – some of them start around $12.99. They’re all good.)