Sunday, July 28, 2013

Radio Flyer Retro Rocket

Radio Flyer Retro RocketMy son received this from Grandma he loves it. It has a number of sound bytes that are accompanied by lights and vibrations. It's an interesting piece of eye candy very nostalgic. The only problem with it is that it's not a very good ride on, a good sit on toy yes, but not very easy to ride. Unless your child has an above average inseam, he won't be able to foot power the item, plus it doesn't steer?

Good news:

1. Kids from 11 years old to 1 year old loved playing with it.

2. Great features: various sound effects, flashing lights, and vibration effects.

3. Well made and durable.

4. Fairly easy to assemble.

5. Good value.

6. Wheels don't mark on wood or stone floor.

Suggested Improvements:

1. Installing the wheel caps could be made easier by screwing it on instead of having hammering it in.

2. Make the front wheels turn to make it more manueverable instead of sliding it to turn.

3. Make the body of the rocket slimmer in the middle so smaller kids can have their feet touch the floor.

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I ordered this toy from Amazon without being able to see it in person. The rocket is on the smaller size. I was sort of disappointed in the size. It is comparable to a little tykes push car. It is definately for a 1-3 year old. Though my five year old plays with it. She really likes to push her one year old brother on it. The seat/under seat storage hinge is plastic and seems flimsy. If you want to push your tot on it you have to hold on to the fins. They are not little tikes plastic. They bend a little when pressure is applied, so be careful not to break them off. It has great sound affects, and the vibration is an attention grabber. My kids love it. It is played with everyday. My son climbs on and grunts and rocks(his way of asking to be pushed around). No problems yet. It is pricey in my opinion. I am glad the children love it.

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We got this for our little boy's 2nd birthday and he LOVES it. He didn't actually ride on it the first couple weeks but he pushed it around like a big car, liked to put things in the secret storage compartment, he'd flip it over and play with the wheels, push the buttons and click the nose cone. Once he started riding on it, it was just one more fun thing to do with it. I was worried that the lack of an actual steering wheel might be a drawback since a steering wheel is one of his favorite things in the world but he never seemed to mind it being fixed in place. The vibrating button scares him a little and sometime he'll push that button and then run a few steps away from it while it does the big noise and vibration.

I've seen a couple negative reviews where people thought it was bigger from looking at the picture, assumed it was made of metal and were disappointed to discover it's plastic... Well, if you read the info that's available to you before ordering you won't be disappointed when what you get is not what you imagined. It's exactly what I expected, perfect size for a 32.5" tall 2 year old to sit on and doesn't take up too much space around the house either. It does have a couple slight scratches from being turned upside down but toys are meant to be played with, not kept pristine IMO, so we're not woried about it.

One note: beware of eBay sellers trying to price gouge this item, claiming it's HTF, rare, etc. I looked there to do some price comparisons and people were setting minimum bids higher than you can buy it for through established retail outlets online, and with higher shipping costs.

Anyways, it's perfect and he loves it. I don't consider it to be intended as an educational toy, hence the 3 star rating. Do your research before buying and let the fun begin!

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We got this for my son when he was 11 mos using a gift card meant for his 1 yr. birthday. We've had it for about 6 months and he has used it in different ways as his motor skills developed. It is one of our favorite toys.

WHAT MY 15-MO. OLD ENJOYS ABOUT IT:

-pressing the buttons

-opening the seat and hidding toys, dog food, blocks, etc.

-getting on it and pushing himself backwards a few steps

-holding on to the handlebars and standing on it Evil Knievel-style (hasn't tipped over)

-holding on to the handlebars and pushing it around the house with it facing backwards

-giving his toys or food boxes "rides" around the house as he pushes it

WHY MOMMY LOVES IT:

-waaaay cooler than a cartoon-themed car. I never bother to put it away when I know people are coming over. I love getting compliments on it.

-the sounds it makes are not annoying. I usually smirk when my son is pushing it and it says "approaching warp speed"

-my son plays with it alone while I clean or cook

-I enjoy seeing how well he has learned to steer it (as he pushes it from the handlebars) and maneuvers it around the dinning room, down the hall, in and out of rooms, even the bathroom (mostly used on hardwood floors)!

Drawbacks

-there is no on/off switch for operating it without the noise or vibration

-the seat flap does not stay open on its own so a 1 yr old would probably not have the coordination to hold the door open with one hand while putting something inside it.

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