Customer Reviews

Mighty Machines: Power Pack

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Our 2.5 yr old loves this series. He watched it on Netflix until they took it off instant download. The series is especially good if you are looking to stay away from fast cut videos that has been associated with the lack of attention span in children. Typical scenes pan slowly through the details and talks through each thing that happens. You feel like you are actually taking a leisurely field trip to the site. We adults frequently watch the videos too!

The 4 DVD's are Lights & Ladders, Diggers & Dozers, Roadways to Runways, Boats to the Rescue. My kids cannot see them enough!! I can't get the song out of my head, but it keeps them thouroghly entertained and occupied when I need to get things done. Other times I will sit down and ooh and aah with them . . . "Did you see that, Dad? WOW!"

I have a two year old who loves these DVD's. He actually watches it and gets excited as the machines move around and work. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has children and like to watch trucks. Much better than cartoons and a lot less annoying.

Great series! If your kids are like mine and ask for episodes by name, you'll need this list:

Mighty Machines Power Pack
*Diggers and Dozers features episodes
o At the Construction Site,
o At the Demolition Site and
o At the Quarry
*Lights and Ladders features episodes
o At The Fire Hall,
o At the Garbage Dump and
o In the City
*Boats to the Rescue features episodes
o To the Rescue,
o Making Waves and
o In the Harbor
*Roadways to Runways features episodes
o At the Race Track,
o At the Airport and
o On the Road

As an adult, I find all the Mighty Machines dvds a little bit cheesy. But, both my 5 year old and my 2 year old, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these dvds! And their opinion is the one that matters, right? The Power Pack is a great buy, but even individually, each one is priced very inexpensive, especially when compared to other children's series. We have watched them all many times over, and my children continue to ask specifically for "mighty machines"!

I have not yet purchased this dvd set, and nor did I purchase the first Mighty Machines video that we have now, but from how my son reacts to the video we have now, this set is like.. a God sent.
My son will wake up first thing in the morning, grab his milk, sit down and watch his mighty machines video for half an hour, while we wakes up (which is perfect, because he wakes up at 5-5:30 and that's too early for me)
He loves the video we have, and it works great for long trips. The voice overs for the trucks a cheesy, but hello, they are made for kids!
My son loves the video so much (he remember some of the tractors from the video) we were at my husbands job and he saw a tractor and said "Mighty!" He's only 18 months... so he's not talking too much, but he has learned a lot of words from this "mighty machines" series!
So... I recommend these videos, I am purchasing all and any! :D

This set has 4 DVDs, and each one of them is 90 minutes long. The packaging is really, really nice- shiny and super high quality. Great to know if you're looking to buy this as a gift. My nephew loves this series- he can't get enough. This is a great value, very good DVDs. Totally recommend it.

Got a few of the Mighty Machine DVD's out of the library for an overseas flight. I am now buying them because we have maxed out how many times you can renew them. My 3.5 year old LOVES Mighty Machines and sings the song as soon as he wakes up. If you have a child that enjoys trucks/big machinery then this is a Must Have dvd.

"Mighty Machines" 4-DVD set is just what we needed for those rainy spring days when 'outside' just isn't going to happen. I bought these for my almost-three year old grandson, and Mom says they're a hit. An earlier reviewer was disappointed because they didn't include letters or numbers or other 'educational' enhancements. So what's wrong with FUN???

If you are a parent who is hesitant to even let your young one watch TV--then this is a great program. I come from the camp of major distrust of TV viewing for young children. I am not so strict to follow the "absolutely no TV" extremists--but i do limit TV/Video watching significantly compared to most American households (we don't even have a tv). Mighty Machines is one of two television programs i let my almost 2 year old watch. He started watching at about 18 months when he showed an interests in cars, trucks, construction vehicles etc, by chance at his aunt's house as she was flipping through the kiddie stations. (This is totally a show that he himself selected and cannot get enough of watching--even if it is a rerun) Now that he is rarely at his aunt's house anymore i am compelled to come here and buy as many as i can for his collection to watch one episode every couple of days or so.

Why i like this program: As a media person/producer myself, i know the tricks, tropes, and concepts behind how programs are created, produced etc. I sincerely believe that the manipulation of time and space through editing can be confusing to a little person who is trying to figure out how the world works. i also believe (as backed by scientific studies--just read the new one about sponge bob) that it contributes to short attentions spans and our fast-food/microwave culture in general with the fast cutting and leaving out the "in between" of a process. Animations/cartoons/puppets/talking animals are products of an adult imagination--not a child's. That sort of creativity/fantasy imagination doesn't begin until much later in humans. New humans are fascinated with the real: nature, how the world works, etc.

Mighty Machines is documentary in nature. It is only 20 mins long and tries as much as possible to show all the steps in a process to really allow young minds to grasp and understand the workings of these different machines. The takes are long and slow. There are few jump cuts and there is minimal talking and music. It really allows a young person to get into the process of how the world works and choose what he or she may want to focus on within the scene. My little one DOES like going to a construction site and watching the machines. He has a great attention span as evidenced by his ability to play independently and imaginatively without adult direction fr substantial periods of time. So, to watch Mighty Machines is as close to being in person/on-site where the machines of our world work everyday. He can also recognize and has started to differentiate between the different construction vehicles, cars, trucks, etc because of a combination of his books, toys, real life encounters, and Mighty Machines.

(As a note, even all of the adults who sit down and watch the program with him, myself included, are fascinated with the topics of the program--i never have had the thought or interest to want to know how salt makes it to my table from the mine--but now i know and it was fascinating to watch something that i take for granted that happens in the world every day)

It may take some getting used to for children who are used to being dazzled and entertained by hyper-color, fast paced, manic children programs. But it is never too late to detox your child from this detrimental programing--all one has to do is start by turning OFF the TV--not even allowing them to watch Mighty Machines, and promoting and facilitating independent play. Then when the time is right balance it all out by adding quality programs such as this one into their worlds.

Great place to look for advice on how: Magda Gerber and her RIE philosophies (Your Self-Confident Baby) and janetlansbury dot com.