Customer Reviews

Play and Store Space Mission Big Box

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Our 8-year-old son wanted space stuff for Christmas and this was about the only set we could find. I couldn't tell by the picture how big the figures, vehicles, etc. were and the other reviews were not really very helpful since they were mainly complaining that the set was not meant for small children.

The set is actually very small. It is the equivalent to something you could find in a dollar store, but with more stuff and a nice storage box. If I had to guess how much the set cost I would say no more than $8...I paid $15.

On the plus side I was able to fulfill my son's wish to get astronauts and space vehicles for Christmas, although it was not exactly what we had in mind.

I bought this for my 3 1/2 year old who is really interested in the solar system. He loves playing with these toys and treats them well. However, they are made of a "model" type quality rather than a "play" type quality. The stickers easily slide off the pieces; which easily come apart. I was also disappointed that there was not any type of information page included to describe any of the space structures and what they are used for. The box is the most durable feature. Overall the quality and educational value is poor and could be improved, but my son still loves it.

Poor quality - pieces do not fit well and are constantly falling apart. The most durable part is the container.

My six-year-old loves space and to get this he was so exciteded! However, as we assembled some of the shuttle and other things the taps and pins would break-off. Needless to say, now he can't put everything together to simulate launch from Kenedy Space Center because all the parts won't stay together.

We bought this set for about [...] from Target, through Amazon.com, and so far I have been really pleased. This was my son's 5th birthday present. He's had the set for a week, and plays with it every day. At night before bed time, he and I play space mission together for 20 minutes before story time, and he chooses one of the rockets to sleep with every night!

Several of the pieces can be taken apart and put together like a puzzle. The top of the lunar module, for instance, snaps off of its launch pad to reveal a control panel (illustrated on a sticker) underneath. The top of the Apollo/Saturn V rocket can be taken off and put back together. My son loves pretending that the "stages" of the rockets are falling off as they launch into orbit.

These pieces are plastic, and they do have small plastic pegs for attaching the shuttle and boosters to the fuel tank. The pegs on the Discovery shuttle and the rocket boosters that attach to the big fuel tank seem like they could easily snap off if a child got frustrated trying to hook them together. I agree with other reviewers that this set is best for kids age 5 and up, who have better fine motor skills and more patience for putting the pieces together. So far, my son has had great fun with this set.

My 3 YO son got this set for Christmas and enjoys playing with it despite it's cheaply made flaws. Yellow poster sticky tack works wonders to keep pieces together. Our set has been in both the sandbox and the bath tub. My son is not rough on his toys, so his set has survived multiple child-simulated lunar missions. The space shuttle stack is his favorite even though he get's frustrated that the shuttle doesn't always stay put. (Again, yellow sticky poster tack to the rescue.) He actually enjoyes taking the pieces apart and reassembling them again, so I can't complain too much.

Not much more to say about this set. It's cheap plastic toys with average storage bin to keep it all together. As long as you don't have great expectations for this set, it's fine. No love lost for any broken or lost pieces. Works great with play dough or similar where the kids can create stuff to work with the toys in this set.

I bought this toy at a museum store - for more money. I clicked on this toy see if it was really the same thing, but cheaper. Very solid and realistic pieces.

It's sad to see that the space toys based on the actual space program are not good ones. My son loves space and space exploration, but he hardly plays with this set. The shuttle does not stay on the tanks, even when sitting still.

I like the fact that everything fits into a box. If only the toy were higher quality!

I'd buy it again, but just for the fact that my son loves space and the space program so much.

I purchased this kit from a school supply store for $20. I would expect that at that price, I would be purchasing an educational, well built product for kids to play and learn.

I am extremely disappointed with the quality. My son was thrilled to receive this set for his fourth birthday. After only a few days, three of the larger pieces are broken. The stickers have already fallen off most of the pieces, and the flag has come apart. So I am already making repairs, and I'm sure that will continue until they are bound for the garbage. The pieces that haven't actually broken don't even stay together long enough for pretend play.

The educational aspect of this kit is also a disappointment considering it's not even close to an accurate representation of the real thing, and there's no booklet to explain any of the pieces. It would have been nice to see more rockets, or a launch pad, or something of substance.

This set includes the shuttle orbiter, tank and boosters, a small rocket, a moon rover, a lunar lander, a rock platform, a thin play mat, and an excessive amount (39) of little gray astronauts. All of this comes in a shoe size storage box that seems sturdy enough (except for the handles, which have already broken) to outlast all of the toys inside.

In summary, this kit would be better off at the store on display, unless your child wants to be a space shuttle repairman! Although, I must admit that my son has enjoyed pretending to be an astronaut blasting off into space, even with the broken pieces. He is frustrated that it falls apart so easily, but overall, if it gets his imagination going, that is the fun of it all.

For two kids into NASA and launches, this feeds the imagination, allowing more than passive interest in space travel, star systems, and rockets generally.