Customer Reviews

Strawberry Shortcake Playset - Berry Cafe

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My 4 year old DD had to earn this toy by not sucking her thumb. I had it in the closet for awhile, but finally came the time to open it, so I did it after she went to bed so I wouldn't have her hovering around while I try to pull all the tiny pieces out. The pieces are very tiny, but are comparable to Polly pocket size, so I don't recommend this to any child who still puts things in their mouth.

While I was putting it together, I got a close look at all the pieces and I was amazed by the quality! All the furniture is well painted and even though the pieces are small, they all are made well. There is nothing more annoying than when you have a table that is not quite level or sturdy and then the cups fall over when you set the table! With this toy, that doesn't happen.

Another thing that I like about this toy is that the staircase swivels. Moreover, you can take off SSC's dress and change her clothes (if you purchase another set, like the wardrobe). The window shutters open and close as does the door. The bird ride is pretty cool too, although your little one may need help putting SSC on the bird until they get the hang of it. Plus, who doesn't love things that smell like strawberries?! We've had ours for over 3 months and it still smells great! At first, I was worried that the fragrance would irritate my DD's eczema (she has it really bad on her hands), but it hasn't so far, which is yet another positive IMO.

The only thing my DD was dissapointed about was that it didn't come with SSC's pets, Pupcake and Custard. You have to buy them separately (in 2 diff. sets).

If you have/know a little one who loves SSC as well as playsets like Polly Pocket or Ponyville, then this set is for you! Keep your eyes open for sales if you want to save a little money. I got mine for $10 cheaper during an Amazon sale. I have also seen it sold as a combo deal at Wally World with other sets for an extremely good price.

First I would like to say that my DD loves Strawberry Shortcake (SS) and I spent a lot of time choosing which sets to purchase for her birthday.

My DD loved the way the box looked in the store (the presentation in the box is very "attention grabbing") however, after I bought it for her birthday and opened it I was immediately disappointed.

Waaaay to expensive for what it is. Half the pieces were gone before we even finished the party and it is pretty much a "shell of a house". It doesn't even close to hold those tiny pieces...so...no chance of keeping them anyway.

There is no handle so my DD could not transport it around the house as she likes so I have to move it for her....It's not heavy, just bulky for my DD.

It should have included at least one of SS "friends" so my DD could actually pretend she was having a tea party as the set-up seems to suggest.

Also, I tried to find a few "friends" and discovered that you have to buy other play-sets to get even one that is the same type.

The SS you get in the package has plastic hair and is a different size than the individually sold characters you can find next to the play-set at the store.

When you buy sets that have the friends, they also contain SS so I end up with 3-4 SS's and 1 of each friend.

More money and frustrating...

Meanwhile....My DD has started to use her SS dolls to play in her regular dollhouse she received last Christmas. More frustration....maybe I should have just bought the dolls...oh, wait you can't.

All in all, I found this particular set to be a complete waste of money...and the entire line to be uncoordinated. The house should have been more substantial and the characters should be able to be bought individually or as a "friend" set.

To a "marketing mom" such as myself, I have to sit back and wonder how many focus groups and/or research and development this toy went through. It is not very well thought out or put together. My main complaint is everything is too small making it difficult to use. The bed is too small for the dolls to lie on. The car is too small making it hard to get Strawberry Shortcake in it. Then the seatbelt is too short to fasten easily. The house is too small, especially the bottom floor, to easily put the kitchen pieces in and play with. Only the tiniest of hands could possibly play in there! The accessories such as the basket and cups do not fit on Strawberry Shortcake's hand. The hat is too small and does not fit on Strawberry Shortcake's head. I could go on and on... My three year old is very frustrated with this toy, but it was a Christmas present so I can't give it away.

The only thing I like about this toy is the strawberry smell that takes me back in time. Hopefully, the designer will read this and go back to the drawing board!!!

This set looks very attractive, and I had already purchased some of the other smaller playsets, so I deliberated on whether to purchase this or not. My daughter loves Strawberry Shortcake and her friends and would make a bee-line for this toy every time we went to the store. During one of my daughter's playdates, her friend had this set and after observing them at play and also after handling these toys for a while, I decided against buying it. The main reason is the tiny accessories that comes with this playset - the food items etc are miniscule and can be easily misplaced (my common complaint with the accessories in the Strawberry Shortcake playsets). I can foresee this being a problem in households where there are younger siblings, below the age of three (as they could be a potential choking hazard). Also, the Berry Cafe is not very substantial for the price - there is no back cover. It would have been more attractive and practical if it were the kind of building that could open and close, and perhaps have a little handle on top to make for easy carrying. All in all, I found this playset overpriced and not practical.

My daughter loves this toy, and plays with it every day. Yes, there are a lot of small pieces, but we just have a pencil box that we store all the little pieces in, and we have not yet lost anything in a couple of months. The pieces are well made, very detailed painting, and made of thicker more durable plastic. Some pieces have actual screws in them, instead of glue. The bird on top that the dolls can ride in is really fun and easy to work, just push the bird down, and it spins around as it slowly pops back up. It is a little overpriced at some stores, but if you watch sales you can get it for cheaper, I got a deluxe set with Plum Pudding and the roadster included with the cafe at a large chain retail store based out of Arkansas for one Jackson and four Washingtons. Overall a great toy, obviously not very educational, but great for the imagination.

I waited a few weeks making my daughter do weeks worth of chores and getting good reports from school until I broke down and purchased this for her.

It's wayyyy too expensive for what you get. She played with it a good bit the first day and then a little since then.

I don't foresee too much use out of this.

She does like tot gather all her other small house things together to build a neighborhood, which is super cute.

I'd wait longer to see if price will drop.

I love that Strawberry Shortcake smells like strawberries! I was amazed when I opened it and inhaled that sweet smell! :) Very cool.

My 3 and 5 year olds do enjoy playing with this but it does have some annoyances. The top part, where Strawberry Shortcake is supposed to sit and have the bird ride, constantly keeps falling off. Also, its hard to get the Strawberry Shortcake figure to actually sit in there. The door to the cottage also keeps falling off, so I constantly have to put it back on. The pieces are super small and easy to lose. And as for Strawberry Shortcake herself, I cannot believe how hard it is to get her hat on and have it stay on. That is another piece that keeps falling off. I wish they could have just made the hat permanently attached to the head because its just frustrating for my kids to always be fussing with the hat.

Overall, compared to other playsets, some of these pieces just really dont seem "kid-tested" and their quality for actual play by little ones is questionable. I expected more for the price.

My daughter received this for her third birthday and I have to say it IS adorable. The smell of strawberry shortcake brought back memories from my own childhood. I was instantly transported to 1980! However, with the exception of maybe 3-4 of the pieces, the playset pieces are miniscule! And when I say that, I mean the little cups are the size of my pinky nail, no bigger than a pea! I have a very hard time playing alongside my daughter with this playset because the pieces are sooo tiny. When they say "not for children under age 3" they mean it. My husband found our 2 year old with a strawberry milkshake shoved up her nose. And it fit way up in there, if that tells you how small the pieces are! I am constantly looking for the missing cups, milkshakes, plates and unfortunately I have to keep the playset put away until she wants to sit at the table and play with it. Or else, we would loose all of the pieces. This is definately not a toy you can just let sit out, unless you have much older children, or you don't mind if pieces are missing (that's not me!). That all said, this is an adorable little toy and my daughter does love playing with it.

I bought the berry cafe on sale for $18 and for that price it is nice. There are way too many accessories to fit in the cafe at once. So my daughter sets the table and counter up outside so that she has room to move the dolls in and out of the cafe. The construction is a bit flimsy, and I wish it did close to store everything. But it does come with a nice amount of accessories and 2 mini figures (Strawberry Shortcake and Lemon Meringue). Overall, I wouldn't pay full price for this item. My daughter likes it, but is not over the moon about it.

I am 9 years old and I have the strawberry cafe toy and I still play with it with my friends.There is just one thing is hard to keep on the toy is the bird at the top of the toy but it never stops me from playing with it.