Customer Reviews

iPlay Cool Tools Activity Set

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this for my son who is almost two and a half because he has a big interest in tools. I chose this one over some of the more realistic sets because he has a baby brother on the way and I didn't want to get him something with too many choking hazards. I also liked that this has screws and bolts so he can practice actually using the tools.

Pros-
-cute talking shape sorter
-screw driver, hammer, and wrench can actually be used with the accompanying bolts, screws, and nails
-cute carrying case to contain all parts

Cons-
- TOO LOUD! This toy does not have a volume control and when the child turns the gears it plays children's songs at a high volume.
- no on/off switch. It would be nice to be able to turn the sound feature off, so the child could just practice the mechanic aspects of the toy.
- Toy does not come with the molded plastic insert shown in the picture. My child can rarely get all of the tools to fit inside by himself.
- The drill makes realistic drill sounds, but the bit does not turn. How hard would it have been to make that happen?

My child is enjoying this toy, but it is still fairly new. If I had had a chance to try it out before buying, I think I would have picked something else.

PLEASE READ - My son got this when he was a little over 16 months and it's been a hit ever since. At first he just used the shape sorters as a hide and seek area for other toys. WE liked the gears and the music that played while turning them, but I wasn't prepared for the screws on the far left side to actually come ALL THE WAY OUT - posing as a choking hazard). Not quite 3 inches long but only about a AA battery size width. The picture shows the screws out of their threads. Luckily my son handed them to me instead of putting them into him mouth, and I have yet to return the 3 pieces to the set. HOWEVER, he didn't seem to care because there is so many other tools and things to still play with. THus the reasons I am giving it such a high review. He enjoyed mastering the screwdriver and wrench (to the screws that do stay in) and the hammer and nails are pretty fun for him as well. I like that the box verbalizes each shape when placed into the sorter. It is a great teaching toy for colors and shapes while maintaing interest in playing while he learns. Just be careful of the loose pieces especially around the little ones.

Bought this for my son's 1st b-day. It was one of the only tool sets that I could find that was age appropriate. The recommended age is 18 mo. and up and most other toys are 3 yrs. and older. I was concerned it would be too advanced for him, but he LOVES it! He is a very active boy and few toys keep his attention for more than a few minutes, but he will play with this toy for 15-30 minutes at a time. He really enjoys the shape sorter, nail/hammer function and the drill.
I think that the manufacturer has improved the design since earlier reviews. Based on a few reviews, I was concerned that the screws may be a choking hazard, however on my set, the screws CANNOT be removed. Unfortunately, they didn't make any other improvements (molded insert to hold the tools or making the drill actually move - why I gave it 4 stars). Yes, the noise is a bit loud - but I would say it's equal to other electronic toys. I put a piece of masking tape over the speaker and it dulls it to just the right volume.
Overall, this is a fabulous toy. My 2 1/2 yr old daughter also enjoys playing with it, so I am sure we'll get years of use. It is also a great on-the-go travel toy.

I bought this toy a few months ago on a whim after my daughter started following me around one day while I was fixing something, and she kept trying to grab my wrench and screwdriver and copy me exactly. She is now 21 months old and still loves it, as does my nearly 4-year-old niece who visits regularly. I like it because there are certain things that my daughter can do, but more "complex" aspects (like actually using the screwdriver correctly) that my niece is able to master. So it's something that a child can play with for a long time. My only problem is that we've lost a couple pieces already, and I cannot for the life of me find them! (Although, that's really my problem, not the toy's...) Definitely a good buy that will keep your little one occupied for a long time.

I was surprised to discover that the insert shown on the package which holds all the tools in place no longer comes with the toy, which makes for some annoying reconfiguration in order to get the box to close and for some messy crash of tools when the box opens. But it did a fair job of entertaining my toddler.

Good for small child developing fine motor skills, tools are of lesser durable quality than I expected. They way they fit into the toolbox is not the best, but Ok for a two year old interested in tools. Overpriced for the product.

This is my go-to gift for 1-yr-olds, though could probably be given earlier and can certainly be used long after that age. We got ours 5 years ago and it seems the design has been tweeked since then. I'm sending in this review after ordering it for someone else. Amazon shows 'similar' toys that are all tool kits for little ones; I'd be just as inclined to compare it to 'busy box' activity sets. It contains a surprizing number of activities for such a small package, and will be in the front of the toy shelf through several periods of development.

The tools are safe for little baby hands just learning to pick things up but have enough details for preschoolers' imaginations, and can be used to actually turn the screws/bolts and pound the nails. Some of these make cool noises. I don't think they are small enough to be a choking hazard. The drill doesn't really seem to me like it fits in. It makes noise, but doesn't turn any of the screws. It's not too loud, but my son didn't find it very interesting either.

The gears have a mirror--for a baby--and are great for young minds just starting to think about machines. The music doesn't come on whenever the box is open--only when the crank is turned. My son is quite sensative to noise, but this never bothered him (or if it did, he stopped turning the crank and played with the other stuff).

There is also a shape-sorter which used to make funny noises but now apparently names the shapes, which makes it a little less multi-cultural, but oh well. 4 basic shapes are plenty for a little one to get the concept, and it is nice for the tot to be able to flip up the sorter and--tadaa!--find the shapes they just put in.

Ours came with the plastic liner shown in the photo. It didn't stand up to our use at all, was probably gone within a week, but the tools fit in the box anyway. There are about 10 pieces which come out of the box, but we haven't lost any of ours, probably thanks to it's being such a cute little set that we like to put it back together.

bought it as a gift for the grandson. He loved it. Can't say his Mom did though. He tried to drill the chairs and hammer the cat

I bought this toy for my 15mth old son. He loves it. He carries it everywhere. He love the sounds and the drill. He loves to work on things with his daddy. In previous comments regarding the storage and noise, it does take a bit to get the tools back in but not hard once you figure it out, and the noise is minimal compared to other toys. I would buy this for a friend. That is how great I think it is and the price is good too.

We bought this for our #13 child's first birthday (an age at which most toys are less interesting than the box they come in) and he LOVES it. It's nicely self-contained, well-made, and doesn't make obnoxious noises. Various older siblings also enjoyed it.

Unfortunately several screws were misplaced and/or chewed by the puppy, and the drill motor has stopped working (I suspect mistreatment), but I'm very tempted to buy a replacement for the little guy's second birthday--it's got that much play value.

In a world where most toys are noisy, battery-consumptive, awful things, this one gets my kudos.