Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Hard hat area: CAT man cometh

CAT take a part {aka a review of Toy State's CAT Take-A-Part Machines}

I jumped at the opportunity to bring home Toy State's Wheel Loader construction vehicle for little man to try out. And when it arrived with a construction hat, Ya exclaimed, "DUMP TRUCK!" and tried to tear the toy out of the box.

[I had flashbacks to a very uncomfortable trip to a store where Ya proceeded to pull toys into the cart and rip open packaging of things I had no desire or means to purchase.]

The CAT Take-A-Part from Toy State's preschool line of toys is simply cool. A battery operated "power drill" whired for hours as Ya first tightened screws on wheels, then loosened screws on the cab, the dump bed and the blade (uh, that's the thing-amajig that shovels and holds stuff).
CAT drillin
Almost every part of the toy is detachable. The oversized bolts were easy to handle and the drill - once he mastered the tighten and loosen buttons - was perfect for his three year old dexterity. I especially liked the large pieces that are clearly meant for little handlers to fit together with minimal frustration. We had to be careful not to tighten any of the screws by hand when Ya was trying to drill, but found it necessary when he was ready to play with the truck.
cat driller
Chi watched with quite a bit of envy as her baby brother repaired and destroyed his truck with the drill. This was not something he was ready to share. Not a chance. Because once he was finished playing hard hat handy man, it was time to be "dump truck" driver extraordinare. CAT digger

You see, Ya has decided that he is meant to be a construction worker. (Of course anyone asking him would believe he wants to drive a dump truck, but that's because every construction vehicle is a dump truck right now.)

He scopes out construction sites from his car seat. Stuck in traffic? No complaints from little man so long as there are active highway improvement projects. Then, he strains to look out the windows at the bustle of activity - big trucks picking up, pushing, pounding; bright hard hats bobbing to and fro; and huge cranes towering overhead with various things held precariously by wires that sway in the wind.
CAT play time
The CAT Take-A-Part Machine retails for $15. Batteries aren't included (it takes two 'AA' for the drill), so make sure you stock up before bringing it home. Although, we've had the drill running often for the last week or so, and it shows no sign of losing power.

To date, Chi still has not been permitted to play with the coveted machine. Ya keeps it under watchful eye. If he disappears, the subtle whir of the drill makes him an easy find.

The Take-A-Part machine models include a CAT Dump Truck, CAT Wheel Loader, and CAT Skid Steer. I'm thinking that I may have to pick up one of the other machines just to restore peace in the house. Chi is suffering from some serious envy.


1 comment:

Ashley Sisk said...

He's quite the natural. I think he has an awesome construction career ahead of him!