Lift-Off Rocket
by International Playthings
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List Price: Category: Toy See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Lift-Off Rocket
Customer Review: Fun for kids (even ones over thirty!) ^_^
Summary: 5 Stars
As an adult toy collector, I find that toys are getting more and more complex, while providing less and less enjoyment. And sturdiness is a thing of the past. So I find myself gravitating towards quality "childrens'" toys like the Lift Off Rocket. And this particular toys doesn't disappoint!
The Rocket comes with four figures (2 astronauts, 1 dog, 1 alien), a moon buggy (for the astronauts), a crater (for the astronauts or alien), and the rocket itself. All parts are sturdy without sacrificing play value. It is obvious that a lot of thought went into the design of the various elements, as nifty details abound.
The buggy has large, rubber wheels and easily stores in the bottom compartment of the rocket. The door hinges downward and has two grooves in it, so it makes a perfect ramp for the buggy. There are some simple, yet elegant details in the buggy bay that would have been left out of a cheaper toy (floor details, some wall decorations). My only complaint with the buggy is the inability of fitting the alien in there (his footprint is too large).
The crater is deceptively fun. It is a simple piece, yet it immediately creates a "moonscape" atmosphere wherever you place it. Plus (and this is probably unintentional), if you decide to store all the other pieces inside the rocket, you can place the crater beneath the ship for a somewhat realistic "fire" backsplash effect.
The rocket is a work of art. This is the rocket we dreamed of as kids, before the messy details of reality were a concern. The main cabin door hinges to the side and has its own floor, increasing the play space when it swings out. Kids will recognize elements from their own homes inside: a toaster, a microwave, shelves with cups and food containers, a coffee maker, many drawers, etc. None of these move or "work" in any way, but they add a great bit of character to the capsule. On the door, you have a bedroom with murphy bed, nightstands, books, and a lamp. Flip the bed up, and you have a toilet with back tank, tp dispenser, the works! The cockpit holds both astronauts (or the dog in place of one astronaut!) and has some relief detailing of controls and limited stickers. The nicest feature is that the astronauts sit in the correct position (on their backs) when the rocket is standing up. There are two sound effects triggered by a button on the handle: a countdown to launch plus launch or a generic electric sound. There is a 3-position switch (located on the OUTSIDE and easy for kids to manage) that turns the sounds off, low volume, or high volume.
Don't let the price scare you on this one. It is very clear that i-Play spent the money on quality construction and thoughtful design. The rocket feels substantial--there is nothing "cheap" about it.
Customer Review: Rocket lovers will love this toy
Summary: 5 Stars
We bought this for our two year old son on his 2nd birthday after he began to "blast off!!!" many of his other toys (like a block tower), so since he seemed interested in blasting off we thought he might like this toy. HE LOVES IT!
It is *very* sturdy with little people sized space car, space dog, alien, and astronauts (2), and moon crater. My 2 yo quickly ignored the moon crater but we can fit all the other pieces into the ship. The top compartment is like a space module that fits the astronauts, the middle section is like a living section with miniature kitchen and fold down bed (most of this is molded into the rocket but there is a shape of a toaster and microwave in there. This is where we store the dog and alien but with some wiggling. The bottom door opens to hold the space car which rolls down a ramp when open. The bottom door is difficult to open (for the little kids) but if any door pulls off (which they do) it is very easily reinserted without the feeling you are wearing down those connections.
Our son loved this so much he wanted to sleep with it the first day we had it. Our five year old twins play with it constantly too. I'd buy it again in a second!
Customer Review: Good, but room for improvement
Summary: 3 Stars
Our 18+ month-old really seems to like this, so she would probably give it four stars. I give it three. Overall, it's a good toy. The two astronauts are about the same scale as Playmobil people, which means playmobil people can pilot the ship and drive the moon buggy. Oddly, the included dog and alien do not fit in the moon buggy or pilot areas, which writes off a whole slew of potentially interesting story lines for your child. How can the alien steal the ship or buggy if he doesn't fit? The ship handle has a button with two soundtracks. One is a launch sequence and the other is just spacy sounds. I'm sure they could have packed ten more random sci-fi sounds in there. The doors pop off easily so that they don't break off, which is good, but fastening them back on is a bit of a puzzle even for adults. A good aspect of this toy is that it is very much like a little dollhouse (there is a bed in the central compartment, for example), so it doesn't have to be a rocket at all. Our toddler spends a fair amount of time putting creatures to bed in the central compartment. The moon buggy is quite popular by itself as well.Customer Review: Our grandson LOVES this rocket
Summary: 5 Stars
What a thrill it is to see your grandson open all his toys for Christmas, and for the next few days, he plays with only one....this Lift-Off Rocket that his grandparents gave him! He's 18 months old and thoroughly enjoyed opening and closing the doors while inserting and removing the little astronauts and the spacedog. He also loves pushing the button to start the countdown. He hasn't figured out how to make it "fly" by holding the built-in handle while waving the rocket over his head, but he will eventually.
He had loads of fun with this rocket. The only down-side, if you can call it that, is that two of the three doors come off easily, and he is unable to reattach them himself. I am sure they come off so easily in order to prevent them from breaking. So far this rocket has endured everything he can do to it.
When his birthday comes up in a few months, we will certainly consider getting him other toys from International Playthings, as this was a mega-hit!
Customer Review: one of the best constructed toys we've found in a long time
Summary: 5 Stars
My 2 year old has been pointing out rockets for the past 3 months, so when his birthday rolled around we searched for one he would like. The reviews are right on the money with this one. This has got to be one of the best built toys we've found in the past few years. It has a great handle on the side that makes it easy for little ones to carry around. The door to the command module opens and the 2 astronauts fit in there nicely. The middle living compartment has fantastic detail (a toaster!). And we love that the moon buggy fits into the bottom compartment. The spaceship has sound effects counting down to liftoff when its vertical and the lights in the engine blink as it takes off. When its 'in flight' or held horizontal, pressing the button makes other (not annoying) engine sounds. If we had to call out something we dont like, the door to the lower compartment detaches a little too easily, but the hinge seems designed to detach and re-attach, so it has not broken.