Little People Musical Zoo Train ~Choo Choo~ Its Off to the Zoo!!
Written: Apr 22 '02 (Updated Jan 15 '03)
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Pros: Perfect for Imaginary Play!
Cons: Getting it out of the box was a chore!
The Bottom Line: A fun addition to the Little People Animal Sounds Zoo Playsets, Train Playsets or on its own!
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| marytara's Full Review: Little People Musical Zoo Train |
I picked up the Little People Musical Zoo Train when we were at the Fisher Price Toystore in East Aurora, NY. This is one of new Little People playsets released for 2002 and I had to have it for my son's budding Little People collection.
What's Included
At just $12.99 for a train (locomotive and 2 cars), 3 animals and 1 Little People figurine it was a great deal. The Little People Musical Zoo Train is made up of a Locomotive train with 2 cars and 4 Little People figurines.
Locomotive & Sonya Lee
The locomotive itself is bright yellow with a green front, purple smokestack and red wheels. There's a purple seat base where for Sonya Lee, the conductor of the train. Sonya Lee, a very popular Little People figurine that comes with many of the sets is in a cute little green and yellow outfit, brown shoes, red kercheif and a white zookeeper's hat. On her shoulder there is a little bluebird perched. The best part about the locomotive is that if you press down on Sonya Lee (while seated in the engineer's seat) the tune "If I could talk to the animals" plays complete with the sound effects of big cats growling and birds squawking. Its great!
Green Car with Tiger & Parrot
The middle car is bright green with a collapsible side door that can be folded up to serve as a side of the car, or down to serve as a ramp. On the car is a great big purple teeter totter with a seat on each side. One seat is intended for the tiger and another for a parrot. (We know this because there are stickers on side of the car that show these animals). When the train is rolled along on its red plastic wheels the teeter totter moves up and down giving the tiger and parrot a little ride.
Orange Car for the Giraffe
The last car on the train is a larger orange car intended for the giraffe. There is a little green leafy food tray attached to this car and it rocks back and forth as the train moves. The "seat" for the giraffe is actually a little turntable. When the train car is moved along on its red wheels the turntable rotates and spins the giraffe around in a circle.
What's Great
Together or Apart
While the intention of Fisher Price was for the 3 cars to be hitched together and function as a unit- they all work independently as well. Alone they are just the right size for little hands to maneuver like a "car". But, when the desire is there for them to connect up like a train the 2 cars easily link to the locomotive by a simple hitch that consists of a post and slot connection. In addition, the train cars from the Little People Musical Zoo Train can be used with any other Little People train set, such as the Circus or Big Top Trains.
3 Animals & 1 Little People Figure
If your child is anything like mine they will get a kick out of these new for 2002 additions to the Little People family. Who wouldn't like a bright little orange and black tiger, a red and yellow parrot and a tall little tan giraffe? These 3 animals are perfect add-ons to the Little People Animal Sounds Zoo, which comes with an elephant, polar bear, blue bird, monkey, seal and lion. The tiger at the zoo has always been one of my favorites so I'm glad to add this to my son's zoo as well!
Limitless Imagination
While the train itself does require batteries in order to play the "Talk to the Animals" tune, no batteries are required for your child's expanding imagination. The scenarios with these animals and Sonya are limitless. Use the musical zoo train alone, with the other Zoo or train sets or with any other Little People playset or figures.
What's Not
Trapped!
My biggest initial "gripe" with the Little People Musical Zoo Train was that it took me approximately 15 minutes to get the Little People Musical Zoo Train out of the box. Each component of the playset was twist-tied and taped down into the box making it quite a challenge to remove for initial play. It was even more fun with my son hanging off my leg and trying to grab at the pieces.
Scalability
The Fisher Price Little People have always had a few "scale" issues but this is minor to me. In order to make the toys consistent some items are too big or too small in comparison with others. In this case Sonya Lee, the Tiger, and the Parrot are all the same size with the Giraffe being only slightly taller. Its not a big deal, but is kind of funny if you think about it.
Overall
After my inital struggle of getting the product out of the box my son instantly took to playing with the train and new Little People figures. His imagination knows no boundaries and I enjoy watching him play with the animals and the Fun Sounds Garage set as if they are one. This a wonderful toy for a toddler or preschooler who enjoys Little People playsets and imaginary play. If you or your child collects Little People, I highly recommend adding the Little People Musical Zoo Train to your collection.
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Additional Info
Goes well with these Little People Playsets
Little People Animal Sounds Zoo
Little People Baby Zoo Animals
Little People Big Top Train
Little People Circus Train
Standard Little People Warning!
Fisher-Price states that this toy is for ages 1 yr and up. Fisher Price Little People could pose as a choke hazard for small children so please supervise your child while playing with this set. On a side note, the Little People of today are significantly less of a choke hazard than the simpler version of the past. Being larger and with appendages it would be a difficult feat to get in your mouth. (I tried and it was not a pleasant experience - but thats not to say a child wouldn't do it.)
The Little People Musical Zoo Train requires 2 AA batteries (which come in the toy) in order for the music to activate.
To clean the Little People Musical Zoo Train use a damp cloth with soap/water. Do not immerse the locomotive portion (which contains the batteries and electronic parts). The remainder of the train could be washed in a sink but extended soaking could remove or damage the decals. Little People figures themselves are washable by immersion or in the dishwasher.
For more info: http://www.fisherprice.com/us/littlepeople/
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 12.99
Type of Toy: Playscene
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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marytara
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