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[GIFTED] Review: CAT Vehicle Sets


Toy vehicles have always been a firm favourite with the boys. It doesn't matter what shape, size, colour or type they are - as long as they've got a good set of wheels then the boys are happy! It's no surprise then that the brand new range of CAT construction vehicles have made it onto both of their Christmas lists this year.

Well, it seems that Funrise Toys must have some pretty good links with Santa because they recently asked the boys to put some of these new toys to the test and, as you can probably imagine, it was like Christmas had come early for them! 

There are three new toys in the CAT vehicles range, all of which are designed to develop different skills and expand little imaginations. Each set gives children the chance to play the role of a construction worker and take on various jobs, putting them right at the heart of the action. 

So what did the boys think of them? 

Here's what happened when they got stuck in to their big box of CAT goodies: 

CAT® Junior Crew: Build Your Own Vehicle
We started with the smallest of the three toys - the Build Your Own Vehicle set. As the name suggests, this is a construction set that comes with parts to build and re-build your own unique vehicles. Inside the box we found a range of parts to create the vehicle as well as a screwdriver to secure the parts and an action figure to bring the whole thing to life. 

"Let's do the work!"
The screwdriver secures the parts into place.
Finley got the hang of this straight away and set to work without any instruction. Jacob was so eager to help with putting the dump truck together and came rushing over to join in. I really thought they would end up fighting over this but it turned out to be the perfect toy to get them working together! They each took turns to hold the parts in place while the other one used the screwdriver and they both chatted away about which piece should be added next as they went along.

Teamwork!

The big, chunky pieces are perfect for little fingers.

Given his age, it was no surprise that Finley understood the Build Your Own Vehicle set but what really impressed me was how quickly Jacob worked out what to do. He's nearly 3 and although this toy is aimed at ages 3+, I was more than happy for him to play with it under supervision. All of the vehicle parts are really chunky and there are no fiddly pieces to worry about as the bolts are attached to the parts, making it safe to build and play with.

Swapping the parts around means that the possibilities are endless.

Both boys really enjoyed using the screwdriver to build their vehicle. Even when they'd finished building, they kept coming back to undo the parts and make 'repairs' to it. As well as being a great little tool to aid imaginative play, it also helps them to improve their fine motor skills without them even realising it!

The screwdriver is perfect for fine motor skill practice.

Once the boys were ready to try out the next toy, we set about collecting up all the pieces. The Build Your Own Vehicle set comes in a reusable carry case which is ideal for tidying everything away and making sure that none of the parts get lost. With a handle on the top it's perfect for travel too, so I've got a feeling that this set will be joining us on lots of our caravan holidays!

It's not often that the boys share their toys like this!

CAT
® Power Haulers
I've got to admit that I was really excited about opening this toy! Power Haulers are a range of realistic vehicles that feature lights, sounds and a whole host of moving parts. They're available in various different designs including a cement mixer, a dump truck, a front loader and a digger (which the boys were lucky enough to receive). 

As we took the digger out of its box, the first thing I noticed was just how sturdy it felt. The boys have had a lot of interactive toys over the years and I've found that they can be quite flimsy but these Power Haulers are built to last. All of the buttons and levers have a really positive feel to them and the toy as a whole could definitely survive a battering from the boys!

Power Haulers look just like the real thing!

Each Power Haulers vehicle comes with Motion Drive Technology, meaning that the features are activated by the child's interaction with the toys. It might sound complicated but it actually makes the toy really intuitive - all the boys had to do was play normally to bring the digger to life!

Finley and Jacob were both amazed by how many different things the digger could do at once. Driving it backwards and forwards made the caterpillar tracks turn and as they changed direction, the driver's cab made clicking noises. They controlled the boom and bucket by pulling the levers and made the lights flash by moving the parts around. Of course the boys' favourite feature was the realistic vehicle sounds (they especially loved pressing the button to hear the engine revving into action and making it beep to reverse!)

There are so many levers to pull, buttons to press and sounds to make!

Controlling all of these parts at the same time not only put the boys multitasking abilities to the test, but it also gave them even more opportunities to practice their fine motor skills. 

Again, this toy is for ages 3+ but we found it perfect for both of the boys' age groups. Being so realistic (right down to the smallest details) meant that it really appealed to them on different levels - Finley was in his element identifying all the parts, while Jacob loved chatting away to the digger and making up stories about it as he pushed it around!

Multitasking at its finest.

CAT
® Construction Fleet Sand Set
After opening the third and final CAT toy, we headed out into the garden to put the Construction Fleet Sand Set to the test. Good quality, durable garden toys are hard to come by but this set is built to withstand the elements, making it perfect for outdoor play.

It comes with all the tools that little construction workers could possibly need for their imaginary building site, including a bright yellow hard hat, a shovel, a rake and a HUGE push along dump truck (which the boys were seriously impressed with!)

Because of its size, this set is suitable for children as young as 2 years old, so Jacob was the perfect person to test it out. The truck has a wide dump bed and handy carry handle, which made it super easy for his little hands to control and the big, grippy wheels meant he had no trouble pushing it along the path, grass and gravel.

Even the littlest of construction workers can enjoy the Construction Fleet Sand Set.

The boys imaginations ran wild as they played with this set. They each took turns to wear the CAT branded hard hat (luckily it's adjustable so I was able to make it fit both of them!) and Finley put himself in charge of the action, instructing Jacob to fill the dump truck with stones and empty it in various places around the garden.

The set comes with two tools that can be used separately or snapped together to form a pair of tongs. The boys started off using the hand tools to complete their jobs but eventually put them down in favour of getting their hands dirty (just like real construction workers!)

Working hard on their imaginary building site!

Both boys agreed that the Construction Fleet Sand Set was their favourite toy but I think it's safe to say that all three CAT vehicle sets have been a big hit with them!

The real stand-out features for them were the realistic details on each toy and the robust design which meant that they could immerse themselves in playing without having to be too careful.

From my point of view, it was great to see the boys learning through play and developing a different set of skills as they explored each toy. I was also really pleased to see minimal amounts of plastic used in the packaging! Aside from the cable ties, all of the boxes that the toys came in were made from cardboard which is not only good news for the environment, but also for parents when it comes to opening them!

Above all, I love the fact that these CAT vehicle sets are great value for money. Each one is less than £20 which I think is really reasonable considering the quality and the amount of life they've got in them.

The CAT® Junior Crew: Build Your Own Vehicle Sets retail at £12.99, the CAT® Power Haulers Assortment at £19.99 and the CAT® Construction Fleet Sand Set at £14.99.

You can buy these sets along with the full range of CAT vehicles from Funrise Toys on Amazon and on the Funrise Toys UK Facebook shop.


Disclaimer: Products in this post were gifted to us in exchange for an honest blog review and social media coverage. All views expressed within this post and across social media are our own.

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