It is the question that parents have asked since the dawn of plastic toys. Do you let the kids unwrap the factory sealed box on Christmas morning, or do you assemble the toy before you wrap it, for immediate play. I myself have always favored the sealed box option. As a kid, there’s just something satisfying about unwrapping that giant box before ripping into it’s guts. whilst as a parent, it is easier to wrap! However a few years back we received a rather large toy from Santa, actually two on the same Christmas morning, and the ensuing race to assemble the toys is now infamous in our family history. Stickers and ramps, cars and tracks, pieces flying everywhere. Father and Grandfather reaching for the holiday eggnog earlier than usual.
The Paw Patrol Mighty Lookout Tower is one of those toys that looks impressive under the tree. It is also the rare win-win however, as it is one of those toys that is easy and entertaining to assemble. We let our three kids, aged ten, seven and four, loose on the tower to see how it would come together. With our ten year old firmly leading the way, it was assembled in good time, and all three had fun at the various stages of construction. Adult guidance was asked for only a handful of times, and even then more of a confirmation of something he already new. It was really refreshing not to have to put a toy this size together for them, and it was nice to see our eldest taking the lead on something like this. You will not need any tools to assemble the Paw Patrol Mighty Lookout Tower, but you will need 3 AAA batteries.
Adventure Bay is in trouble again, and the Mighty Pups are here to help. Starting at the top of the tower, pups are called to a mission, before hooking up and zooming down the zip line. A working elevator provides rooftop access, whilst a trap door sends the pups down into a waiting vehicle. A sturdy pedal on the back side is pressed down and the vehicle is launched forward. A Bat signal of sorts tops the toy, though it doesn’t project anything. Mighty Pups are ready for action!
This toy is a thorough delight for all ages, though my four year old is the only one that returns to it day after day, thus confirming the recommended age group for the toy. It is sturdy, it has some nice sounds and lights. You get to hear each of the pups sent on a mission, and each of them speaking. On the whole this is much better value for money than the Paw Patroller we had a few years back. The garage bays are a little bit disappointing, as only two garage doors open, and out of those two, only one has enough room for the vehicle. The second being the launcher. This is not a storage solution for all your vehicles, as the other pups are permanently parked outside. It does only come with one vehicle and one pup, Chase, but if you are looking to invest in a big Christmas toy like this, chances are good that you already own some of the vehicles, if not all. It stands two and ¾ feet tall, which is a footprint that is not for the faint of heart. Given it’s height, you would expect a degree of wobble to the structure, but It is a sturdy toy, mighty even. My kids have beaten it up a fair amount in just two weeks, and it is holding it’s own. There are only a few small pieces, the clips that attach to the zip line, so there’s not too much that can go missing, either on Christmas morning or during the normal course of an average day. There is very little packaging waste with this toy, which is refreshing, not too much plastic or cardboard padding the inside of the box, it pretty much is what it is. Again, this is a testament to how sturdy the toy is, it doesn’t need much protecting inside the box, and won’t need much protecting from heavy handed children. In the end, we all had a lot of fun playing with this toy, and look forward to many adventures with Ryder and the pups.
GeekMom received the Paw Patrol Mighty Lookout Tower for review purposes.
Love that fast video.