Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)As you might imagine, there are a few drawbacks to this toy. I'll list them before the praise.
First, kids under 3 are going to occasionally hurt themselves. It's recommended for children 2-5, but, let's be honest, if you have an 18-month-old that can walk, you're going to put them on it. They can ride it and will love it, but they will need help getting on; they have to learn to hold their feet up on the car or out to avoid the wheels; and they occasionally forget the need to hold on to the bar. We use a loader and a catcher (mom and dad) for anyone under 3. Even a three-year-old will occasionally just fall off while getting on or run into another kid, if more than one kid present. But the toy is designed low enough to the ground that injuries should be more tears than actual bruises (unless you use it outside on your concrete driveway).
Second, the toy takes a lot of space if you use it indoors, or even if you just plan to store it someplace when it's not being used.
Third, this type of activity can often be short-lived. Don't buy this and expect it to be used every day for hours. My kids didn't play with it every day, so I started keeping it in the garage and bringing it out for special occasions like rainy days and visiting friends. They kids will play with the coaster for about 15-20 minutes each, at the most.
Fourth, you'll need to closely supervise the use of this toy, especially if there's more than one kid playing with it. For kids under 4, you may be doing a bit of work yourself in getting them on and pushing them back to the top. For the older kids, you may just referee and make sure that nobody stands in front of the track.
Now that may sound like a lot of negatives for a toy that I rated a 5, but you simply cannot have this much active fun inside the house without a trampoline or a really big ball pit. For children ages 2 and 3, this toy is more exciting than most adults would expect. The coaster is a solid construction and easy to put together and take apart in seconds. It even holds an adult should you want to test it out for yourself. Even older kids 5-6 love it, but you have to watch them a little as they try to increase the fun by doing more daring things like going down backwards. Finally, the editorial review was exactly right-the car does get used separately from the track and (when I kept my track out all the time) the kids played on it with matchbox cars and balls on a daily basis (it just took too much space in our play room). I wish they made toys like this when I was a kid.
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Step 2 Up & Down Roller CoasterLet your child experience the up-and-down thrills of a roller coaster in the safety of your living room or driveway with the Up and Down Roller Coaster from Step2. The colorful snap-together track reaches 10 feet long and comes with two sets of non-slip steps that lock onto the track for added safety. The coaster car features a high back, handrail and foot rests for a secure ride. Measures approximately 123"L x 30.5"W x 14.75"H. Comes with track and coaster car. Holds up to 60 pounds. Adult supervision recommended.
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