Hot Wheels Power Loop Stunt Zone and Trick Tracks Triple Stunt Starter Set - So far, so good!

Hot Wheels Trick Tracks Love at first sight DOES exist. Ask a few of our junior reviewers — especially after opening recent packages of Hot Wheels’ newest toys: Mattel’s Hot Wheels Power Loop Stunt Zone and the Trick Tracks Triple Stunt Starter Set.

Some of the initial reactions? “When it arrived in the mail I thought Dawson was going into cardiac arrest. He was so excited, complete with jumping and screeching, I swear I couldn’t open the box fast enough.” But he wasn’t the only one. When another blogger pulled one of the sets from the box, her boys “were very excited. My 4 year old son said ‘this is the best day ever!’”

According to one blogger, “The Triple Stunt Starter Set includes three stunts that kids can arrange however they please: a flame launch, a 360-degree loop, and a massive crane claw. (The boys were AWED by the size of the crane claw.)” But the Power Loop is what really got the kids (and parents alike) excited. “The highlight of the Power Loop set is the power loop itself: two vertical loops crossed to create a globe effect, and a motorized (battery-operated) speed booster. The set also includes a drop — a portion of track that can be attached to a table or chair.”

In other words, Hot Wheels knows how to appeal to little boys and big ones too! “The stunts and cause=effect tricks are totally educational and fun.”

Both Hot Wheels stunt toys are designed to work with the tracks you may already have. Your child can easily build his or her own little kingdom! “I like that the sets are designed to work with multiple sets and that it encourages the kids to be creative with the track designs. I also like that they are easy for my kids to operate by themselves.” But why stop at just changing up the tracks? “They’ve added in their own little touches, like paper canopies that go over the track, or elephants onto which the cars can leap when released from the Power Loop. These toys certainly have the potential for creative combinations and additions.”

This aspect of both toys can make holiday shopping easy: “The biggest kid of all (my husband) said ‘we need more tracks so we can make it cooler’, and went to write tracks on both boys’ Christmas lists. I think he should probably have put them on his own as well!” (This is probably why one reviewer deemed it “a definite winner if you’ve got little car-crazy kiddos in your life.” )

While Hot Wheels toys are usually designed to thrive on kid power alone, the power loop does need batteries. But, as one reviewer says, “Even with the battery powered toy on, it isn’t as noisy as I expected it to be. Some of the other battery operated toys in our house drive me batty, but this toy is tolerable.”

Another review commented on the noise factor too. But she also captured why Hot Wheels toys are still so popular today. “What I like best about them is that they’re still pretty old school - no flashing lights, no loud noises and nothing digital. Just good, clean fun that the whole family can enjoy!”

As for directions… Some reviewers found the directions easy, some didn’t. “The directions are basically pictures of the process. But sometimes it was difficult to figure out what part goes where.” Fear not, kids seem to figure it out in no time. “The boys crowded around me as I opened the box. They tried sticking things together before I had a chance to unfold the instructions. But as it turns out, I should have just let my eldest go at it on his own. My attempts to set up the stunts ended up incorrect; but my seven-year old figured it out fine.”

A few reviewing moms mentioned using the toys as a way to motivate or reward their kids. One little boy traded his Halloween candy for a surprise from “a little fairy”. His mom explains, “While he was a bit sad to give up his candy, it turned out to be worth it - he kept saying, The fairy is so nice! She gave me this racetrack and I love it!” For another youngster, the toy served as a potty training reward. This was a happy day not just for the child who’d reached a big milestone but for his siblings too. “I heard things like ‘Awesome!’ and ‘Watch this!’ followed by ‘cool!’”

Several reviewers remarked that while their child received the toy, they got an unexpected (but happy) gift too: “this toy really ‘gets’ the kindergartenish-age of the kids for whom it is designed. This toy has provided HOURS of entertainment for my kids, and thus peace for me. I think it’s genius.”

We’ve still got more reviewers slated to write about the Hot Wheels toys. See what they have to say!

Today! Lipstick to Crayons
Wed 11/26 - Ovolina
Mon 12/1 - Ebony Mommy and Surrender Dorothy
Tues 12/2 - Sarah’s Dandelions
Wed 12/3 - My Family Loves It
Thurs 12/4 - Chefdruck Reviews
Fri 12/5 - MomReviews
Mon 12/8 - Mom to the Screaming Masses
Tues 12/9 - SusieJ
Wed 12/10 - Builder Mama
Thurs 12/11 - Round-Up Review

Tags: blogger reviews, Hot Wheels, Power Loop Stunt Zone, race cars, race tracks, track sets, Trick Tracks, Triple Stunt Starter Set

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 at 5:00 am and is filed under Elementary School, Kids, Pre-school, Toys. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Hot Wheels Power Loop Stunt Zone and Trick Tracks Triple Stunt Starter Set - So far, so good!

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