space toys Related Tip

We bought this toy for our 3 year old son who was asking for a “rocket ship” after watching a recent Shuttle launch. We’re happy with this because it’s a realistic looking Shuttle that has both the orbiter and the fuel tank/rocket boosters. The orbiter’s payload bay doors open. The orbiter and the fuel tank separate and can be put back together relatively easily. It’s fairly stable as it sits on the launch pad, however the two gray “stands” that are supposed to hold the orbiter in place do not lock or snap on to the launch pad and fall off when moved. Tape is required to hold them place. The astronauts serve no real purpose other than imaginative play because they do not fit inside the shuttle at all (and are not the appropriate scale).

Overall, it’s been an ideal toy for a young child who is curious about the space program and wants a realistic looking shuttle to play with.

I expected more quality for the money I paid. The toy looks good. However, the plane falls off from the fuel tank too easily. One of the three wheels that the plane has broke in the first hour of playing and the wheels are hard to manipulate for little fingers, the two posts that hold the shuttle do not firmly attach to the base.

I bought this for my 4 1/2 year old son who absolutely loves the planets. He is able to put it together himself and it is challenging enough to keep him busy for a while. I liked it so much that we bought another one as a gift for the 5 year old next door who is now beginning to take an interest in the planets. The pieces are thicker than a regular puzzle so it is a bit more durable than a regular puzzle. I would definitely buy more Melissa & Doug floor puzzles.