Mattel Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage
(Mattel $99.99)
Our 8 and 5-year old testers enjoyed that there were so many stations and ways to play in this massive miniature setting (Whoa! Is that an oxymoron?) It can store up to 36 cars and has eight areas with lights, sounds, and a car-grabbing helicopter. The two elevators stop at four levels of the parking garage and there are side-by-side ramps for racing games as well as a spiral ramp. But watch out! There is a shark at the bottom of that ride. Can you get past those jaws? If you live in tight quarters this may be a bit over the top in terms of storage space. On the other hand all those cars in the hot wheels collection can find a home here. Another good feature is that it’s big enough for two kids to enjoy together having races and doing repairs. A great setting for pretend play. Our parent testers were split on whether this was easy to put together - depends on how handy you are with this type of build. In either case, you'll need to leave yourself some time - it does not come out of the box ready to go. They also liked that the garage was large enough for two kids to enjoy it together.
Ages: Early School
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2015
