Barbarossa Pirate Ship Review | Le Toy Van | Toy Review
In this article, I am going to give you an honest look at the Barbossa Pirate Ship. But before I get started, let me introduce myself. My name is Christina and I have had the opportunity to go hands-on with many toys while parenting five kids spanning 19 years. I always call it the good, the bad, and the ugly with the toys I have seen. I have made some “poor decisions” on toys and have learned a lot through these experiences. Owning an e-commerce toy store alongside my parenting of 5 children has given me more toy experience than I have ever thought I would have. I have also had the pleasure of speaking with the President and CEO of major Toy manufacturers asking for my advice on different toys and have been featured on several podcasts.
I will combine all my experience and knowledge to give you the most comprehensive toy review possible. A product description will be given, as my Sustainable Toy Review for Barbossa Pirate Ship, Pros/Cons, and an FAQ featuring: Where does Barbossa Pirate Ship fit into the sustainable toy category? What is the Barbossa Pirate Ship? What is it made of? Is it eco-friendly?
Designed in London with a European-inspired classic style, Le Toy Van makes its hand-finished toys in Indonesia.
Le Toy Van uses only sustainably sourced wood grown under ethical working practices. They have been making sustainable toys for 25 years using only safe water-based paints, dyes, and cloth tactile materials. Le Toy Van’s Barbarossa pirate toy ship is all wooden with fabric sails painted and dyed with water-based paints. The ship includes a crow’s nest, a removable trap door, a working plank, a wind-up anchor, a spinning steering wheel, and a firing cannon with 2 balls. The ship has two wooden removable flags and the back of the ship opens to the stern for storage or additional play. Le Toy Van’s pirate figures are sold separately.
Sail the seven seas with the Barbarossa pirate ship from a little toy van. The classic black-painted wooden pirate ship With a skull and crossed Swords motif on the fabric sails. Features include; a crow’s nest, a ‘walk-the-plank’, rigging, a spring-loaded firing cannon with cannonballs, a wind-up anchor, a deck trap-door, a helm, a Barbarossa figurehead, and a rear opening Stern for access. Perfectly scaled for characters and any other figurines around 10cm tall. Figures are sold separately. Won the right start toy Award.
Product Description:
- PART OF THE PIRATE SHIPS COLLECTION – The Barbarossa pirate ship is part of the pirate ship collection. Sail the seven seas with the Barbarossa pirate ship from Le Toy Van
- WONDERFUL PAINTED WOOD – The classic black pirate ship With a skull and crossed Swords motif on the fabric Sails is made from wonderful painted wood. It includes a crow’s nest, a ‘walk-the-plank’, rigging, a spring-loaded firing cannon with cannonballs, a wind-up anchor, a deck trap-door, a helm, a Barbarossa figurehead, and a rear opening stern for access
- GREAT FOR PRETEND PLAY – Le Toy Van designs and creates beautiful painted wooden toys with high play value and stylish aesthetics to encourage real learning through imaginative play. It is specially designed to stimulate every child’s development through rewarding creative play
- HIGH QUALITY – This ship is made from high-quality wood, providing a durable set of fun accessories for the children to play with, helping them to develop their coordination skills and explore lots of role-play adventures. Your little ones will be completely immersed in the magical world of the miniature sea living
- Le Toy Van Barbarossa Pirate Ship Set Premium Wooden Toys for Kids Ages 3 years & Up
| Best Sellers Rank | #336,543 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games) #2,710 in Preschool Toy Figure Playsets #4,293 in Play Figure Playsets #20,668 in Action Figures |
|---|---|
| Customer Reviews |
511 ratings
4.5 out of 5 stars |
Christina’s Toy Review consists of 5 standardized criteria categories:
1. Sustainability:
A. Product:
- Made from sustainable rubberwood and colored with water-based paints and dyes.
- Fabric sails are attached to the chord. The string is used for the anchor.
- The ship is entirely plastic-free.
B. Packaging:
- Cardboard recyclable box with no plastic packaging.
- No single-use plastic window to view toys.
C. Origin/Company:
- A small but big-hearted family company. We believe childhood should be enjoyed to the full. That’s why we’ve been making imaginative wooden toys, designed in Great Britain with a touch of French je ne sais quoi, since 1995. Our toys encourage creative long-lasting play and quickly become well-loved family favorites. Our uniquely designed, hand-finished toys are a true investment in play, for generations to come.
- See their sustainable message on their website HERE.
2. Playability:
A. Open-ended:
- The pirate ship is open-ended because it promotes your child to make different stories and scenarios.
- Each time a child plays with the ship a new adventure can be created.
- A child could also imagine this ship being a different kind of boat such as a ride at a theme park.
B. Active Parent engagement:
- This ship is easy for parents to engage with as the real working cannon, trap door, steering wheel, and stern back door are fun.
- The working cannon is removable both kids and adults can fire.
C. Playtime:
- My 4 and 7yr olds play with the ship for 30 min at a time.
- They take the ship on adventures to find treasures and make battle scenes.
- Promotes independent play with 1 child playing alone and acting out scenarios.
- Encourages creative storytelling and imaginative play.
3. Durability:
A. Craftmanship:
- Smooth, precision-crafted rubberwood with beautifully hand-dyed/painted pieces.
- Made of substantial and heavy/solid sustainable rubberwood. This ship weighs it and is very well made.
- Fabric sails are of substantial quality.
- The real working parts such as the spring-loaded cannon are well done.5
B. Quality:
- Solid-made toy with functional moving parts that are of lasting quality.
- The fabric sails will not tear or fall off.
- The water-based paints/dyes on the ship and accessories are of good coverage.
- This ship is one of the best quality wooden toy pirate ships that I’ve seen.
- We have had one small wooden flag fall off the ship’s front and has been the only thing to come apart. 5
C. Price/Value:
- The price point in my opinion is reasonable. $60- 65 for this kind of toy is fair as the details and the real working parts make for a substantial and playable toy.
- Comparably priced pirate ships such as the Kidkraft brand are made of cheaper pressed wooden boards and contain many plastic components.
- Also, this toy is not produced in China.
4. Longevity:
A. Landfill or Heirloom:
- Heirloom quality for sure.
- This pirate ship will be in perfect condition to hand down to the next child, family, or generation for that matter.
- This pirate ship will be cherished by many children as its quality and longevity are top. 5
B. Lifespan of Toy (Age Range):
- The Barbarossa pirate toy ship is rated for ages 3yr+ due to choking hazards such as cannonballs.
- Our 4yr and 7yr old plays with this ship alone as well as together.
- The lifespan of this toy could last for approximately 6-7 years if the child played with it from ages 3 to 10. 5
C. Multi-age Families:
- Good for multi-aged families if ages 3yr+ due to choking hazards.
- This is a great toy for families of multi-aged children from 3yr all the way to age 10.
- This pirate ship is great for multi-aged families.
- It is great for older children as they can still engage with this toy and not feel as though it is for toddlers.
5. Versatility:
A. Combined with other toys:
- My kids combine our small blocks to build structures for the pirate cannon to shoot at.
- Add some marbles to be a treasure.
- Le Toy Van sells pirate figures for the ship called Budkins.
B. Creativity Function:
- Creative in the fact that the pirate ship is a means for creative pretend play.
- Promotes storytelling and scenario play.
- The ship can be made into some other type of boat or vessel.
C. Storage:
- Stands alone well on a shelf for an impressive display.
- This ship is medium-sized.
- It requires space on a toy shelf or in a large cabinet for storage.
- has a door opening to the stern below to store additional figures and cannonballs.
FAQ:
Who Is Le Toy Van?
Passionate about play. A small but big-hearted family company. We believe childhood should be enjoyed to the full. That’s why we’ve been making imaginative wooden toys, designed in Great Britain with a touch of French je ne sais quoi, since 1995. Our toys encourage creative long-lasting play and quickly become well-loved family favorites. Our uniquely designed, hand-finished toys are a true investment in play, for generations to come.
Founded by Georges Le Van, and later joined by his son & wife, Steven & Marie Le Van who in tandem now run the business together. Le Toy Van team has developed and now collectively holds over 150 years of experience in the toy industry. Inspired by the understanding that children have little hands but big imaginations, Le Toy Van is passionate and proud to design innovative toys that encourage early learning through imagination & role play.
Is Pirate Set eco-friendly?
All of the components are wood!
Do I personally recommend this product?
I do recommend this product. I love this Pirate Ship. One of the better ones on the market1
Who is this product best for?
Ages 3+ all the way to teenagers. We have a range of kids, and everyone loves it.
Where can the product be purchased? At the best price?
You do pay for what you get in this box. Good value as it retails for $99.99 and can be found in many retailers and on the Amazon link below.
Final Review for Barbarossa Pirate Toy Ship:
Overall, I recommend the Le Toy Van Barbarossa pirate toy ship. It is truly much higher quality than most wooden pirate ships that I’ve seen. The Le Toy Van pirate ship is of substantial quality, craftsmanship, and hearty weight. The unique real working parts make the ship very engaging for both kids and parents. The craftsmanship is outstanding with smooth edges, quality paint/dye, and fabric sails. Adults will want to play with this ship side by side with their kids.
Le Toy Van does a great job at making classic European-style toys with a modern twist. The classic design and well-made details such as the crow’s nest, anchor, cannon, and ladders make this a truly beautiful and unique playset. It is recommended for ages 3yr+. However, I find it appealing to a wide age range beyond age 3. Pirate ships are a classic toy that promotes creative storytelling, withstanding years of play. These attributes make the Le Toy Van pirate ship have high play value and are worth the investment.
