Hape Wooden Roller Derby | Honest Toy Review
Hape’s Wooden Roller Derby creates an exciting world of fun with colorful wooden balls, peek-a-boo holes, and fast tracks as the balls roll down the track in and out of sight of the two-sided maze. The Peek-a-Boo hole on the top doubles as a carrying handle, making it easy to take out and tidy away. Discover the joy of guiding objects along the tracks (fast, slow, backward, and forwards). As your child gets older, tell them how gravitational energy turns into momentum. Inspire them to explore by themselves. Toddlers ages 12+months can enjoy delightful bell chimes with a soft, satisfying ring as each ball reaches the end of its journey to the bottom. This wooden marble racing toy is creatively designed to fascinate your toddler. Watch your little one enjoy the colorful wooden balls zoom down the tracks over and over again.
Product Description:
- DOUBLE SIDED FUN: Colorful wooden balls, peek-a-boo holes and fast tracks create a dual-sided mountain of fun that helps learn about momentum and color
- BELL CHIMES INSTRUMENT: When the colorful wooden marble balls reach the finish line a bell chimes to celebrate the end of the race
- DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS: Encourages parents to talk with their children about the different concepts (fast, slow, back and forth) as the balls roll down the tracks
- SAFE TO PLAY WITH: Rounded edges, made from sustainably sourced wood and compliant with safety and quality standards
- AWARD WINNING: The Roller Derby Maze is a proud recipient of the 2014 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, the 2014 Parent’s Choice Recommended Award, and the 2014 ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Award. It is also the 2014 Today’s Parent Toy Guide Winner
- Colorful wooden balls, peek-a-boo holes and fast tracks create a dual-sided mountain of fun
- Encourages parents to talk with their children about the different concepts (fast, slow, back and forth) as the balls rolls down the tracks
- A bell chimes when the balls reach the end of their trip
- Hape toy finishes are all non-toxic, child safe and of the highest quality
- Recommended for children ages 12+ Month
| Best Sellers Rank | #105,909 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games) #102 in Marble Runs #40,844 in Pre-Kindergarten Toys |
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| Customer Reviews |
654 ratings
4.7 out of 5 stars |
Awards:
- Recipient of the 2014 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
- 2014 Parent’s Choice Recommended Award
- 2014 ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Award
- 2014 Today’s Parent Toy Guide Winner
Why you should consider purchasing this product?
Hape’s Roller Derby is an exciting and unique toy that offers hours of fun and entertainment for children and adults alike. Here are a few reasons why you should consider buying Hape’s, Roller Derby:
- Fun and engaging gameplay: Hape’s Roller Derby features exciting and engaging gameplay that requires skill and strategy. Players control their roller skaters and race around the track, trying to avoid obstacles and beat their opponents to the finish line.
- High-quality construction: Hape is known for producing high-quality, durable toys that are built to last. Roller Derby is no exception, with a sturdy wooden track and high-quality plastic skaters that can withstand the rigors of rough play.
- Encourages social interaction: Roller Derby is a great toy for encouraging social interaction and teamwork. Children can play together, learning to work as a team and developing important social skills.
- Helps develop motor skills: Roller Derby is a great way to help children develop their motor skills, coordination, and balance. The game requires players to use their hands and feet simultaneously, helping to improve their dexterity and coordination.
- Eco-friendly and safe: Hape is committed to producing eco-friendly, safe toys that are free from harmful chemicals and toxins. Roller Derby is made from sustainable materials and meets the highest safety standards, so you can feel good about giving it to your child.
Overall, Hape’s Roller Derby is an exciting, engaging, and well-made toy that offers a unique and fun gameplay experience. It encourages social interaction, helps develop motor skills, and is eco-friendly and safe, making it an excellent choice for children and parents alike.
Christina’s Toy Review consists of 5 standardized criteria categories:
1. Sustainability:
A. Product: Made of sturdy wood sides and a strong wooden base, it also has metal components for ramps and a few plastic pieces for ball shelves.
B. Packaging: Recyclable cardboard box with no plastic window or extra packing inside.
C. Origin/Company: Hape places sustainability as a top priority. They have introduced key processes in production to minimize the impact on the environment. Their toys are produced in China in their own factory ensuring safety practices. Toy companies that have their own factories in China are more trustworthy than 3rd party factories producing goods for various brands. All of their products are made with water-based non-toxic paints and lacquers and tested at an independent laboratory to ensure they exceed the ASTM standards for safety. To learn more about their practices, check out their mission HERE.
2. Playability:
A. Open-ended: This ball run is “open-ended” in the sense that it doesn’t play for the toddler or tell it what to do. However, it is not geared to build or create something as it only has two components the “balls” and the “run.”
B. Active Parent engagement: Ball runs promote parent playtime in the sense that parents can teach colors (different ball colors included) and talk about sphere shapes fitting through round holes.
C. Playtime: This ball run easily engages a toddler for 15 to 30 min especially if parents get involved. Toddlers love to simply roll the balls from the top but also experiment with starting the balls at the lower levels. The bell feature on the last ramp adds to the sense of accomplishment each time the ball ends.
3. Durability:
A. Craftmanship: This is a solid structure with a nice weight and sturdy base. It doesn’t tip easily and is very playable. The balls are of solid heavy hardwood.
B. Quality: The paint of the structure and metal components is well done as our ball run 5 years later looks almost new. The wooden balls do have some dents and paint transfer, however, my older children use these for play with other toys.
C. Price/Value: Good price/value. The Hape wooden derby is a rock-solid toddler toy that your kids will not destroy.
4. Longevity:
A. Landfill or Heirloom: This toy is a keeper as it can be handed down to multiple children and remain intact. I have no doubt this could be an heirloom toy handed down to the next generation.
B. Lifespan of Toy (Age Range): All of my toddlers have loved this toy from 12 months and up then as preschoolers. My 3-year-old makes up racing games with the balls. My older elementary children use just the 3 wooden balls to use on their own built ball runs made from plank-style blocks. (Brain Blox, Keva planks)
C. Multi-age Families: The ball run is great for families with babies to preschool and beyond as there are no choking hazards to worry about.
5. Versatility:
A. Combinable with other toys: Cannot be combined in the traditional sense with other toys however the 3 included wooden balls can be used in various playtime.
B. Creativity Function: This STEM toy teaches momentum, gravity, and other basic cause-and-effect lessons. STEM toys for toddlers are harder to find on the market.
C. Storage: No storage, as the unit stores upright on its own base with the balls resting on the last ramp. Looks nice on a shelf.
Pros:
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Learn About Momentum, Color, and Patterns
Discover the joy of guiding objects along the tracks (fast, slow, backward, and forwards). As your child gets older, tell them how gravitational energy turns into momentum. Inspire them to explore by themselves.
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Double The Fun With 2 Sides
Each side has different tracks, doubling the fun.
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The Bell Adds Fun
The bell on the bottom rings when the ball reaches the end of the track.
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Rounded Edges
Well-polished surfaces, round edges and sturdy materials ensure safe play.
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Easy To Carry
The Peek-a-Boo hole on the top doubles as a carrying handle, making it easy to take out and tidy away.
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Durable Wood, Water Based Paint
The durable, child-safe paint finish and solid wood construction make this a toy that your child will love for years to come.
Cons:
- Making sure this type of toy is based on your child’s developmental age is challenging.
- Can tip over easily which can frustrate the child. This is overcome with parent engagement.
Hape Wooden Roller Derby Final Review:
Hape’s Wooden Roller Derby is an excellent toy for children and adults that offers fun and engaging gameplay while encouraging social interaction and developing motor skills. The high-quality construction and eco-friendly materials make it a safe and durable option, and the game’s focus on strategy and teamwork adds to its value. Overall, Hape’s Roller Derby is a great buy that provides hours of entertainment and developmental benefits for children. Overall, I recommend the Hape Wooden Roller Derby Ball Run for your child. Most toys at this price point won’t deliver the quality, experience, and robustness that this toy delivers. This toy will definitely be played with regularly at your home as it is simple yet engaging to a toddler. We have enjoyed this toy for our toddlers and I believe it to be a solid product that your family will have years with.
