Review | CAT Vehicle Toys "Let's do the work!"

A few weeks ago I was excited to attend BlogOn Toys and try out some really great toys. As a big kid at heart I was in my element and had a fabulous time checking out the new releases that I knew my kids would love.

One new range that really caught my eye was these Caterpillar Vehicle Toys by Funrise. Later in the day when I was lucky enough to win a raffle prize, I knew exactly which one Ollie would like and I can't wait to see him open his Junior Crew Build Your Own Excavator on Christmas morning.

Christmas came early for Ollie earlier this week though, when we were sent three other CAT Vehicle products to review! The kids have played with these toys every single day since they arrived - check out Ollie's smiley face to see just how much fun he had opening and playing with these.

Take outdoor fun to the next level with the Cat Construction Fleet Sand Set! This set gives you all the tools you need to tackle any construction job, including a push-powered 10” vehicle along with a hard hat, shovel, and rake.

Safety comes first on the job site so proudly wear your Cat hard hat when you’re controlling the

action by moving and posing the articulated vehicle buckets and booms just like the real thing. Use

the hand tools separately or snap them together to help excavate the job site. 

Real Cat machines are known for their high quality, these toys are no different, built to withstand the elements and perfect for outdoor play.

In the fading summer sun on Thursday afternoon we were able to get outside and had a great time filling up the Cat® Construction Fleet Sand Set -Dump Truck Vehicle (RRP £14.99) with autumn leaves and conkers. This set is perfect for playing in a sand pit but don't be put off if you don't have one - we don't but it hasn't stopped play. 

The Cat Construction Fleet Sand Set was sturdy and versatile. Ollie is a big fan of the hard hat, which has a handy adjustable strap, as his last 'builder's hat' was always falling off his head and this one stays put! He was also impressed with the spade and rake toys which can be used separately or clipped together.

The Cat® Power Haulers Cement Mixer (RRP £19.99) is pretty noisy! I'm not usually a big fan of loud toys but this one is pretty clever. The 'Motion Drive Technology' recognises when your child is pushing the vehicle forward or backward and activates the realistic sound features and lights.

With Cat Power Haulers, kids take control! These vehicles feature Motion Drive Technology allowing for fun and intuitive play that brings the action to life! With Motion Drive Technology, push the vehicle forward to make the engine rev and activate the lights; push the vehicle backward to hear back-up sounds; move the bucket or dump bed to hear hydraulic sounds and flash the lights. 

The features are activated by the child’s interaction with the vehicle create an engaging and realistic Cat experience every time they play.

Of all the toys, I was most interested in seeing how Ollie would like the Cat® Junior Crew Build your own vehicle sets (RRP £12.99) as this is one of his Christmas presents. For a child that is digger crazy, Ollie doesn't have *that* many toys like this and having the ability to take it apart and build it again is a huge selling point for me. With a figure to sit inside, it offers up so many options for imaginative play as well as the fine-motor and cognitive skills gained from tools and screws.

Your child will become the engineer as they build, take apart, and re-build their favorite construction vehicles with the Cat Build Your Own Vehicle Junior Crew. 

Each set comes with everything they need to create their very own vehicle plus a construction driver action figure to bring the worksite to life. 

Improve your child’s fine motor skills as they use the included screwdriver to easily assemble the different vehicle parts using the attached bolts. Let their creativity shine by mixing and matching the different parts to create their own custom vehicles. 

When playtime is over everything can be stored in the reusable carry case the product comes in, making cleanup a snap.

Ollie found the instructions easy to follow and needed very little help to build the set. Since then he has taken it apart and rebuilt it more times than I can count and now needs no help at all. One of the best things about this toy is that you can use it with others to change parts and design your own vehicle. For a child like Ollie, the only limit is their imagination!

These CAT Vehicles are new to Funrise Toys and the quality is superior to similar toys that Ollie has owned in the past. Being boisterous, we've had a few trucks and diggers end up in the worksite graveyard after an Ollie play session. 

From my point of view, I really liked how strong and durable these toys were. Vehicles like this are going to face a lot of bumps and crashes when being pushed around by kids but these can easily withstand the play of an excitable four year old and be played with over and over again. 

I'm also a big fan of the learning value they all have, you can tell that a lot of thought has gone into the design for each toy in the range, with an appeal for different ages and development stages. 

If you've got a little one who would love these for Christmas, you can check out the range on Amazon here or at the Funrise Toys UK shop. They're also available at Ocado, Debenhams and John Lewis.

Thanks for reading, if you have any questions about the CAT Vehicle toys we reviewed then I'd be happy to answer! Just pop your question in the comments.

*I was sent a product for the purpose of this review, all thoughts and opinions are my own*