Learning Resources EI-2100 Zoomigos Fox with Box Zoomer

The box felt very lightweight before I opened it, I was surprised to see half the box had a cardboard wedge in it and just sat to the other side was the Zoomigo.I was expecting this to be bigger than it was going by the box size. The toy/dog it self is cute and colourful but and this is a big but, the cog at the bottom of the dog does worry me, it looks like it could be possible for a child to get their hair tangled within the cog!Because we know children put things in their mouth and hair so I’m not sure this is totally a safe toy hence my 3 stars.I also think it’s a bit pricey at £12.If you have found my review at all helpful, I would very much appreciate if you could please click the 'Helpful' button below, thank you.

The media could not be loaded.  With a three year old grandchild learning the world around him fast, keeping him occupied and amused is a challenge for the parents, so spotting this Educational Insights™ “Zoomigos™ Dog with Tennis Ball Zoomer” offered under the Amazon Vine programme it looked as though it would fit the bill with a child who is fascinated by toy cars and things that move. One of a series of Zoomers, others in the collection includes a monkey, a fox, an elephant, and a hippo. This means if you have siblings they can each have their own model and hopefully stop arguments. The Zoomer is smaller than I thought, with the tennis ball/car approximately 8.5cm long, 7cm wide and 5cm tall, whilst the dog is around 10.5cm tall.As the age range states it is designed for 3+ children it’s comforting to see that the all plastic construction carries the European Union’s ‘CE’ mark, confirming that it is completely safe for children of this age range and is manufactured from non-toxic materials with smooth edges throughout – important for a toddler who learns by putting objects into his mouth and easily wiped down with a disinfectant wipe. The tennis ball/car does indeed look like a cut open tennis ball, in a more vibrant green than the real thing and with white trim the majority of tennis balls are coloured. The wheels meanwhile are a bright yellow, meaning that this immediately attracted the attention of the three year-old. At the base of the ‘passenger compartment’ there’s a blue cog, which engages with the dog part of the toy and is the means of propulsion.The separate dog looks like no particular breed but is coloured a pleasant beige with mid-brown ears and tail, and wearing a red spotted neckerchief. However the dog’s ‘legs’ are made of clear plastic and look more human than canine. This reveals internal blue cogs which engage with the blue cog at the base of the car’s passenger compartment. The educational aspect of the toy reveals itself to the child after first demonstration: You place the dog on a solid surface, pump the dog up and down a few times which builds kinetic energy within the cog system and place the dog in the car. The grandchild squealed with delight as the car set off across the kitchen floor quite a reasonable distance and at a fair lick too. After a couple of repeat demonstrations he soon got the hang of ‘charging’ the toy himself, keeping him amused for a good time. For a 3 year old this was perfectly acceptable entertainment, especially for a child who has a fascination with toy cars, but as is typical of many toys designed with this age range in mind the Zoomer is simple to understand and features limited moving parts and thus would probably be rejected by an older age range as too basic.It’s fair to say that the toy should be used on a smooth surface such as a boarded melamine floor as a carpet provides too much friction to overcome. Packaging wise the majority of the packing was a cardboard box simply and readily recycled, a feature I like a lot as a dedicated recycler. However the car and dog were packed in small plastic bags which seemed like overkill and these had to be binned quickly before giving the grandchild the product. If this was one of many toys given at Christmas or for a birthday I wouldn’t have been comfortable if the grandchild had ripped the box open whilst the adults were distracted by what other siblings were up to and got access to plastic bags, which really do seem over the top.I do however like the educational aspect of the toy, which the product leaflet included states the three main features:1. Develops fine motor skills, adding that small and purposeful movements are key to toddler development. The need to pump the ‘dog’ up and down as well as placing it the right way around in the passenger compartment took a few goes to master but showed learning when he got the hang of it.2. Encourages unplugged play, adding that screen-free fun means imaginations are free to roam and explore.3. Promotes kid-powered fun, with no batteries required, often an expense for hard-pressed parents.This is a nice simple toy that has already brought quite a bit of pleasure to a toddler, and quite different to the range of toy cars he already has which require a push to go. The novel aspect of the car operating under its own power after pumping the toy dog to prime it has certainly been a winner and its getting lots of playtime as a result.

No Batteries? Nope, and it’s so nice to see a toy that doesn’t nowadays. Isn’t it boring though? No, not at all. This toy relies on it being pumped up before it shuttles along the floor. A simple idea that works so well.The one I got was the dog with tennis ball zoomer. He’s a cute little dog even though you only get a head and body, the rest is the mechanism to drive the zoomer. You can pump him up and down first and then sit him in the zoomer and let it run away. Alternatively, you can pump him whilst he’s in the zoomer with the same result.It’s a good way to teach a child motor skills. The more effort they put in the better the results. No more asking for new batteries! I think this is a good thing for you and the child.It’s pretty much an all plastic design and the quality is good. I would agree that the minimum age of around 3 years is about right.Overall, a nice toy and not too expensive.

My little one loves to watch how things work and likes anything with cogs and things so he loves watching how this little Zoomer works.It's very simple to operate and it's perfect as he's 2 and can do it himself and loves it. You press the head of the dog and the little cogs inside him whir around to wind it up and then when you place him in his little car (which is this case is a little tennis ball car) he zooms off. This would be more fun with others in the range to race against. I'll see if the novelty wears off before I consider buying another one but for now my little one really likes it and enjoys taking the dog in and out of the car.It's hard, durable plastic, it's survived several knocks into the furniture and is cute, brightly coloured and simple fun.

Learning Resources EI-2101 Zoomigos Dog with Tennis Ball Zoomer.My grandaughters love this , I bring it out when they visit and they love it, they are giggling away as tennis ball zoomer races away! My grandaughters are age 1.5 and 2.5 years and it seems very suitable for that age.Press the pups head to wind it up and then place it in the tennis ball zoomer and then it will zoom off on it's own.Lots of fun to be had by this especially for preschool kids.No batteries are required for this.Theres lots more to collect, one of my grandaughters keeps asking me to buy her some more, so I can tell she loves them bless her.Great for imagination play.I can highly recommend this toy and it priced reasonably.

This is a cute toy for little ones and it brings a lot of joy and amusement in use. It’s a straight-forward to use, wind up the toy by pushing the dog down several times, then place in the tennis ball and which them go!OK, so it’s not mega fast or very exciting if you’re not a toddler, but it’s fun if you’re three! I do think for what it does it’s a tad on the expensive side for what it is, and is probably more fun with two, so you can race it with your little one for even more fun.

Disappointingly, this lovely-looking toy will not work at all on carpet although it will run fine on hard floors. Our 18-month old thought it was fun for about 5 minutes before he seemed bored. Maybe he's a bit young? Or maybe he just didn't like the movement?I've pout it away for now and will get it pout again in another few months.