Transforming Playtime

One of the great joys of parenthood is when your children begin to enjoy something you loved as a child. Such was the case when this box was delivered to my doorstep:

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I think I instantly became a 7 year-old when I opened that box. In anticipation of the new Michael Bay movie Transformers: Age of Extinction, a Paramount Pictures feature film, the Transformers toys are back! This time they are back with probably my favorite characters – the Dinobots.

Hasbro hit a home run with this new line. Need evidence? I specifically remember how difficult it was 30 years ago to transform some of the bigger characters. Now? Not so much. There is such a wide range of options to include kids of various ages and abilities.

Not long after I opened the box, my daughter built this:

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Mind you, she had no idea who Optimus Prime was, or what an Autobot was, or what Transformers were, but she became instantly interested in the story behind the toys. And so we watched a few episodes of the original 1980’s cartoon on Netflix – and, coincidentally, found the creation of the awesome Dinobots.

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While my daughter (6) was interested in building the various pieces (some of the figures require light assembly, most do not) and watching the story unfold, my son (3) was interested in creating his own stories with the toys. While they both love playing with Optimus, it appears that his favorite is Drift. Drift transforms in very few steps:

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Drift became so popular that he accompanied my son on trips to the park, the zoo, and even gymnastics.

The other piece that they loved was the Hex Bug Warriors Battle Stadium. It was easy to build and easy to take apart. The kids love it because it is big and the Transformer Hex Bugs operate on their own and “battle” each other at random when they cross paths in the stadium. There was a lot of giggling with this particular piece.

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I guess the bottom line is that this film’s toy line features something for everyone. From the Kre-O building sets to the Transformers Generations and Transformers Construct-Bots action figures to the One Step Changers there are a variety of options for the Transformer fan big and small from which to play. It should be noted that the recommended ages for these toys start at 5 & up.

You can get further information about all things Transformers over at The Rock Father’s website. He has been doing an entire Transformers week and it is epic. You can also learn more info about the Hasbro line here.

Are you ready for Extinction?

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Are you ready to roll out? I am:)

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The new movie Transformers: Age of Extinction comes out June 27, 2014.

Disclosure: I was sent these items to review but was not compensated for this post. My words, thoughts, and opinion, are my own. And it was a lot of fun.

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