One question: Where was this when I was a kid?
Thanks to Hasbro’s Play-Doh 3-in-1 Town Center, kids can shape, stretch, and squeeze their way through an entire urban community. Designed for young ones ages 3 and up, the Town Center includes an unassembled play set, two figures with hats, a chef hat, one four-wheeled vehicle, two stampers, a spatula, a spade, a wrench, assembly instructions, and a generous eight cans of Play-Doh compound. Talk about a sweet deal.
When I first opened up the Town Center, my desk was flooded with an assortment of colorful, plastic play set pieces. But it didn’t take me long to sort it all out. I quickly discovered the simplicity of the assembly process, and in more than five minutes my Town Center was up and open for business. The only tools required are a pair of hands, since the pieces snap together with ease. It’s a great opportunity for parents and kids to construct the set and familiarize themselves with the pieces. Bonding time is just the added bonus.
The 3-in-1 Town Center, as its name suggests, is actually three things in one. Featuring a garage, a flower boutique, and a bakery, the set gives kids a variety of outlets to help channel their creative juices. At the bakery, kids can slide the table back and stamp delectable Play-Doh cakes. Next, they can go for a spin and head over to the garage for a quick gallon of gas. Kids can fill the hollow gas pump with Play-Doh, press it down, and watch it flow out of the side. And to top it all off, young ones can create wonderful arrangements of flowers at the flower shop to decorate the little city however they see fit. Two rickety white draw bridges connect the three locations, and a variety of accessories only add to the fun.
The coolest and most innovative part about the Town Center is its design. As kids play, they’ll discover that nearly every play piece is lined with fun molds that they can use to create Play-Doh shapes. Flowers, butterflies, hearts, shells, and utensils are all possible, and it adds a ton of extra play value. Helpful tip: use smaller chunks of Play-Doh to remove shapes from their half-molds! With more than 50 different stamps to choose from, there’s no telling what kids will come up with.
The silliest feature (and my personal favorite) is the ability to create a beard on the male figure. After young ones fill the character’s hollow head with their Play-Doh color of choice, they can push his hat down to send the colorful compound oozing out of holes located under his chin. I opted for a green, scraggly looking beard and it was awesome. On the female figure, kids can fill her head with Play-Doh and press her sun hat down to create a pretty corner flower and some luscious locks.
Hasbro’s Play-Doh 3-in-1 Town Center has got everything kids need to create colorful stories. Through imaginative, detailed, and active role-play, both social and motor skills are bound to get a boost. The only limit is imagination.
