My First Craftsman Heavy Duty Workbench

We are always on the lookout for toys that provide realistic role play for our curious preschooler. From the moment he spotted this workbench, he was captivated. There are approximately 68 pieces that comprise the set, including two power tools (a drill with four interchangeable bits and a nail gun), wrenches, screw drivers, saws, hammer, work googles, and nuts and bolts. The power tools came with batteries, a major plus as our son could dig right in!

My husband and I easily put together the workbench in about 20 minutes, despite the fairly sparse instructions. The lightweight plastic pieces snap together and are held in place by plastic nuts and bolts that are identical to the ones included for play. Several stickers were included that did not stick well and weren’t the right size for their intended space, which was disappointing, but does not affect play or attractiveness of the toy.

There are two flip-down bins on the top and a sliding tool track with several hooks for hanging tools, and ample space on the workbench top and a shelf below. While there is not a specified place for each tool (mind boggling for us engineer parents), our inventive preschooler loves to continuously find new ways to arrange the tools.

The workbench is recommended for ages 3 and up and I’d say the perfect age range would be 3-6 years. The overall size is 23”W x 15”D x 34”H. It does not take up a huge amount of space and is lightweight so easy to move within your house. One caution would be to watch younger siblings ─ our almost mobile and curious 8-month old was able to grab the sides and pull the workbench over on herself. Luckily the materials and pieces are all plastic, so the risk of injury is low, but she was shocked when it toppled!

Pros:

  • Realistic: The two power tools light up and make sound just like a real drill or nail gun. All the other pieces are true to form and can be compared to ones mommy or daddy might use to fix things.
  • Storage: The workbench has plenty of space to keep all the pieces contained. The lightweight material makes it easy to move the workbench as necessary for cleaning, change of toy arrangement, etc.
  • Simple and fun: This toy was easy to assemble and self-explanatory for play. It provided hours of creative play for our son and he continues to come back to it, fixing his toys or mimicking adult tasks.

Cons:

  • Sturdiness/Durability: The lightweight plastic has its positives but we were expecting this to be a bit heavier/sturdier (along the lines of a play kitchen.) As long as you are aware of this and keep younger ones away, it should not be a big problem. A piece of the drill broke off after two weeks of use, and although it was able to be snapped back on for a temporary fix, it was only dropped about 2 feet onto carpet.
  • Stickers: The included stickers did not fit or stick in their intended places and fell off immediately after starting to play with the toy.
  • Pieces: Multiple tools/pieces are included in this set. While this is attractive to children, it may become frustrating if things get misplaced or lost.

My First Craftsman Heavy Duty Workbench

Manufactured by My First Craftsman/Sears Brand Management Corporation

www.kmart.com or www.amazon.com

$59.99

Appealed to the advertised age range: 5

Instructions were easy to follow: 4

My child played with this multiple times: 5

Small pieces were a problem: 3

Messy: 2

Would travel well: 1

Durability: 3

I would purchase this for my family: Yes

I would purchase this as a gift: Yes

Overall rating: 4

Meet the Reviewer! Christy Petrak is a systems engineer currently taking a leave of absence to raise her two children, Thomas (3 1/2 years) and Eliza (8 months). She enjoys spending time with her family, swimming and baking/decorating cupcakes.

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